CDTRP is offering 10 prepaid spots on San'ya's Indigenous Cultural Safety Against Racism online training program (2023)

Engaging caregivers in patient-oriented research: mindfulness-based stress retreat Pädiatrische Herztransplantationsempfänger Retreat for Mothers

THis research is driven by the needs identified by patients and families to support the quality of life and well-being of mothers of pediatric heart transplant recipients.. ESuses mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), deliveredaan eco-retreat as an innovative intervention to meaningfully address the complexities of care and the burden of caregivers. A mixed methods design is used to examine possible changes in maternal coping style, exercise tolerance, quality of life, and perceived social support after the intervention.–an MBSR retreat. The withdrawal will beit is understoodeducateof mindfulness exercises such as circle sharing, deep relaxation, yoga, and walking meditation.Guided by the experiential expertise of our patient partner, Joanna Mitchell, this research places a strong emphasis on patient- and family-centered care, focusing on the interface between maternal well-being and infant health.Results within pediatric transplantation.

Joanna Mitchells gebyo

Juana Mitchellis the mother of 16-year-old Ryley, who received a heart transplant at the age of 7 months. Shortly after Ryley's transplant, the Mitchell family volunteered with the Trillium Gift of Life Network to encourage others to consider organ donation by sharing Ryley's story. Joanna and Ryley received the 2017 TGLN Board of Directors Champion Award for their contribution to raising awareness about organ donation.

When Ryley was 5 years old, she attended her first Canadian Transplant Games and the family became involved with the Canadian Transplant Association. With the CTA, Joanna has helped organize various events to promote both organ donation and a healthy, active life after transplant. Joanna has also worked as a parent liaison to bring a pediatric and family perspective to transplant games. She encourages the connections of transplant families by supporting various social networking groups and informal mentoring.

Joanna recently became a Patient Care Associate at the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program, focusing on projects related to pediatrics and mental health not only of the transplant patient but of the family as a whole.

El geb de Samantha J. Anthonyyo

Dra. Samantha J. Anthonyis a clinical health scientist in the Children's Health Evaluative Sciences Program at the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute. She has nearly 20 years of experience as a social worker at the Sick Kids Centers for Regenerative Medicine and Transplantation and is an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work at the University of Toronto. dr. Anthony is also a researcher with the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program.

dr. Anthony was recognized for her commitment to clinical practice and the application of research to improve patient outcomes with a particular focus on pediatric solid organ transplantation. dr. Anthony has received national academic grants and has received competitive grants and research awards, including grants from Health Canada, CIHR, Canadian Child Health Clinical Scientist Program, Enwhile Hearts, Kidney Foundation of Canada, and The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Supportive Caregivers: Observations of a Transplant Social Worker

Psychosocial evaluations are a necessary part of a comprehensive transplant diagnosis. One aspect of this evaluation is determining the width and depth of a patient's support system. The transplant team, often the socialworker willProvide guidance to the support person on the expectations of the health care team before, during, and after the transplant. While resource recommendations are often made for supporters, there is a lack of support for caregivers as the focus is primarily on the patient. More funding and resources are needed for caregivers of transplant patients, as they are a critical component to transplant success.

Dee Miners Biography

Dee Miner has both aSingleand a master's degree in clinical social work from the University of Calgary. She has practiced medical social work with Alberta Health Services for 18 years. For the past 14 years, she has been a liver and lung transplant social worker for the Southern Alberta Transplant Program at Foothills Hospital in Calgary. In addition to supporting patients before and after transplant, she is responsible for conducting pre-transplant psychosocial assessments. So far, her research has focused on teaching patients coping skills before transplant.

Biography of Janet Fast

Janet Fast is a Family and Consumer Economist and Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta and Co-Director of the Aging Research, Policy and Practice program. dr. Fast works to create and share knowledge, to engage with public, government, and other user groups, and to work on the interfaces between them. Her research focuses on the economics of aging, paid and unpaid caregiving for family members, and the ability of assistive technologies to address the consequences of family caregiving. His research addresses issues related to family, work, health and care policy and he is frequently asked to consult or consult with government and non-government policy makers regarding care and support in the workplace. Workplace.

Sandy Sereda Biography

Sandy Sereda is a seasoned nonprofit leader who currently serves as the Executive Director of Caregivers Alberta, where she advocates for the province's one million caregivers. Sandy has had a rich and varied career in the nonprofit sector with a focus on organizational management. She is passionate about mission-based organizations and has previously worked at TheMustard Seed and The LungAssociation, Alberta and NWT, among others.

As a caregiver for most of her life, Sandy has a deep understanding of the joys and challenges of caregiving. She has been involved in numerous research projects, provincial health initiatives and national forums, bringing a broad understanding of the range of issues affecting carers and a spirit of collaboration to promote "carer friendly" health and social care.

