乱伦社区

Generous gift will advance research to shape the future of care for children with kidney disease

Sept. 30, 2025

PALO ALTO, Calif.鈥擳he has made a $15 million gift to to accelerate discoveries in pediatric nephrology. This gift launches the Kidney Health Innovation Program, a bold initiative led by the and the to expand research, enhance clinical care, and transform kidney health for children and young adults鈥攚ith lifelong benefit.

More than 35 million people in the U.S. live with kidney disease, which severely impacts quality of life, potentially leading to kidney failure, dialysis, and eventually transplantation. New insights in prevention, early detection, and treatment have the potential to improve care and outcomes for patients everywhere.

鈥淭here has never been a more promising time to redefine the future for children with kidney disease,鈥� says Mary Leonard, MD, MSCE, Arline and Pete Harman Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, director of MCHRI at 乱伦社区, Adalyn Jay Physician-in-Chief at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, and a pediatric nephrologist. 鈥淭hanks to this generous gift from the David Koch Jr. Foundation, we鈥檒l be able to mobilize groundbreaking research across the Stanford ecosystem to revolutionize how we understand and treat kidney disease.鈥�

Heading the new program are two experts at the forefront of kidney research and patient care: Sophia Giang, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatric nephrology, and , professor of medicine and director of the Stanford Glomerular Disease Center.聽聽

A key component of the gift will establish the David Koch Jr. Foundation Kidney Health Innovation Awards, administered by MCHRI. The awards will provide multi-year catalyst grants to Stanford faculty members to fuel collaborative research across diverse fields such as immunology and genetics. The MCHRI has announced an .

聽鈥淜idney disease poses serious challenges for children and their families,鈥� says David Koch Jr. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about the potential to drive novel research that can lead to new treatments and ultimately improve quality of life for young patients.鈥�

Additionally, the program will enable faculty to partner with renowned researchers from around the world. An annual symposium will bring together Stanford experts and national leaders to share their findings and spark cross-disciplinary teamwork.

Stanford will also promote further collaborations with NIH-funded nephrology consortia, including the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE), Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN), and PedsNet, expanding researchers鈥� access to data and biorepositories.

The program builds on the strengths of Lucile Packard Children鈥檚 Hospital Stanford, which consistently ranks among the top 10 pediatric nephrology programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. On average the hospital performs more kidney transplants than any other U.S. children鈥檚 hospital, with a 100% survival rate after one and three years.

One major breakthrough at Packard Children鈥檚 is the dual immune/solid organ transplant (DISOT) procedure, developed by Alice Bertaina, MD, PhD, and Paul Grimm, MD, PhD. The first-of-its-kind approach is a two-step process that involves a stem cell transplant followed by a kidney transplant. This is curative for some immunological diseases and allows for life free from long-term immunosuppressant medication. The procedure has been called the 鈥榟oly grail鈥� of transplantation.聽聽

A previous gift from the David Koch Jr. Foundation has supported this protocol, funding research to make transplant possible for children and adults with histories of autoimmunity and prior transplant failure. Soon, thanks to this pioneering research, many more patients will be able to receive organ transplants without lifelong immunosuppression and its devastating complications鈥攖ransforming what was once impossible into a new standard of care.聽

鈥淧hilanthropic support of novel research and our world-class faculty is changing the trajectory of kidney disease, particularly for pediatric patients,鈥� says , Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University. 鈥淐ountless children and families benefit from the discoveries made here at Stanford, and gifts like this are central to our impact.鈥�

Click here about applying to the .

Media Contact

Elizabeth Valente
EValente@StanfordChildrens.org
(650) 269-5401

About 乱伦社区

聽is an integrated academic health system comprising the聽聽and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit聽.

About the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children鈥檚 Health

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children鈥檚 Health is here to unlock philanthropy to transform health for all kids and moms, in Northern California and around the world. We are champions for children鈥攄riving extraordinary care for families today, while fueling research, discovery, and change in our health care systems for a better tomorrow. Our Foundation raises funds for child and maternal health at Lucile Packard Children鈥檚 Hospital and the Stanford School of Medicine. We also shape and support programs that make health care more accessible for children with complex medical needs. Learn more at .