Research

Title: University of Miami kidney Innovative & Interdisciplinary Medical Education in Research Activities (UM-KIIMERA)
Major Goals: The goal of this proposal is to engage first year medical students across the Florida state in a summer program designed to foster interest in Nephrology by exposing students to basic, clinical, and translational science research opportunities
Status of Support: Active
Project Number: T35DK121678
Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni, A
Source of Support: NIH-NIDDK
Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 08/2020-07/2025
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $256,828.00
Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        0.6
2024-2025        0.6

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Title: Workshops and Coaching to Foster Career Skills in Newly Funded NIDDK Scholars
Major Goals: HARPUE5 Aims at to develop a network of mentors and scholars, with the expectation that scholars will apply for a career stage-appropriate NIH research project grant after their participation in the program.
Status of Support: Active
Project Number: UE5DK137308
Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni, Alessia,
Source of Support: NIH/NIDDK
Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 09/2023-08/2028
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $810,000
Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        2.40
2024-2025        2.40
2025-2026        2.40
2026-2027        2.40
2027-2028        2.40

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Title: 1-13 ApoL1 Genotypes in Kidney Donors and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients Clinical Center
Major Goals: Investigate how ApoL1 risk alleles variants in kidney transplant donors and recipients affect transplant outcome
Status of Support: Active
Project Number: U01DK116101
Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni, A/ Ortigosa-Goggins, M
Source of Support: NIDDK
Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 09/2023-05/2028
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $3,231,831
Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        0.6
2024-2025        0.6
2025-2026        0.6
2026-2027        0.6
2027-2028        0.6

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Title: Role of Podocyte Ceramide Synthase 6 in FSGS
Major Goals:
Status of Support: Active
Project Number: HT9425-24-1-0202 Name of PD/Pl: Guanshi Zhang
Performance period: 01/01/2024-12/31/2027
Source of Support: DOD
Primary Place of Performance: University Texas Health Center, San Antione TX
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 01/01/2024-12/31/2027
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $280,004
Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2024                 0.24
2025                 0.24
2026                 0.24
2027                 0.24

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*Title: Glomerular endothelial damage: a new role of the lipids in Alpert syndrome.
*Major Goals: It aims at examining how PGC-    GEC causes lipid metabolic dysfunction.
*Status of Support: Active
Project Number: R01DK135806-01A1 Name of PD/Pl: Sargis Sedrakyan
*Source of Support: NIH
*Primary Place of Performance: Children's Hospital of Los Angeles/University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 04/2024-03/2026
*    Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $122,800.00
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        0.24
2024-2025        0.24
2025-2026        0.24

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*Title: APOM deficiency contributes to podocyte injury in glomerular diseases
*Major Goals: Hypothesize that GDs represent a state of gAPOM deficiency causing impaired RCT and activation S1P/S1PR signaling in podocytes, thereby causing lipotoxic podocyte injury. We propose a highly translational approach with three specific aims to 1) investigate if gAPOM deficiency correlates with the activation of glomerular S1P/S1PR signaling, is associated with decreased pAPOM levels and predicts outcomes in patients with GD, 2) to investigate the role of podocyte APOM deficiency on RCT and S1P/S1PR4 signaling, and 3) to investigate the therapeutic potential of recombinant human APOM in an experimental model of GD.
*Status of Support: Active
*Project Number: R01DK136679
*Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni, Alessia
*Source of Support: NIH/NIDDK
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 07/2023-04/2027
*Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $2,701,643
*Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024       1.4
2024-2025       1.4
2025-2026       1.4
2026-2027       1.4

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*Title: Medical Scientist Training Program
*Major Goals: The Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine seeks to develop diverse, highly motivated physician scientists who will pursue careers
matching state of the art research with evidence-based medicine.
*Status of Support: Active
*Project Number: T32GM145462
*Name of PD/Pl: Liebl, D / Fornoni, A (Co-Director)
*Source of Support: NIH/NIGMS
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 07/2022-06/2027
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $3,832,441
Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024       1.8
2024-2025       1.8
2025-2026       1.8
2026-2027       1.8

