About our research

About our research

Our reno-vascular grouping works with clinicians and academics in two main research areas:

  • discovery of novel blood biomarkers for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD)

  • novel approaches to improve the survival of patients on haemodialysis

CKD is the gradual, irreversible decline of kidney function over time. It is the result of multiple factors including diabetes, hypertension and acute kidney injury.

In the UK, 1.8 million people have CKD - causing 45,000 premature deaths per year.

CKD is often diagnosed in the later stages of the disease (stages three to five). If untreated, it can progress to renal failure (stage five), which requires costly dialysis and transplantation.

As there is a shortage of organ donors in the UK, a significant proportion of the patients with stage five CKD are on dialysis. The survival rate for these patients remains poor - a five-year survival at 42% - with the majority of deaths due to cardiovascular disorders.

£1.45bn
The cost of chronic kidney disease on the NHS per year.

Research lead

Dr Liliana Shalamanova