Name: Maurice B. Fluitt, PhD
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: mfb79@georgetown.edu
Research Topic: Assessing urinary exosomal microRNAs as early biomarkers and molecular regulators of diabetic renal disease
Mentors: Carolyn Ecelbarger, PhD (Department of Medicine, Georgetown University) & Gail Nunlee-Bland, MD (Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Howard University)

Bio: My research interests include elucidating the molecular mechanisms of diabetes mellitus development and progression, specifically in minority populations. My previous academic and research experience under Drs. Kanwal K. Gambhir and Gail Nunlee-Bland at Howard University provided excellent training in clinical research and genetics. My PhD thesis research explored the role of ghrelin in obese African American adolescents. I recruited over fifty human participants for a pilot and feasibility study exploring circulatory microRNAs as biomarkers for type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American adults. My current research builds upon my previous work and focuses on the use of urinary exosomal microRNAs as early biomarkers of diabetic nephropathy. Identifying early markers of diabetic nephropathy is essential for slowing disease development and progression. This work will provide much needed insight into the diagnosis and serial monitoring of diabetic nephropathy, leading to the development of novel diagnostic and prognostic tests.