Pediatric Nephrology Research

Dr. Michael Seifert is a pediatric transplant nephrologist and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, where he serves as Medical Director of the UAB Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program and Director of the UAB SPATIAL Core. His research focuses on improving long-term outcomes for children and young adults with kidney transplants, centering on innovative biomarkers that detect early endothelial and vascular injury before transplant problems become clinically apparent. He leads translational studies analyzing blood, urine, and tissue samples to uncover mechanisms driving transplant inflammation, rejection, and chronic graft loss, supported by the UAB Kidney Transplant Research Biorepository he founded. His early research established CKD-associated cardiovascular disease as a critical area of investigation, with contributions identifying CKD-mineral bone disorder as an important non-traditional cardiovascular risk factor. Dr. Seifert has since expanded his program to include early life stress as a novel cardiovascular risk factor in adolescents, serving as Project Leader on a Program Project Grant investigating this understudied contributor to adult cardiovascular disease. He collaborates nationally through leadership roles in the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium, the Improving Renal Outcomes Collaborative, and the BRITE-C consortium.

Selected Publications

Seifert, M. E., Kho, A. T., Sheward, L., Rodig, N., Goldberg, S., Diehl, M., Zurakowski, D., Mannon, R. B., Dharnidharka, V. R., Bestard, O., Blydt-Hansen, T. D., & Briscoe, D. M. (2025). Combination automated microfluidics measurement of urine CC motif ligand 2, CXC motif chemokine 9, CXC motif chemokine 10, and vascular endothelial growth factor A for monitoring patients with a kidney transplant. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 20(5), 719–732. https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.0000000666

Ettenger, R. B., Seifert, M. E., Blydt-Hansen, T., Briscoe, D. M., Holman, J., Weng, P. L., Srivastava, R., Fleming, J., Malekzadeh, M., & Pearl, M. (2024). Detection of subclinical rejection in pediatric kidney transplantation: Current and future practices. Pediatric Transplantation, 28(6), e14836. https://doi.org/10.1111/petr.14836

Seifert, M. E., Mannon, R. B., Nellore, A., Young, J., Wiseman, A. C., Cohen, D. J., Peddi, V. R., Brennan, D. C., Morgan, C. J., Peri, K., Aban, I., Whitley, R. J., & Gnann, J. W., Jr. (2024). A multicenter prospective study to define the natural history of BK viral infections in kidney transplantation. Transplant Infectious Disease, 26(2), e14237. https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.14237

Moudgil, A., Sgambat, K., Benoit, E., Seifert, M. E., Bharadwaj, M., Jain, A., Mansuri, A., Harshman, L., Katsoufis, C., & Somers, M. (2024). Prevalence of mycophenolate mofetil discontinuation and subsequent outcomes in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: A PNRC study. Pediatric Transplantation, 28(1), e14628. https://doi.org/10.1111/petr.14628

Landsberg, A., Raza, S. S., Seifert, M. E., & Blydt-Hansen, T. D. (2024). Follow-up biopsies identify high rates of persistent rejection in pediatric kidney transplant recipients after treatment of T cell mediated rejection. Pediatric Transplantation, 28(1), e14617. https://doi.org/10.1111/petr.14617

Spiwak, E., Bartosh, S. M., Smith, J., Seifert, M. E., Amaral, S., & George, R. P. (2023). Assessment of pediatric kidney transplant experience and exposure during pediatric nephrology fellowship training. Kidney360, 4(8), 1139–1142. https://doi.org/10.34067/KID.0000000000000177

Kellum, C. E., Kemp, K. M., Mrug, S., Pollock, J. S., Seifert, M. E., & Feig, D. I. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences are associated with vascular changes in adolescents that are risk factors for future cardiovascular disease. Pediatric Nephrology, 38(7), 2155–2163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-022-05853-2

Mrug, S., Pollock, J. S., Pollock, D. M., Seifert, M. E., Johnson, K. A., & Knight, D. C. (2023). Early life stress, coping, and cardiovascular reactivity to acute social stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 85(2), 118–129. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001165

Deville, K. A., & Seifert, M. E. (2023). Biomarkers of alloimmune events in pediatric kidney transplantation. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, 1087841. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.1087841

Bjornstad, E. C., Seifert, M. E., Sanderson, K., & Feig, D. I. (2022). Kidney implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. Pediatric Nephrology, 37(7), 1453–1467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-021-05249-8

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0557-6178

Dr. David Askenazi is the Medical Director of the Pediatric and Infant Center for Acute Nephrology (PICAN), where he leads efforts to improve outcomes for hospitalized neonates and children with kidney-related illnesses. He is the founder and Board Chair of the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative (NKC), an international partnership of neonatologists and nephrologists that has transformed the field of neonatal nephrology and advanced understanding of neonatal acute kidney injury (AKI). Through PICAN, Dr. Askenazi directs research focused on developing new diagnostic tools, testing interventions, and creating innovations that improve kidney health in critically ill infants. His team has generated foundational data on urine biomarkers, helping refine how AKI is identified and diagnosed across premature and term newborns. Dr. Askenazi also leads major research efforts in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), contributing to safer and more effective kidney support technologies for neonates and small children. His work has shaped best practices for CRRT timing, machine selection, and integration with other extracorporeal support systems. In addition to founding the NKC, he has built multiple research infrastructures that support neonatal kidney studies, including large biorepositories and multicenter collaborations. Across all his leadership roles, Dr. Askenazi is committed to advancing early diagnosis, improving therapies, and developing innovations that protect kidney health in the most vulnerable infants.

Selected Publications

Starr, M. C., Griffin, R., Steflik, H. J., Lingappan, K., Gillen, M., Selewski, D. T., Askenazi, D. J., Menon, S., Slagle, C. L., & Soranno, D. E. (2026). Examining the role of biologic sex on kidney outcomes in preterm neonates: A secondary analysis of the PENUT/REPAIReD study. Pediatric Nephrology. Advance online publication.

Pak, A. C., Neyra, J. A., Brown, J. R., Travers, C. P., Starr, M. C., Harer, M. W., Sullivan, I., MacKenzie, T. A., Colicchio, T. K., Griffin, R., & Askenazi, D. J. (2026). Bridging evidence and practice: Implementation science and bundled care strategies for fluid management in critically ill neonates. Frontiers in Medicine, 13, 1706165.

Goldstein, S. L., Krallman, K. A., Harris, M., Basu, R. K., Askenazi, D. J., Menon, S., Zinter, M. S., Gorga, S. M., Humes, H. D., Scribe, E. C., Catanzaro, D. A., Iyer, S. P. N., & Chung, K. K. (2026). Early post-approval experience of the selective cytopheretic device surveillance registry for pediatric AKI requiring kidney replacement therapy. Pediatric Nephrology. Advance online publication.

Reynaud, S., Jetton, J. G., Sahay, R. D., Selewski, D. T., Askenazi, D. J., Steflik, H. J., Bridges, B. C., Cooper, D. S., Paden, M. L., Basu, R. K., Gorga, S. M., King, E., & Gist, K. M. (2026). Kidney and blood pressure sequelae after pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A secondary analysis of the Kidney Injury During Membrane Oxygenation pediatric ECMO cohort. Pediatric Nephrology. Advance online publication.

Hanna, M., Chock, V. Y., Kamath, N., Raj, A., Swanson, J. R., Griffin, R., Askenazi, D. J., & Nesargi, S. (2025). Acute kidney injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely premature neonates: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2543270.

Beck, T., Isaac, J., Deutmeyer, M., Starr, M. C., Slagle, C., Askenazi, D. J., Goldstein, S. L., & Selewski, D. T. (2025). Neonatal AKI definition: Is the perfect definition attainable or even desirable? Proceedings from the First International Neonatal Nephrology Symposium. Pediatric Research. Advance online publication.

Stanski, N. L., Seo, J., Jenkins, T., Krallman, K. A., Menon, S., Humes, H. D., Askenazi, D. J., Basu, R. K., Akcan-Arikan, A., Goldstein, S. L., & Gist, K. M.; WE-ROCK Investigators. (2025). Use of the selective cytopheretic device with continuous renal replacement therapy in children: A comparison of contemporary cohorts. Blood Purification, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1159/000549111

Askenazi, D. J., Gordon, L., Griffin, R., Collins, M., Black, A., Ambalavanan, N., Webb, T., Mathis, M., Short, K., Umberger, A., & Travers, C. (2025). Reducing NICU ventilator days by preventing fluid overload with the CAN-U-P-LOTS standardized bundle. Pediatric Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04078-x

Gorga, S. M., Beck, T., Chaudhry, P., DeFreitas, M. J., Fuhrman, D. Y., Joseph, C., Krawczeski, C. D., Kwiatkowski, D. M., Starr, M. C., Harer, M. W., Charlton, J. R., Askenazi, D. J., Selewski, D. T., & Gist, K. M.; Neonatal Kidney Health Consensus Workshop. (2025). Framework for kidney health follow-up among neonates with critical cardiac disease: A report from the Neonatal Kidney Health Consensus Workshop. Journal of the American Heart Association, 14(6), e040630. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.124.040630

Feeney, A., Slagle, C. L., Harer, M. W., Charlton, J. R., Mohamed, T., Askenazi, D. J., Menon, S., Selewski, D. T., & Starr, M. C. (2025). Approaches to neonatal acute kidney injury consultation and follow-up: Results of a provider survey. Journal of Perinatology, 45(3), 397–398. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-02016-z

Charlton, J. R., Selewski, D. T., Harer, M. W., Askenazi, D. J., Starr, M. C., & Guillet, R.; Board of the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative. (2025). Multidisciplinary collaboration to improve neonatal kidney health. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 21(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-024-00895-1

Braun, C. G., Askenazi, D. J., Neyra, J. A., Prabhakaran, P., Rahman, A. K. M. F., Webb, T. N., & Odum, J. D. (2024). Fluid resuscitation in critically ill children: Comparing perspectives of intensivists and nephrologists. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, 1484893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1484893

Govindan, S., Gillen, M. C., Reidy, K. J., Nada, A., Askenazi, D. J., & Raina, R. (2024). KRT designed for infants: A game changer. Kidney360, 5(7), 1041–1043. https://doi.org/10.34067/KID.0000000000000484

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6840-9887

Dr. Sahar Fathallah-Shaykh is a Professor of Pediatric Nephrology & her work centers on chronic kidney disease, congenital kidney anomalies, and dialysis in children. She previously directed the pediatric dialysis unit for more than a decade and continues to oversee care for children receiving both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. Since 2010, she has served as the center principal investigator for the chronic kidney disease in Children (CKiD) study, one of the highest enrolling sites in this large NIH-funded consortium. She is an active member of the CKiD progression subcommittee, contributing to research that has advanced understanding of proteinuria and CKD progression. Her research portfolio includes multicenter pharmaceutical trials examining medication safety and pharmacokinetics in children with CKD or dialysis. She also leads quality improvement initiatives focused on dialysis care and food insecurity. Through her clinical, research, and leadership roles, Dr. Fathallah-Shaykh is committed to improving outcomes and advancing evidence-based therapies for children living with chronic kidney disease.

Selected Publications

Fathallah-Shaykh, S. A. (2017). Proteinuria and progression of pediatric chronic kidney disease: Lessons from recent clinical studies. Pediatric Nephrology, 32(5), 743–751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-016-3326-z

Fathallah-Shaykh, S. A., Flynn, J. T., Pierce, C. B., Abraham, A. G., Blydt-Hansen, T. D., Massengill, S. F., Moxey-Mims, M. M., Warady, B. A., Furth, S. L., & Wong, C. S. (2015). Progression of pediatric CKD of nonglomerular origin in the CKiD cohort. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 10(4), 571–577. https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.07110714

Cramer, M. T., Charlton, J. R., Fogo, A. B., Fathallah-Shaykh, S. A., Askenazi, D. J., & Guay-Woodford, L. M. (2014). Expanding the phenotype of proteinuria in Dent disease: A case series. Pediatric Nephrology, 29(10), 2051–2054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-014-2828-2

Fathallah-Shaykh, S. A., & Cramer, M. T. (2014). Uric acid and the kidney. Pediatric Nephrology, 29(6), 999–1008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-013-2549-x

