Whitney Besse, MD
Biography
Research & Publications
Patient Care
News
Appointments
Biography
Dr. Besse received her bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University in 2003, pre-doctoral training in genetics at the Joslin Diabetes Center at the Harvard Medical School, her M.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 2009, and clinical training in Internal Medicine/Nephrology at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Besse joined Yale School of Medicine faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Nephrology in 2018. Her research training in Nephrology has been under the mentorship of Dr. Stefan Somlo, C.N.H Long Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and Professor of Genetics.
Dr. Besse's field of research interest is genetic kidney diseases, with initial focus on polycystic kidney disease. She uses genetic approaches to identify novel disease genes for dominantly inherited polycystic kidney and liver diseases: a phenotypic spectrum from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) to isolated polycystic liver disease (PCLD), and both in vitro and animal models to further disease gene mechanism investigation. Her identification and investigation of multiple genes has contributed understanding to how the central PKD protein, Polycystin-1, matures through the endoplasmic reticulum. She has contributed approaches for gene validation to the field. Dr. Besse has an active research program recruiting patients with genetically unresolved polycystic kidney and/or liver disease or other inherited kidney diseases for projects involving gene/pathway discovery and variant analysis in genetic kidney diseases. The goal of her lab is to have the identification of novel disease genes serve as an entry point for molecular biology investigation that contributes to a better understanding of disease mechanism and the identification of successful targets for treatments.
Education & Training
- Clinical Fellow, Research TrackYale School of Medicine (2015)
- ResidentYale School of Medicine (2012)
- MDUniversity of Connecticut School of Medicine (2009)
- BS (Hon)Brown University, Biomedical Engineering (2003)
Activities
- Polycystic Liver and Kidney Disease: Learning from Genetic Diagnosis in our PatientsKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Miller School of Medicine (University of Miami) 2023Nephrology Grand Rounds, Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertensionat the Miller School of Medicine (University of Miami)
- Investigation of disease genes for adult polycystic kidney and liver phenotypesVirtual Seminar 2022National O'brien Centers Kidney Seminars
- Cystic Liver DiseaseBerlin, BE, Germany 2022TRENAL-EUKISS Summer School Conference
- The Genetic Basis of Polycystic Kidney and Liver Disease: patient exomes to bench and back againOklahoma City, OK, United States 2022University of Oklahoma, Nephrology Conference
- The Genetic Basis of Polycystic Kidney and Liver Disease: patient exomes to bench and back againNew York, NY, United States 2022Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Nephrology Conference
- Polycystic and Tubulointerstitial Phenotypes of ER genes in the KidneyVirtual International Conference in 2020 due to COVID19 pandemic 2020American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week
- Disease Mechanisms and targets in polycystic kidney and liver diseaseCambridge, MA, United States 2019Renal Pathology and Therapeutic Opportunities: hosted by MPM Capitol Medical and Scientific Advisory Board
- ALG9 mutation carriers develop kidney and liver cystsWashington, DC, United States 2019American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week
- Post-developmental Inactivation of Pkhd1 results in liver cysts in miceAtlanta, GA, United States 2018American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week
- Novel Disease Genotypes for Adult Polycystic Kidney and Liver DiseaseBaltimore, MD, United States 2018Baltimore Polycystic Kidney Disease Symposium
- Gene Discovery for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Liver DiseaseSan Diego, CA, United States 2015American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week
Honors & Recognition
Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
---|---|---|
Young Physician-Scientist Award | American Society for Clinical Investigation | 2022 |
Clinical Scientist Development Award | Doris Duke Charitable Foundation | 2021 |
Mentored Research Award | Robert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust | 2019 |
Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Award | Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation | 2018 |
Research Fellowship Award | Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation | 2015 |
Professional Service
Organization | Role | Date |
---|---|---|
American Society of Nephrology | Kidney Week Education Committee invited member | 2022 - 2024 |
PKD Research Resource Consortium | -Omics - Finding a Needle In a Haystack - Session Chair | 2022 - Present |
Yale Center for Genomic Health | Faculty Selection Committee | 2022 - Present |
Science - Translational Medicine | Reviewer | 2022 - Present |
Kidney International | Reviewer | 2022 - Present |
American Society of Nephrology | Role of the Cyst Microenvironment in the Origins and Progression of ADPKD - Session Moderator | 2021 - Present |
PKD Research Resource Consortium | Biology and Function of the Polycystins - Session Chair | 2021 - Present |
National Kidney Foundation - Workgroup for Genetic Testing in Kidney DIsease | Workgroup Member, to define guidelines for Genetic testing in Nephrology | 2021 - 2023 |
Committee to Investigate the use of Race Modified in eGFR estimation | Ad-hoc Member | 2021 - Present |
Yale Center for Genomic Health | Invited Member | 2021 - Present |
Yale Janeway Society | Member | 2021 - Present |
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) | Reviewer | 2021 - Present |
PLOS Genetics | Reviewer | 2021 - Present |
American Journal of Nephrology | Reviewer | 2021 - Present |
Kidney 360 | Reviewer | 2020 - Present |
Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, Scientific Grant Review Committee | Reviewer | 2019 - 2020 |
Kidney International Reports | Reviewer | 2019 - Present |
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) | Reviewer | 2017 - Present |
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) | Reviewer | 2017 - Present |
American Heart Association | Member | 2014 - 2018 |
American Society of Nephrology | Member | 2011 - Present |
Departments & Organizations
- Internal Medicine
- Janeway Society
- Nephrology
- Polycystic Kidney Disease Program
- Yale Center for Genomic Health
- Yale Medicine