This laboratory is engaged in the study of how intrarenal mononuclear phagocytes regulate kidney homeostasis and disease, and how they modulate a transition from acute to chronic disease. A second area of concentration is in the role of heme and iron metabolism in cellular homeostasis and in protection from organ failure. These studies are approached through the creation of unique strains of mice in which particular genes involved in molecular pathways of interest are manipulated to be expressed or deleted within specific cellular compartments. The research is funded primarily by extramural grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association as well as philanthropic donations. As part of a NIH P-30 funded core, the laboratory also maintains the Small Animal Microsurgical Core Facility which performs over 1,000 procedures per year for investigators at UAB and other institutions. Procedures include heart and kidney transplantation, ischemia-reperfusion studies, cannulations, and custom services.