Feng Qian Receives Prestigious Honor for Advancing Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Feng Qian, PhD, Professor of Medicine at UMSOM, will receive the 2027 Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease. 

Jointly presented by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the PKD Foundation and widely regarded as one of the highest honors in PKD research, the award recognizes scientists whose discoveries have fundamentally advanced the understanding of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), had a lasting impact on both the scientific community and people living with PKD, and paved the way for new therapeutic approaches.  

Dr. Qian will receive the award during the ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2027, taking place April 1–4, 2027, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

"Dr. Qian has dedicated his career to answering some of the most important questions in PKD research,” said Chris Chen, Vice President of Research at the PKD Foundation. “His groundbreaking discoveries have transformed our understanding of how kidney cysts form in PKD and revealed new opportunities to develop treatments that target the disease at its source. Today, several promising therapies in development are building on the scientific foundation his work helped establish, bringing us closer to better treatments and ultimately, a cure." 

For more than 25 years, Dr. Qian has studied the proteins that can cause polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disease that causes cysts to grow and damage the kidneys over time. Understanding how these proteins control cyst growth gives scientists critical clues about how to stop the disease before it leads to kidney failure and the need for dialysis or organ transplant. Dr. Qian's discoveries are helping researchers develop more targeted treatments that could slow disease progression and move us closer to a cure for the more than 500,000 people in the United States living with PKD. 

Beyond his scientific discoveries, Dr. Qian has been a dedicated leader within the PKD research community. As director of the Antibody and Vector Core of the PKD Research and Translation Core Center and the PKD Research Resource Consortium, he has developed and shared specialized research tools with investigators around the world, accelerating collaboration and scientific progress. 

"His work exemplifies why the PKD Foundation invests in bold and innovative research. We are incredibly proud to have supported Dr. Qian's work in the past and are excited to celebrate this well-deserved recognition," said Susan Bushnell, President and CEO of the PKD Foundation.