Louis Delinois, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Stony Brook Medicine, is investigating molecular changes that contribute to kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Working within the Piret Laboratory at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Delinois studies how disturbances in amino-acid and energy metabolism may influence the onset and progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its development into chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The Piret Lab operates as a collaborative environment where multiple principal investigators share space. Delinois noted, “We have six PIs in the same lab. It’s open to everybody to ask questions and find help when you have a problem. Everybody’s always available.” He added that Stony Brook's diverse community enhances scientific inquiry: “One of the things I enjoy most about Stony Brook is the diversity. When people come from different places and have different backgrounds, they approach questions differently. That diversity of perspective makes science stronger.”
Delinois highlighted supportive resources on campus such as the Center for Inclusive Education, describing it as “a very welcoming environment, and incredibly diverse,” and stating, “It’s one of the places where I feel most at home.”
His research focuses on how branched-chain amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—are processed by the body under stress conditions affecting kidney function. According to Delinois: “We are trying to understand what happens in the early phase of kidney injury. If you can detect and treat it early, you can stop it from becoming chronic.” His work involves genetic and biochemical approaches targeting key enzyme subunits responsible for metabolizing these amino acids.
The laboratory also engages in high-throughput screening projects aimed at testing thousands of potential compounds for their ability to protect or restore kidney function efficiently. Delinois stated: “It’s still early but the goal is to design and identify new molecules that could one day be tested clinically.”
Delinois's academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Haiti before earning his PhD in chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico. His doctoral work focused on engineering hybrid proteins for cancer therapy. As a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center, he researched immune cell responses during inflammation.
Reflecting on his experiences across different institutions, Delinois said: “Failure is part of science. It’s not the end. It’s another way to understand the situation. Even when your hypothesis is wrong, you’ve learned something new that helps the next person in the field.”
He remains committed to producing knowledge with real-world applications: “The principal role of a basic researcher is to produce knowledge that can be translated into the clinic,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing here: building knowledge that can have a real-world impact.”