Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund

Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund We support and promote research into the causes, prevention and possible cures for kidney disease. The members are all voluntary.

The Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund was the first transplant charity to be founded in Northern Ireland over 50 years ago. It is the only charity to fund research into kidney disease in Northern Ireland. It also supports and endorses organ donation, belonging to the sub stakeholder group involved with the new bill for 'Soft Opt Out.'

NIKRF is a voice for public awareness of kidney disease a

nd its consequences. It thanks all who selflessly transform the lives of patients and their families through organ donation. There are various events hosted by NIKRF throughout the year culminating in the famous Waringstown Cavalcade on the last Friday in June. NIKRF has spent the time during Covid 19 by rebranding. Exciting times ahead.

visit our website: http//nikidneyresearch.org

🌟 Today's the day! 🌟We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Kidney Connections: Open Night this evening.Join NIK...
17/06/2026

🌟 Today's the day! 🌟

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Kidney Connections: Open Night this evening.

Join NIKRF, Queen's University Belfast and the LifeArc Centre as we bring together patients, families, researchers, clinicians and supporters for an evening focused on the future of paediatric kidney care.

🎙️ Hear from leading experts including:
⭐ Professor Catherine Quinlan
⭐ Professor A J McKnight
⭐ Helena Brown
⭐ Sarah Brown

📅 Tonight
🕖 7:00pm
📍 Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

💻 Can't make it in person? Join our live Microsoft Teams stream:
Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

Thank you to everyone who supports kidney research in Northern Ireland. Together we are connecting people, advancing research and creating hope for future generations. 💙💛

We look forward to seeing you tonight!

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Professor A J McKnight at Kidney Connections! 🌟With the clock ticking down to our Kidney Conne...
16/06/2026

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Professor A J McKnight at Kidney Connections! 🌟

With the clock ticking down to our Kidney Connections: An Open Night event tomorrow, we are incredibly proud to spotlight our next phenomenal speaker, Professor A J McKnight!

If you've been reading our previous spotlights on the bright young researchers from Queen's University Belfast, Professor McKnight is the driving force and mentor guiding much of that vital work.

As a Professor of Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health, and the Director of Postgraduate Research at QUB, AJ brings over 25 years of profound expertise -alongside deep personal insight - to the world of rare disease research. She co-leads both the Centre for the Acceleration of Rare Disease Trials and the All-Ireland Rare Disease Interdisciplinary Research Network (RAIN), making her a true powerhouse for medical innovation in Northern Ireland.

🧬 Real-World Impact & "People Power"
Professor McKnight’s career has been defined by moving science out of the lab and into real lives. Her pioneering work has helped identify entirely new disease-causing genes, directly increasing the diagnostic rate for rare conditions in Northern Ireland by more than 20%!

Today, she and her team are developing cutting-edge digital infrastructure and harnessing "people power" to streamline care and get life-changing medicines to the patients who need them much faster.

Above all, AJ ensures that individuals living with rare conditions are at the absolute heart of everything she does. Many of her projects are directly co-delivered and shaped by patients and their families, ensuring the science truly reflects real-life, everyday needs.

Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

Make sure to scan the QR Code to secure your spot for tomorrow evening!

💻 Or tune in live via Microsoft Teams:
Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Sarah Louise Brown at Kidney Connections! 🌟With just ONE day to go until our Kidney Connection...
16/06/2026

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Sarah Louise Brown at Kidney Connections! 🌟

With just ONE day to go until our Kidney Connections: An Open Night event, we are delighted to introduce our final featured speaker for tomorrow evening, Sarah Louise Brown!

Sarah Louise is a first-year PhD researcher at Queen's University Belfast, working alongside a fantastic supervisory team including Professor AJ McKnight, Professor Iain Styles, and Professor Louise Oni. Her vital research is proudly supported by us here at NIKRF.

🧬 Decoding Rare Kidney Diseases
Sarah Louise’s work tackles a massive challenge in healthcare: rare kidney diseases. While individual rare conditions might only affect a small number of people, collectively they account for a huge proportion of kidney failure in both adults and children. Tragically, many patients progress to advanced stages without ever receiving a clear diagnosis, leaving families and doctors with unanswered questions.