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*Title: Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute
*Major Goals: The goal of this training grant is to promote, implement, and disseminate translational science.
*Status of Support: Active
*Project Number: UM1TR004556
*Name of PD/Pl: Carrasquillo
*Source of Support: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 08/2023-06/2030
*Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $27,937,000.00
*Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        0.6
2024-2025        0.6
2025-2026        0.6
2026-2027        0.6
2027-2028        0.6
2028-2029        0.6
2029-2030        0.6

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*Title: Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute
*Major Goals: The goal of this proposal is to foster the career of junior Faculty interested in clinical and translational research.
*Status of Support: Active
*Project Number: K12TR004555
*Name of PD/Pl: Rundek/Fornoni
*Source of Support: NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 09/2023-08/2028
*Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $3,780,000.00
*Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024       1.0
2024-2025       1.0
2025-2026       1.0
2026-2027       1.0
2027-2028       1.0

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*Title: S1P-mediated podocyte injury in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
*Major Goals: To determine how APOM mediated activation of S1P signaling induce changes in renal function.
*Status of Support: Active
*Project Number: DOD-HT94252310054
*Name of PD/Pl: Merscher, S
*Source of Support: DOD
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 01/2023-12/2024
*Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $307,000.00
*Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Calendar Months
2023-2024        0.2

1-16-IBS-087 American Diabetes Association Innovative Basic Science Award 01/2016 – 12/2018
FGF21 Causes Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Principle Investigator: C. Faul, PhD

American Heart Association PostDoctoral Award 07/2014 – 06/2016
Cardiac FGFR4 activation causes Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Principle Investigator: A. Grabner, Mentor: C. Faul, PhD

F31 DK102361 (NIH/NIDDK) 09/2014 – 08/2017
Activation of Protease-Activated Receptor 2 by Zonulin Regulates Cell-Cell Contact
Principle Investigator: K. Schramm, Mentor: C. Faul, PhD

ASF, Pederson Family, KFOC – 07/01/17-06/30/18
Targeting Podocyte Lipotoxicity in Alport Syndrome
Principle Investigator: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

ASF, Pederson Family, KFOC – 07/01/18-12/31/18
Targeting Podocyte Lipotoxicity in Alport Syndrome

F31 DK09566101 (NIH/NIDDK) 07/2012 – 06/2017
The Role of NFAT in Podocyte Damage and Proteinuric Kidney Disease
Principle Investigator: A. Sloan, Mentor: C. Faul, PhD

UM CFAR Pilot Award 11/2015 – 11/2016
Role of TNF alpha and APOL1 in HIVAN
Principle Investigator: S. Merscher, PhD

1R01DK090316-01A1 (NIH/NIDDK) 09/2011 – 07/2016
Novel Targets of Rituximab in FSGS
Principle Investigator: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

American Heart Association PreDoctoral Award 07/2014 – 06/2016
TNF Alpha Causes Cholesterol Accumulation and Apoptosis in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Principle Investigator: C. Pedigo, Mentor: S. Merscher, PhD

UM SAC Award 10/2015 – 03/2016
Generation and characterization of an inducible podocyte-specific SMPDL3b transgenic mouse
Principle Investigator: S. Merscher, PhD

F30 DK0910572010 (NIH/NIDDK) 09/2010 – 06//2015
Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual National Research Service Award Career Development Grant
The Role of FGF23 in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Kidney Disease
Principle Investigator: A. Amaral, Mentor: C. Faul, PhD

Diabetes Complication Consortium (NIH/NIDDK) 06/2013 – 05/2014
Role of Podocyte Lipids in the Prediction of Diabetic
Principle Investigator: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation 06/2013 – 05/2014
Lypotoxicity and autoimmunity in Type 1 diabetes.
Principle Investigator: S. Merscher, PhD

