Justin Chun MD PhD

Associate Professor/ Clinician Scientist

Cumming School of Medicine,

University of Calgary

Assistant Director

Precision Medicine in Nephrology Program,

Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.

Dr. Chun's lab uses a combination of patient biospecimens, patient-derived kidney organoids and primary kidney cells to study glomerular kidney diseases including diabetic nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and FSGS.

• _{BSc, Pharmacology with Distinction, University of Alberta}
• _{MSc, Cell Biology, University of Alberta}
• _{PhD, Cell Biology, University of Alberta}
• _{MD, Doctor (Medical), University of Calgary}
• _{Internal Medicine Clinical Residency, University of Calgary}
• _{Nephrology Clinical Fellowship, University of Calgary}
• _{Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, BIDMC/Harvard University, Boston MA}
• _{Husband and a Father to two young children}
• _{Enjoys travelling, basketball, squash, skiing, and camping}

We are very enthusiastic to have graduate students who would like to grow kidneys and to advance patient care in Nephrology to join our team.  Please contact by email if you’re interested.

1. Chung, H.*, Sinha, S.*, Chappellaz, M., Lau, A., Seo, H., Rahmani, W., Rosin, N., Teo, W., Belay, S.,  Swamy, A., Chapman, K., Andonegui, G., Benediktsson, H., Stys, P.K., Biernaskie, J., Muruve, D.A., and Chun, J. IL-32 is a Lipid Droplet Associated Mediator of Tubular Injury in Diabetic Kidney Disease. Submitted.
2. Rahmani, W.*, Chung, H.*, Sinha, S., Imanzadeh, A., Arora, R., Jaffer, A., Biernaskie, J. and Chun, J. (2024). The Renin-Angiotensin System modulates nephron progenitor fate specification in human kidney organoids. Submitted. 
3. Shin, J.*, Chung, H.*, Kumar, H., Meadows, K., Park, S.S., Chun, J. and Kim, K. (2024). High throughput bioprinting of human iPSC-derived kidney organoids using a low-cost, customizable 3D bioprinting system. Bioprinting, e00337. doi.org/10.1016/j.bprint.2024.e00337.
4. Kitzler, T.M. and Chun, J. (2023). Understanding the Current Landscape of Kidney Disease in Canada to Advance Precision Medicine Guided Personalized Care. CJKHD. 10:1-11. doi: 10.1177/20543581231154185.
5. Riella, C.V., McNutly, M., Ribas, G.T., Tattersfield, C.F., Perez-Gill, C.L., Eichinger, F., Kelly, J., Chun, J., Subramanian, B., Guizelini, D., Alper, S.L., Pollak, M.R., Sampson, M.G., and Friedman, D.J. (2022). ADAR Regulates APOL1 via A-to-I RNA Editing by Inhibition of MDA5 Activation in a Paradoxical Biological Circuit. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 119: e2210150119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2210150119. 
6. Chung, H., Bui-Marinos, M., Rahmani, W., Corcoran, J.A. and Chun, J. (2022). Infecting kidney organoids with a cDNA reporter clone of SARS-CoV-2. STAR Protocols. 3: 101617. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101617. Invited protocol by the editors of STAR Protocols.
7. Chun, J.*, Riella, C.V.*, Chung, H., Shah, S.S., Zhang, J.Y., Wang, M., Magraner, J.M., Ribas, G.T., Ribas, H.T., Alper, S.L., Friedman, D.J. and Pollak, M.R. (2022). DGAT2 inhibition potentiates lipid droplet formation to reduce cytotoxicity in APOL1 kidney risk variants. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 33: 889-907. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2021050723. Selected as a “This Month’s Highlight” article in the May 2022 issue of JASN.
8. Lau, A., Rahn, J., Chappellaz, M., Chung, H., Benediktsson, H., Bihan, D., von Mässenhausen, A., Linkermann, A., Jenne, C.N., Robbins, S.M., Senger, D.L., Lewis, I.A., Chun, J. and Muruve, D.A. (2022). Dipeptidase-1 Governs Renal Inflammation During Ischemia Reperfusion Injury. Sci. Adv. 8: eabm0142. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abm0142.
