Kenji Matsui, MD, PhD

2026 Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship

Institution: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Project Title: Elucidation of the Function of Failed-repair Proximal Tubular Cells in the Transition from Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Kidney Disease

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

My research focuses on understanding why some injured kidney tubule cells fail to fully repair and instead contribute to the progression from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease.

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

With support from this grant, I will study how a transcription factor regulates failed-repair proximal tubule cells after kidney injury. I will integrate mouse models, proteomics, and single-cell/spatial omics approaches to understand how this molecular pathway shapes the behavior of injured proximal tubule cells. The goal of this project is to clarify molecular programs that promote failed repair and to explore whether targeting this pathway could support healthier kidney recovery.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

As a nephrologist, I have cared for patients who progressed to kidney failure despite our best available therapies. This experience made me want to understand the molecular mechanisms of kidney repair so that we can move beyond supportive care and develop targeted treatments.

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

There remains a major unmet need for treatments that specifically target the repair process after acute kidney injury. I hope my research will help identify new strategies to promote more complete kidney repair, reduce fibrosis, and prevent patients with acute kidney injury from progressing to chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.

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

My goal is to build a strong foundation for an independent career as a physician–scientist focused on kidney injury and repair. In the long term, I hope to lead a collaborative research program that connects basic discoveries in kidney repair biology with new therapeutic approaches for patients.

What are the major challenges to beginning a career in nephrology research today?

One major challenge is balancing clinically meaningful questions with the technical demands of modern biomedical research, including mouse genetics, multi-omics, spatial biology, and computational analysis. Early-career investigators also need protected time, strong mentorship, stable funding, and persistence to pursue important questions in a competitive research environment.

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

The Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship provides early-career investigators with the protected time, resources, and encouragement needed to develop meaningful research programs in nephrology, and I am grateful for the mentorship that helped make this opportunity possible.

What advice would you give to others to encourage them to apply for this grant funding?

I would encourage fellow nephrology researchers to apply. The process itself helps clarify your scientific vision and long-term goals, and support from KidneyCure can be an important step toward building confidence and independence.

Something you may not know about me is…

As a student, I spent much of my time practicing kendo and playing soccer.

In my free time I like to…

I enjoy brewing coffee at home, keeping a journal, and visiting peaceful places with my wife.