Sandy has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and also studied Arts Administration at MacEwan University.

Improve engagement and empower patients on their journey to transplantation

browseOrgan donation and transplantation(ODT)The system in Canada can be complex and confusing for people undergoing a transplant process. This qualitative study uses the power of lived experience to guide and inform a truly patient-centered project in which research priorities have been defined by patients,The familyand donors.The online survey and focus groupsat the heart of the projectthey were developed together with patient research partners using a comprehensive iterative approach.Involving patients from across Canada in every step of the research process will lead to a better understanding of the lived experiences of those on a transplant journey and will be instrumental in developing targeted and patient-centered recommendations for long-term improvement.ODT system.

Biography of Carrie Thibodeau

Carrie Thibodeau esIt serves asProject management for a qualitative study calledImprove engagement and empower patientsandyour transplant journey.ellaeducational backgroundesinthe fields ofappliedHealthscience and communication, and the focus ofellaCareerwas in kidney health.

she has workeducateclosely with patients and healthcare professionalsfor many years,and she workedin several projectsConthe Kidney Foundation of Canada. in a staffeben,Carrie has a close family connection to the kidney.and transplant communities. his youngest sonUncle(and indeed older brother)is a three-time recipient of a kidney transplantyhe is now on hemodialysis. HThese experiences have had a profound impactin Carrie both personally and professionally. youher projecthas beenan opportunityBeing part of a responsible teamComein gthat patientlivedexperiencessoncritical to decisions about how best to manage organ donation and transplantation in Canada.

Kristi Coldwell Biography

Kristi Coldwell is a Senior Transplant Research AdvisorHe worked at the BC Transplant Research Foundation. After undergoing an erAfter an art transplant as a teenager due to congenital heart disease, Kristi is aware of the role research plays in improving outcomes and quality of life. She believes that patients and their families play an important role in shaping and reporting research to ensure it is meaningful.and accountable to all stakeholders.She is also co-chair of the Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) Collaborative Patient Advocacy Advisory Committee, a Health Canada initiative that brings together key stakeholders in Canada's ODT system.

Biography of Manuel Escoto

Manuel Escoto joins us from Edmonton, Alberta. He completed his Master of Public Health at Universcity of Alberta and received training in patient-centered research through the University of Calgary's Patient and Community Engagement Research (PACER) program. He is the Manager of Patient, Family and Donor Partnerships and Education for the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program. In this role, Manuel builds relationships between patient partners and researchers and builds capacity among CDTRP patient partners.

As a kidney transplant recipient, Manuel has been a patient partner in various initiatives, including work with the CAN-SOLVE CKD Network, the Kidney Foundation, Alberta Health Services, and other projects focused on the health and wellness of kidney transplant recipients. kidney.

Biography of Marie-Chantal Fortin

Marie-Chantal Fortin, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(c) is a transplant nephrologist at the Center Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), an investigator at the CHUM Research Center, and a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal. She received her medical degree from the Université de Sherbrooke. She completed her residency in nephrology at the Université de Montréal. She received her PhD in Bioethics from the Université de Montréal in 2008.

She is a Research Fellow at the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP) and Co-Academic Director of Topic 1. Her research interests relate to the ethics of transplantation and patient-investigator partnerships in research and clinical care. She is a member of the Québec Transplant Ethics Committee, the Canadian Blood Services and the Collège des médecins du Québec. Finally, she is also a FRQS researcher.

Learn how to engage patients, families and donors in the World Federation of Transplant Games research initiative

One of the goals of the World Federation of Transplant Games is to support the complete rehabilitation of transplant recipients through the promotion of physical activity. As part of this goal, an international research initiative was launched to network researchers from around the world and support them through various activities. In this session, we will discuss our plans for how the research initiative will facilitate patient, family, and donor engagement and what we are learning along the way.

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William Wall Biography

dr. Wall is emeritus professor of surgery at Western University. He established liver transplantation at the London Health Sciences Center where he served as Director of the Multiple Organ Transplantation Program from 1997 to 2007. He was a founding member and president of the International Society for Liver Transplantation. dr. Wall assumed medical leadership in the development and implementation of the curriculum.a life of many giftsto educate high school students in Ontario about organ donation and transplantation.

Biography of Bernadine Boulet

Bernadine Boulet is the mother of Logan Boulet. Logan made an incredible difference to the organ donor registry after donating to improve the lives of 6 people who suffered brain injury.ry suffered in the Humboldt Bronco bus accident in 2018. This is where the Logan Boulet Effect and Green Shirt Day came from, making the topic of organ donation easier to address. Bernadine (Bernie) teaches second grade in Lethbridge, AB and continues to be an advocate for sharing organ donation and transplants with elementary school students. She works to reshape these themes to help others and allow families to have effortless, uncomplicated conversations with one another.

