Supporters of the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center learned more about the pioneering efforts underway at the newly launched research hub at Keck Medicine of USC during a Nov. 14 reception at the California Club.

The founder of the University Kidney Research Organization (UKRO), Kenneth Kleinberg, talked about his personal battle with kidney disease and introduced the various academic and scientific leaders who will carry out his vision to create the country’s top facility focused on kidney research.

Among the featured speakers was Kenneth Hallows, director of the Kidney Research Center, who noted that government support for biomedical research tends to favor “safe” studies that provide mainly incremental advances in knowledge. That approach tends to limit innovative research.

“We want instead to be able to follow the research where it takes us, trying fresh and unanticipated pathways,” Hallows told the audience. “Generous private-donor contributions to UKRO to support investigators within the KRC would enable the recruitment of a highly dedicated and talented team of scientists, and promote more open collaborations and the performance of exciting, truly ground-breaking and paradigm-shifting studies to be performed to treat and cure kidney disease.”

Kidney Center leaders Kenneth Hallows, Nuria Pastor-Soler and KRC researchers and staff. (Photo/Bryan Beasley)

Vito M. Campese, co-director of the KRC, left, with USC Provost Michael Quick and UKRO founder Kenneth Kleinberg. (Photo/Bryan Beasley)