Nirmala Parajuli
Associate Professor
Also affiliated: Arkansas Children's Hospital (2018–2019); Innsbruck Medical University (2008–2013); Ark Medical Center (2026); Advanced Projects Research Incorporated (United States) (2019); University of Applied Management Studies (2025); Elmhurst Hospital Center (2011); Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center (2019); R. K. Khan Hospital (2015)
Faculty Researcher
Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Medicine
Research Areas
Biomedical Subjects
Links
Biography and Research Information
OverviewAI-generated summary
Nirmala Parajuli's research focuses on enhancing the viability of kidneys during cold storage to improve the long-term survival of renal transplants. Her work investigates how cold storage affects protein quality and renal function post-transplantation, aiming to identify therapeutic targets for better outcomes.
Her laboratory studies the roles of the proteasome, heat shock proteins, and the complement pathway in rat models following cold storage and transplantation. Parajuli is the Principal Investigator on a $429,560 NIH/NIDDK grant targeting heat shock protein 72 to improve renal function after transplantation. Her recent publications explore the complement system's activation in renal grafts, the induction of interferon-gamma and STAT-1, and the impact of cold storage on the kidney's proteome and phosphoproteome landscape. She also examines the role of the immunoproteasome and normal proteasome function in preventing kidney graft injury, as well as the complement system's role in mitochondria during ischemia-reperfusion injury. Additional research includes investigating Metformin's effects on oxidative stress and inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and comparing hypothermic machine perfusion with static cold storage for mitigating oxidative stress and tubular injury in rat kidneys.
Parajuli has a h-index of 16 and over 6,829 citations from 65 publications. She collaborates with several researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Dinesh Bhattarai, Seongok Lee, Madison McGraw, and Neriman Gokden, with whom she shares multiple publications.
Research Overview
My primary research priority is to identify strategies to enhance the viability of kidneys during prolonged cold storage in order to ensure the long-term survival of renal transplants. My research focuses on exploring novel mechanisms by which cold storage alters protein quality and renal function after transplantation, and importantly, to identify a possible therapeutic target that could lead to improved renal outcomes after transplantation. Specifically, my laboratory investigates the roles of the proteasome, heat shock proteins, and the complement pathway during cold storage followed by transplantation using rat models.
Metrics
- h-index: 17
- Publications: 68
- Citations: 6,960
Selected Publications
-
Effect of complement 3/5 knockout on renal proteomics landscape after ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats (2026)
-
Impaired Renal Mitochondria and Bioenergetics During Obesity-Associated NAFLD (2026)
-
Mitochondria: The Crossroads of Complement Activation and Kidney Injury Progression (2026)
-
Heat shock protein 72 is a druggable target during cold storage to improve graft outcome after kidney transplantation (2026)
-
Novel interactions between the <scp>C5</scp> ‐ <scp>C5aR</scp> 1 Axis and <scp>IF</scp> 1: Implications for kidney mitochondrial physiology and ischemia–reperfusion injury (2026)
-
Metformin Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Obesity-Associated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) (2025)
-
Complement 5's Role in Mitochondria During Kidney Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats (2025)
-
Compared with Static Cold Storage, Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Tubular Injury in Rat Kidneys (2025)
-
Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat (2025)
-
Obesity-Associated NAFLD Coexists with a Chronic Inflammatory Kidney Condition That Is Partially Mitigated by Short-Term Oral Metformin (2025)
-
Cold Storage-Induced Proteasome Dysfunction in Rat Kidney Transplants: A Plausible Role of p38MAPK Signaling (Abstract ID: 161861) (2025)
-
Mechanism of Impaired Protein Homeostasis in Kidney Grafts Following Cold Storage and Transplantation (Abstract ID: 162640) (2025)
-
Ischemia and Reperfusion (IRI)-Induced Kidney Injury Is Attenuated by Complement 5 Gene Deletion (Abstract ID: 161749) (2025)
-
Unrecognized Effects of Metformin to Reduce Proteasomal Stress and Macrophage Infiltration in Kidneys of Obese Rats with NAFLD (Abstract ID: 166383) (2025)
-
Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants (2024)
Federal Grants 1 $429,560 total
Targeting heat shock protein 72 to improve renal function after transplantation
Research Interests
Long-term interest of my laboratory is to understand molecular mechanisms responsible for cold storage (CS)-induced renal damage. My research focuses on exploring novel mechanisms by which CS alters protein quality and renal function after transplantation, and importantly, to identify a possible therapeutic target that could lead to improved renal outcome after transplantation. Specifically, I plan to investigate the roles of proteasome, heat shock proteins and complement pathway during CS plus transplantation. We have established a rat kidney transplantation model, which will be fundamental in studying my independent research project on CS mediated renal damage. In addition, I’m also collaborating with Dr. MacMillan-Crow to study the molecular mechanisms that disrupt mitochondrial dynamics during renal CS and transplantation using our rat kidney transplant model. https://www.archildrens.org/research/researchers-at-acri/nirmala-parajuli-phd https://pharmtox.uams.edu/faculty/primary-faculty/nirmala-parajuli-ph-d/
Grants & Funding
As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.
