Joan Krepinsky

Joan Krepinsky is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms in chronic kidney disease and diabetic nephropathy, with particular emphasis on vascular calcification, ER stress, and TGF-β signaling pathways.

• Key research areas: Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Nephropathy, Vascular Calcification, TGF-β Signaling, Molecular Biology of Renal Disease, and Metabolic Regulation

Her scholarly work includes over 50 publications spanning from 1962 to 2025, examining topics such as:

• MicroRNA regulation in kidney fibrosis
• Proteo-genomic studies of eGFR
• Role of TDAG51 in vascular calcification
• Therapeutic potential of follistatin
• ATP-citrate lyase inhibition in CKD
• Cell surface GRP78 and integrin β1 interactions

Notable recent work (2023-2025) includes studies on:

• ER stress as a therapeutic target for kidney disease
• miR-299a-5p's role in apoptosis and fibrosis
• Follistatin's effects on vascular structure and hypertension
• GDF10 as a vascular calcification regulator
• Proteome-wide analysis of eGFR regulation

She has been an instructor for Independent Study in Medical Sciences (MEDSCI 799) and maintains an active research program at McMaster University. Her work often explores signaling pathways in mesangial cells under diabetic conditions, with significant contributions to understanding RhoA activation, MAPK signaling, and caveolin-1 interactions.