About the Biomarkers Core

The Kansas PKD Biomarkers Core was established in 2015 as part of the Kansas PKD Research and Translational Core Center, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK).

• The Core focuses on the discovery of biomarkers for early stages of ADPKD, a time when clinical intervention would be most effective.
• The Core is establishing and will maintain a repository of blood, urine and urinary exosome samples from a well-defined cohort of individuals with early-stage PKD, unaffected family members and normal volunteers in a longitudinal study.
• The Core provides blood, urine and exosome samples and support for investigators engaged in PKD biomarker research.

Core Personnel

• Darren P. Wallace, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Core Director
• Arlene Chapman, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, Co-Investigator
• Christopher Ward, MB, ChB, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-Investigator
• William Brooks, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Hoglund Imaging Center

Laboratory Staff

• Gail Reif, Research Associate, Biomarkers Core Manager
• Emily Daniel, Research Associate, Biomarker Core Scientist
• Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, PKD Imaging Specialist

Clinical Research Coordinators

• Catherine Creed, PKD Clinical Research Coordinator
• Debbie Griffin, PKD Clinical Research Coordinator
• Zhuo Tang, PKD Clinical Research Coordinator

Advisory Committee

• Darren P. Wallace, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the PKD Biomarkers Core
• Andrew Godwin, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the KU Biospecimen Repository Core
• Christopher Ward, MB, ChB, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the PKD Gene Targeting Core
• James Calvet, Professor and Director of the Kansas PKD Core Center
• Alan Yu, MB, ChB, Professor and Director of the Kidney institute and the PKD Clinical Trials Core
• Jonathan Mahnken, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the Statistics Core

After a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) has been signed, the advisory committee will evaluate the proposal for scientific merit and provide advice on project development. Samples will be provided the investigators if there is a clear rationale and sufficient funds available for the completion of the analysis.