Working in an Alberta elementary school is not a place where organ donation and transplantation topics are common or part of the curriculum, but Bernie finds ways to safely entertain and discuss these topics. His personal experience and commitment has led his elementary school (and many others) to share these issues with these young students in a safe and open way.

How provincial health systems govern kidney transplantation using living donors: lessons so far

This presentation is based on an ongoing qualitative study investigating why living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) rates vary widely among Canadian provinces.By understanding and comparing provincial systemsin BC, ON and QC, we hope to help improve LDKT in provinces with comparatively lower rates.During the presentation, we'll discuss some of the issues patients, families, and donors face when navigating the healthcare system to track LDKT. We will discuss our partnership and shared goals as a research team, as well as some of our findings to date.

Biography of Anna Horton

Anna Horton isqualitative researcher at the McGill University Health Center Research Institute.After completing a degree in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, he became interested in medical anthropology and its applications.anthropological frameworkhealth care studiesguidelines, To dieshe chasedwhile doing an MSC in Family Medicine at McGill University.He now applies his social science training to the field of transplant nephrology. shecurrentlyto workyoexaminedDifferences in how Canadian provinces organize and regulate living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) to better understand and address the different rates of LDKT across the country.

Silvia Charbonneauit's kino

Sylvie Charbonneau is aretired Businessman,with more than 30 years of experience in change management. she is alsothe mother of 2 and the greatbreastfrom 2 in 2012ellaSohnnecessaryKidneysTransplant,yyoudecided to become a living donor. after transplantshe wanted to give

and volunteered for the Quebec chapter of the Kidney Foundation. Since then, he has been on the board of directors of the Kidney Foundation for several years.in different roles. She is currently the President of the National Council. In addition, she participates in various committees as a representative of living donors.and organ donation advocate. She hopes to use her professional experience combined with her personal experience to change the world, every one on the organ.

My Kidneys My Health Website: Helped Build by Patients for Patients

enjoy this presentationdescribe theMy kidneys My health websiteThat isbased on preferences of people with CKD and their caregiver for CKD supportself-government

MesDonald's biography

DR.Powerful(Mes)Donald is a clinical investigator with the University of Calgary Department of Nephrology, Cumming School of Medicine. She is a doctor of health sciences and a physical therapist since 1992.MesHe is passionate about interventions that support person-centered care and innovations that bridge the gap between evidence and practice for people with chronic kidney disease. His current job is to understand the needs of people withchronic kidney disease and explore optimal strategies to support them and their families.

The biography of Dwight Sparkes

Dwight Sparkes lives in St. John's and works as a Senior Applications Analyst at the Newfoundland & Labrador Health Information Center. In 2014, Dwight was diagnosed with chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis caused by drug interactions while receiving treatment for his vasculitis. Today, Dwight's vasculitis is in remission but he lives with the effects ofchronic kidney diseaseevery day. Dwight joined Can-SOLVE CKD in 2017 as a patient partner to give back and hopefully help improve the lives of people living with CKD.

Biography of Rahul Mainras

dr. Rahul Mainra is a transplant nephrologist working in the Department of Nephrology at St. Paul Hospital in Saskatoon.saskatchewanand Professor of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. He completed his medical education and residency in Saskatoon, followed by a fellowship in nephrology at Western University in London, Ontario. He then spent a year in Sydney, Australia, completing a transplant fellowship with aMaster of Medicinein the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Sydney. She returned to Saskatoon in 2008 to join the Saskatchewan Transplant Program in her current role. Rahul is an undergraduate medical student at the University of Saskatchewan and is the UGME Director for the College of Medicine. Nationally, he chairs the ODTC Living Donor Task Force and the CBS Kidney Transplant Advisory Committee.

Carson Barbers Biography

Carson Barber joins us from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She has been on dialysis for over 2.5 years and may be a candidate for a suboptimal transplant. Today she joins us to share her perspective on suboptimal transplants and what it would mean for her and other patients.

Biography of Lynne Feehans

Lynne Feehan,esa researcher andthe knowledge translation lead in the BC SUPPORT Unit whose passion is supportfellow patient uhealth researcheralearn howcollaborate and dosensibleCo-workerCommitmentabout healthresearch activityshe is alsoaPhysiotherapist and Associate Clinical Professor in the UBC Department of Physiotherapy with many years of experience in the health system.Her experience as a researcher and clinician helped herlynnelearn howbrowse throughopportunities and challengesandConduct,oto useknowledge ofhealth researchinPreferences for provision of services and medical care.

ShelbyGillen Biography

Shelbyscreamoriginally from a small town in Kootenays, BC, received her first liver transplant at age 14 and second liver transplant at age 27, mentor and volunteer, and was a two-time competitor and multiple medalist at the Canada Transplant Games . For the past two years, Shelby has served as a Patient Associate at the BC Transplant Research Foundation and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, with a strong understanding of the importance of research to the success of future voyages. transplant.

