Alan Salama

Professor of Nephrology

Research area

Renal inflammation, glomerulonephritis and systemic vasculitis, and renal transplantation.

Research programme

Immune regulation

Research summary

Inflammation in the kidney may arise from many different causes, but commonly is due to a form of autoimmune disease, in which the kidney becomes a target of damage.

My interests are in understanding why the immune system is perturbed and how this may be restored more effectively back to health.

My main research areas are in systemic vasculitis, which often affects the kidney in the context of ANCA associated disease. My group has been involved in clinical trials and basic research in defining markers of disease relapse and understanding mechanisms of immunological tolerance.

Along similar lines we have investigated the immune changes following kidney transplantation and the mechanisms that regulate graft rejection or acceptance.

We utilise a number of experimental approaches to examine immune cell function including human blood cells, and models of experimental renal Inflammation.

We have established a national registry of patients with all sorts of vasculitis (called UKIVAS) and are coordinating a trial of novel biomarkers in vasculitis.

Our work is funded by various organisations and funding bodies including Kidney Research UK, Medical Research Council, The Wellcome Trust, Rosetree's Trust, St.Peter's Trust, Dunhill Medical Trust, and Vasculitis Foundation.

Patient involvement

We partner with a number of patient groups nationally including Vasculitis UK, Vasculitis Foundation and locally through the Royal Free Kidney Patients Association. We have delivered talks and presentations to patient groups locally through the Royal free members for medicine group and nationally through Kidney Research UK support groups who have helped fund some of the work we do.