“The kidneys perform so many different functions. They clean your blood, they control the manufacture of red blood cells, and regulate your blood pressure. They do a lot of the fundamental physiology in the body. People don’t really know what they are and what they do. And they certainly don’t know things can go wrong with them”.
An organ seldom in the spotlight – but utterly vital
The kidneys consist of more than 40 types of cells and have more functions in the body than most people know. Julie Williams leads AstraZeneca’s work in preclinical research about kidney diseases. “They are probably one of the most complicated organs in the body, and I like a challenge”, she says.