Dorin Bogdan Borza

Dorin Bogdan Borza, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Physiology at Meharry Medical College's School of Medicine in Nashville, TN. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University from 2003-2013 and as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center from 2000-2002. Dr. Borza is affiliated with the Health Disparities Research Center of Excellence at Meharry Medical College and maintains active research in autoimmune kidney diseases with particular focus on health disparities.

Dr. Borza's research focuses on the patho-mechanisms of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases, with specific expertise in the structure, function, and pathobiology of type IV collagen in basement membranes; clinical and experimental kidney immunopathology with emphasis on antibody-mediated glomerulonephritis; etiology of autoimmune kidney diseases including identification of novel autoantigens; properties and effector mechanisms of IgG autoantibodies with focus on complement activation; and inherited glomerular diseases including Alport syndrome and related type IV collagenopathies. His NIH-funded research has used Goodpasture disease as a paradigm to address fundamental questions about autoimmune kidney disease etiology and pathomechanisms. More recently, his work has advanced understanding of complement's role in antibody-mediated kidney disease, particularly membranous nephropathy, and he has expanded his research to immunologic and genetic factors underlying lupus and lupus nephritis with emphasis on health disparities.

Dr. Borza's extensive publication record (58 PubMed-indexed articles with an h-index of 33) demonstrates consistent focus on autoimmune kidney diseases, particularly anti-GBM disease, membranous nephropathy, and lupus nephritis. His research has evolved from molecular characterization of autoantigens to development of novel mouse models and investigation of complement activation pathways. A significant trend in his recent work involves identifying novel autoantibody targets (like laminin-521 and peroxidasin) and exploring health disparities in autoimmune kidney diseases, particularly in lupus and SLE susceptibility in African populations.

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, American Heart Association—Midwest Affiliate (1999-2001)
• Scientist Development Grant, American Heart Association—National Program (2003)
• Carl Gottschalk Research Scholar Award, American Society of Nephrology (2003-2005)
• Grant-In-Aid, American Heart Association—South-East Affiliate (2012-2014)
• Norman S. Coplon Extramural Research Grant, Satellite Healthcare (2012-2015)
• Exemplary Award for Excellence in Research, Meharry Medical College (2015)
• Paul Teschan Research Fund Grant, Dialysis Clinic Inc (2017-2020)

Dr. Borza has secured significant research funding including multiple NIH R01 grants (R01 DK080799-05 on molecular pathogenesis of anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis and R21 AI069874-02 on age-related structural alterations in loss of self-tolerance to a3(IV) collagen) as well as a Department of Defense CDMRP Concept Award for investigating an SLE susceptibility locus with African-specific variants. His research has involved extensive collaboration with institutions including Vanderbilt University, where he maintains connections, and international partners through his role as Associate Editor for BMC Nephrology. Dr. Borza has also served on numerous NIH and American Heart Association review panels, demonstrating his standing in the nephrology and immunology research communities.

Through his work at Meharry Medical College, Dr. Borza contributes to the Health Disparities Research Center of Excellence, focusing particularly on autoimmune diseases in underserved populations. His current research on African-specific genetic variants in lupus nephritis represents a significant contribution to understanding health disparities in autoimmune kidney disease. His laboratory employs advanced molecular techniques, mouse models of kidney disease, and clinical research approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune kidney injury.