Dr Abigail Lay from the University of Manchester has been awarded an Intermediate Fellowship grant of £235,000 to study new treatments for diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Her research focuses on whether small chemical changes to DNA, in a process called DNA methylation, may contribute to the disease. DNA methylation acts like switches that turn genes on or off, helping cells function properly, but these switches may become disrupted in illness.
By studying and understanding how DNA methylation might be different in diabetic kidney disease, she hopes to better understand what causes the condition and whether it can be reversed.
"I am absolutely delighted to have received this award from Kidney Research UK! This interdisciplinary project will help provide clarity on whether changes in DNA methylation cause diabetic kidney disease and whether strategies to reverse damaging changes in DNA methylation could be developed as a new treatment.
This award is also a really important “stepping stone” for my career as a researcher as I develop my research profile and interdisciplinary skillset. I’m really excited to start working with my collaborators and look forward to sharing the results!” Dr Abigail Lay.