Undergraduate Researcher

In the O’Brien Lab, our interests are broadly focused on the kidney and lie in understanding the regulation of kidney development, how the mature cell types are maintained, and how these programs are altered during disease. One of our areas of interest in kidney development is the innervation of the developing kidney and its implications on form and function.

The kidney is an intricate organ made up of several distinct cell types. Kidney development involves a series of branching events accompanied by self-renewal and differentiation of distinct progenitor cell populations. The importance of many of these cell types such as nephron progenitors has been well studied. However, the significance of renal nerves to kidney development is poorly understood. Our lab is interested in understanding the mechanism behind renal innervation as well as its importance on nephrogenesis. We utilize a combination of developmental, cell biology, biochemistry, modern genetic tools, high-throughput sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and cutting-edge microscopy in our research.

We give preference to sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue research in graduate school. Premed students with a desire to conduct research are also welcome to apply. Please email pnguetta@ad.unc.edu with your CV and a brief statement of why you want to do research and your plans after graduation.