Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India, 1974-77
Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India, 1977-79
Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand, India, 1980-94
Summa Medical Corporation, Albuquerque, NM, 1985-86
Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1991
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 1992-2006
University of NC Program in Statistical Genetics, Raleigh, NC, 1998

HONORS

Recipient of the Prestigious Ralph William Jr., Young Faculty Research award, Oct 2002, University of New Mexico

Office: Biomedical Research Facility, room 223G
Telephone: (505) 272-4750
E-mail: Vshah@salud.unm.edu

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Zuni Kidney Project Newsletter

GENETICS OF KIDNEY DISEASE IN ZUNI INDIANS (GKDZI) STUDY

Population based genetic admix: Pop 1 is European American, Pop 2 is American Indians, Population 3 is African Americans and Fourth block is admix population of Hispanic Americans.

Raj Shah is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a joint appointment in the dept of Internal Medicine at UNMHSC. Dr Raj is currently conducting an active, well-funded, community based participatory research program into molecular epidemiology of diabetes, CVD and kidney disease.
Since joining the faculty in 1990, Raj was able to develop the type of collaborative approach necessary to ensure the continued growth and increasing level of excellence in several productive research collaborations in the area of molecular epidemiology of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. From the start of the ZKP, he has sought input from a wide variety of disciplines, such as, community leaders (Zuni Governor & Tribal Council), Indian Health Service (IHS) (Narva, Kessler), epidemiology (Welty), biostatistics (Stidley), Nephrology (Zager, Narva) and Endocrinology (Dorin).

Current projects and Area of interest:

1. Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes: The project is a joint consortium of more than eight university and NIDDK to identify genome segments that modulate the risk for the onset and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy and intermediate phenotypes in EA, AI, AA and MA populations.
2. Genetics of kidney disease in Zuni Indians: The present project is designed to identify genome segments and environmental-genetic interactions that modulate the risk for the onset and/or progression of all cause nephropathy and intermediate phenotypes in Zuni Indians.
3. Heavy Metals Exposure among Zuni Jewelers and Proteomics: Our hypothesis is that exposure to heavy metals lead to activation of oxidative and inflammatory stress pathways which alter important proteomic and metabolomic profiles. The resulting changes have the potential to alter endothelial function and accelerate atherosclerosis thereby increasing the risk for renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the present pilot study we will utilize proteomic and metabolomic approaches to identify protein markers of metabolic pathways of oxidative and inflammatory stress that occurs in response to environmental exposures.
4. Cytokine Gene Polymorphism in CRIC Cohort: The principal aims of this proposal are: (1) Determine the prevalence of cytokine gene polymorphisms and haplotypes of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and transforming growth factor-β among  chronic renal insufficiency cohort (CRIC) participants; and (2) Evaluate the association between specific gene polymorphisms/ haplotypes and (a) plasma cytokines, (b) the rate of decline of renal function, and (c) incidence of, severity of and mortality from  CVD in the CRIC cohort.
5. Inhibition of Hemodialysis-associated Inflammation: Inflammation and oxidative stress play a major role in the CVD mortality that is associated with ESRD. The transcription factor nuclear factor kB (NFkB) is well known as a regulator of genes controlling the inflammatory and oxidative responses. We propose that attenuating the over-activation of NFkB may be a new approach to the development of therapies for prevention of inflammatory and oxidative stress-associated complications of CVD in ESRD. Our approach of limiting the activity of NFkB with curcumin and resveratrol analog supplement might be of clinical importance for reduction in oxidized macromolecules and pro-inflammatory stress markers in HD. This natural analog treatment and other measures that can reduce the NFkB activity thus reducing the ROS and cytokines should be beneficial for minimizing oxidative / inflammatory damage to leukocytes and endothelial cells.
6. Metabolomic pathway in different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD): The broad goal of this study is to develop enhanced understanding of how cellular and oxidative / inflammatory stresses leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and thus progressive loss of kidney function and accelerated development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in CKD.  Our clinical translational objective is to gather data critical for a subsequent large scale interventional study designed to decrease cellular stress, alleviate oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and thus lower the CVD mortality in patient with CKD. Coordination between the clinical data and the ex-vivo study as proposed here will be emphasized to achieve maximal understanding of the pathophysiology of CKD progression, uremia and CVD.
7. ER/Mitochondrial Axis, ROS, and DNA Methylation in Diabetics: The broad goal of this study is to develop enhanced understanding of how cellular and oxidative / inflammatory stresses leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and changes in DNA methylation leading to the progressive loss of kidney function in diabetic CKD.  Our clinical translational objective is to gather data critical for a subsequent large scale interventional study designed to decrease cellular stress, alleviate oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and thus lower the mortality in patient with diabetic CKD. Coordination between the clinical data and the ex-vivo study as proposed here will be emphasized to achieve maximal understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetes, CKD progression and uremia.

