Dr. Hodgin is an investigative renal pathologist with a unique set of skills from over 10 years of training. He has extensive experience working with mouse models beginning in the laboratory of Drs. Oliver Smithies and Nobuyo Maeda at the University of North Carolina. His research interests now include mouse models of glomerular injury, with a focus on podocyte biology, including diabetic nephropathy, hypertension, and lupus nephritis. To investigate the key pathogenic mechanisms of mouse disease models, he is employing systems biology approaches to identify cross-species, human-mouse shared transcriptional networks. In addition to the injury models listed above, he has employed Cre-lox technology to investigate the role of the Rho-GTPase Rac1 in podocyte health and disease. In addition, his years of experience as a renal pathologist and as part of the pathology group of the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE), has complemented and enhanced his research by guiding his focus towards pertinent features of glomerular structure and function in the diseased state.