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Associate Professor Sharon Ricardo

Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader

Renal Regeneration Group

Associate Professor Sharon Ricardo
 

Telephone:
+61 - 3 9905 0671 (Office)

Facsimile:
+61 - 3 9905 0695

Email:
Sharon.Ricardo@med.monash.edu.au





Bio-sketch

Associate Professor . Sharon Ricardo obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne in 1994. Thereafter, she was awarded a US National Kidney Foundation Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral studies at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine where she was appointed an Assistant Professor in 1996. In 2000 she returned to Australia as an NHMRC Howard Florey Fellow and commenced studies at Monash University. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader of the Renal Regeneration Laboratory in the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories (MISCL).

The Renal Regeneration Laboratory is focused on the development of new adult stem cell-based therapies that may offer alternatives for patients undergoing kidney transplantation and long-term dialysis.

Kidney disease is a widespread and debilitating health issue facing millions of people worldwide. In particular, progression to end-stage renal disease is now a critical health issue. Potential therapies for patients with renal disease may involve the administration of stem/progenitor cells or regenerative growth factors to slow the development of kidney disease and/or regenerate damaged kidney tissue. Our research in the Renal Regeneration Laboratory is focused on the cellular and molecular regulation of endogenous kidney repair and the sub-populations of bone marrow-derived cells that are important in this process. There is increasing evidence that bone marrow-derived myelomonocytic cells can play a beneficial proliferative, angiogenic, and anti-fibrotic role that promotes cellular regeneration and tissue remodelling. Studies are in progress to define the responsive cell subpopulation/s and trophic factors that can promote kidney cell regeneration in an acute inflammatory setting, but also the fibrotic setting common to many chronic renal diseases.


Associate Professor Ricardo has attracted funding from Kidney Health Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Stem Cell Center. She was named the Kidney Health Australia Bootle Scholar (2003-2007). She has previously held a US National Kidney Foundation Fellowship (1994-1996); an American Heart Association Initiator Investigator Fellowship; and received the Judy S. Finkelstein Award from Pennsylvania Sate University College of Medicine; and the Marion Merrell Dow Excellence in Renal Research Award from the American Physiological Society. With 30 peer-reviewed published papers mainly in leading kidney journals, 2 book chapters, 6 invited reviews she has received research grant funding totaling $3.2K from national and international granting bodies and has 2 international PCT patents.

Research