Reza Motallebzadeh directs the basic science and translational academic research from the Transplant Directorate at the Royal Free Hospital and Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, and leads the unit’s clinical renal transplantation trials portfolio.  

Reza's laboratory is focused on collaborative, multidisciplinary and translational research in experimental and clinical kidney transplantation. The research themes are underpinned by a commitment to developing innovative collaborations with academic centres and industrial partners to address fundamental questions concerning end-stage kidney disease and kidney transplantation. Reza's clinical research programme similarly utilises a multidisciplinary approach to address key clinical challenges in kidney transplantation and vascular access surgery. These include -

 - Delineating the role of the gut microbiota and microbial-derived metabolites and influence on T and B regulatory cells in acute rejection in renal transplantation.

- Understanding the immune mechanisms underlying development of allograft vasculopathy and chronic rejection in solid organ transplantation, in particular the role of T follicular helper cells.

 - Developing 3D culture models of renal fibrosis using organoids based on human kidney extracellular matrix scaffolds.

- Investigating the basis of attenuated B cell responses to vaccines in patients with chronic kidney disease