Laith Farah Al-Rabadi, MD

2026 Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant

Institution: University of Utah Health

Project Title: HTRA1-Mediated Disruption of Complement Factor H Recruitment as a Mechanism of Glomerular Basement Membrane Injury in Membranous Nephropathy and Related Complementopathies

How would you sum up your overall research focus in one sentence?

My research focuses on understanding how immune responses against podocyte and glomerular basement membrane proteins cause kidney injury, with the goal of developing more precise biomarkers and mechanism-based therapies for glomerular diseases.

Provide a brief overview of the research you will conduct with help from the grant.

With support from this grant, I will study how HTRA1, a newly recognized autoantigen in membranous nephropathy, disrupts the glomerular basement membrane and impairs recruitment of complement factor H, an important regulator of complement activation. We will use patient samples, biochemical assays, proteomics, and glomerular disease models to define how HTRA1-mediated matrix remodeling contributes to complement dysregulation and kidney injury. This work will help establish whether targeting HTRA1-associated pathways can improve diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of antigen-defined membranous nephropathy and related complement-mediated kidney diseases.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

As a nephrologist caring for patients with glomerular disease, I have seen how much uncertainty remains for patients whose disease is not explained by the traditional biomarkers we use in clinic. The discovery of HTRA1-associated membranous nephropathy was especially motivating because it connected a clinically important patient population with a new biological mechanism involving the glomerular basement membrane and complement regulation. That connection between patient observation and mechanistic discovery is what continues to drive this work.

What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?

I hope this research will lead to more accurate diagnosis and monitoring for patients with membranous nephropathy, especially those who are currently classified as antigen-negative or difficult to risk-stratify. In the long term, defining the mechanisms by which HTRA1 alters the glomerular basement membrane and complement regulation may identify new therapeutic targets. Ultimately, my goal is to help move care toward earlier, more individualized intervention before irreversible kidney damage occurs.

What are your career goals at the end of the grant period? Five years out? Ten years out?

By the end of the grant period, my goal is to have established an independent translational research program focused on antigen-defined glomerular disease, with strong preliminary data to support larger NIH-funded studies. In five years, I hope to be leading a collaborative program that integrates patient cohorts, mechanistic models, and biomarker development to improve care for membranous nephropathy and related glomerular diseases. In ten years, I hope to have built a nationally recognized research program that trains the next generation of physician-scientists and helps translate discoveries in glomerular biology into patient-centered diagnostics and therapies.

What has surprised you most about your career?

What has surprised me most is how closely clinical questions and basic science can inform each other when the right collaborations are in place. A question that begins at the bedside, such as why a patient has an unexplained form of membranous nephropathy, can lead to discoveries about autoimmunity, matrix biology, and complement regulation. I have also been surprised by how generous mentors (including Dr. Laurence Beck and Dr. David Salant), collaborators ( Dr. Caza, Dr. Borza, and Hoxha), patients, and trainees can be in helping move a scientific idea forward.

Something you may not know about me is…

that I find a lot of energy and perspective outside the lab and clinic through basketball and spending time outdoors. Those moments help me reset, stay grounded, and return to my work with more focus and creativity.

In my free time…

I like to play basketball and enjoy the outdoors, especially when I can spend time in the mountains around Utah.