Earl Howell Biography

miArl Howell is the "retired" and a 20-year-old liver transplant recipient.fourYears. My liver transplant was dueprimary sclerosing cholangitis, a condition I was diagnosed with at the age of 35.

kBiography of Risti Coldwells

Kristi Coldwell is a senior adviser for transplant research advocacy beiBC Transplant Research Foundation. As a teenager, he had undergone a heart transplant.congenital heart defectKristi is well aware of the role research plays in improving outcomes and quality of life. She believes that patient and family partners play an important role in shaping and reporting research to ensure that it is meaningful and accountable to all stakeholders.SesAlsois co-chair of the Patient Advocacy Advisory Committee of the Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) Collaborative, a Health Canada initiative that brings together key stakeholders in Canada's ODT system.

Bobbi Paquette Biography

“I joined BC Transplant in 2018 as an Organ Donation Specialist and in 2020 assumed the role of Hospital Coordinator for the Fraser Health Authority. Before that, my entire career was in respiratory therapy. I grew up with severe asthma and found comfort in respiratory therapists and nurses who were able to help me breathe. This influence has led me to thrive in a career as a Respiratory Therapist in Ontario and BC since 2008.

As respiratory therapists, we are an important part of end-of-life care in the ICU. My experiences of seeing organ donation as a silver lining for families and for patients receiving a second chance at life inspired me to learn more about career opportunities at BC Transplant.

Personally, I was diagnosed with a condition called Keratoconus in 2018, which was affecting my vision. In 2019 I lost almost all vision in my left eye and was put on the waiting list for a corneal transplant. A few months later I received my cornea transplant and my sight was restored. This allowed me to continue my work in health care and take care of my children. I am honored to work for BC Transplant and help coordinate life-saving transplants."

The biography of Matthew Weiss

Matthew Weiss is a pediatrician.intensivistconstruction in downtown Québec Cityhospitaluniversidadof Québec and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at theuniversidadlava He has held various provincial and national donor positions, most notably as Director of Medical Donors at Transplant Québec. His research interests are primarily focused on the implementation of legal and policy reforms in organ donation. He is the national director of the LEADDR reform implementation research program in Nova Scotia and has led or contributed to the development of several best practice guidelines for deceased donation. His peer-reviewed publications address various aspects of adult and child donation. dr. Weiss has spoken on these issues at local, national, and international academic conferences and is a frequent communicator of donation policy and practice in the media.

Deepali Kumar Biography

DR.DeepaliKumar is a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. She is a Doctor of Infectious Diseases Transplant from the University Health Network Transplantcenterin Toronto.DR.Kumar has a translational research program that includes both clinical and laboratory research. His research focuses on immune responses to vaccines and viral infections in transplant recipients.He has supervised numerous doctoral students and residents/interns. She is the author of more than 200 manuscripts, editorials, and book chapters in the field of transplantation. She is currently the deputy editor ofClinical transplant. He has held various leadership positions in the field of transplantation. She is currently the Chair of the Canadian Standards Association's Cell, Tissue and Organ Technical Committee. She is currently also the president-elect of the American Transplant Society.

vanessaBiography of Silva e Silva

DR. Silva and Silvais a former OTDC andis dedicated to research and active participation in organ donation and transplantation activitiesfor more than 10 years. His research focuses onImproving the quality of organ donation programs around the world.dr. Silva e Silva was aKidney Researchers Basic Education Program (KRESCENT)colleague andesleadership with Dr. Dhanani of the CDTRP Allied Research in Donation and Transplantation (ARDOT) working group.you currentlyworks as a research coordinator at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and directs theresearchion ofBurnout among donation coordinators, with the support and collaboration of Canadian Blood Services and key organ donation researchers nationally and internationally.

Biography of Alex Manaras

dr. Alex Manara, FRCP FRCA FFICM, has been a consultant in intensive care medicine at the Regional Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit in Bristol since 1990. He was a member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Task Force on a Diagnostic Code of Practice and Confirmation of Death, the international guide for the determination of death in collaboration with the World Health Authority and a member of the World Brain Death Project. . He led the implementation of one of the first controlled DCD programs in the UK in 2002. He has been involved in the development of national and international guidelines on death determination and DCD. He has also been involved in developing best practice guidelines and strategies in many other aspects of deceased organ donation. He is an organ donation consultant at the UK School of Intensive Care Medicine and is the national quality manager for organ donation in the UK.

His other interests include the treatment of patients with devastating brain injuries, end-of-life care in the intensive care unit, and treatment of severe traumatic brain injuries.

