Minnie Sarwal

Clinical Focus

• Nephrology (Kidney), Pediatric
• Pediatric Nephrology

Honors and Awards

• Outreach Committee Core Member, International Pediatric Transplant Association (2007-9)
• Hospital Leadership, LPCH (2005-6)
• Key Opinion Leader, The Transplantation Society (2006, 2007)
• Councillor, International Pediatric Transplant Association (2006-10)
• Senator at Large, Faculty Senate, Stanford University (2006-9)

Professional Education

• Fellowship: University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, England, UK (1995)
• Residency: Leicester Royal Infirmary, England (1990)
• Residency: Grantham & Kesteven Hospital, England (1989)
• Internship: Calcutta Medical College, India (1987)
• Medical Education: Calcutta Medical College, India (1987)

Postdoctoral Advisees

Poonam Sansanwal

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Informatics
• Family and Community Medicine
• Genetics
• Immunology
• Medicine
• Molecular and Cellular Physiology
• Chemical and Systems Biology
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pathology
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Molecular and Genetic Medicine

Web Site Links

• Sarwal Lab Site

Research Interests

Translational research into the molecular and immunological basis of transplant dysfunction. Using competitive quantitaive RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, granulysin was identified as a novel peripheral blood marker for transplant rejection, and its distribution in tissue defined steroid resistance or sensitivity. Prospective screening studies are underway to define this as a predictive assay for subclinical rejection.

cDNA Microarray analysis is being conducted on blood and tissue specimens in patients undergoing steroid based and a novel steroid free immunosuppression protocol (designed by Drs Sarwal and Salvatierra at Stanford). Samples are simultaeously hybridized to 23,000 human cDNA's (with about 40% of these cDNA's being unidentified novel genes) in collaboration with Dr. Pat Brown at Stanford.
New mecahnisms and genes are being identified for acute rejection, chronic rejection and drug nephrotoxicity. This information may allow for clearer differentiation between these varying causes of transplant dysfunction, without biopsy analysis and also offer means to individualizing immunotherapy for transplant patients.

Publications

• Calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity. Naesens M, Kuypers DR, Sarwal M "Clin J Am Soc Nephrol" 2009 ; 2 (4) : 481-508
• A critical look at the immunologically favorable adult-sized kidney transplant in small children. Salvatierra O, Concepcion W, Sarwal M "Pediatr Transplant" 2009 ; 3 (13) : 265-7
• Optimizing protein recovery for urinary proteomics, a tool to monitor renal transplantation. Sigdel TK, Lau K, Schilling J, Sarwal M "Clin Transplant" 2008 Sep-Oct ; 5 (22) : 617-23
• Patient selection critical for calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal in pediatric kidney transplantation. Weintraub L, Li L, Kambham N, Alexander S, Concepcion W, Miller K, Wong C, Salvatierra O, Sarwal M "Pediatr Transplant" 2008 ; 5 (12) : 541-9
• Characterization of intra-graft B cells during renal allograft rejection. Zarkhin V, Kambham N, Li L, Kwok S, Hsieh SC, Salvatierra O, Sarwal MM "Kidney Int" 2008 ; 5 (74) : 664-73