Dr. Louise Oni Awarded Wellcome ISSF Research Support Fund Grant

Posted on: 3 May 2022 by Dr. Louise Oni in May Posts

Dr. Louise Oni, Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Nephrology awarded Wellcome ISSF Research Support Fund grant in recognition of challenges presented by the pandemic

I am a Senior Lecturer and an honorary NHS consultant in Paediatric Nephrology. I am establishing and leading a programme of translational work to improve the lives of children with kidney inflammatory diseases. The Covid19 pandemic has impacted on my academic progress for many reasons, including time spent away from research during a return to full time NHS work, caring responsibilities for my children and setting up a research laboratory group which coincided with the early phase of the pandemic when the University laboratories were suddenly closed. Finally, international travel restrictions have limited my opportunities to network with others that has impacted on building international collaborations. The Wellcome Trust ISSF award is to fund ‘The WORLD IgAV-N project’ (short for ‘Working together to agree, Lead and Define core features of a clinical trial in Immunoglobulin A vasculitis nephritis’).

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is an autoimmune condition that often causes kidney inflammation (known as IgAV-nephritis) and it accounts for 1-2% of all kidney failure in UK children. There is limited evidence to support how we treat this disease and national and international interest from clinicians and industry partners to conduct high quality clinical trials. The WORLD IgAV project is a pump priming project. The project will allow me to lead an international collaborative working group to agree priorities and key aspects of a clinical trial design for IgAV-N. This will provide a structure for future studies, enhance international collaboration, accelerate my role in international leadership and provide a platform to attract industry funded studies. Hopefully, this project will support my transition to become an established international expert in this field and it will provide some compensation for the opportunities lost during the pandemic. I look forward to providing further updates as the project progresses.

The figure illustrates the rising rates of children with kidney failure needing dialysis as a consequence of the pandemic and a photograph that marked the return to full-time NHS service throughout the first wave of the pandemic.