Jackson Lab Staff
Ashley R. Jackson, PhD
Principal Investigator
Ashley.Jackson@NationwideChildrens.org
Ashley R. Jackson, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Kidney and Urinary Tract Center, member of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. Her research program focuses on pediatric urinary tract obstruction.
Congenital urinary tract obstruction (UTO) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Beyond surgical relief of obstruction, no targeted therapies prevent or limit progressive kidney injury, underscoring the need for treatments that protect the kidney and preserve long-term function.
The Jackson Lab uses genetically modified mouse models of congenital and acquired UTO to investigate how the kidney responds to obstruction. We discovered a protective remodeling response within the renal urothelium and developed novel kidney urothelium-derived organoids (KUDOs) to identify the signals that initiate this response and drive urothelial differentiation. We also use patient-derived specimens and organoids to assess concordance between human and mouse urothelium and develop therapies that promote protective urothelial remodeling in the obstructed kidney.
The Jackson Lab is a destination for research training and mentorship. Through NIH-funded R25 and T35 summer training programs, we host undergraduate, graduate and medical student scholars and provide hands-on experience in kidney and urinary tract research and clinical shadowing. Our goal is to help trainees develop the scientific skills and mentorship networks needed to pursue careers in biomedical science and medicine.
Kelly Grounds
Senior Research Associate
Kelly.Grounds@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelly joined the Jackson Lab in 2021 following many years of honing her molecular biology techniques in a wide range of research interests including neuroscience and cancer. She has a bachelor of science from Central Michigan University and attended graduate school at the University of Toledo. Kelly’s current work centers around investigating the role that Notch signaling plays in the renal urothelium in response to urinary tract obstruction.
Felipe Rodriguez, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Felipe.Rodriguez@NationwideChildrens.org
Felipe grew up in Santiago, Chile. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and his doctorate in Biotechnology at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile with the support of a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Chilean government. At the University of Kansas Medical Center, he used a transplantable organoid model system to investigate radiation-induced toxicity on mice rectal epithelial stem cells.
Felipe joined the Jackson Lab as a postdoctoral scientist in October 2022. He began applying his organoid modeling and channel modulation expertise to improving the understanding of UTO. Previous studies in the Jackson Lab found that the renal urothelium undergoes a protective adaptation following UTO. His postdoctoral research is supported by an intramural award and focuses on determining how the renal urothelium senses and responds to UTO – with a focus on mechanoreceptors.
Felipe is a highly regarded mentor for undergraduate, gap year and medical student trainees.
Oumy Camara
Research Assistant
Oumoulkhairy.Camara@NationwideChildrens.org
Originally from Mauritania, Oumy is a class of 2025, Biomedical Science major at The Ohio State University. She joined the Jackson Lab in 2023 through the NIH-R25 SUPER Summer Scholar program. She earned the Best Poster award for her work titled, “Pparg Regulates Krt5 Cell Differentiation in the Renal Urothelium.”
Andrew Hardman
Research Assistant
Andrew.Hardman@NationwideChildrens.org
Andrew is a class of 2026, Neuroscience major at The Ohio State University. He joined the Jackson Lab in 2023 through an internship facilitated the OSUMC ASPIRE and NIH-R25 SUPER Summer Scholar programs. He was invited to present his work titled, “Pharmacologic Activation of Pparg as an Approach to Mitigating Obstructive Uropathy,” at the 2024 State-of-the-Art in Congenital Obstructive Uropathy Symposium. He earned an undergraduate research scholarship for his work titled, “Toward a Treatment for Urinary Tract Obstruction: Regulation and Activation of Pparg in Renal Urothelium.”
Glenis Tocaj
Research Assistant
Glenis.Tocaj@NationwideChildrens.org
Glenis was born in Albania and moved with his family to the United States in 2016. He earned his honors bachelor of arts degree in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 2023. While at OSU, Glenis joined Dr. Christoph Lepper’s lab, where he studied the mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle stem cells, crucial for the repair and maintenance of skeletal muscle fibers. After graduating from OSU, Glenis joined the Jackson Lab as a gap year trainee. There, he developed organoid modeling skills and applies a wide range of analytical techniques to support several Jackson Lab projects. Glenis plans to attend medical school in fall of 2024.