Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Renal-Electrolyte

Faculty Profiles
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photo Ora A. Weisz, PhD

Renal-Electrolyte

Professor of Medicine

Professor of Cell Biology

Vice Chair of Faculty Development, Dept. of Medicine

Associate Dean for Faculty Development, School of Medicine

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Excellence, Health Sciences

Email: weisz@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-383-8891
Contact
Office: S978.1 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
 
Phone: 412-383-8891
Fax:
E-mail: weisz@pitt.edu
Education and Training
Education
B.S.,, Yale University, 1984
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Medical School, 1990
Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins Medical School, 1995
Research Interest
Research in the Weisz lab focuses broadly on understanding how membrane traffic in proximal tubule cells responds to physiologic cues to maintain kidney function. Her team is unraveling the mechanisms by which newly synthesized proteins are sorted and delivered to the appropriate plasma membrane domains of differentiated kidney cells. Additionally, she has been generating new in vitro and ex vivo systems, including disease models, with which to unravel how proximal tubule cells in the kidney alter their endocytic and ion transport capacity in response to changes in tubular flow and the accompanying fluid shear stress. Her studies have direct implications for the understanding and treatment of genetic and other disorders that result in tubular proteinuria and eventually lead to kidney failure, including Lowe syndrome and sickle cell disease.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Raghavan V, Rbaibi R, Pastor-Soler N, Carattino MD, Weisz OA. Shear stress dependent regulation of apical endocytosis in renal proximal tubule cells mediated by primary cilia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014; 111: 8506-8511.
Ren Q, Weyer K, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Tan RJ, Nielsen R, Christensen EI, Baty CJ, Kashlan OB, Weisz OA. Distinct functions of megalin and cubilin receptors in recovery of normal and nephrotic levels of filtered albumin. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2020.
Long KR, Rbaibi Y, Gliozzi ML, Weisz OA. Differential kidney proximal tubule cell responses to protein overload by albumin and its ligands. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2020; 318: F851-F859.
Gliozzi ML, Espiritu E, Shipman KE, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Roy N, Duncan AW, Lazzara MJ, Hukriede NA, Baty CJ, Weisz OA. Effects of proximal tubule shortening on protein excretion in a Lowe Syndrome model. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020; 31: 67-83.
Gliozzi ML, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Vitturi DA, Weisz OA. Hemoglobin alters vitamin carrier uptake and vitamin D metabolism in proximal tubule cells: implications for sickle cell disease. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2019; 317: C993-C1000.
Ren Q, Gliozzi ML, Rittenhouse NL, Edmunds LR, Rbaibi Y, Locker JD, Poholek AC, Jurczak MJ, Baty CJ, Weisz OA. Shear stress and oxygen availability drive differential changes in OK proximal tubule cell metabolism and endocytosis. Traffic. 2019; 20: 448-459.
Long KR, Shipman KE, Rbaibi Y, Menshhikova E, Ritov VB, Eshbach Ml, Jiang Y, Jackson EK, Baty CJ, Weisz OA. Proximal tubule apical endocytosis is modulated by fluid shear stress via an mTOR-dependent pathway. Mol Biol Cell. 2017; 28: 2508-2517.
Eshbach ML, Kaur A, Rbaibi Y, Tejero J, Weisz OA. Hemoglobin inhibits albumin uptake by proximal tubule cells: implications for sickle cell disease. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2017; 312: C733-C740.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Endocytic Pathway Dysfunction in Dent Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Disease
Grant Number: R01 DK125049
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: Proximal Tubule Endocytosis in Normal and Nephrotic Kidneys
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Disease
Grant Number: R01 DK118726
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2023
Title: Pittsburgh Center for Kidney Research
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Disease
Grant Number: P30 DK079307
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Notable Achievements
President, The Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Associatoion, 1994-1995
Member at large, School of Medicine Executive Committee, 2008-2011
Editorial Board, Physiological Reviews, 2009-
Academy of Master Educators, 2009-
Fellow, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, 2010-2011
Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars, 2014
Distinguished Mentor Award, School of Medicine, 2014
Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH NHLBI, 2014-
University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association Advocate Award, 2015
Council, American Society of Cell Biology, 2016-

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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