James Bennett, a PhD student at the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences and Senior Clinical Perfusionist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH), has been awarded a Fellowship by Kidney Research UK.
The project aims to better understand the factors that cause kidney injury and develop methods to protect patients from these issues following surgery. This is particularly important for patients undergoing surgery to repair the thoracoabdominal aorta, as around half develop temporary kidney problems, with around a third requiring temporary dialysis. These complications often lead to extended stays in critical care and longer periods of bed rest.
The Fellowship builds on the HaemoAKI study, which examines the role of blood damage in kidney injury. In recognition of his work on this project, James received the Cliff Dawson Memorial Award for his presentation at the UK Perfusion Congress in 2023. HaemoAKI is run with Professor Mark Field at LHCH and researchers Dr Bettina Wilm, Professor Patricia Murray and Dr Steve McWilliam at the University of Liverpool. Final results are expected in the summer of 2025.
James said: “I am thrilled to receive the Fellowship from KRUK and grateful for their continued support. I’d also like to thank my supervisors and the LHCH theatre and research teams for their invaluable help during the first three years of my PhD.”
Over the next three years, James will culture kidney cells in the Wilm lab and apply blood plasma donated by consenting patients from LHCH. Collaborating with Dr Andrew Chetwynd at the Centre for Proteome Research and the US-based company Biotech Support Group, the team will investigate how kidney cells respond to toxic compounds and test a novel polymer’s ability to remove these toxins from blood and reduce kidney injury after surgery.
“We hope to establish the ‘in principle’ benefits of using a polymer to remove toxins from blood, which would represent the first step towards the development of a medical device to reduce the risks of AKI after surgery,” James explained. “This could lead to significant improvements in patient care and inspire further research and innovation projects at the Institute and LHCH.”
Reflecting on his journey so far, James offered advice to aspiring researchers: “Identify an important problem you’d like to help solve and reach out to experts who could help you to identify solutions. I have been touched by the generosity of established researchers eager to contribute to developing projects. Working as a team enables you to approach a topic from unique angles.”
To read more about the amazing work of Kidney Research UK, and the projects that they support, please visit their website Home | Kidney Research UK.