In concert with this philosophy, Dr. Thomas Chi and members of his laboratory are conducting several projects to understand how kidney stones form and how to treat them efficiently and effectively. At the most elemental level, they are looking inside the kidney to identify specific interactions among bacteria, host cells, and genetic material that might lead to stone formation. They generate sophisticated hypotheses that are then tested in fruit-fly and rodent models that replicate human physiology. At the machinery level, they have established a database called “ReSKU”, a registry for stones of the kidney and ureter, which is an automated system that generates patient data with relevant clinical information to use for their kidney disease research purposes.  This database serves as backbone for many of their ongoing projects. And perhaps most importantly, they concentrate efforts at the patient care level, directing their energy at trying to eliminate unnecessary radiation exposure and maximizing the patient’s quality of life during stone treatment.                

Their current research and clinical studies utilizing novel discoveries and innovations are designed to broaden their knowledge of kidney stone disease, thereby leading to better preventative care and ultimately advancing to a cure.