The Stanley J. Glaser Foundation Research Award 06/2013-05/2014
SMPDL3b interferes with avb3 integrin signaling in podocytes
Principle Investigator: S. Merscher, PhD

Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant 07/2012-06/2014
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
The role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in Cardiorenal Syndrome
Principle Investigator: C. Faul, PhD

U3 Pharma 06/2012 – 06//2014
Anti-FGFR4 antibodies as a novel therapy to attenuate cardiac disease
Principle Investigator: C. Faul, PhD

Young Investigator Award 12/2013 – 11//2014
Roche, Translational & Clinical Research Center (TCRC), Inc.
Pathologic effects of FGF23 in Chronic Kidney Disease
Principle Investigator: A, Grabner, MD, Mentor: C. Faul, PhD

1UL1TR000460 CTSI/NIH Pilot Study Grant 01/2013 – 12/2013
Personalized podocyte biology for the prediction of diabetic kidney disease in high risk populations
Principle Investigator: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation 06/2014 – 05/2015
Co-Principle Investigator: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

American Heart Association 07/2012 – 06/2013
Role of nephrin deficiency in the mouse pancreas
Sponsor: A. Fornoni, MD PhD

UM CTSI Pilot Award 07/2014 – 06/2015
Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy (T2DN) in Hispanics and African Americans
Principle Investigator: A. Nayer, MD

The Stanley J. Glaser Foundation Research Award 08/2014-07/2015
The Role of Fibrobast Growth Factor 23 in Cardiac Disease
Principle Investigator: C. Faul, PhD

*Title: rhAPOM as Novel Protein-Based Therapeutics in Alport Syndrome
*Major Goals:
*Status of Support: Pending
*Project Number: GRANT14165560
*Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni
*Source of Support: NIH
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 4/1/2025-3/31/2027
*    Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $422,125
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months
2025                .36 CM
2026                .36 CM

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*Title: Treatment-induced renal toxicities in breast cancer survivors
*Major Goals:
*Status of Support: Pending
*Project Number: GRANT14170058
*Name of PD/Pl: Ahmad/Fornoni
*Source of Support: DoD
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 1/1/25-12/31/28
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $5,372,501
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months
2025                1.20 CM
2026                1.20 CM
2027                1.20 CM
2028                1.20 CM

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*Title: Crosstalk Between Lipid Droplets and Other Organelles in Podocytes
*Major Goals: The goal of this proposal is to investigate the mechanisms by which PLIN5 regulates triglyceride lipolysis, lipid droplet-mitochondrial contact formation and CMA in glomerular diseases.
*Status of Support: Pending
*Project Number: 2R01DK104753-09A1
*Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni
*Source of Support: NIH/NIDDK
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 12/01/2024-11/30/2029
*    Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $2,908,816
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months
2025                 1.20 CM
2026                 1.20 CM
2027                 1.20 CM
2028                 1.20 CM
2029                 1.20 CM

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*Title: University of Miami - Undergraduate Nephrology Education and Research Training (UM U­ NET)  (This Proposal)
*Major Goals: The goal of UM U-NET is to engage undergraduate students and recent post­ baccalaureates in Florida in a summer
program designed to foster interest in nephrology by exposing the enrolled students to basic, clinical, and
translational discovery science research
*Status of Support: Pending Project Number: R25DK141431-01 Name of PD/Pl: Fornoni
*Source of Support: NIH/NIDDK
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL Project/Proposal Start and End Date:12/1/2024-11/30/2029
*    Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $539,980
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months
2025                1.20 CM
2026                1.20 CM
2027                1.20 CM
2028                1.20 CM
2029                1.20 CM

