Susztak Lab

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Genetics, Cell Biology, and Precision Medicine for Kidney Disease

The Susztak Lab at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, studies the genetic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms that drive chronic kidney disease. Our work integrates human genetics, deeply phenotyped kidney tissue, single-cell and spatial omics, longitudinal clinical cohorts, and artificial intelligence to enable mechanistic insight and translational discovery.

We focus on understanding kidney disease directly in human tissue, linking molecular variation to specific cell types, pathways, and clinical outcomes. Our goal is to translate unbiased human discovery into precision diagnostics and targeted therapeutic strategies.

Research Focus

• Genetic drivers and regulatory architecture of chronic kidney disease

• Cell-type–specific mechanisms of kidney injury, inflammation, and fibrosis

• Proximal tubule biology, metabolism, and immune crosstalk

• Translational biomarkers and precision diagnostics

• AI-enabled integration of multi-omic, spatial, and clinical data

Research Structure

Our research is organized around two complementary components:

• Research Projects – hypothesis-driven programs defining mechanisms of kidney disease

• Research Platforms – large-scale human biobanks, longitudinal cohorts, and computational infrastructure that enable discovery

Leadership

The lab is led by Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Director of the Penn/CHOP Kidney Innovation Center. Dr. Susztak is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a recipient of the Homer W. Smith Award for outstanding contributions to kidney research.

Join the Lab

We are always interested in motivated students and postdoctoral fellows with interests in human genetics, single-cell biology, computational biology, and translational kidney research.Please contact us with a CV and brief statement of interest.

Data and Resources

Large-scale kidney multi-omics datasets and analytical resources developed by the lab are available through our research platforms.