- Ubiquitin Proteasome System, Mitochondria, and Renal Cold Storage - Continuation American Heart Association Principal Investigator
- Novel role of immunoproteaseome during renal cold storage and transplantation UAMS College of Medicine Principal Investigator
- Mitochondrial injury and repair in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury NIH Co-Investigator
- Targeting renal immunoproteasome during cold storage to improve transplant-associated cardiovascular health - Continuation American Heart Association Principal Investigator
- Manganese Superoxide Dismutase and Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion NIH Co-Investigator
Collaboration Network
Top Collaborators
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Immunoproteasome in Rat Kidney Allografts: Inhibition of Immunoproteasome Does Not Improve Function
- Normal Proteasome Function Is Needed to Prevent Kidney Graft Injury during Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Cold Storage-Mediated p38MAPK Activation: A Potential Contributor of Proteasome Dysfunction and Kidney Damage After Transplantation
- Ischemia-Reperfusion-Mediated Kidney Injury Is Attenuated in a New Complement 5 Knockout Model
Showing 5 of 11 shared publications
- Mechanism of Cold Storage-Mediated Regulation of Heat Shock Proteins in Renal Grafts After Transplantation
- Cold Storage-Mediated p38MAPK Activation: A Potential Contributor of Proteasome Dysfunction and Kidney Damage After Transplantation
- Ischemia-Reperfusion-Mediated Kidney Injury Is Attenuated in a New Complement 5 Knockout Model
- Mechanism of Impaired Protein Homeostasis in Kidney Grafts following Cold Storage and Transplant
- Ischemia and Reperfusion (IRI)-Induced Kidney Injury Is Attenuated by Complement 5 Gene Deletion (Abstract ID: 161749)
Showing 5 of 8 shared publications
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Interferon-Gamma and STAT-1 in Kidney Grafts
- Ischemia-Reperfusion-Mediated Kidney Injury Is Attenuated in a New Complement 5 Knockout Model
- Cold Storage Exacerbates Complement Pathway Activation in Kidneys following Transplantation
- Ischemia and Reperfusion (IRI)-Induced Kidney Injury Is Attenuated by Complement 5 Gene Deletion (Abstract ID: 161749)
- Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat
Showing 5 of 7 shared publications
- Unrecognized Effects of Metformin to Reduce Proteasomal Stress and Macrophage Infiltration in Kidneys of Obese Rats with NAFLD (Abstract ID: 166383)
- Obesity-Associated NAFLD Coexists with a Chronic Inflammatory Kidney Condition That Is Partially Mitigated by Short-Term Oral Metformin
- Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat
- Complement 5's Role in Mitochondria During Kidney Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats
- Metformin Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Obesity-Associated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat
- Complement 5's Role in Mitochondria During Kidney Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats
- Metformin Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Obesity-Associated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Immunoproteasome in Rat Kidney Allografts: Inhibition of Immunoproteasome Does Not Improve Function
- Obesity-Associated NAFLD Coexists with a Chronic Inflammatory Kidney Condition That Is Partially Mitigated by Short-Term Oral Metformin
- Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Immunoproteasome in Rat Kidney Allografts: Inhibition of Immunoproteasome Does Not Improve Function
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Mechanism of Impaired Protein Homeostasis in Kidney Grafts Following Cold Storage and Transplantation (Abstract ID: 162640)
- Normal Proteasome Function Is Needed to Prevent Kidney Graft Injury during Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Compared with Static Cold Storage, Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Tubular Injury in Rat Kidneys
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Mechanism of Impaired Protein Homeostasis in Kidney Grafts Following Cold Storage and Transplantation (Abstract ID: 162640)
- Post‐ischemia and reperfusion kidney injury is mitigated in a novel complement 5 knockout rat
- Unrecognized Effects of Metformin to Reduce Proteasomal Stress and Macrophage Infiltration in Kidneys of Obese Rats with NAFLD (Abstract ID: 166383)
- Obesity-Associated NAFLD Coexists with a Chronic Inflammatory Kidney Condition That Is Partially Mitigated by Short-Term Oral Metformin
- Compared with Static Cold Storage, Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Tubular Injury in Rat Kidneys
- Unrecognized Effects of Metformin to Reduce Proteasomal Stress and Macrophage Infiltration in Kidneys of Obese Rats with NAFLD (Abstract ID: 166383)
- Obesity-Associated NAFLD Coexists with a Chronic Inflammatory Kidney Condition That Is Partially Mitigated by Short-Term Oral Metformin
- Metformin Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Obesity-Associated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Aberrant activation of the complement system in renal grafts is mediated by cold storage
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Interferon-Gamma and STAT-1 in Kidney Grafts
- Aberrant activation of the complement system in renal grafts is mediated by cold storage
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Immunoproteasome in Rat Kidney Allografts: Inhibition of Immunoproteasome Does Not Improve Function
- Cold Storage Followed by Transplantation Induces Immunoproteasome in Rat Kidney Allografts: Inhibition of Immunoproteasome Does Not Improve Function
- Compared with Static Cold Storage, Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Tubular Injury in Rat Kidneys
- Cold Storage Disrupts the Proteome and Phosphoproteome Landscape in Rat Kidney Transplants
- Mechanism of Impaired Protein Homeostasis in Kidney Grafts Following Cold Storage and Transplantation (Abstract ID: 162640)
Similar Researchers
Based on overlapping research topics