Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most challenging conditions to manage and treat, partly because we lack a specific molecular understanding of its pathogenesis and progression. This limits our ability to provide targeted therapy or precise prognostications. Fortunately, genomic discovery in NS and its translation to genomic-informed medicine is allowing us to improve our understanding of the molecular anatomy of NS and our ability to care for patients with NS. In this Core Curriculum, we review the specific genes and loci discovered in childhood NS, specifically NS of Mendelian origin, APOL1-associated NS in black patients, HLA region variants associated with steroid-sensitive NS, their biological impacts, prevalence across populations, and clinical correlates.