Biography of Andrew Healey

dr. Healey is a specialist in emergency medicine and intensive care. He is the current Chief of Emergency Services, former Medical Director of Critical Care and Emergency and Critical Care Physician at William Osler Health System in Brampton, Ontario. Andrew is an emergency physician at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and an associate clinical professor at McMaster University School of Medicine. dr. Originally from Newfoundland, Healey completed fellowship training in emergency medicine and critical care medicine with a specialization in echocardiography at McMaster. He also completed a Master's Degree in Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation for Transplantation at theuniversidadfrom Barcelona, Spain. He is currently the Medical Director of Giving for Trillium Gift of Life (Ontario Health). His main interests are optimizing the donor family experience, improving donation-transplant communication and uncontrolled lung donation. He is supported by four wonderful children and an extremely forgiving and understanding wife.

Aviva Goldberg Biography

Aviva Goldberg is a pediatric transplant nephrologist and ethicist based in Winnipeg, MB. She is Head of the Pediatric Nephrology Section and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at UGME and Associate Professor of MaxRataUniversity of Manitoba School of Medicine. She is Secretary of the Canadian Transplant Society and a member of CDTRP Themes 1 and 5.

CarlosBiografia de Weijers

CarlosWeijeris Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Philosophy at Western University in London, Canada. He is a leading expert on the ethics of randomized controlled trials. From 2008 to 2013, Charles co-led a collaboration that created the first international ethical guidelines for cluster-randomized trials. His current work examines ethical issues in pragmatic randomized controlled trials that test health interventions in real-world settings to better inform patients, health care providers, and health system administrators. Charles led the writing team for the 2019 World Health Organization guideline, Ethical Considerations for Health Policy and Systems Research. In 2020 he was a member of the WHO Working Group for Guidance on Human Challenge Studies in COVID-19. Charles held the Canada Research Chair in Bioethics from 2005 to 2019 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2016.

Biography of Ke Fan Bei

“My personal perspective in the field of continuous transplantationreinvigorate my desire to contribute. To that end, I am and currently am a PFD partner with CDTRP.corda PhD in immunology from the University of Toronto with a specialization in transplant immunology. ”

FedericoD'Aragons Biography

Federicofrom Aragonis an anesthetist and intensive care physician at the Center Hospitalier UniversitaireVonSherbrooke(CHUS),Quebec. He is an associate professor at the University ofSherbrookeand FRQS clinical scientist.DRfrom Aragonis co-leader, withDR.maureen meade,WhatCanada-DONATE research program aimed at improving the care of organ donors in the ICU.

Biography of Brian H. Rowe

DR row (Doctor of Medicine, Master of Science,CCFP(EM), FCCP, FCAHS)has beenthe scientific director of the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)since the end of 2015. He is a clinical scientist who works clinically at the University of Alberta Hospital Emergency Department and is a professor at the University of Alberta Department of Emergency Medicine and School of Public Health, both in Edmonton, Alberta..

Biography of Jonathan Choy

dr. Choy is a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. He and his team are generally interested in understanding the immunological mechanisms of transplant rejection and associated vascular injury. Recent studies have focused on understanding how inflammation and gut microbiota affect the immune responses that lead to rejection and on developing strategies to protect blood vessels in transplants from early rejection-leading damage.

Biography of Laurie Blackstock

Laurie Blackstockis an intercultural facilitator and learning designer based in the Ottawa area. She learned firsthand about the organ and tissue donation process for the deceased when her husband Stephen Belliveau suffered a neurological death in January 2017.

Laurie joins us today as a patient-family-donor (PFD) partner with normothermic regional perfusion (NRP).ethicpilot studylead byCDTRP-Stipend Innovationsaward winnerKarl Weijer. She is also the CDTRP Patient Co-Director for Theme 1: Improving a Giving Culture; member of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Cooperative (ODTC) Deceased Donor Task Force; and a member of the Ottawa-based Gift of Life education and advocacy group.

2018 Laurietold the story of her husband aswitnessto the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on behalf of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. since shehe has been a guest speaker at numerous ODT events.

manoelaBiography of Paula Ferreiras

dr. Common crawl en Paula Ferreira is a Research Coordinator in the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Toronto. dr. Ferreira completed her bachelor's degree in physical therapy and dance, followed by a master's degree and a doctorate. She graduated in Physical Education from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR)-Brazil, where she studied the effects of a home dance exercise program on people with Parkinson's disease. She is a CDTPR intern working on Theme 5: Long-Term Health Restoration. dr. Ferreira completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto and worked with Dr. Sunita Mathur on frailty and sarcopenia in solid organ transplant candidates and recipients. Currently Dra. Ferreira research coordinator and works with Dr. Lisa Wickerson in a telerehabilitation and telemonitoring laboratory at the University of Toronto. dr. Ferreira is interested in the implementation of projects and studies aimed at improving the quality of life and well-being of patients.

Biography of Arthur J. Matas

dr. Arthur J. Matas is Professor of Surgery at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. dr. Matas received his medical degree in 1972 from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He completed his residency and transplant fellowship at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, where he was active in clinical and laboratory research.

dr. Matas is the author or co-author of more than 700 articles and book chapters, and his research has been presented at numerous national and international conferences.

dr. Matas is a long-time member of many transplant-related and surgical societies, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (of which he is past president).

