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New podcast out now – Keep it Renal

04 December 2019

Get ready to hear from patients, clinicians and even science celebrities, in the brand-new podcast for all things kidney, Keep it Renal!

We are delighted to have supported kidney scientist Dr Carl May, who has just launched a brand new podcast, Keep it Renal, that he co-hosts with kidney doctor Dr Caroline Platt.

The podcast aims to tell us about some of the most interesting kidney research, and to connect the researchers with the people it benefits - the patients.

Carl received PhD funding from us back in 2010 and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bristol. We caught up with Carl to learn more about this new podcast and what we can expect in the episodes to come.

Dr Carl May
Dr Carl May

What made you want to launch the podcast?

“Although they have been around for a while, podcasts have recently reached new heights of popularity. They are a great medium for quickly sharing information. People are listening to podcasts while they commute to work, walk their dogs and wash dishes!

“We’re all so busy that it is hard to dedicate time to learning. Podcasts are a great passive way to take in information while we complete other tasks. I want to share stories of kidney disease with everyone - patients, families, friends, scientists and researchers.”

Tell us about the exciting things you’ve got planned?

“We have a few exciting plans in the pipeline, to talk to some interesting scientists and patients! For example, we will be talking to kidney patient currently at medical school. We’re excited to be interviewing him about how his experiences have inspired him to become a doctor himself.”

Why’s it so important to bring together scientists, patients and doctors to talk about kidney disease?

“In our first podcast, I talk about a thought experiment known as Mary’s Room. In this experiment we meet a scientist who knows everything there is to know about colour. However, she has never actually seen the colour red since she lives in an entirely black and white environment. One day she leaves her lab and sees the colour red. Clearly, upon seeing the colour red, she instantly learns more about colour.

“For some, and for me, this proves people’s subjective experiences are important pieces of knowledge in their own right.

As a kidney scientist myself, how can I possibly expect to understand kidney disease without interacting with patients and hearing their stories? We can all learn from each other’s perspectives. We all want better treatments and ultimately cures for all forms of kidney disease.”

What do you hope our podcast achieves?

“I hope the podcast shines a light on the huge amount of research that happens thanks to charities such as Kidney Research UK and their supporters. I hope patients feel supported by learning more about the intensive research programmes both in the UK and around the world.

“I also hope scientists and researchers who don’t regularly meet patients can learn a little bit more about patients and their experiences, and it help us to contextualise our work. Although doctors obviously meet their patients, I want the podcast to reveal more about a patient’s human side and get to know the person rather than just the disease they are living with.

“We are all acutely aware of the pressures that doctors and other health care providers are under. They are getting less and less time to spend with their patients. Keep It Renal is way for us all to take a step back and look at kidney disease from a different perspective.”

Listen now

Listen to the first episode now below. Subscribe to the Keep it Renal podcast through Spotify and iTunes (coming soon!). You can also follow Carl and the podcast on Twitter and over at Facebook.

This is the first part of our interview with Cade Morant. Caroline and Carl talk with Cade about first noticing his symptoms, and his journey from GP to nephrologist.

Episode 2

This is the second part of our interview with Cade Morant. Caroline and I talk with Cade about steroid treatments and the perils of Dr Google.

Episode 3

This is the third part of our interview with Cade Morant. Caroline and I talk with Cade about continuing on steroids and the practicalities of dialysis.

Episode 4

This is the forth part of our interview with Cade Morant. Caroline and I talk with Cade about the process of having a kidney transplant.

Sir Peter Ratcliffe Interview

In December Rosie Loft and I interviewed Sir Peter Ratcliffe for the Keep It Renal Podcast. Sir Peter won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2019 for his work on Oxygen Sensing. We talk about his work with Kidney Research UK and he tells us how great things can come from passionate scientists.

Episode 6 - Rachel Lennon

Welcome to Episode 6! An interview with Clinician Scientist Professor Rachel Lennon. A Bristol Renal Alumna, Rachel tells us about being both a scientist and a clinician and what drives her.

Episode 7 - Will and Richard

In this episode, Carl interviews Will Herrington and Richard Haynes to get their perspectives on Clinical Trial design and hear about their study EMPA-Kidney.

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