Madhulika Sharma, Ph.D.

Professional Background

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (Honors) and Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Himachal Pradesh University, India. I then pursued my PhD at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. My postdoctoral training included fellowships at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, where I studied the molecular biology of cancer, and at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where I focused on the development and pathogenesis of kidney diseases.
Currently, I am a tenured Associate Professor at the Jared Grantham Kidney Institute (JGKI). Prior to this, I served as a tenure-track Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor, and Senior Scientist. At JGKI, my research continues to focus on HIV/virus-related chronic kidney disease and polycystic kidney disease.

• BSc, Chemistry Honors, Himachal Pradesh University, India, Baijnath, HP

Research

Overview

Our laboratory is dedicated to understanding and combating chronic kidney diseases (CKD), with a primary focus on HIV/ virus related CKD and polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
In the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV replication is largely controlled. However, the virus persists in latent reservoirs within hard-to-reach cells, where it continues to release viral particles that drive inflammation and contribute to CKD. To address this challenge, our work explores the regulation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter, with particular emphasis on the role of RBP-J. This protein has the potential to control viral transcription and represents a promising target for eliminating viral reservoirs and reducing HIV-related kidney complications.
In parallel, our PKD research investigates the molecular drivers of cyst growth and disease progression. We have identified ferritin and Notch3 as key contributors to PKD pathogenesis. Our ongoing studies aim to uncover how these molecules promote cyst expansion and to leverage this knowledge for therapeutic development. We are also working to identify and validate novel biomarkers of PKD progression, which could improve early diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment strategies.

• Wang Wei, Silva LucianeM., Wang HenryH., Kavanaugh MatthewA., Pottorf TanaS., Allard BaileyA., Jacobs DamonT., Dong Ruochen, Cornelius JosephT., Chaturvedi Aakriti, Swenson-Fields KatherineI., Fields TimothyA., Pritchard MicheleT., Sharma Madhulika, Slawson Chad, Wallace DarrenP., Calvet JamesP., Tran PamelaV.. 2022. Ttc21b deficiency attenuates autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in a kidney tubular- and maturation-dependent manner. Kidney International, 102 (3), 577-591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2022.04.034
• Wang Wei, Pottorf TanaS, Wang HenryW, Dong Ruochen , Kavanaugh Matthew A, Cornelius Joseph T, Dennis Katie L, Apte Udayan , Pritchard MicheleT, Sharma Madhulika, Tran PamelaV. 2021. IFT-A deficiency in juvenile mice impairs biliary development and exacerbates ADPKD liver disease. J Pathol .
• Sharma Madhulika, Yerrathota Sireesha, Thornton MackenzieM, Gunewardena Sumedha. 2021. Transcriptomic data showing differentially expressed genes between Notch3 and Notch4 deleted mice. Data in Brief, 35, 106873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.106873
• Radadiya PriyankaS., Thornton MackenzieM., Puri RajniV., Yerrathota Sireesha, Dinh-Phan Johnny, Magenheimer Brenda, Subramaniam Dharmalingam, Tran PamelaV., Zhu Hao, Bolisetty Subhashini, Calvet JamesP., Wallace DarrenP., Sharma Madhulika. 2021. Ciclopirox olamine induces ferritinophagy and reduces cyst burden in polycystic kidney disease. JCI Insight, 6 (8), e141299. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.141299
• Radadiya PriyankaS., Thornton MackenzieM., Daniel EmilyA., Idowu JessicaY., Wang Wei, Magenheimer Brenda, Subramaniam Dharmalingam, Tran PamelaV., Calvet JamesP., Wallace DarrenP., Sharma Madhulika. 2021. Quinomycin A reduces cyst progression in polycystic kidney disease. The FASEB Journal, 35 (5), e21533. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202002490r
• Lea WendyA., McGreal Kerri, Sharma Madhulika, Parnell StephenC., Zelenchuk Lesya, Charlesworth M.Cristine, Madden BenjaminJ., Johnson KennethL., McCormick DanielJ., Hogan MarieC., Ward ChristopherJ.. 2020. Analysis of the polycystin complex (PCC) in human urinary exosome–like vesicles (ELVs). Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 1500. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58087-3
• Ishii Ken, Kobayashi Hanako, Taguchi Kensei, Guan Nan, Li Andraia, Tong Carmen, Davidoff Olena, Tran PamelaV., Sharma Madhulika, Chandel NavdeepS., Kapp MeghanE., Fogo AgnesB., Brooks CraigR., Haase VolkerH.. 2021. Kidney epithelial targeted mitochondrial transcription factor A deficiency results in progressive mitochondrial depletion associated with severe cystic disease. Kidney International, 99 (3), 657-670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2020.10.013
• Idowu Jessica, Home Trisha, Patel Nisha, Magenheimer Brenda, Tran PamelaV., Maser RobinL., Ward ChristopherJ., Calvet JamesP., Wallace DarrenP., Sharma Madhulika. 2018. Aberrant Regulation of Notch3 Signaling Pathway in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Scientific Reports, 8 (1), 3340. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21132-3
• Puri RajniVaid, Yerrathota Sireesha, Home Trisha, Idowu JessicaY., Chakravarthi PraveenV., Ward ChristopherJ., Singhal Pravin, Vanden Heuvel GregoryB., Fields TimothyA., Sharma Madhulika. 2019. Notch4 activation aggravates NF-kappa B mediated inflammation in HIV-1 associated Nephropathy. Disease models & mechanisms, 12 (12). https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.040642
• Sharma Madhulika, Reif GailA., Wallace DarrenP.. 2019. In vitro cyst formation of ADPKD cells.. Methods in cell biology, 153, 93-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.mcb.2019.05.008