Cara Hildreth

Cara Hildreth is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean Curriculum and Learning at Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University. Her research focuses on the interplay between kidney disease and cardiovascular dysfunction, particularly in polycystic kidney disease and chronic renal insufficiency.

• Research Interests: Polycystic Kidney Diseases, Chronic Renal Insufficiency, Baroreflex, Heart Rate, Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Rodentia, Cardiovascular Physiology, Neurophysiology.
• Key Projects: Understanding brain-kidney interactions in hypertension, vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease, and stress-induced brain rewiring in polycystic kidney disease.
• Recent Publications (2024–2025): Articles on optogenetic blood pressure regulation, sex-based cardiovascular risk in CKD, reno-renal reflex impairments, and therapeutic effects of kudzu/chaga extracts in diabetes models.

She collaborates with researchers like J.K. Phillips, A. Lee, and R. Chung. Her work involves both clinical and basic science approaches, including rodent models and neurophysiological studies.