Dr. Paul Goodyer was recently honoured for his world-renowned body of work on the genetic basis for renal disease.
Dr. Goodyer’s research has had a direct impact on the identification, classification and treatment of hereditary kidney diseases in children. He contributed to the identification of the gene mutations responsible for cystinuria, two forms of hereditary bone disease, and Dent’s disease, a rare inherited condition that leads to kidney failure in more severe cases.
“Characterizing the “rogue” genes that cause disease is the critical first step along the pathway to finding new treatments,” explains Dr. Daniel Bichet, recognized for his groundbreaking research in the area of diabetes insipidus, and Canada Research Chair on Genetics of Kidney Disease. “Dr. Goodyer’s contribution has been significant because it’s like finding a common “signature”, making it easier to isolate homogenous patient populations to work with. It also allows us to anticipate the cascade of events that are likely to occur within that population and prepare for more timely interventions.”
Dr. Goodyer’s lab has garnered international recognition for its work on the function of PAX2, a protein essential to the normal development of the kidney and other organs during human development, and its relevance to renal hypoplasia, cancer and polycystic kidney disease. Recent developments in their findings related to PAX2 have far-reaching implications, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and treatment improvements that transcend Dr. Goodyer’s primary research focus of hereditary renal diseases.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada awards The Medal for Research Excellence each year, honouring a Canadian researcher whose work is recognized by his or her peers to have improved the treatment and care of people living with kidney disease and related conditions.
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