Kevin Burns

Kevin Burns

MD CM, FRCPC

Senior Scientist, Inflammation and Chronic Disease

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Professor of Medicine, Director

Kidney Research Centre

Contact

613-738-8400-82580

613-562-5800-8171

Bio

Kevin D. Burns, MD, CM, FRCP(C) is Professor of Medicine and past Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Medicine of the Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa. He is Senior Scientist and Director of the Kidney Research Centre of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, and is cross-appointed to the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Dr. Burns received his B.Sc. and M.D. degrees from McGill University. He completed Internal Medicine Residency and Clinical Nephrology Fellowship training at the University of Ottawa, undertook basic science research training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and returned to Ottawa in 1992 as a clinician scientist. Dr. Burns was University and Hospital Division Head of Nephrology from 1997-2005.

Dr. Burns’ research is focused on the function and regulation of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system in diabetic nephropathy and hypertension, and the pathogenesis and treatment of acute kidney injury. His laboratory has been supported by funds from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation/Ontario Innovation Trust.
Dr. Burns is Past President of the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN), and is Chair of the Steering Committee for the KRESCENT Program, a national kidney research training program launched by the CSN, the KFOC, and the CIHR. In 2010, Dr. Burns received the Medal for Research Excellence from the KFOC, in recognition of his contributions to kidney research in Canada.

Research Goals and Interests

1, The intrarenal renin angiotensin system and its role in the progression of chronic kidney disease, with an emphasis on ACE2 in the kidney
2. Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and the role of human progenitor cells as therapy
3. Translational Research

  1. Research interest in the role of the RAS in CKD progression, and particularly ACE2, and in the pathogenesis and treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI). Laboratory at KRC.
  2. Director of Kidney Research Centre, Chronic Disease Program, OHRI
  3. Director of KRESCENT (Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training) Program- funded by Canadian Society of Nephrology, Kidney Foundation of Canada, and CIHR.
  4. Past Vice-Chair Research, DOM.

News


Publications

miR‐486‐5p Inhibits eNOS and Angiogenesis in Cultured Endothelial Cells by Targeting MAML3

2025-06-01 Go to publication

Autoantibodies targeting angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 are prevalent and not induced by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection

2025-02-28 Go to publication

Systematic review of microRNAs in human acute kidney injury

2024-12-31 Go to publication

miR-486-5p protects against rat ischemic kidney injury and prevents the transition to chronic kidney disease and vascular dysfunction

2024-05-22 Go to publication

Effects of Two Soluble ACE2-Fc Variants on Blood Pressure and Albuminuria in Hypertensive Mice: Research Letter

2023-01-01 Go to publication
  • 2016-2021 CIHR - CAN-SOLVE CKD (SPOR Program)
  • 2014-2016 Kidney Foundation of Canada - Endothelial Progenitor Cell-derived Microvesicles in AKI
  • 2013-2018 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) - Altered Angiotensin II AT1Receptor in
    Cardiac and Renal Disease: Translational Development of Novel F-18 Labeled Ligands for PET Imaging

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