Renowned Researcher Named Chief of Nephrology Division
Richard J. Quigg Jr., MD
Published October 9, 2012 This content is archived.
Richard J. Quigg Jr., MD, an internationally regarded researcher of glomerular diseases, has been named the inaugural Arthur M. Morris Chair in Nephrology and chief of the Division of Nephrology.
Quigg is a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, where he served as chief of the Section of Nephrology and director of its Functional Genomics Facility.
He will join the Department of Medicine in January.
Studying Complement System’s Role in Kidney Diseases
Quigg’s research aims to identify pathogenic mechanisms that underlie kidney disease. He has published widely on diseases of the glomeruli.
Glomerular diseases damage the glomeruli—the cluster of blood vessels that filter blood in the kidneys—letting protein and sometimes red blood cells leak into the urine, ultimately hindering kidney function.
His clinical studies explore the role of the complement system—a major factor in the body’s immune response and other defenses—in membranous nephropathy and lupus nephritis. His lab examines gene profiles from renal tissue obtained from patients with lupus nephritis and diabetic nephropathy.
Expansion of Clinical Nephrology Programs Anticipated
In announcing Quigg’s appointment, Anne B. Curtis, MD, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine, described him as “a superb basic scientist as well as a caring and expert clinician.”
“Dr. Quigg’s recruitment will lead to development of basic research in the division of nephrology as well as growth in clinical and translational research, along with expansion of clinical programs in nephrology and continued excellence in the fellowship training program,” she said.
Quigg received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Boston University. His medical residency took place at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His training includes research and clinical fellowships at Boston University Medical Center.
Quigg served as an assistant professor of medicine at the Medical College of Virginia from 1988 to 1994. He was appointed associate professor at the University of Chicago in 1994 and promoted to professor in 2001.