The Sparks Lab is interested in understanding how both the renin angiotensin and prostanoid systems regulate blood pressure and diabetic nephropathy pathogenesis by altering blood flow to the kidney. The lab utilizes a combination of physiologic and molecular techniques in genetically modified mice to probe questions about how changes in the micro circulation in the kidney alter sodium excretion. The overarching goal of this research is to identify novel mechanisms to target drug therapy for patients with hypertension. We also have project exploring the link between pulmonary hypertension and chronic kidney disease. More recently, our lab is looking at how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with the renin-angiotensin system.

Papers from the Lab

Follow @Nephro_Sparks

Current Lab Members

Fitra Rianto, MD
Postdoctoral Associate- Duke University

Ritika Revoori
Undergraduate Student- Duke University

Lab Graduates

Thien Hoang
Duke University Graduate, 2020
Current Medical Student, UT Medical Branch, Galveston, TX

Alison Hollis
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Graduate, 2018
Current Medical Student, UNC Chapel Hill

Erin Wolf, MD
Duke University School of Medicine Graduate, 2018
Current Resident in Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

Hooman Azad
Duke University Graduate 2017
Current Medical Student, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Rishav Adhikari
Duke University Graduate 2016
Current Medical Student, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

Aaron Kupin
Duke University Graduate 2017
Teaching High School Science, Boca Raton, FL

Edward Diaz
UNC Graduate 2017
Current Medical Student, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Lucas Bouknight
UNC Chapel Hill Graduate 2018
Current Medical Student, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Emre Dilmen
Undergraduate Student- Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands