Research in the Kon lab has focused on exploring connections between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) especially on mechanisms underlying CKD-associated dysfunction in macrophage lipid handling and inflammatory function. This field has gained urgency because of strong epidemiologic evidence that individuals with any degree of renal dysfunction are at a tremendously increased risk for developing CVD. Our studies have established that even in the absence of long-standing CKD and concomitant risk factors, CKD in childhood causes specific lipoprotein abnormalities linked to maintenance of normal vascular function, including inflammatory responses in macrophages and production of adhesion molecules by endothelial cells. In more recent studies, we show that that kidneys are involved in lipoprotein homeostasis and that kidney disease modifies lipoprotein structure, composition, and function which in turn modulate cells in the renal parenchyma. We are especially interested in the role of renal lymphatic vessels which transport lipoproteins out of the interstitial compartment, and we propose are key mediators of the renal response to injury. The laboratory utilizes molecular approach, cellular physiology techniques, and genetically modified mouse models as well as rat models of renal injury to understand how lymphatic vessels affect kidney disease.

Dr. Carrie Kitko is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and has served as Medical Director of the pediatric stem cell transplant program since June 2015. Dr. Kitko is passionate about clinical research and has served as site Primary Investigator for several important clinical trials which have resulted in many high impact publications for which she has been a co-author or lead author. She also has extensive leadership experience outside of VUMC. She served as the Vice Chair and then Chair of the Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Consortium (PTCTC) Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD) committee from 2013-2022. The Center for International Bone Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) is a collaborative resource of data and experts supporting research in cellular therapies to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Kitko served a five-year term on the Pediatric Cancer committee and is currently in her fifth of five years on the GVHD committee. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is the leading pediatric oncology clinical trial consortium that every major children’s hospital belongs in order to bring cutting edge clinical trials to our patients. Dr. Kitko was appointed as Chair of the COG Cellular Therapy Committee in August 2023 for a 10-year term.

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Dr. King is interested in medical education with an emphasis on medical simulation, procedural competency, and interprofessional learning. She is also interested in medication safety within the pediatric ICU with a particular research interest in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of medications in critically ill children.

Dr. Killen is a pediatric and fetal cardiologist with expertise in fetal arrhythmias and prenatal diagnosis of complex congenital disease. Her clinical and research efforts seek to improve the care of mothers and fetuses whose pregnancies are complicated by fetal arrhythmias, including supraventricular tachycardia, long QT syndrome, and SS-A antibody-mediated congenital heart block. Dr. Killen is currently participating in several multi-center studies, including studies sponsored by the Fetal Heart Society, that seek to improve treatment approaches and outcomes for patients with fetal arrhythmias and complex congenital heart disease.

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