For the love of statistics: how a nephrologist became a researcher and is encouraging others to follow suit

“At medical school, I was probably one of the few people that really enjoyed learning about fluids and electrolytes,” says Anand Srivastava, associate professor of medicine in the division of nephrology at the University of Illinois Chicago.That interest led him into nephrology, a specialty he was drawn to because of the way kidney disease affects multiple organs. “I really enjoy the complexity of caring for patients that unfortunately have kidney disease,” he says.Srivastava always knew that he wanted to become a doctor. Growing up in north Texas, he developed a love of maths and science and was fascinated by how the body works. “I always felt great empathy for those who were not well, and I just wished that I knew how to make them feel better,” he says.After completing medical school at Saint Louis University in Missouri, he returned to Texas to undertake residency training at the University of…