Improving Outcomes of patients with lupus nephritis

Lupus nephritis is an immune complex glomerulonephritis (a form of kidney inflammation with autoimmunity) that constitutes one of the most severe manifestations of SLE. About 50% of SLE patients develop LN within 5 years of diagnosis. Renal biopsy is the current gold standard for lupus nephritis diagnosis and monitoring; however, it is invasive, expensive and not readily accessible for many patients globally. The aim of this project is to i) identify novel molecular signatures using serum and urine proteomics for accurate characterisation of kidney inflammation in patients with lupus nephritis, ii) improve understanding of the burden of disease in lupus nephritis and its association with adverse long-term outcomes, and (iii) validate the utility of SLE treat-to-target endpoints (remission, lupus low disease activity state) in lupus nephritis. Opportunities to conduct Honours/PhD projects from 2024 exist.