Researcher joins March March fundraiser to support kidney patients
A postdoctoral researcher working on kidney transplantation at the University of Oxford has took part in our Kidney Research UK March March last month – walking 10,000 steps a day in March to raise funds that will help transform treatments.
Rebecca Vaughan is one of the ADMIRE study team ‘Assessing Donor Kidneys and Monitoring Transplant Recipients’ led by Professor Maria Kaisar. The ADMIRE team focuses on identifying new markers that could be measured in donor blood and allow doctors to more accurately predict how well a kidney will function after transplant. They are also looking at the use of MRI scans to assess how well a donated kidney is functioning before it is transplanted, and then three months following transplant in the recipient.
Rebecca, known as Beck, says: “This study aims to enable doctors to confidently identify suitable kidneys for transplant – some of which may previously have been deemed too high risk. This could make more kidneys available for transplantation and increase the chances of transplants lasting for longer.”
Beck is also involved with a study called REDEEM (Renal Degradomics – Examining Donor Kidney Extracellular Matrices) which is studying kidneys from older donors, which have been shown to function less well. This research aims to better understand how these high risk kidneys are affected and whether they can be protected so that they can function better.
Beck says: “Increasing our understanding of why some donated kidneys work well after transplant, while others do not is essential for patients. My main goal is to improve treatment options to provide long-lasting transplants for more kidney patients. The generosity of donors offers a second chance for people living with kidney disease, many of whom have spent years tied to exhausting dialysis treatment.
“Fundraising to make research possible is one of the most meaningful ways to make a lasting difference. I’m so thankful to everyone else who is also completing the March March. By getting involved with challenges like this, you are helping drive research that could improve treatments and, ultimately, save lives.”
Becoming a kidney researcher
Before choosing to become a researcher, Beck spent a decade working as a chef. She says: “I changed career because I wanted to make a deep and lasting difference. I’ve always been fascinated by human biology and now I can explore that curiosity, while contributing to treatments that could genuinely transform lives.
“Current treatment options, particularly dialysis, can be exhausting, restrictive and significantly affect someone's quality of life. We need them to help people survive, but they are physically and emotionally demanding. A transplant can restore independence, extend life and give people hope for a future that isn’t defined by their kidney disease.
“I’m determined to make treatments more effective, personalised and patient-friendly. Having the opportunity to work on research into transplantation provides a rare opportunity to be part of transforming lives for the better.”
Joining the March March
Beck is one of the hundreds of supporters who have taken on the March March step challenge in support of life-changing research.
Beck says: “It has been a great motivation for me to get moving regularly, setting a daily exercise goal and building healthy habits. It has been lovely going on long walks with my dog and taking my son on adventures to discover new places.
“It has been fantastic to help raise funds for research and increase the visibility of Kidney Research UK. Every step I have taken is for the patients hoping for a future, the organ donors who give the gift of life, and the families who stand behind them — today and in the years ahead.”
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