To change this, Sarah Louise's project utilises cutting-edge "multiomics" - an approach that combines different types of biological and clinical data to uncover hidden causes of disease. By improving diagnostic accuracy, her ultimate goal is to pave the way for more personalised treatments and better long-term outcomes for patients.

Tomorrow evening, Sarah Louise will be sharing her inspiring journey into kidney research, exploring why rare kidney diseases matter so much, and explaining how emerging tech will help provide real answers and better care for families in the future.

🤝 Connect with Sarah Louise:
📧 Email: [email protected]

📅 The Countdown is On!
Date: Tomorrow, Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

Attendance is free, but registration is essential. Make sure to scan the QR Code to secure your spot for tomorrow evening!

💻 Or tune in live via Microsoft Teams:
Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Helena Brown at Kidney Connections! 🌟As we count down the final hours to our Kidney Connection...
16/06/2026

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Meet Helena Brown at Kidney Connections! 🌟

As we count down the final hours to our Kidney Connections: An Open Night event tomorrow, we are incredibly excited to spotlight our next speaker, Helena Brown!

After retiring from the Department of Health, Helena felt a strong calling to continue contributing to healthcare policy in a completely different way. This led her to a vital partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund, where she is now pioneering an inspiring new project.

Helena’s work focuses on a group whose voices are too often missing from the conversation: children living with rare kidney conditions. In Northern Ireland, opportunities for young people to participate in clinical research are limited, and Helena is on a mission to understand why - and change it.

🎨 Amplifying Voices Through the Arts
Instead of traditional, clinical approaches, Helena's project uses creative, performing, and immersive arts to break down barriers. Through interactive workshops, storytelling, and creative activities, she is working directly with children and young people to co-develop research resources that are engaging and truly shaped by them.

Her goal? To ensure that children are not just passive subjects in research, but active, valued contributors whose voices genuinely matter.

🙌 Get Involved & Collaborate!
Helena is looking to connect with anyone who wants to be a part of this journey - whether you are from the creative arts sector, have lived experience, work in education, or simply share a passion for improving how children engage with research.

If you are attending tomorrow night, this is your chance to hear about this wonderful project firsthand and find out how you can support it.

📧 Can't make it or want to connect early? You can reach Helena directly at [email protected].

📅 Event Details:
• Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Location: Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

💻 Or tune in live via Microsoft Teams:
Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Tomorrow at Kidney Connections! 🌟We are only ONE day away from our Kidney Connections event, and we...
16/06/2026

🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Tomorrow at Kidney Connections! 🌟

We are only ONE day away from our Kidney Connections event, and we are absolutely thrilled to introduce our Keynote Speaker for tomorrow evening, Professor Catherine Quinlan!

Professor Quinlan is an exceptionally experienced translational kidney researcher and consultant paediatric nephrologist whose career is dedicated to a vital mission: detecting kidney disease early and preventing its progression to save young lives.

As the Director of Research Partnerships and Impact at Children’s Health Ireland, her cutting-edge work sits at the intersection of genetics, nephrology, and routine clinical data. By leveraging big data, genomics, implementation science, and health economics, she is pioneer-focused on identifying kidney disease before it can cause lasting harm.

Most importantly, throughout her incredible career, Professor Quinlan has always put patients and their families at the absolute heart of her research - perfectly embodying the spirit of tomorrow night's event.

📅 Event Details:
• Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Location: Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

Whether you are a patient, family member, researcher, or supporter, this is an incredible opportunity to hear how pioneering science is shaping the future of paediatric kidney care right here in Northern Ireland.

Attendance is free, but registration is essential. Make sure to scan the QR Code to secure your spot for tomorrow evening!

💻 Or tune in live via Microsoft Teams:
Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

📢 A Busy Summer for Kidney Research and Patient EngagementAt NIKRF, we believe that research is strongest when patients ...
16/06/2026

📢 A Busy Summer for Kidney Research and Patient Engagement

At NIKRF, we believe that research is strongest when patients and families are at its heart.

This July, our funded researcher Helena Brown will be involved in two fantastic international events:

💚 European Cystinosis Network Conference
📍 Dun Laoghaire
📅 3 to 4 July

🌍 International Children's Advisory Network Summit
📍 Barretstown, County Kildare
📅 12 to 17 July

Both events focus on bringing together patients, families, researchers and healthcare professionals to share experiences, learn from one another and help shape the future of healthcare.

