What questions are the next generation of kidney researchers asking about PKD – and where might those questions lead?
Join the PKD Foundation of Canada for a special conversation with emerging Canadian researchers and physicians whose work is helping us understand polycystic kidney disease from very different angles.
Rather than focusing on one study or one potential treatment, this roundtable will take you inside the research process itself. We’ll talk about what these researchers are working on now, what drew them to PKD, what they hope to understand or change, and how research that begins with genetics, patient data, laboratory models or unanswered clinical questions can eventually contribute to better care.
Our panel will include:
Dr. Sol Carriazo, MD, a nephrologist and PKD Foundation of Canada/PKD Foundation (U.S.) fellowship recipient at University Health Network. Her research combines medical data, advanced kidney imaging, genetic information and artificial intelligence to explore whether we can better predict how ADPKD will progress from one person to another.
Dr. Ryan Ting, MD, a nephrology fellow at Western University with a strong interest in renal genetics and inherited kidney disease. His earlier ADPKD research examined genetic factors that may help explain why disease severity can differ between members of the same family, as well as the effects of different PKD1 variants on disease severity.
William Foley, a medical student at Université de Montréal who has worked with Dr. Marie Trudel on ADPKD research since his undergraduate studies in biochemistry. His work explores the molecular mechanisms behind PKD, including the role of polycystin-1 and the use of mouse models to investigate possible future therapeutic approaches.
Together, we’ll explore questions such as:
- Why can PKD progress so differently from one person to another?
- What can genetics tell us about inherited kidney disease?
- How might AI, imaging and large patient datasets help make PKD care more personalized?
- Why do researchers use laboratory and animal models to study PKD?
- What has to happen before an early research finding can eventually influence patient care?
- What inspires young researchers to build careers in PKD and nephrology?
Some of the research discussed during this event is still early-stage and may be many years away from changing treatment or clinical care. That is part of the conversation. We’ll also talk about why research takes time, what researchers learn along the way, and why supporting the next generation of investigators matters.
There will be time for a moderated audience Q&A, with questions collected during registration and during the event.
Whether you live with PKD, have a family member affected by it, or are simply curious about where PKD research is heading, this is a chance to meet some of the people helping ask the questions that may shape its future.