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Andrew McMahon is a research professor specializing in biology and biological engineering. His laboratory explores the mechanisms that maintain stem and progenitor cells, and how these cells regulate differentiation into mature cell types within the kidney. By combining genetic and genomic approaches with high-resolution imaging, McMahon aims to obtain a deeper understanding of stem cell biology and develop novel therapeutic strategies for regenerative medicine. One of the primary focuses of his research is the mammalian kidney, which plays a central role in controlling the environment of the body's systems by regulating blood pressure, blood composition, and the removal of waste from metabolic processes. Each human kidney is functionalized by approximately one million nephrons which are formed from nephron stem and progenitor cells during fetal life. Once these cells are exhausted, they cannot be replenished, creating challenges for kidney damage repair. McMahon's work identifies both the regulatory processes that maintain and expand these kidney stem cells, as well as their differentiation into functional renal cell types. His research seeks to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the repair of the kidney after acute injuries.
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