Fathallah-Shaykh, S. A., Brooks, E. R., Langman, C. B., & Kensey, K. R. (2006). Sodium modeling attenuates rises in whole blood viscosity during chronic hemodialysis in children with large inter-dialytic weight gain. Pediatric Nephrology, 21(8), 1179–1184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-006-0138-x

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0676-3549

Dr. Tennille Webb is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Program in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a focused clinical and research interest in acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill and cardiac children. Her work has made significant contributions to the early detection and management of AKI in neonates, particularly those undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, including developing and validating protocols for prophylactic peritoneal dialysis in this population. Dr. Webb is an active contributor to the WE-ROCK collaborative, a multicenter research network dedicated to studying continuous kidney replacement therapy in critically ill children, where her work has helped characterize outcomes in some of the smallest and most vulnerable pediatric patients. Her research also explores fluid management strategies in critically ill children, an area closely intertwined with AKI recognition and recovery, and through her focused efforts she continues to advance the care of children with AKI at UAB and through national collaborative networks.

Selected Publications

Menon, S., Starr, M. C., Zang, H., Collins, M., Damian, M. A., Fuhrman, D., Krallman, K., Soranno, D. E., Webb, T. N., Slagle, C., Joseph, C., Martin, S. D., Mohamed, T., Beebe, M. E., Ricci, Z., Ollberding, N., Selewski, D., & Gist, K. M. (2025). Characteristics and outcomes of children ≤ 10 kg receiving continuous kidney replacement therapy: A WE-ROCK study. Pediatric Nephrology, 40(1), 253–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-024-06438-x

Braun, C. G., Askenazi, D. J., Neyra, J. A., Prabhakaran, P., Rahman, A. K. M. F., Webb, T. N., & Odum, J. D. (2024). Fluid deresuscitation in critically ill children: Comparing perspectives of intensivists and nephrologists. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, Article 1484893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1484893

Kwiatkowski, D. M., Alten, J. A., Raymond, T. T., Selewski, D. T., Blinder, J. J., Afonso, N. S., Coghill, M. T., Cooper, D. S., Koch, J. D., Krawczeski, C. D., Mah, K. E., Neumayr, T. M., Rahman, A. K. M. F., Reichle, G., Tabbutt, S., Webb, T. N., & Borasino, S. (2024). Peritoneal catheters in neonates undergoing complex cardiac surgery: A multi-centre descriptive study. Cardiology in the Young, 34(2), 272–281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S104795112300135X

Kwiatkowski, D. M., Alten, J. A., Mah, K. E., Selewski, D. T., Raymond, T. T., Afonso, N. S., Blinder, J. J., Coghill, M. T., Cooper, D. S., Koch, J. D., Krawczeski, C. D., Morales, D. L. S., Neumayr, T. M., Rahman, A. K. M. F., Reichle, G., Tabbutt, S., Webb, T. N., & Borasino, S. (2024). An evaluation of the outcomes associated with peritoneal catheter use in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery: A multicenter study. JTCVS Open, 19, 275–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjon.2024.03.009

Webb, T. N., Borasino, S., Hock, K. M., Aban, I., Ingram, D., Short, K., Dabal, R., & Askenazi, D. (2024). Deriving and validating a protocol to determine the need for prophylactic peritoneal dialysis in neonates after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Pediatric Nephrology, 39(7), 2245–2251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-024-06327-3

Webb, T. N., Bell, J., Griffin, R., Dill, L., Gurosky, C., & Askenazi, D. (2022). Retrospective analysis comparing complication rates of centrifuge vs membrane-based therapeutic plasma exchange in the pediatric population. Journal of Clinical Apheresis, 37(3), 263–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/jca.21969

Webb, T. N. (2022). Detection of acute kidney injury in neonates after cardiopulmonary bypass. Nephron, 146(3), 282–285. https://doi.org/10.1159/000522316

Gist, K. M., Penk, J., Wald, E. L., Kitzmiller, L., Webb, T. N., Krallman, K., Brinton, J., Soranno, D. E., Goldstein, S. L., & Basu, R. K. (2021). Urine quantification following furosemide for severe acute kidney injury prediction in critically ill children. Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care, 12(4), 289–295. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1732447