9. Rahmani, W*., Chung, H.*, Sinha*, S., Bui-Marinos, M.P., Arora, R., Jaffer, A., Corcoran, J.A., Biernaskie, J. and Chun. J. (2022). Attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Losartan in Human Kidney Organoids. iScience. 25: 103818. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.103818.
10. Kline, A., Chung, H., Rahmani, W. and Chun J. (2021). Semi-Supervised Segmentation of Renal Pathology: An Alternative to Manual Segmentation and as Input to Deep Learning Training. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2021:2688-2691. doi: 10.1109/EMBC46164.2021.9630248.
11. Elliott, M., James, L.C., Simms, E.L, Sharma, P., Elliott, M.J., Girard, L.P., Cheema, K., Elliott, M.J., Lauzon, J. and Chun, J. Mainstreaming Genetic Testing for Adult Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Project Report. CJKHD. 8: 1–10. doi: 10.1177/20543581211055001.
12. Simms, E.L., Chung, H., Oberding, L., Muruve, D.A., McDonald, B., Bromley, A., Pillai, D.R., and Chun. J. (2021). Post‐mortem molecular investigations of SARS‐CoV‐2 in an unexpected death of a recent kidney transplant recipient. Am J Transplant. 7: 2590-2595. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16549.
13. Chung, H., Komada, T., Lau, A., Chappellaz, M, Platnich, J.M., de Koning, H.D., Petri, B., Luque, Y., Walker, S., Benediktsson, H., Mesnard, L., Chun, J., and Muruve, D.A. (2021). AIM2 suppresses inflammation and epithelial cell proliferation during glomerulonephritis. Nov. 5, 2021; ji2100483. J. Immunology. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100483. Online ahead of print.
14. Bracey, N., Platnich, J., Lau, A., Chung, H., Hyndman, M., MacDonald, J., Chun, J., Beck, P., Girardin, S., Gordon, P. and Muruve, D. (2020). Tissue-selective alternate promoters guide NLRP6 expression. Life Sci. Alliance. e202000897. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202000897.
15. Chun, J.*, Wang, M.*, Wilkins, M.S, Knob, A.U., Benjamin, A., Bu, L., and Pollak, M.R. (2020). ADTKD-UMOD misclassified as FSGS or hereditary glomerular disease. Kidney International Reports. 5: 519-529.  doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2019.12.016. * These authors contributed equally.
16. Subramanian, B., Chun, J., Perez, C., Yan, P., Stillman, I.E, Higgs, H.N., Alper, S.L., Schlondorff, J.S., Pollak, M.R. (2020). FSGS-Causing INF2 Mutation Impairs Cleaved INF2 N-Fragment Functions in Podocytes. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 31: 374-391. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2019050443.
17. Wang, M., Chun, J., Genovese, G., Knob, A.U., Benjamin, A., Wilkins, M.S., Friedman, D.J., Appel, G.B., Lifton, R.P., Mane, S., and Pollak, M.R. (2019). Contributions of Rare Gene Variants to Familial and Sporadic FSGS. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 30: 1625-1640. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2019020152.
18. Chun, J., Zhang, J.Y., Wilkins, M.S., Subramanian, B., Riella, C., Magraner, J., Alper. S.L., Friedman, D.J., and Pollak, M.R. (2019). Recruitment of APOL1 kidney disease risk variants to lipid droplets attenuates cell toxicity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 116: 3712-3721. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1820414116.
19. Platnich, J.M, Chung, H., Lau,A., Sandall, C.F., Bondzi-Simpson, A., Chen, H-M., Komada, T., Trotman-Grant, A., Brandelli, J.R., Chun, J., Beck, P.L., Philpott, D.J., Girardin, S.E., Ho, M., Johnson, R.P., MacDonald, J.A., Armstrong, G.D., and Muruve, D.A.Shiga Toxin/Lipopolysaccharide Activates Caspase-4 and Gasdermin D to Trigger Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Upstream of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Human Macrophages. Cell Reports. 25: 1525-1536. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.071.
