I am not your typical “researcher” and generally don’t like to be labeled as one because it conjures images of multi-stained white coats surrounded by plumes of smoke and bubbling beakers. I do not have a lab or a research team but do enjoy contributing to the scientific field in other ways.

Over the years, I have been grateful for the myriad of opportunities to collaborate with wonderful people on a number of issues, ranging from policy recommendations on how to improve rates of living kidney donation to factors affecting specialty selection of medical students to plant protein adequacy in kidney disease.

I am always looking for people to help with my many ongoing projects and am open to ideas from YOU! Regardless of your background, resources, or level in training, I take all collaborations very seriously. Since I have no funding, I cannot pay for any research assistance (sorry!).

Below is a list of my active research interests. If any of these appeal to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. My contact information is listed on the “About” page of this website.

Active Research Interests:

Renal

• How does plant protein affect serum potassium levels?
• Can plant-based diets slow down the progression of CKD or reverse established nephropathy (like diabetic glomerulonephritis)?
• What are the effects of plant-based diets on blood pressure?
• What are the effects of low-carb diets, like the ketogenic diet, on the kidney?

Non-Renal

• What is the anthropologic/evolutionary evidence behind plant-based diets in human evolution?
• How does the fumes of cooking and grilling meat affect human health, especially those of food workers?
• Can recommendations for statins for primary prevention of heart disease be augmented by recommending a healthy diet?
• Does the presence of coronary artery disease in mummies reflect poor diets (and not chronic infections as previously thought)?
• Are there higher rates of “skinny fat” in minorities and what are those effects on those populations?

 

Last Updated: October 23^rd, 2018