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*Title: mtDNA causes podocyte injury and proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease (DKD)
*Major Goals: This project aims to elucidate new mechanism that contributes to inflammation­ mediated
podocyte death and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) development and progression
*Status of Support: Pending Support Project Number: DK136734
Name of PD/Pl: Mitrofanova
*Source of Support: NIH
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 09/01/2024-08/31/2029
*    Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs):
*    Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months
2025                .60CM
2026                .60CM
2027                .60CM
2028                .60CM
2029                .60CM

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*Title: Targeting Intracellular Lipids to Prevent Radiation and Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity
*Major Goals: We hypothesize that ABCA1 deficiency caused by CRT leads to renal cholesterol accumulation, activating the NLRP3 inflammasome, resulting in podocyte apoptosis, GBM thickening, and renal dysfunction. The objective is to elucidate how cholesterol accumulation leads to renal dysfunction after RT with or without cisplatin, a standard care protocol for many cancers. Our long-term goal is to discover molecular-based protective or mitigating strategies for CRT-induced nephrotoxicity.
*Status of Support: Pending
Project Number:  Pending
Name of PD/PI: Ahmad, A
*Source of Support: NIH/NCI
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, (Miami, FL)
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: (MM/YYYY) (if available): 4/1/2025-3/31/2030
* Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs):  $1,918,752
* Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months (##.##)
1.  2025            0.60 Calendar
2.  2026            0.60 Calendar
3.  2027            0.60 Calendar
4.  2028            0.60 Calendar
5.  2029            0.60 Calendar

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*Title: Role of intracellular cholesterol in prostate tumor growth and normal tissue toxicities
*Major Goals: This study aims to identify new drug targets to prevent treatment-induced resistance in prostate cancer cells and nephrotoxicity in prostate cancer survivors. The hypothesis is that intracellular cholesterol accumulation, resulting from ABCA1 deficiency, contributes to treatment resistance in prostate cancer cells and susceptibility to renal injuries in podocytes. It is proposed that inducing ABCA1 expression or depleting cholesterol using cyclodextrin can prevent prostate cancer growth and treatment-related renal injuries.
*Status of Support: Pending
Project Number:  Pending
Name of PD/PI: Ahmad, A
*Source of Support: U.S. Department of Defense
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, (Miami, FL)
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: (MM/YYYY) (if available): 10/1/2025-9/30/2027
* Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs):  $230,250
* Person Months (Calendar/Academic/Summer) per budget period.

Year (YYYY)    Person Months (##.##)
1.  2025            0.24 Calendar
2.  2026            0.24 Calendar

Summary of In-Kind Contribution: Sponsor for F31 fellowship
Status of Support: Active FOK137425
Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miam FL
Project Start Date and End Date: 09/21/2024-09/20/2027.
Dollar Value of In-Kind Performance: $123,882

Summary of In-Kind Contribution: Sponsor for F31 Fellowship
Status of Support: Pending 1F31DK141124-01
Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and end Date: 07/01/2024-6/30/2028
Estimated Dollar Value of In-Kind information: 210,776

*Summary of In-Kind Contribution: The goal of this proposal is to engage first year medical students across the Florida state in a summer program designed to foster interest in Nephrology by exposing students to basic, clinical, and translational science research opportunities (UM KIIMERA)
*Status of Support: Active T35DK121678 Fornoni, A
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 08/2020-07/2025
*Estimated Dollar Value of In-Kind Information: $212,545

*Summary of In-Kind Contribution: The role of PLIN5 deficiency in podocyte lipotoxicity and progression of Alport Syndrome
*Status of Support: Active 1K01DK127002-01A1, Jinju, K
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
*Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 01/2022-12/2026
*Estimated Dollar Value of In-Kind Information: $111,823

*Summary of In-Kind Contribution: Preventing Radiation Nephropathy (RN) in Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
*Status of Support: Active W81XWH2210305, Ahmad A
*Primary Place of Performance: University of Miami, Miami FL
Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 10/2022-09/2024
*Estimated Dollar Value of In-Kind Information: $115,125

*Overlap (summarized for each individual):

None