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5506-2992

Dr. Carlone Jackson is an Assistant Professor and Medical Director of the Pediatric Chronic Dialysis Program in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her scholarly work reflects a broad commitment to advancing the care of children with kidney disease across the lifespan, from the neonatal period through adolescence, including contributions to research examining biomarkers in neonatal kidney disease. She has demonstrated a strong interest in clinical education and trainee development, having co-led efforts to develop and implement Pediatric Nephrology Milestones 2.0 as an efficient tool for trainee evaluation and just-in-time feedback. Her clinical interests extend to complex, multisystem disease in children, including the intersection of autoimmune conditions and metabolic complications, as reflected in her case-based contribution examining lupus and severe hypertriglyceridemia in a pediatric patient. Her current role directing the Pediatric Chronic Dialysis Program underscores her dedication to improving outcomes for children with advanced kidney disease requiring ongoing renal support therapy.

Selected Publications

Gillen, M. C., Jackson, C. V., Selewski, D. T., Starr, M. C., & Slagle, C. L. (2026). Biomarkers in neonatal kidney disease: Proceedings from the first international neonatal nephrology symposium. Pediatric Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-026-04786-y

Jackson, C. V., Hjorten, R., Edgar, L., Goilav, B., George, R. P., & Weidemann, D. K. (2025). Developing and implementing Pediatric Nephrology Milestones 2.0 as an efficient tool for trainee evaluation and just-in-time feedback. BMC Medical Education, 25(1), Article 332. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06627-0

Jackson, C. V., Banschbach, K. M., Wong, S. C., & Menon, S. (2024). Recent diagnosis of lupus and severe hypertriglyceridemia in a 12-year-old girl. Pediatrics in Review, 45(10), 601–605. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2022-005930

DelRosso, L. M., Jackson, C. V., & Ferri, R. (2019). A 15-year-old girl with sleep-onset insomnia and poor sleep quality. Chest, 156(1), e23–e26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2019.02.015

Sun, G., Jackson, C. V., Zimmerman, K., Zhang, L. K., Finnearty, C. M., Sandusky, G. E., Zhang, G., Peterson, R. G., & Wang, Y. J. (2019). The FATZO mouse, a next generation model of type 2 diabetes, develops NAFLD and NASH when fed a Western diet supplemented with fructose. BMC Gastroenterology, 19(1), Article 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-019-0958-4

DelRosso, L. M., Jackson, C. V., Trotter, K., Bruni, O., & Ferri, R. (2019). Video-polysomnographic characterization of sleep movements in children with restless sleep disorder. Sleep, 42(4), Article zsy269. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy269

Peterson, R. G., Jackson, C. V., & Zimmerman, K. M. (2017). The ZDSD rat: A novel model of diabetic nephropathy. American Journal of Translational Research, 9(9), 4236–4249.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9320-0914

Dr. Kyle Deville is a junior faculty member in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where his clinical interests span the full breadth of pediatric nephrology, including the ICU, outpatient clinic, and chronic dialysis settings. He takes pride in the long-lasting patient relationships that come with guiding children through the journey from dialysis to transplant. During his fellowship training under Dr. Michael Seifert, Dr. Deville developed a focused research interest in kidney transplantation, with a specific emphasis on biomarkers of alloimmune injury. He currently serves as the UAB site lead for two prominent multicenter research networks, the chronic kidney disease in Kids (CKiD) study and the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium (PNRC), through which he contributes to prospective and retrospective studies advancing the care of children with chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Miguel Melendez-Ferro is a neuroscientist by training who studied the cell and molecular biology of the brain of primitive fish, rodents, tree shrews, and humans in different aspects of development and function. As Technical Director of the UAB SPATIAL Core, anything related to science that is exciting catches his interest. He has had the opportunity to work on several spatial projects ranging from human retina, human lung, human pancreas, and human kidney to mouse brain and mouse aorta, helping Core researchers unravel the who, what, when, where, and how of the genetic makeup of their precious tissue samples.

Selected publication