Rate My Professor Andrew Bahn

Andrew Bahn is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago. His research specializes in renal transport physiology, focusing on organic anion transporters (OATs), urate handling, and related metabolic pathways. Bahn has authored numerous influential publications elucidating the function of renal transporters. Key works include 'Human renal organic anion transporter 4 operates as an asymmetric urate transporter' in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2007), which has received 337 citations; 'Identification of a new urate and high affinity nicotinate transporter, hOAT10 (SLC22A13)' in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (2008, 291 citations); 'Gender differences in kidney function' in Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology (2007, 281 citations); 'Characterization and identification of steroid sulfate transporters of human placenta' in the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism (2003, 223 citations); and 'Human organic anion transporter 3 (hOAT3) can operate as an exchanger and mediate secretory urate flux' in Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry (2003, 216 citations). These studies have advanced understanding of urate reabsorption, drug interactions, gender-specific renal function, placental transport, and neuroactive metabolite handling.

Bahn's ongoing research explores the pathophysiological roles of uric acid in type 2 diabetes, including its regulation of β-cell plasticity via Smad7, DEPTOR ubiquitination in pancreatic β-cells, and the mTOR-Raptor complex in hyperuricemia. He supervises Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences Honours and PhD students on topics such as microRNAs in diabetic cardiac stem cells, ENaC in breast cancer and hyperuricemia, and amiloride effects on lithium-induced kidney injury. In 2019, Bahn was awarded a project grant from Arthritis New Zealand to identify allopurinol and oxypurinol transporters, aiming to resolve drug-drug interactions and enhance gout treatment. He contributes to science outreach through Lab in a Box programs in collaboration with the Otago Museum and serves on the Topical Advisory Panel for Biopharmaceutics in the journal Pharmaceutics (MDPI). His work demonstrates substantial impact in nephrology, pharmacology, and metabolic disease research.