Jon B. Klein, M.D., Ph.D.

Education:Jon B. Klein, M.D., Ph.D. Curriculum Vitae 

B.A., Biology with Honors, University of Texas, Austin, Texas; 1975
M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; 1979
Ph.D., Microbiology & Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY; 1988
Straight Medical Internship, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KA; 1979-1980
First Year Medical Residency, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City; 1980-1981
Second Year Medical Residency, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City; 1981-1982
Fellowship in Nephrology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY; 1982-1985 

Curriculum Vitae

Current Positions: 

Professor of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Vice Dean for Research, University of Louisville School of Medicine
James Graham Foundation Chair in Proteomics, James Graham Brown Cancer Center
Member, James Graham Brown Cancer Center 

Contact Information: 

Department of Medicine-Renal
UofL Physicians Outpatient Center
401 East Chestnut Street, Suite 690
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone (Academic Office): 502/852-1155
Email: 

Research Description: 

The Klein laboratory studies how genetic variations and other factors alter the body’s proteins in ways that may cause disease.  By finding the underlying mechanisms for disease, they can gain insight into new avenues for treatment.  Klein is principal investigator for research projects in pediatric clinical proteomics and studies examining the mechanisms behind diseases ranging from diabetes to age-related macular degeneration.  He has focused on the application of proteomic methods to the discovery of disease biomarkers that will become the clinical tests of the future. 

Literature Cited: 

