Welcome to Kidney, Urology, & Non-Malignant Hematology Premier Research Interdisciplinary Mentored Education

KUH PRIME is an interdisciplinary initiative that unites researchers and scholars from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Tulane University (TU), and Augusta University (AU) in kidney, urology, and non-malignant hematology. KUH PRIME aims to build a fully integrated, interdisciplinary network of pre- and post-doctoral trainees in KUH research while also bringing together trainees at all levels and consolidating training activities across the UAB, TU, and AU training ecosystems. An integrated, interdisciplinary network of pre- and post-doctoral trainees in KUH research, along with bringing together trainees at all levels, and consolidating training.

Upcoming Events

Events
MANNERS Manuscript Writing Workshop

March 19 -20th 2026

Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center Room 201 – Algen Building, UAB

Deep South KUH PRIME Health Disparities Panel

March 19, 2026 – 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center, Room 201

Learn More and Register 

Prior Event Recordings

News

Quarterly Newsletter

Meet Tha Luong

Tha Luong is a Ph.D. student in Immunology, Graduate Biomedical Science program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She received a master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa in 2020. Her master project was to examine a...

Editors Panel Provides Great Insight

Deep South KUH PRIME led its first Manuscript and Networking Editors Review Session (MaNnERS) on Thursday, January 16th prior to the annual KUH PRIME Symposium. This inaugural workshop included 25+ scholars, ranging from undergraduates to early-stage investigators....

Bringing Interest in Nephrology to Medical Students

The Students Interested in Nephrology Group, also known as SING, is an organization within the Heersink School of Medicine engaging medical students’ interest in the field of Nephrology. The program began in January 2023 with two founding members, Venu Reddy and Brody...

2025 KUHR-TN National Conference

Deep South KUH PRIME faculty, staff and trainees attended the 2025 KUHR-TN National Conference hosted by ATLANTIS at Emory University in Atlanta. The event featured scientific talks, professional development sessions, and networking opportunities. Several trainees...

Meet Dr. Andrew Barbera

Andrew Barbera, MD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has been part of the Deep South KUH PRIME since December 2024. His research topic is "Clinical And Molecular Features of Acute Kidney Injury without Rejection in Pediatric...

Nephrologist Highlight – Dr. Rhea Bhargava

Rhea Bhargava, MD Assistant Professor at Tulane University My Journey till now as a developing physician scientist . What do I do at Tulane? As a physician-scientist, my work in lupusnephritis focuses on advancing our understanding and treatment ofthis complex...

Meet Huy Nguyen

Huy Nguyen is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under Dr. Hyndman's mentorship. With a background in organic chemistry from HCMC University of Education, Vietnam, Huy transitioned to biotechnology, earning a...

Meet Dr. Denisha Spires

Denisha Spires was born and raised in Jackson, MS where she attended Tougaloo College, a noteworthy HBCU. While earning her bachelor’s degree in biology, she focused on the pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetic nephropathy in relation to endothelin 1 working...

Faculty Friday

Dr. Cheng (Jack) Song joined the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology on February 1, 2024, as an Assistant Professor, bringing a distinguished background in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) research. His...

Meet Dr. Megan Rhoads

Dr. Megan Rhoads is an integrative physiologist interested in how time of day and the molecular clock contribute to cardiovascular and renal function and disease. During graduate school at the University of Kentucky, she studied spontaneous high blood pressure in...

Pre and Post- Doctoral Fellowships

NIH-funded training grant pre- and post-doctoral fellowships are available for research training in the areas broadly related to Kidney, Urology, and non-malignant Hematology diseases. Trainees will pursue up to two years of independent research in the laboratory of an established research scientist, under the direction of a faculty mentor at Augusta University (AU), Tulane University (TU), or The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

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Core Programs

The Administrative Core will be the center of the organizational structure & governance of KUH PRIME. It will leverage the collaborative spirit & established relationships between kidney, urology, & non-malignant hematology scientists to form a cohesive institutional training network.

The Training Core supports KUH PRIME trainees who represent a broad spectrum of scientific interests. We provide training in interdisciplinary & translational research that ensures pre- & post-doctoral trainees will learn the skills & knowledge to successfully transition to the next steps of their careers in KUH research.

The Professional Development Core’s main focus is to motivate & sustain the next generation of scientific leaders. We have created an immersive, individualized, interdisciplinary, and integrated core that provides personalized mentoring, inspirational career forums, research training institutes, & leadership development.

The Network Core’s overall goal is to provide KUH PRIME scholars strategies to help develop their networking & communication skills & apply them to a range of networking opportunities.

Contact Us

KUH PRIME

Impacting the future of KUH research through personalized, integrated, and immersive training.

Funding: U2C/TL1 Deep South KUH PRIME – NIH U2C DK133422 & NIH TL1 DK139566