March: a month full of impactful events

March is National Kidney Month, and March 12 is World Kidney Day — a time dedicated to raising awareness of kidney disease. Kidney diseases affect 1 in 7 adults, yet 9 out of 10 people don't know they are at risk. Learning your risk and acting early can help prevent serious complications and support lifelong kidney and heart health.

To put these ideas into practice, throughout March, our 7 teams organized a series of events in our local community that brought kidney health into the spotlight:

Art for a Cause

Team Fight CKD hosted a beautiful art show at the Palos Verdes Library. The show featured stunning artwork by Palos Verdes High School students. The exhibition is still ongoing. Select pieces are available for purchase, with proceeds directly supporting kidney research at the USC Kidney Research Center.

Community Outreach at the Palos Verdes Farmers Market

5 students of the TMEEA Research Group connected with the local community at the local farmers' market to share information on kidney health. Although kidney disease is one of the most common non-communicable chronic diseases globally and is linked to serious comorbidities, 9 out of 10 patients are unaware of their condition. This poses an extreme challenge to start early treatment to prevent serious complications. At their informational booth, our students spoke with local community members to share facts about kidney health and prevention.

Kidney Awareness Week on Campus:

Team NextGen Nephrology organized a spirited awareness week. Hundreds of students gathered at Sea King Park to form a kidney shape, creating a powerful visual symbol of unity and awareness.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The class attended the Kenneth Kleinberg Lecture at the USC Health Sciences Campus. The Kenneth Kleinberg Lectureship was established to honor each year an outstanding scientist whose work has made meaningful contributions to kidney research and the development of new therapies. It also recognizes the dedication and impact of Kenneth Kleinberg, FSGS patient and kidney transplant recipient, and also co-founder of the Vito M. Campese Kidney Research Center at USC. His vision and commitment have helped advance kidney research and innovation at USC. This year’s honoree was Dr. Samir Parikh, who developed an outstanding lecture discussing kidney health and aging. Students also gained firsthand insight into groundbreaking research happening at the USC Kidney Research Center by visiting the poster session.

Business Collaborations

We are grateful for the  incredible collaborations with our local businesses,  Creme de la Crepe Rolling Hills, Good Stuff Rolling Hils, and Lunada Bay Creamery, who helped our students expand their reach, raise funds, and bring kidney health awareness into our everyday spaces and lives.

Join us and give know to support kidney research!