20. Lau, A., Chung, H., Komada, T., Platnich, J.M., Sandall, C.F., Choudhury, S.R., Chun, J., Naumenko, V., Surewaard, B.G., Nelson, M.C., Ulke-Lemée, A., Beck, P.L., Benediktsson, H., Jevnikar, A.M., Snelgrove, S.L., Hickey, M.J., Senger, D.L., James, M.T., Macdonald, J.A., Kubes, P., Jenne, C.N., and Muruve, D.A. (2018). Renal immune surveillance and dipeptidase-1 contribute to contrast-induced acute kidney injury. J. Clin. Invest. 128: 2894-2913. doi: 10.1172/JCI96640.
21. Liu, Y.C. and Chun, J. (2018). Prospects for Precision Medicine in Glomerulonephritis Treatment. Can J Kidney Health Dis. 5: 1-14; doi: 10.1177/2054358117753617.
22. Chun, J., Chung, H., Wang, X, Barry, R, Taheri, Z.M., Platnich, J.M., Ahmed, S.B., Trpkov, K., Hemmelgarn, B., Benediktsson, H., James, M., and Muruve, D.A. (2016). NLRP3 Localizes to the Tubular Epithelium in Human Kidney and Correlates With Outcome in IgA Nephropathy. Sci. Rep. 6, 24667; doi: 10.1038/srep24667.
23. Chung, H.*, Vilaysane, A.*, Lau, A., Stahl, M., Morampudi, V., Bondzi-Simpson, A., Platnich, J.M., Bracey, N.A., French, M., Beck, P.L., Chun, J., Vallance, B.A. and Muruve, D.A. (2016). NLRP3 Regulates a Non-Canonical Platform for Caspase-8 Activation During Epithelial Cell Apoptosis. Cell Death Diff. 23: 1331-46.
24. Chun, J. and James, M.T. (2015). Crescentic Glomerulonephritis: Variation in Markers of Kidney Function and Structure. Am J Kidney Dis. 67: 355-6.
25. Bracey, N.A., Gershkovich, B, Chun, J., Vilaysane, A., Meijndert, C., Wright, J.R., Fedak, P.W., Beck, P.L., Muruve, D.A., Duff, H.J. (2014). NLRP3 in Cardiac Fibroblasts Regulates TGFβ Signaling and Fibrosis. J. Biol. Chem. 289: 19571-84.
26. Wang, W., Wang, X. Chun, J., Vilaysane, A., Clark, S. A., French, G., Bracey, N.A.,  Trpkov, K., Bonni, S., Duff, H.J.,  Beck, P. L., and Muruve, D. A. (2013). Inflammasome-independent NLRP3 augments TGFβ signaling in kidney epithelium. J. Immunology. 190: 1239-1249.
27. Vilaysane, A., Chun, J., Seamone, M. E., Wang, W., Chin, R., Hirota, S., Li, Y., Clark, S. A., Tschopp, J., Trpkov, K., Hemmelgarn, B. R., Beck, P. L., and Muruve, D. A. (2010). The NLRP3 inflammasome promotes renal inflammation and contributes to CKD. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 21: 1732-1744.
28. Manolea, F., Chun, J., Chen, D., Clarke, I., Summerfeldt, N., Dacks, J., and Melançon, P. (2010). Arf3 is activated selectively by BIGs at the trans-Golgi Network. Mol. Biol. Cell. 21, 1836-1849.
29. Chun, J., Shapovalova, Z., Dejgaard, S. Y., Presley, J. F., and Melançon, P. (2008). Characterization of class I and II ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) in live cells: GDP-bound class II Arfs associate with the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment independently of GBF1.  Mol. Biol. Cell. 19, 3488-3500.
30. Manolea, F., Claude, A., Chun, J., Rosas, J., and Melançon, P. (2008).  Distinct functions for Arf nucleotide exchange factors at the Golgi complex:  GBF1 and BIGs are required for assembly and maintenance of the Golgi stack and TGN, respectively.  Mol. Biol. Cell. 19, 523-535.
31. Zhao, X., Claude, A., Chun, J., Shields, D.J., Presley, J.F., and Melançon, P. (2006).  GBF1, a cis-Golgi and VTCs-localized ARF-GEF, is implicated in ER-to-Golgi protein traffic.  J. Cell Sci. 119, 3743-3753.
32. Chun, J., Chau, A.S-S, Maingat, F., Edmonds, S.D., Ostergaard, H.L., and Shibuya, E.K. (2005). Phosphorylation of Cdc25C by pp90^Rsk contributes to a G2 cell cycle arrest in Xenopus cycling egg extracts.  Cell Cycle 4, 148-154.