UPMC Children’s Nephrology Chief, Jacqueline Ho, MD, MSc, Elected to Society of Pediatric Research Council
March 10, 2023
Jacqueline Ho, MD, MSc, associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh was elected to the Society of Pediatric Research (SPR) Council as the nephrology representative for its new term.
As an SPR member since 2016, Dr. Ho is passionate and committed to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists. She has been co-director of the UPMC Children’s pediatric physician-scientist training program since 2016 and is active in the National Pediatrician-Scientist Collaborative Workgroup. She has previously served on the American Society for Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) Program Committee to contribute to Pediatric Academic Societies programming and chaired the ASPN Research Committee from 2015-2016. Dr. Ho is enthusiastic to lead efforts to re-envisage physician-scientist training, think creatively about supporting trainees and increasing diversity.
At UPMC Children’s and the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Ho’s research laboratory is focused on understanding the role of microRNAs in kidney development, acute kidney injury (AKI), and renal fibrosis. Recent research from the lab has demonstrated that microRNAs are involved in regulating the proliferation and survival of nephron progenitors in the developing kidney, which can affect subsequent kidney health in children and adults.
Her most recent research grant is a five-year, $500,000 award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Next Gen Pregnancy Initiative will explore basic science mechanistic processes that may be responsible for or contribute to why children born to mothers with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk for kidney disease.
Learn more about Dr. Ho and the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at UPMC Children’s.
More About SPR
The Society of Pediatric Research (SPR) promotes research, mentoring, and communications among researchers from institutions across the country. The ultimate goal of the SPR is to improve children’s health and wellness nationally by fostering the growth of a diverse network of multidisciplinary researchers, clinicians, and scientists. Council members are elected to 3-year terms and are typically nominated by other SPR members, indicating that an election to the SPR Council demonstrates significant admiration for a researcher’s work in their given field by their peers.
