Kidney disease is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions and is a frequent complication of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Recent advances in biomedical research and novel technologies have created opportunities to study kidney disease in a variety of platforms, applied to human populations. The Reviews in this series discuss the kidney in hypertension, diabetes, and monogenic forms of kidney disease, as well as the cellular and molecular mediators of acute kidney injury and fibrosis, IgA nephropathy and idiopathic membranous nephropathy, and kidney transplantation. In this introduction, we briefly review new insights into focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and the role of podocytes in health and disease. Additionally, we discuss how new technologies, therapeutics, and the availability of patient data can help shape the study of kidney disease and ultimately inform policies concerning biomedical research and health care.