We are delighted to see Northern Ireland researchers helping to drive these important conversations and ensuring that patient voices remain at the centre of innovation.

🌻 Thanks to everyone who stepped into Bob's Summer Garden this weekend! 🌻We had a fantastic time basking in the sunshine...
15/06/2026

🌻 Thanks to everyone who stepped into Bob's Summer Garden this weekend! 🌻

We had a fantastic time basking in the sunshine, sharing stories, and connecting with so many wonderful supporters. Your incredible generosity and community spirit make all the difference in the world!

A massive, heartfelt shout-out to our extraordinary volunteers, Malachy (an amazing Altruistic Donor) and his partner Heather! 🌟 Your energy, time, and dedication truly made the weekend unforgettable. We couldn't do this without you.

Robert Stewart's Spirit Grocer

⏰ The countdown is on!This Wednesday evening, NIKRF welcomes patients, families, clinicians, researchers and supporters ...
15/06/2026

⏰ The countdown is on!

This Wednesday evening, NIKRF welcomes patients, families, clinicians, researchers and supporters to Kidney Connections: Connecting, Learning and Growing Together.

Discover the latest developments in paediatric kidney research, hear from leading experts and learn how research funded through partnerships and community support is helping improve outcomes for children and young people living with kidney disease.

📅 Wednesday 17 June 2026
🕖 7:00pm

📍 Join us in person at the Postgraduate Centre, Belfast City Hospital

💻 Or tune in live via Microsoft Teams:

Meeting ID: 365 031 191 525 271
Passcode: eK7wg3ET

Every breakthrough starts with a conversation. We would love you to be part of it.

Register today and help us build a brighter future for children affected by kidney disease. 💙

Congratulations to our Ambassador, Stephen Watson MBE 👏👑💜Everyone at Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund is delighted ...
13/06/2026

Congratulations to our Ambassador, Stephen Watson MBE 👏👑💜

Everyone at Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund is delighted to see Stephen recognised for his outstanding services to broadcasting and his tireless work raising awareness of kidney disease, transplantation and organ donation.

Stephen's own journey is a powerful reminder of why kidney research matters. After receiving his first kidney transplant as a young man, he enjoyed many years of improved health. When he later needed a second transplant, finding a suitable donor became extremely challenging because of the antibodies he had developed. Thanks to advances in research and clinical expertise, those barriers were overcome and Stephen received the life-changing 2nd transplant he needed.

As Northern Ireland's only charity dedicated solely to funding kidney research, NIKRF is committed to supporting the discoveries that improve treatments, enhance transplant outcomes and ultimately help people with kidney disease live longer, healthier lives. Every penny we raise stays here in Northern Ireland, funding research that offers hope to local patients and their families.

Since becoming a NIKRF Ambassador, Stephen has been a passionate advocate for this work. Through his fundraising, awareness raising and personal commitment to the kidney community, he has helped us shine a spotlight on the importance of research and the difference it can make.

When Stephen joined NIKRF, he said:

"As someone who has undergone two kidney transplants, I know first-hand the life-changing impact of this work."

Stephen's journey is a testament to what research can achieve today and a reminder of why we must continue investing in the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

His award of an MBE is a fitting recognition of his outstanding contribution to communities across Northern Ireland and to everyone affected by kidney disease.

Congratulations Stephen Watson MBE, and thank you for helping us bring hope to kidney patients across Northern Ireland. 👏💜

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is piloting virtual wards and are looking for service users and carers to help shap...
13/06/2026

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is piloting virtual wards and are looking for service users and carers to help shape this work.

They will be hosting an online workshop 💻 and are inviting people to join if you:

• have had an inpatient hospital stay in the past 2 years (excluding the Emergency Department)
• are aged 18 or over
• are a carer or family member of someone who has had this type of
recent hospital experience.

Join us to share your views and help shape Virtual Wards. 🩺

You can find out more and register here: https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/about/involving-you/how-to-get-involved/current-opportunities/
or by emailing [email protected]

Address

Belfast City Hospital, Renal Unit
Belfast
BT97ER

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