Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Renal-Electrolyte

Faculty Profiles
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photo Aravind Cherukuri, MBBS, PhD, MRCP

Renal-Electrolyte

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Surgery, Secondary Appointment

Email: cherukuria@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-525-0671
Contact
Office: E1555, Level 15, Biomedical Science Tower
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-525-0671
Fax:
E-mail: cherukuria@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Maria Simonic
Address: C1100 - UPMC Presbyterian
200 Lothrop St
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: simonicma@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-802-8652
Education and Training
Education
MB; BS, Guntur Medical College, 2000
PhD, University of Leeds, UK, 2014
MRCP (UK), Royal College of Physicians of the UK, 2004
Training
Residency, Internal Medicine, University Hospitals, Monklands, Airdrie, Scotland, 2004
Fellowship, Nephrology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, 2013
Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA., 2018
Fellowship, Nephrology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 2020
Research Interest
The goal of my research is to identify renal transplant patients at risk for premature allograft loss to facilitate early interventions. To address this, our group focuses on early immunological and clinical predictors for poor clinical transplant outcomes.

We have discovered that human Breg activity is best determined by their ratio of IL-10/TNFa expression. Of all B cell subsets, the immature transitional B cells (TrBs) have the highest IL-10/TNFa ratio, suggesting that they enrich for Bregs. Their IL-10/TNF? ratio falls with late renal allograft rejection and predicts subsequent allograft decline. Based on our initial findings, we have initiated and completed a prospective study of B cell subsets and cytokines as a predictive biomarker for clinical and sub-clinical renal allograft rejection and subsequent clinical course. We have tested and validated a strong biomarker based on the T1B IL-10/TNFa ratio of the immature T1 transitional B cells in the peripheral blood and uncovered an immunological imbalance that can be potentially reversed by immunomodulatory agents. A multi-center RCT is being planned based on our biomarker findings.

We have shown that low-grade early post-transplant proteinuria, especially when it progresses through the first few years after transplantation is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Further, proteinuria risk stratifies renal transplant recipients with TCMR. Next, our work highlighted a clinical paradigm where evolution of a mature immune response as evidenced by the development of DSA and TCMR which is often sub-clinical leads to premature allograft loss when compounded by non-adherence (3 hits).
Clinical Interest
1. Medical management of renal transplant recipients
2. Assessment and management of non-adherence in transplant patients
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Notable Achievements
Best Outgoing Medical student, Class 1994-2000, Guntur Medical College, 2000
University Gold Medal in Internal Medicine, Best student in Internal Medicine amongst all the medical schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India., 2000
American Society of Transplantation, Clinical Research Fellowship, 2014
Thomas E. Starzl Fellowship in Transplantation Biology, 2015
Brian N. Seidel Award for Excellence in Research, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
Young Investigator Award, American Society of Transplantation, 2014, 2018
Young Scientific Investigator Award, The Transplant Society, 2016, 2018
Frank Bruns Fellow Teaching Award, UPMC Renal and Electrolyte Division, 2018, 2020

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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