Biography of Nicholas Murphy

Nicholas Murphy is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Medicine and Philosophy at Western University in London, Ontario. Overseen by CDTRP investigators Dr. Charles Weijer and Marat Slessarev, Dr. Murphy's research examines ethical issues in organ donation and transplantation, particularly as it relates to research involving human participants.

Biography of Samantha J. Anthony

dr. Samantha J. Anthony is a Clinical Health Scientist in the Children's Health Evaluative Sciences Program at the Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children. She has more than 20 years of experience as a social worker at the SickKids Center for Regenerative Medicine and Transplantation and is an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work at the University of Toronto. dr. Anthony is also a researcher with the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program.

dr. Anthony was recognized for her commitment to clinical practice and the application of research to improve patient outcomes. Her research program focuses on creating an evidence-based foundation for successful psychosocial adjustment and improved quality of life for people with chronic illnesses, with a particular focus on pediatric organ transplantation. dr. Anthony has received national academic grants and has received competitive grants and research awards, including grants from Health Canada, CIHR, Canadian Child Health Clinical Scientist Program, Enwhile Hearts, Kidney Foundation of Canada, and The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Biography of Sonny Dhananis

dr. Dhanani is the director of the pediatric intensive care unit at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa and an associate professor (pediatrics) at the University of Ottawa.

He is now President of the Canadian Network of Donation Physicians, Chairman of Blood Services Canada's National Deceased Donor Advisory Committee and a member of the Steering Committee of Health Canada's Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaborative. dr. Dhanani is Associate Director of Donor Research for the Canadian Donor and Transplant Research Program.

His own focus is to lead international research on practices and standards for determining death after cardiac arrest for donation purposes.

Biography of Tatsuma Hinds

Tatsuma Hind, BSc, is a third-year medical student at the University of British Columbia with an interest in adolescent mental health and well-being. He currently collaborates with the Multi-Organ TransplantClinic at BC Children's Hospital investigating the impact of post-traumatic stress on quality of life after solid organ transplantation. Additional research interests include the evaluation of psychosocial screening tools in the pediatric emergency department.

LabyrinthFingers crossed

dr. Warren Fingrut is a transplant hematologist currently in his second year as an adult bone marrow transplant fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He is also an MPH candidate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to joining MSKCC, he completed medical school at the University of British Columbia, internal medicine residency at the University of Toronto, and a hematology fellowship at the University of British Columbia. dr. Fingrut is also the founder and director of the Stem Cell Club, a national non-profit organization in Canada that works to address racial inequality in access to unrelated stem cell donors. His work with the Stem Cell Club includes advocating for a more comprehensive unrelated donor registry and blood system.

Linda Powell biography

Linda's early career began as a physical therapist and she graduated from McGill University. Her career path led her to participate for 25 years in the development of STARS Air Ambulance in Western Canada. Her involvement in the community has included chairing charitable boards and she is certified as a Director by the Institute of Corporate Directors. She withdrew from her leading role in STARS when she began her journey as a caregiver for a family member dealing with rapidly evolving end-stage liver disease.

Linda is a Patient Family Partner at the International Transplantation and Donation Policy and Legislative Forum and is currently President of the Alberta ORGANization Group, a community collaboration that advocates for organ donation in Alberta.

Improvement of ODT systems through cooperation at federal and state level

Glenna will discuss the formation of the ODTC,Reflect on the joint project development process and then discuss successes and prospects for the future.

Glenna Laing Biography

Glenna is Director of Pharmaceutical and Supplemental Services at the Alberta Department of Health. Glenna has been a member of the Provincial Territorial Blood Liaison Committee since 2010 and during that time she has been responsible for blood and organ donations and transplant registries in the Department. She was proud to lead the development and implementation of the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donor Registry in 2014, which was a major achievement in promoting a culture of donation in Alberta. Glenna became chair of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Cooperative Steering Committee in 2019, where she seeks to bring the perspective of Provincial and Territorial Health Departments to this important community initiative.

Patient Oriented Research and Cultural Competence Development - Indigenous Perspectives

Mary, Karmen and Craig are indigenous patient partners with experiences ranging from pre-transplant waiting list during hemodialysis to successful kidney transplantation with jurisdictional issues and experience with living kidney donors. Speakers will weave their journeys together to highlight their diverse experiences and perspectives on the intersections of patient-centered research, barriers/access to care, and building cultural competencies with the research teams they work with.

