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Darren Yuen

MD, FRCPC, PhD

Scientist

Email: darren.yuen@mail.utoronto.ca
Tel: 416-867-7412

Labs

Darren Yuen Lab ❯

Biography

My lab is interested in understanding novel mechanisms of fibrovascular injury in the kidney, using both cell and animal models of disease, with the goal of using the knowledge gained to develop innovative new therapies for kidney disease. Research projects span the spectrum from basic cell biology to clinical studies, including the investigation of cellular processes underlying fibroblast and endothelial cell behaviour, the testing of potential new treatments in animal models of disease, and the examination of structure-function relationships in patients with kidney disease.

Recent Publications

  1. McEvoy, CM, Hu, Q, Abe, KT, Yau, K, Oliver, MJ, Levin, A et al.. Humoral Responses in the Omicron Era Following 3-Dose SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Series in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Transplant Direct. 2023;9 (1):e1401. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001401. PubMed PMID:36518793 PubMed Central PMC9742098.
  2. Han, DJ, Aslam, R, Misra, PS, Chiu, F, Ojha, T, Chowdhury, A et al.. Disruption of adipocyte YAP improves glucose homeostasis in mice and decreases adipose tissue fibrosis. Mol Metab. 2022;66 :101594. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101594. PubMed PMID:36165813 PubMed Central PMC9551211.
  3. Shatil, AS, Kirpalani, A, Younus, E, Tyrrell, PN, Krizova, A, Yuen, DA et al.. Magnetic Resonance Elastography-derived Stiffness Predicts Renal Function Loss and Is Associated With Microvascular Inflammation in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Transplant Direct. 2022;8 (6):e1334. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001334. PubMed PMID:35721457 PubMed Central PMC9197345.
  4. Zhang, T, He, X, Caldwell, L, Goru, SK, Ulloa Severino, L, Tolosa, MF et al.. NUAK1 promotes organ fibrosis via YAP and TGF-β/SMAD signaling. Sci Transl Med. 2022;14 (637):eaaz4028. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz4028. PubMed PMID:35320001 .
  5. McEvoy, CM, Lee, A, Misra, PS, Lebovic, G, Wald, R, Yuen, DA et al.. Real-world Impact of 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Transplantation. 2022;106 (5):e279-e280. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004081. PubMed PMID:35220385 PubMed Central PMC9038233.
  6. He, X, Tolosa, MF, Zhang, T, Goru, SK, Ulloa Severino, L, Misra, PS et al.. Myofibroblast YAP/TAZ activation is a key step in organ fibrogenesis. JCI Insight. 2022;7 (4):. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.146243. PubMed PMID:35191398 PubMed Central PMC8876427.
  7. Chen, A, Ulloa Severino, L, Panagiotou, TC, Moraes, TF, Yuen, DA, Lavoie, BD et al.. Inhibition of polar actin assembly by astral microtubules is required for cytokinesis. Nat Commun. 2021;12 (1):2409. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22677-0. PubMed PMID:33893302 PubMed Central PMC8065111.
  8. Xu, J, Salari, A, Wang, Y, He, X, Kerr, L, Darbandi, A et al.. Microfluidic Generation of Monodisperse Nanobubbles by Selective Gas Dissolution. Small. 2021;17 (20):e2100345. doi: 10.1002/smll.202100345. PubMed PMID:33811441 .
  9. Hysi, E, Yuen, DA. Imaging of renal fibrosis. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2020;29 (6):599-607. doi: 10.1097/MNH.0000000000000650. PubMed PMID:33009130 .
  10. Gilbert, RE, Caldwell, L, Misra, PS, Chan, K, Burns, KD, Wrana, JL et al.. Overexpression of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Receptor, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, in Diabetic Kidney Disease: Implications for Kidney Injury in Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019. Can J Diabetes. 2021;45 (2):162-166.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.07.003. PubMed PMID:32917504 PubMed Central PMC7368650.
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Staff Physician, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Assistant Professor, Medicine, University of Toronto