Guenet H. Degaffe, David L. Vander Jagt, Arlene Bobelu, Philip Zager and Vallabh O. Shah. Glyoxalase-I Polymorphism in Diabetic and Non-diabetic Native Americans With and Without Albuminuria. In press –Diabetes and its complications 2007

Sudha K. Iyengar, Hanna E. Abboud, Katrina A.B. Goddard, Mohammed F. Saad, Sharon G. Adler, Nedal H Arar, Donald W. Bowden, Ravi Duggirala, Robert C. Elston, Robert L. Hanson, Eli Ipp, W.H. Linda Kao, Paul L. Kimmel, Michael J. Klag, William C. Knowler,  Lucy A. Meoni, Robert G. Nelson, Susanne B. Nicholas, Madeleine V. Pahl, Rulan S. Parekh, Shannon R.E. Quade, Rebekah S. Rasooly, Stephen S. Rich, Marina Scavini, Jeffrey R. Schelling, John R. Sedor, Ashwini R. Sehgal, Vallabh O. Shah, Michael W. Smith, Cheryl A. Winkler, Philip G. Zager, and Barry I. Freedman on behalf of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Research Group. Genome-Wide Scans for Diabetic Nephropathy and Albuminuria in Multi-Ethnic Populations:  The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes –In press –Diabetes 2007

Marina Scavini, Christine A. Stidley, Susan S. Paine, Vallabh O. Shah, Francesca Tentori, Arlene Bobelu, Thomas K. Welty Jean W. MacCluer, and Philip G. Zager. The burden of chronic kidney disease among the Zuni Indians: the Zuni Kidney Project –In press –Clinical JASN, 2007

Vallabh O. Shah, Marina Scavini, Francesca Tentori, MD, Susan S. Paine, Dorothy Pathak, and Philip G. Zager et al. Heritability of Renal Disease and Related Intermediate Phenotypes among Zuni Indians: The Zuni Kidney Project- Submitted –JASN 2007

Jeffrey R. Schelling, Hanna E. Abboud, Susanne B. Nicholas, Madeleine V. Pahl, John R. Sedor, Sharon G. Adler, Nedal H. Arar, Donald W. Bowden, Robert C. Elston, Barry I. Freedman, Katrina A.B. Goddard, Robert L. Hanson, Eli Ipp, Sudha K. Iyengar, Gyungah Jun, W.H. Linda Kao, Balakuntalam S. Kasinath, Paul L. Kimmel, Michael J. Klag, William C. Knowler, Robert G. Nelson, Rulan S. Parekh, Shannon R. Quade, Stephen S. Rich, Mohammed F. Saad, Marina Scavini, Michael W. Smith, Kent Taylor, Cheryl A. Winkler, Dai Wang, Philip G. Zager, and Vallabh O. Shah on behalf of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Research Group. Genome-Wide Scan for Estimated GFR in Multi-Ethnic Diabetic Populations: The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes. Submitted –Diabetes 2007

Vallabh O Shah, Dominic SC Raj, Marilee Morgan, and Gavin Pickett, Uremia and hemodialysis differentially regulated gene expression in the skeletal muscle: Microarray in ESRD. American J Kid Diseases, 48(4), 616-628, Aug 2006

Stephens G, Tentori F, Paine S, Pathak D, Shah VO, Zager PG. Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Single Versus Multiple Urine Samples for Determination of Intermediate Renal Phenotypes in Genetic Epidemiology Studies: Results form the Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians (GKDZI) Study. 17. 221. Jul 2006.

Shah V, Paine S, Farrar A, Tentori F, Gonzales D, Pathak D, Bobelu A, Zager P. Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Jewelry Making (JM), Diabetes and Kidney Disease Are Associated with Increased Oxidative and Inflammatory Stress among Zuni Indians. 17. 232. Jul 2006.

Shah VO, Pathak D, Tenori F, Stephens G, Paine S, Bobelu A, Zager PG, . Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Changing Patterns of Diabetic and Non-Diabetic ESRD among Zuni Indians: The Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians (GKDZI) Study. 17. 297. Jul 2006.

Rihani T, Boivin MA, Cherian B, Farrer-Baker A, Shah VO, Raj D SC, . Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Hemodialysis Induces Protein Catabolism and Apoptosis in Human Skeletal Muscle through Caspase Activation. 17. 709. Jul 2006.

Onime A, Tzamoulakas A, Farrar-Baker A, Shah VO, Ferrando A, Raj D SC. Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Amino Acid Infusion Increases Protein Turnover and Hepatic Protein Synthesis in Hemodialysis. 17. 710. Jul 2006.

Boivin MA, Rihani T, Curtis B, Shah V, Raj D SC. Journal of American Society of Nephrology. Hemodialysis Induces Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. 17. 759. Jul 2006.

On behalf of the FIND Research Group –UNMHSC clinical center includes – Vallabh Shah, Philip Zager, Marina Scavini and Arlene Bobelu. The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND): Design and Methods. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications, 19: 1-9, 2005

Raj DSC, Dominic EA, Pai A, Osman F, Morgan M, Pickett G, Shah VO, Ferrando A, Moseley P: Skeletal muscle, cytokines and oxidative stress in End-stage renal disease. Kidney Int, 68(5)-2338, 2005

Scavini M, Shah V, Stidley CA, Tentori F, Paine SS, Harford AM, Narva AS, Kessler D, Bobelu A, Albert CP, Jamon E, Natachu K, Neha D, Welty T, MacCluer JW, Zager PG. Kidney disease among the Zuni Indians: The Zuni kidney project, Kidney International, 68: S126-S131, 2005