Biography of Mary Beaucages

Mary Beaucage isAnishnaabeby Nipissing First Nation, out of North Bay ON. Mary has type 2 diabetes and developed end-stage renal disease in 2013 for which she was on dialysis. In March 2015, Mary received a kidney from her cousin. She is co-chair of several provincial and national patient councils, including the Ontario Renal Network Patient and Family Advisory Council and the Can-SOLVE CKD Network Patient Governance Circle and the Indigenous Peoples Engagement Research Council (IPERC). Mary is also a member of the CDTRP. She has been a keynote speaker, panel member, and presenter at regional, national, and international nephrology conferences. She brings a lot of knowledge, enthusiasm and passion to her work. Mary is interested in education and advocacy on issues related to indigenous health, patient association, chronic kidney disease research, and awareness of organ donation and transplantation.

kThe armyOmeassoos Biography

kThe armyOmesooalso knownHöllenbackhas been an active member of the Canadian music scene for over 25 years. He helped lead the local hip–Jumping into the Canadian mainstream was one of his main goals as an artist.war party, equipmentrezoofficialBoth are groups that managed to rise to every challenge to succeed.HöllenbackHe also has a new challenge that has tested his will in every way, and it is Stage 5 Renal Failure. With a kidney function of 4%HellnBacksThe goal now is to spread awareness. Father of 6 children, happily married to Lisathriving. Kidney failure has not been an easy road, but with the support of his wife and children, he wants you to know that kidney failure is not a death sentence.

Biography of Craig Settee

Craig Settee is an Anishinaabe and Néhinaw (Swampy Cree) citizen of the Fisher River Cree Nation and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is a living kidney donor from his brother and previously participated in the network as a patient partner. He brings this lived experience to the role of coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Participation and Research Council (IPERC).

Craig has several years of experience as a cultural minister, action therapist, and community organizer with First Nations and inner-city community organizations. He is passionate about increasing indigenous representation and amplifying indigenous voices to foster better collaborative working relationships. He strongly believes in people-centred and community-based research and does so by supporting the sharing of indigenous patient partners' stories, experiences and insights. This support as Servant/Oshkaabwis works to elevate indigenous health and wellness priorities in patient-centered kidney research by integrating cultural safety principles and practices into Can-SOLVE CKD Network projects and partnerships.

Sherrie Logan Biography

Sherrie is the founder of Ashley's Angels, a third-party fundraising initiative in support of the Hospital for Sick Children's transplant program, which she established after her daughter's liver transplant in August 2009. She is responsible for overseeing and guiding the strategy and general direction of the organization.

Since fall 2019, Sherrie has been a member of the Starzl Network External Advisory Board. Starzl consists of a network of pediatric transplant centers dedicated to continuous improvement so that every child can live a long and healthy life. The external advisory board evaluates the sustainability of the network and offers advice when necessary. The dashboard provides feedback for improvement and offers expertise to further Starzl's mission and vision.

In 2015, Sherrie was hired by the Pediatric Liver Transplant Trial Steering Committee to chair an international grassroots committee for patient and family engagement. The achievements of this group have led to the creation of a network of international pediatric liver transplant centers, the creation of credible and accessible transplant training tools, constructive feedback on clinical care, prioritization of patient-centered research, and increased awareness about organs and tissues. donation.

Since 2014, Sherrie has also played a charitable role and active patient partner in CDTRP, providing a transplant patient/caregiver perspective and the opportunity to fund transplant research.
Sherrie is currently pursuing a Specialist Bachelor of Science with Honors in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from York University. She also has a Bachelor of Arts from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Diploma in Midwifery from Ryerson University.

manoelavon Paula Ferreira da Silva Biography

Heather Talbots Biography

Heather Talbot is a retired teacher and the mother of Jonathon Talbot, who lost his kidneys, lungs,Liverand heart valves when he was taken off life support at the age of 22 after a fatal car accident in which he was the passenger in 2009 CDTRP, where he has worked primarily with theMATCHEquipment.

Biography of Istvan Mucsi

Dr. A.S. HERE. METERucsi is a clinical investigator and transplant nephrologist in the Multiple Organ Transplant Program and Division of Nephrology at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. She is also a transversal professor at the Semmelweis University in Budapest. His current research focuses on understanding and reducing barriers and inequities in access to kidney transplantation and living donation kidney transplantation (KT) and evaluating the impact of psychosocial distress on clinical outcomes of transplant recipients. kidney.read more here.

Lindsey Kemp Biography

Lindsey Kemp esBorn and raised in Edmonton, AB. With a degree in music performance (saxophone performance) and education, Lindsey has taught in the Edmonton public school system for over a decade. When she is not teaching, she is very involved in the music community, performing at the Edmonton Winds, directing her own community ensemble (The Beer League Band) and serving on numerous music committees throughout the province. For the past 5 years, Lindsey has had to take a break from teaching after having her amazing son, George. The maternity leave did not go as expected as George was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at the age of 5 months and required 2 heart transplants before the age of 4. During this time, Lindsey also began devoting her time to establishing and expanding her charity, Big Gifts for Little Lives, where she raises money to fund pediatric heart transplant research at Stollery.

