Nuria Maria Pastor-Soler

Nuria Maria Pastor-Soler, MD, PhD, FASN, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Research Mentoring at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). She also serves as the Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Director of the Required Scholarly Project Program. Her research focuses on kidney acid-base homeostasis, vacuolar proton ATPase (V-ATPase) regulation, and renal transport mechanisms. Key interests include metabolic pathways in chronic kidney disease and renal cell carcinoma biomarker discovery.

Dr. Pastor-Soler earned her MD from Jefferson Medical College and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Thomas Jefferson University. She completed her Nephrology Fellowship at Brigham and Women’s/Massachusetts General Hospital.

Her research explores V-ATPase in kidney and male reproductive tract physiology, sodium transport regulation via bicarbonate-sensitive adenylyl cyclase (sAC), and WNK kinase signaling in salt transport. She investigates how acidosis impacts renal metabolism in CKD progression and seeks clinical biomarkers for renal carcinoma.

Notable awards include the American Heart Association’s Council for the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease Chair (2016), American Physiological Society Young Investigator Award (2012), and Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award (2005). Her work spans over 70 peer-reviewed publications, emphasizing kidney organoid engineering, drug delivery systems for polycystic kidney disease, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in renal health.

Dr. Pastor-Soler mentors trainees through the Required Scholarly Project Program and holds leadership roles in professional societies. Her lab integrates ex vivo kidney slices, cell cultures, and organoids to model renal pathophysiology and test therapeutic strategies.