University of Bristol

Project Leader

Project Staff

Institute Presentation

Our work is focused on the causes of proteinuria, with about half the group working on podocytes and the other half on glomerular endothelial cells. We have developed a series of unique human glomerular cell lines, unique reagents which are now used by collaborators world-wide, and can manipulate these with gene transfections, short hairpin RNA gene-silencing, cellular co-culture including three-dimensional models, live cell imaging and sophisticated transcriptomics and proteomics. Increasingly, we also work on mouse models in vivo, especially but not exclusively in cell-specific gene manipulation in the glomerulus, and have collaborations with the leading laboratories in the world for this technology. We have numerous collaborative arrangements with biotechnical and pharmaceutical partners whose interest is in the development and testing of novel forms of therapy. Bristol is active in numerous national and international clinical trials and is also the location of the UK Renal Registry, a world-leading epidemiological powerhouse that collects data on every patient receiving renal replacement therapy in the UK.

Peter Mathieson and his colleagues have supervised over 20 postgraduate degrees in recent years and the laboratory provides an excellent training environment for both clinicians and basic science graduates. Mathieson was President of the UK Renal Association from 2007-2010, chairs the EU consortium on membranous nephropathy and is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Bristol, one of the top 10 universities in the UK.