Michaela Fuchs, PhD

2026 Joseph V. Bonventre Transition to Independence Grant

Institution: Weill Cornell Medicine

Project Title: Targeting CYP24A1 in the Parathyroid Glands as a Novel Treatment of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Chronic Kidney Disease

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

My research is aimed at improving the outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease by finding better ways to control the imbalance of mineral metabolism using local actions of vitamin D.

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

The Joseph V. Bonventre Career Development Grant gives me the opportunity to purse my own ideas and hypothesis on the local function and actions of vitamin D metabolism in the parathyroid glands. With the support of the ASN I want to elucidate the local pathological pathways driving secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease and find new ways to utilize targeted actions of the vitamin D degrading enzyme CYP24A1 to improve treatment regimes.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

I always wanted to pursue a career in science, with my father being one of the millions of patients with kidney disease, the decision to focus my work in the field of nephrology has always felt natural. Coupled with this personal history I belief the kidneys are among the most fascinating organs, performing so many functions beyond filtering urine that we are taught in biology 101.

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

I hope that my work in basic translational science will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to the disruption of mineral metabolism and secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease. There is still a lot about the interplay of parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 and vitamin D between the kidney and other organs that we do not understand. Only detailed knowledge about these mechanisms will enable us to tailor treatments better to the patients' needs in order to improve outcomes and their quality of life.

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

I want to use this grant to build a solid foundation for my independent career investigating the interorgan relationship of mineral and vitamin D metabolism in chronic kidney disease. This grant by the ASN will allow me to establish this independent basis, learn new techniques and collect new findings that will in turn serve as the basis for a funding proposal to the NIH. In five to ten years, I hope to be leading a bustling lab of my own, discovering new intricacies of vitamin D metabolism, working on a clinical implementation of CYP24A1 inhibitors and passing on my passion for science to trainees of my own.

What are the major challenges facing nephrology research today?

I believe that nephrology has to compete with it's own success. Over the last 30 years amazing strides have been made in treating patients with CKD and improving their life expectancy. But this should not dissuade us, or the public, from striving to go further – a close relationship between basic scientist such as myself and clinicians will be crucial in for the advancement of our field.

In one sentence, please describe the importance of having grant funding available through KidneyCure.

This award is a major milestone on my path to independence and achieving it has filled me with a great boost of energy and enthusiasm to build my research career and it will enable me to pursue a new direction of local vitamin D metabolism.

Something you may not know about me is…

I love gardening and growing plants, mainly chillis and herbs for cooking, but green things are a fixture about my home.

In my free time, I like to…

go hiking and sling a hammock in a shady spot among the trees to read and let my mind wander. If the weather does not agree, the many museums and foods from around the world in New York always offer something new to discover.