Kidney Transplantation: A Cambridge Festival Talk

Kidney transplantation – why we still need research even after decades of success

The first kidney transplant took place in 1954. Nearly seven decades later it is one of modern medicine’s great triumphs, a highly successful operation that has saved and improved countless lives worldwide. Despite that success, there’s still a global shortage of donor organs. More people are waiting for a kidney transplant than there are organs available, so research in this area is still vitally important.

Professor Mike Nicholson has been a transplant surgeon for over 30 years. He’s also a researcher and has dedicated the last 35 years to research to improve kidney transplantation. Join us as he looks back on his career and explains why he chose a path that combines clinical work with research.

We’ll also hear from Serena MacMillan, a PhD student in Prof Nicholson’s research group who is working on changing the blood group of donor kidneys. She’ll talk about her research and how this could have a big impact on kidney transplantation in the future.

Professor Nicholson is Director of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) in Organ Donation and Transplantation which funds much of his research.

This event is free but please book a place.

Our talk follows one given at 18:00–19:00 by our colleagues at the NIHR BTRU in Donor Health and Behaviour who work closely with NHS Blood and Transplant to maintain stocks of blood whilst looking after donor health. This event is also free but booking is again required.

See the Cambridge Festival website for details of all festival events.