A Queen’s internal medicine resident is paving the way for a brighter future in kidney health.
Dr. Caitlyn Vlasschaert has been named the first STAT Wunderkind researcher from Queen’s—a major milestone for the University and the broader Canadian medical community.
Recognized for her innovative contributions to science and medicine, Vlasschaert stands out not only as the sole Canadian recipient for 2024 but also as a shining example of the next generation of “scientific superstars.”
“The award sort of came out of the blue. I don’t where I was when I found out, probably in the hospital working, because that’s what I’m doing nowadays,” Dr. Vlasschaert said in an interview with The Journal.
Research & Program Advisors
STAT, a prominent US health and medicine news platform, annually recognizes North America’s emerging leaders in groundbreaking research and clinical practice. This year, Vlasschaert ed an elite cohort of 27 recipients, all “blazing new trails” in the quest to tackle major scientific and medical questions. Four winners hailed from Harvard University, the top-ranked university in the world according to the Times Higher Education (THE).
Dr. Vlasschaert, who has served as an internal medicine resident in the Department of Medicine since 2019, completed her PhD in Translational Medicine (Clinician Investigator Program) during a break from her residency.
“Being here [at Queen’s] was vital to me actually getting to work on the topic that I wanted to,” Dr. Vlasschaert said. “I was primarily advised by Dr. Michael Rauh [hematopathologist and associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine]. He was my main supervisor at Queen’s, but I worked really closely with someone named Dr. Matthew Lanktree [nephrologist and associate professor of medicine at McMaster University].”
Hematopathology is the study of blood disorders, combining the laboratory diagnosis of hematologic disorders with clinical hematology. Hematopathologists analyze blood and bone marrow samples to help doctors manage blood-related diseases. Nephrology focuses on the kidneys, involving the study, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases and conditions.
Dr. Vlasschaert emphasizes how the collaboration among her advisors and researchers at various US institutions created a powerful synergy that was crucial to advancing their research efforts.
The internal medicine resident’s advice for aspiring researchers is two-fold.
“If there’s something you’re really interested in […] that you think there’s a big gap in literature and want to address it, just go for it. There’s no time like the present,” she said. “But on the flip side, it’s really important to find a mentor or an advisor that’s aligned with you. In my case, I had someone who was very flexible and willing to change, to some extent, what he was working on, or to at least have a large part of it be focused on kidneys, which he hadn’t really been much interested in before.”
Kidney Health & CHIP Mutation Implications
At the heart of Dr. Vlasschaert’s research is her exploration of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a mutation that affects blood cells and has been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as acute kidney injury.
During a six-month research stint in Nashville, Dr. Vlasschaert and her mentor from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Alexander Bick, co-authored a research article on CHIP establishing its connection to kidney health.
“All cancers have a pre-malignant phase where you have one mutation that if you gain additional mutations, it eventually becomes cancer. CHIP is the state where there’s one mutation in blood cells,” Dr. Vlasschaert said. “We used to think people have this pre-malignant state, so what we’ll try and figure out is how to prevent them from progressing to blood cancer.”
Dr. Vlasschaert explained all cancers have a pre-malignant phase characterized by an initial mutation, which can lead to cancer if additional mutations occur.
“CHIP is the state where there’s one mutation in blood cells,” she said.
According to Dr. Vlasschaert, CHIP is a state where there’s one mutation in blood cells. In a pre-malignant state, a very small fraction of individuals will have a mutation in their bone before going on to acquire additional mutations which ultimately lead to a form of blood cancer.
“Your macrophages, mostly in your white blood cells, have a hard time regulating inflammation when you have these CHIP mutations,” she added.
Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that clean up cells in the body—destroying germs, dead cells, and other unwanted materials, helping to keep tissues healthy and immune defenses.
The Future of Kidney Research
As Dr. Vlasschaert continues her residency, she’s optimistic about the future of kidney research. Her work not only addresses a significant gap in understanding but also opens doors for innovative treatments.
“We’re just on the cusp of trying to figure out gene therapies for kidney disease, and how to actually get gene therapies to the kidney,” she said.
She recently attended the American Society of Nephrology’s “Kidney Week 2024,” a major annual conference including significant discussions on treating genetic diseases. This topic deeply resonates with her, as she’s particularly interested in the preventative aspects of genetics. She believes in the coming years, advancements in gene therapy could enable targeted treatments that may effectively repair kidney function.
“I came to kidney research through genetics, and I find it fascinating,” she said. While many people often think of genetic diseases as affecting children, as Dr. Vlasschaert explains they can significantly impact adults, especially in the context of kidney health.
“I think for the most part, people think genetic diseases affect kids, but we’re learning more and more that, for example, 10 per cent of kidney failure in adults is due to a monogenic cause, meaning, a single gene issue causes end-stage kidney disease in adulthood,” she said.
The momentum around genetic research and its implications for kidney disease management is growing. Dr. Vlasschaert’s work, particularly her focus on CHIP, is paving the way for a new understanding of kidney health and disease prevention.
***
For Dr. Vlasschaert, receiving the STAT Wunderkind title has been a powerful affirmation of her work and dedication.
“[It’s] encouraging in the sense that I’m on my way to becoming a clinician scientist,” she said. “It’s just one more thing encouraging me to keep going on this path that I’ve set out.”
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].