Dr. Tarek M. Ashkar (formerly El-Achkar) is the David M. and Julie B. DeWitt Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Physiology, Anatomy & Cell Biology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Roudebush Indianapolis VA Medical Center. He received his medical degree at the American University of Beirut, completed his residency at Wayne State University and Nephrology Fellowship at Indiana University.

Dr. Ashkar’s lab has been focusing on the role of Tamm-Horsfall protein (Uromodulin) in kidney injury and inflammation. His work uncovered a novel protective role for Uromodulin in acute kidney injury (AKI) by down-regulating the inflammatory response and modulating neutrophil infiltration and oxidative injury. Ongoing investigations are aimed at defining the molecular mechanism involved in this regulation, with a long-term goal of using such insights to design novel therapeutic tools to treat patient with AKI.

His lab is actively involved in understanding and defining tubular cross-talk that occurs between various nephron segments, and the ensuing interaction with the renal immune system. His group developed specific expertise in studying the microenvironment of the kidney using several innovative tools such as high content large scale imaging, image analytics with cytometry and machine learning, laser micro-dissection for transcriptomic and proteomic analysis and spatial transcriptomics. Dr. Ashkar also directs the 3D imaging core in the Indiana University O’Brien Center for Advanced Renal Microscopic Analysis.

Because of his expertise in tissue interrogation, Dr. Ashkar has been involved in several large collaborative projects that focus on defining the cellular and molecular signature of kidney disease using kidney biopsies such as the NIH-supported Kidney Precision Medicine Project and a multi-institution cooperative study to understand the pathogenesis of human kidney stone disease.

Dr. Ashkar has served several committees and review study sections for the NIH and the American Society of Nephrology.