Smyth Laboratory
Kidney Development and Disease
Welcome to the Smyth Lab
Our group studies how the kidney develops and how genetic and environmental factors contribute to diseases of the organ.
We're part of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and a member of the Development & Stem Cells and
Metabolism, Diabetes & Obesity Program and the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology.
Professor Ian Smyth
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on ORCID and LinkedIn.
Our research
Our laboratory studies the basic events which shape kidney development, exploring the genetic and environmental factors which influence the genesis and homeostasis of the organ. Our focus is on better understanding the perturbations to normal kidney development which lead to disease. These can take the form of inherited mutations which disrupt the cellular interactions necessary to build the organ and maintain its function, or environmental challenges experienced in utero which impact on normal programs of cell proliferation and differentiation. We firmly believe that in vivo models of such developmental challenges are central to gaining meaningful insights into kidney diseases and that they represent the best system in which to begin developing therapies or interventions aimed at preventing these conditions. Our focus areas:
- The role of branching morphogenesis in kidney development.
- Understanding how the fetal environment shapes kidney development.
- Identifying new genes involved in congenital kidney disease.
- Understanding polycystic kidney disease.
Lab members
We are committed to excellence in research.
Join Our Lab
We're always interested in collaborating with bright and motivated researchers, clinicians and industry. Whether you want to research, study or partner with us to accelerate our discoveries, find out about the work we do.