Biography

Deepak Nihalani is a Research Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a PhD in biotechnology and is an established laboratory investigator with strong interest in the field of protein structure, function and dynamics and particularly interested in the mechanisms that govern podocyte cytoskeletal architecture. His laboratory investigates the biology of the glomerular podocyte, a unique epithelial cell that appears to play a central role in most forms of glomerular disease. Diseases of the renal glomerulus that result in the nephrotic syndrome are important causes of morbidity and mortality. Injury to the kidney glomerulus is often characterized by heavy proteinurea associated with the loss of kidney filtration barrier commonly referred to as “slit diaphragm”. His research is aimed at understanding the regulation and function of proteins that are the critical components of this slit diaphragm. It has been hypothesized that the interactions mediated by several proteins including Nephrin and Neph1 are required for maintining the integrity of slit diaphragm. The focus of his research is to define the structures of these proteins and understand their spatial distribution at the slit diaphragm. His other interests are in defining the intracellular signaling pathways that are activated in response to activation of Nephrin and Neph1. For this purpose his lab uses a combination of biochemical, molecular biology and systems biology approaches. His lab also engages in the development of transgenic and knockout mouse models and zebrafish models that will be instrumental in examining the functional biology of podocyte proteins and their interactions.

Research Interest

Protein structure, function, dynamics and mechanisms that govern podocyte cytoskeletal architecture, Intracellular signaling pathways that are activated in response to activation of Nephrin and Neph1

Biography

Vivian Ellinger, after graduating in the Medical School of Universidade Federal Fluminense started teaching at Teresopolis Medical School. Returning to Rio de Janeiro, worked at the State Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, she is now Scientific Coordinator. She is also a Professor of medicine at the Medical School of the Universidade Severino Sombra.

She is an Active Member of the Endocrine Society and Board certified by the Brazilian Endocrinology and Metabolism Society.

She has been the President of the Diabetes department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism and re elected as President for the Regional Rio de Janeiro of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Over the past 30 years, she has authored numerous articles, book chapters, abstracts and presentations on Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Research Interest

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.