Renu Kowluru
Biography
Dr. Renu Kowluru is a Professor and Director of Translational Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and have extensive leadership experience. She has chaired Strategic Planning Committee for the National Eye Institute and served on the National Eye Advisory Council, American Diabetes Association’s Eye Health Interest Group Leadership Team, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation’s Board of Governors. She is very passionate about Women’s issues; She has also served on the ‘Women’s Leadership Development Program’- ARVO, and on Women Interprofessional Network’ Advisory Group-American Diabetes Association. Over the years she has mentored many budding female scientists/clinicians, and watching them succeed in their profession, while balancing their family lives, has been humbling and rewarding experience.
Education
Masters in Biochemistry
PhD in Biochemistry
Post-doc training at Brussels Free Univeristy, Brussels
Research
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common and devastating complications of diabetes, and is the leading cause of acquired blindness in working-age adults. Our research is focused on understanding the molecular mechanism(s), especially the role of ‘Mitochondria’, in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We are investigating how hyperglycemia damages mitochondrial structural, functional and genomic stability.
We are also focusing on the role of epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation and long noncoding RNAs, in the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis and its antioxidant defense system. In addition, one of our projects is on the ‘metabolic memory’ phenomenon associated with the continued progression of diabetic retinopathy after termination of hyperglycemic insult, focusing on how damaged mitochondria continues to fuel into a self-propagating cycle of free radicals. Collaborating with in-house ophthalmologists and endocrinologists, we are trying to identify biomarkers for diabetic retinopathy in peripheral blood of diabetic patients suffering with retinopathy.
Honors and Awards
- Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee ‘From Genes to Disease Mechanisms’, National Eye Institute 2020
- Member, National Eye Advisory Council, NIH, 2020-2024
- Board of Governors of the ARVO Foundation for Vision Research 2021-
- JDRF Restoring Vision Moonshot Initiative - Basic and Cellular Mechanisms Working Group, 2021-
- Top 0.1% of scholars writing about Diabetes Complications over the past 10 years, a level labeled as "World Expert" by Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithm, 2022
- Research Excellence Award, Wayne State University, 2022
- Chair, Eye Health Interest group discussion, American Diabetes Association’s Annual meeting, New Orleans, 2023
- ISER - Ernst H. Bárány Prize Committee, 2023
- Keynote Speaker, International course on Diabetes associated complications through life, the Chilean Society of Endocrinology and Diabetes. ‘Molecular mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy’, 2023
- Member- Mary Tyler Moore Vision- Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation "Diabetic Retinal Disease Cure Accelerator" Working Group, 2023---
- The Nazarbayev University FDCRGP Review panel member, 2023
- Chair, scientific session on ‘Diabetic Retinopathy’ at American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in Orland, FL; 2024
- Chair, scientific session on ‘Diabetic Retinopathy’ at American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in Chicago, IL; Member, 2024
- ‘Women Interprofessional Network’ Advisory Group- American Diabetes Association; Mentor, ARVO’s Women’s Leadership Development Program, 2025---
- Recognized in the list of ‘Top Scientists in the field of Medicine’ by Research.Com, 2025
- Recognized in the list of ‘Best Scientists in the field of Biology and Biochemistry’ by Research.Com, 2025
Publications
Published over 190 peer reviewed articles, the list can be founnd at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Kowluru+RA+OR+Kowluru+R+OR+Anjaneyulu+RK+OR+Puri%20RB
Office address
4717 St Antoine
Detroit, MI, USA