Thomas Kleyman, MD, is the Sheldon Adler Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Renal-Electrolyte Division at the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on ion channels in the distal nephron, including epithelial Na+ channels, large conductance Ca2+ activated K+ channels, and mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels. They are examining mechanisms by which external factors, including Na+, proteases, and shear stress, regulate the activity of epithelial Na+ channels. They developed and are studying mouse models to elucidate the roles of external Na+ and proteases in regulating ENaC and blood pressure in vivo. They are also studying the role of extrarenal ENaC in regulating blood pressure. His group has identified novel functional human epithelial Na+ channel variants, and are assessing how these variants affect renal Na+ handling and blood pressure in mouse models. They are using mouse models to examine the roles of large conductance, Ca2+ activated K+ channels and Piezo channels in mediating flow-induced K+ secretion. Dr. Kleyman served as the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology, and as the editor-in-chief of Physiological Reports. He has served on numerous editorial boards and study sections. Dr. Kleyman is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. His work is currently supported by grants from the NIH. He is the principal investigator of an NIDDK George M. O'Brien Kidney Center and an NIDDK TL1 training grant.
- BS, Syracuse University, 1973
- MD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1978
- MA (honoris causa), University of Pennsylvania, 1997
- Internal Medical Residency, Presbyterian Hospital, New York, 1981
- Nephrology Fellowship, Presbyterian Hospital, New York, 1983
Education & Training
Blobner BM, Kirabo A, Kashlan OB, Sheng S, Arnett DK, Becker LC, Boerwinkle E, Carlson JC, Gao Y, Gibbs RA, He J, Irvin MR, Kardia SLR, Kelly TN, Kooperberg C, McGarvey ST, Menon VK, Montasser ME, Naseri T, Redline S, Reiner AP, Reupena MS, Smith JA, Sun X, Vaidya D, Viaud-Martinez KA, Weeks DE, Yanek LR, Zhu X; NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Consortium*; Minster RL, Kleyman TR. Rare Variants in Genes Encoding Subunits of the Epithelial Na+ Channel Are Associated With Blood Pressure and Kidney Function. Hypertension. 2022 Nov;79(11):2573-2582. PMID: 36193739; PMCID: PMC9669116.
Nickerson AJ, Mutchler SM, Sheng S, Cox NA, Ray EC, Kashlan OB, Carattino MD, Marciszyn AL, Winfrey A, Gingras S, Kirabo A, Hughey RP, Kleyman TR. Mice lacking γENaC palmitoylation sites maintain benzamil-sensitive Na+ transport despite reduced channel activity. JCI Insight. 2023 Nov 8;8(21):e172051. PMID: 37707951; PMCID: PMC10721255.
Carrisoza-Gaytan R, Mutchler SM, Carattino F, Soong J, Dalghi MG, Wu P, Wang W, Apodaca G, Satlin LM, Kleyman TR. PIEZO1 is a distal nephron mechanosensor and is required for flow-induced K+ secretion. J Clin Invest. 2024 Mar 1;134(5):e174806. PMID: 38426496; PMCID: PMC10904061.
Nickerson AJ, Sheng S, Cox NA, Szekely KG, Marciszyn AL, Lam T, Chen J, Gingras S, Kashlan OB, Kirabo A, Hughey RP, Ray EC, Kleyman TR. Loss of the alpha subunit distal furin cleavage site blunts ENaC activation following Na+ restriction. J Physiol. 2024 Sep;602(17):4309-4326. PMID: 39196791; PMCID: PMC11384278.
Mutchler SM, Hasan M, Murphy CP, Baty CJ, Boyd-Shiwarski C, Kirabo A, Kleyman TR. Dietary sodium alters aldosterone's effect on renal sodium transporter expression and distal convoluted tubule remodelling. J Physiol. 2024 Mar;602(5):967-987. PMID: 38294810; PMCID: PMC10939779.
- Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 1996
- Member, Association of American Physicians, 2004
- Robert Schrier Lecture, American Society of Nephrology, 2009
- Donald Seldin Lecture, American Heart Association, 2010
- Carl W. Gottschalk Distinguished Lectureship, American Physiological Society, 2015
R01 DK129285, Role of piezo channels in intercalated cells, MPI (Kleyman/Satlin), 2022-2026.
R01 HL147818, ENaC regulation and its role in blood pressure homeostasis, MPI (Kleyman/Kirabo), 2025-2029.
R01 DK137167, Degenerin and TrpC6 channels in renal vascular mechanosensor signaling and protection against injury, MPI (Drummond/Kleyman), 2024-2028.
U54 DK137329, Pittsburgh Center for Kidney Research, PI, 2023-2028.
TL1 DK143271, PCT-KUH: Pittsburgh Center for Training in Kidney, Urology and Hematology, PI, 2024-2029.