  1. Brier ME, Gooding JR, Harrington JM, Burgess JP, McRitchie SL, Zhang X, Rovin BH, Klein JB, Himmelfarb J, Sumner SJ, Merchant ML.  Serum trace metal association with response to erythropoiesis stimulating agents in incident and prevalent hemodialysis patients.  Scientific Reports 2020 Nov 19;10(1):20202.  doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77311-8.  PMID: 33214633.  PMCID: PMC7677396.
  2. Samuel G, Crow J, Klein JB, Merchant ML, Nissen E, Koestler DC, Laurence K, Liang X, Neville K, Staggs V, Ahmed A, Atay S, Godwin AK.  Ewing sarcoma family of tumors-derived small extracellular vesicle proteomics identify potential clinical biomarkers.  Oncotarget 2020 Aug 4;11(31):2995-3012.  doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.27678.  PMID: 32821345.  PMCID: PMC7415402.
  3. Merchant ML, Rood IM, Deegens JKJ, Klein JB.  Isolation and characterization of urinary extracellular vesicles: implications for biomarker discovery.  Nature Reviews Nephrology 2017 Dec;13(12):731-749.  doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2017.148.  Epub 2017 Oct 30.  PMID: 29081510.  PMCID: PMC5941934.
  4. Klein JB.  Applying proteomics to detect early signs of chronic kidney disease: where has the magic gone? Expert Review of Proteomics 2017 May;14(5):387-390.  doi: 10.1080/14789450.2017.1315303.  Epub 2017 Apr 10.  PMID: 28363249.
  5. Triplett JC, Swomley AM, Kirk J, Grimes KM, Lewis KN, Orr ME, Rodriguez KA, Cai J, Klein JB, Buffenstein R, Butterfield DA.  Reaching out to send a message: Proteins associated with neurite outgrowth and neurotransmission are altered with age in the long-lived Naked Mole-Rat.  Neurochemical Research 2016 Jul;41(7):1625-34.  doi: 10.1007/s11064-016-1877-1.   Epub 2016 Mar 2. PMID: 26935741.
  6. Rovin BH, Klein JB. Proteomics and autoimmune kidney disease.  Clinical Immunology 2015 Nov;161(1):23-30.  doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2015.04.021.  Epub 2015 May 13.  PMID: 25979820.  PMCID: PMC4628556.
  7. Jin S, Merchant ML, Ritzenthaler JD, McLeish KR, Lederer ED, Torres-Gonzalez E, Fraig M, Barati MT, Lentsch AB, Roman J, Klein JB, Rane MJ.  Baclofen, a GABABR agonist, ameliorates immune-complex mediated acute lung injury by modulating pro-inflammatory mediators.  PLoSOne 2015 Apr 7;10(4):e0121637.  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121637.  PMID: 25848767.  PMCID: PMC4388838.
  8. Barati MT, Scherzer J, Wu R, Rane MJ, Klein JB.  Cytoskeletal rearrangement and Src and PI-3K-dependent Akt activation control GABA(B)R-mediated chemotaxis.  Cell Signaling 2015 Jun;27(6):1178-1185.  doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.02.022.  Epub 2015 Feb 26.  PMID: 25725285.  PMCID: PMC4381546.
  9. Garbett NC, Merchant ML, Helm CW, Jenson AB, Klein JB, Chaires JB.  Detection of cervical cancer biomarker patterns in blood plasma and urine by differential scanning calorimetry and mass spectrometry.  PLoSOne 2014 Jan 8;9(1):e84710.  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084710.  PMID: 24416269.  PMCID: PMC3885574.
  10. Garbett NC, Merchant ML, Chaires JB, Klein JB.  Calorimetric analysis of the plasma proteome: identification of type 1 diabetes patients with early renal function decline.  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 2013 Oct;1830(10):4675-80.  doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.05.007.  Epub 2013 May 10.  PMID: 23665587.  PMCID: PMC3743444.
  11. Rane MJ, Klein JB.  Regulation of neutrophil apoptosis by modulation of PKB/Akt activation.  Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Ed) 2009 Jan 1;14:2400-12.  doi: 10.2741/3386. PMID: 19273208.
  12. Barati MT, Merchant ML, Kain AB, Jevans AW, McLeish KR, Klein JB.  Proteomic analysis defines altered cellular redox pathways and advanced glycation end-product metabolism in glomeruli of db/db diabetic mice.  American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology 2007 Oct;293(4):F1157-65.  doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00411.2006.  Epub 2007 Jul 3.  PMID: 17609286.
  13. Girvan AC, Teng Y, Casson LK, Thomas SD, Jüliger S, Ball MW, Klein JB, Pierce WM Jr, Barve SS, Bates PJ.  AGRO100 inhibits activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by forming a complex with NF-kappaB essential modulator (NEMO) and nucleolin.  Molecular Cancer Therapy 2006 Jul;5(7):1790-9.  doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-05-0361.  PMID: 16891465.
  14. Klein JB, Barati MT, Wu R, Gozal D, Sachleben LR Jr, Kausar H, Trent JO, Gozal E, Rane MJ.  Akt-mediated valosin-containing protein 97 phosphorylation regulates its association with ubiquitinated proteins.  Journal of Biological Chemistry 2005 Sep 9;280(36):31870-81.  doi: 10.1074/jbc.M501802200.  Epub 2005 Jul 18.  PMID: 16027165.
  15. Rane MJ, Gozal D, Butt W, Gozal E, Pierce WM Jr, Guo SZ, Wu R, Goldbart AD, Thongboonkerd V, McLeish KR, Klein JB.  Gamma-amino butyric acid type B receptors stimulate neutrophil chemotaxis during ischemia-reperfusion.  Journal of Immunology 2005 Jun 1;174(11):7242-9.  doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.11.7242.  PMID: 15905570.
  16. Chen Q, Powell DW, Rane MJ, Singh S, Butt W, Klein JB, McLeish KR.  Akt phosphorylates p47phox and mediates respiratory burst activity in human neutrophils.  Journal of Immunology 2003 May 15;170(10):5302-8.  doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.10.5302.  PMID: 12734380.
  17. Rane MJ, Pan Y, Singh S, Powell DW, Wu R, Cummins T, Chen Q, McLeish KR, Klein JB.  Heat shock protein 27 controls apoptosis by regulating Akt activation.  Journal of Biological Chemistry 2003 Jul 25;278(30):27828-35.  doi: 10.1074/jbc.M303417200.  Epub 2003 May 9.  PMID: 12740362.
  18. Klein JB, Buridi A, Coxon PY, Rane MJ, Manning T, Kettritz R, McLeish KR.  Role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase in chemoattractant and LPS delay of constitutive neutrophil apoptosis.  Cell Signaling 2001 May;13(5):335-43.  doi: 10.1016/s0898-6568(01)00151-6.  PMID: 11369515.