Michiel Schreuder appointed Professor of Pediatric Nephrology

Effective January 16, 2021, pediatric nephrologist Michiel Schreuder, theme Renal disorders, has been appointed Professor of Pediatric Nephrology at Radboud University/Radboudumc. He will focus on research into rare kidney diseases, in particular nephrotic syndrome and congenital disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract.

The research of Professor of Pediatric Nephrology Michiel Schreuder will focus on kidney diseases in children. In particular, he will investigate nephrotic syndrome, a relatively rare kidney disease that is discovered in about 60 children between the ages of 4 and 10 in the Netherlands each year. The kidneys filter blood in the body so that fluid containing waste products can leave our bodies. In children with nephrotic syndrome, the so-called glomerular filter does not work properly. As a result, too much protein ends up in a child's urine. When this happens, children retain too much fluid and salt, which can cause their faces or bodies to swell and make them feel sluggish. Sometimes the syndrome is part of another kidney disease, such as a glomerulonephritis.

Kidney damage in children with one kidney

Michiel F. Schreuder (1973, Heemskerk) studied medicine at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He continued his training as a pediatrician at VU University Medical Center, and received his doctorate cum laude in 2006 for his thesis "Safety in glomerular numbers. Consequences of intrauterine growth restriction on renal morphology, function and disease". During his PhD he investigated damage to the kidneys when there is less kidney tissue, such as in people with one kidney. Contrary to the general belief, kidney damage was found to be quite common in these children. This research has been the basis for changing general public opinion, resulting in more attention for children with one kidney instead of two. With a prestigious NWO Vidi grant, he investigates the cause of kidney damage in these children.

Better treatments for children with kidney disease

Michiel Schreuder works as a paediatric nephrologist at the Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital since 2009. In addition to his care for patients, he is responsible for establishing scientific research to improve the care of children with kidney disease. With grants from the Dutch kidney foundation Nierstichting and others, he researches medication use in children with kidney disease. Prednisone, for example, is a widely used drug in nephrotic syndrome, with many side effects. Within the RESTERN study he and European colleagues study whether children can use prednisone for a shorter period of time without reducing its efficacy. He is also involved in other international projects from the Radboudumc Expertise Center for Rare Kidney Diseases because almost all congenital kidney diseases are rare. By working together, more patient data becomes available for research.