Suze Berkhout Biography

Dr. Suze Berkhout is a young clinical researcher and practicing psychiatrist. Her research program in Feminist Philosophy of Science / Science and Technology Studies uses qualitative ethnographic and narrative methods to examine social and cultural issues that affect access to and navigation through health care systems. In this work, she focuses on the importance of lived experience in relation to medical knowledge and specifically in relation to mental health. She conducts this work in diverse populations, including the areas of treatment resistance in mental health, early psychosis, transplantation medicine, and placebo/nocebo studies. She has also been involved in the development and evaluation of mental health supports for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. His transplant-related research examines the challenges that span the solid organ transplant process, from waiting lists and psychosocial evaluation to adherence to medical advice, long-term survival, and transplant failure, using approaches based on art and ethnography to understand how social, cultural and biological issues converge in these areas and their impact on patients, assistants and clinical teams.

silviaOkonofuas biographies

Sylvia is President of the University of Regina Stem Cell Club. She recently graduated from the University of Regina with a degree in biochemistry and hopes to become a doctor in the near future. She is also the director of the national campaign Black Donors Save Lives.

Biography of Andriy Strogan

Andriy is a Director of Juniper, a management consulting firm specializing in strategy, innovation and culture. He combines structured problem-solving and human-centered design approaches to help organizations discover new strategic opportunities and develop new ways of working that help them become more sustainable and resilient. He has worked with a variety of clients and industries to help them achieve their strategic and organizational objectives. His experience ranges from coaching and guiding executives at a national entertainment company in setting and aligning strategic priorities for their organization, to helping Canadian Crown Corporation create a detailed market analysis and strategic plan for a new digital product, to supporting a non-profit organization. Transformation of his organizational structure with a focus on organizational agility and cross-functional collaboration. Andriy received his MBA from Queen's University, where he received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement. He also has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta, where he graduated with First Class Standing, and is a certified SCRUM Master and Agile Professional Leader.

Brady Park Biography

Brady Park is a donor recruiter and multimedia developer for the Stem Cell Club, a donor recruitment organization dedicated to enhancing Canada's stem cell donor registry. He is a fourth-year medical student at Western University in London, Ontario, where he has served as co-chair of the university's Stem Cell Club chapter since 2019.

Brady founded and currently chairs the Stem Cell Club's national TikTok committee, which develops short videos (TikToks) on the rapidly growing social media platform to support donor recruitment efforts. Her team's TikToks are posted to tiktok.com/@stemcellclub and shared across social media, major medical organizations and Canadian media. Brady is also leading the development of longer videos with Canadian stem cell donors, recipients, family members and recruiters.These videos support national campaigns to attract virtual donors..

Brady's research interests lie in the use of multimedia resources and social media to improve outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell donor recruitment, particularly the recruitment of ethnically/racially diverse committed donors. Her work assesses the impact of viewing multimedia on eligible donors' knowledge and attitudes toward stem cell donation, which is associated with donor ambivalence and burnout.

Worried:@braadypark

Biography of Etienne Pineault

Étienne is an international affairs expert specializing in the academic ecosystem. In his current role at Mitacs as Director of International Business Development, he oversees and supports the implementation of the Globalink Research Award (GRA) program.

This program facilitates international collaboration through research internships for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. Etienne works closely with the Research Services offices in Canada and with Mitacs international partners in 39 countries of the European Union and around the world.

Prior to joining Mitacs, Etienne gained international affairs experience at two major Canadian universities as an international affairs advisor at the Université de Montréal School of Medicine and as a manager of international agreements and partnerships at Concordia University. During his tenure, he developed several international partnerships in support of student mobility, research, and international collaboration.

Étienne has a bachelor's degree in political science from the Université de Montréal and a master's degree in international politics and international law from the Université du Québec à Montréal. During his studies and before starting his career, he completed an internship in international cooperation and research in Malawi and India.

Biography of Isabelle Dore

Originally trained in sociology, Isabelle Doré has a Ph.D. in public health and epidemiology and a postdoctoral fellowship in kinesiology. She is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences at the Université de Montréal School of Medicine and at the Université de Montréal School of Public Health. She is a regular researcher at the Center de recherche du Center hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM). Her research focuses on physical activity as a strategy to promote mental health and reduce the risk of anxiety disorders and depression, and she seeks to understand the mechanisms that may explain the benefits of physical activity on these mental health indicators. Her research focuses on adolescents and young adults in the general population, people diagnosed with cancer, and immunocompromised populations.

Biography of Jennifer Raven

Jennifer Raven is Interim Manager of the Training and Professional Support Team in CIHR's Science Policy Division. Since she joined CIHR in 2010, she has held positions with the Institute for Infection and Immunity and in various branches, including the College of Reviewers and Institute Support and Initiative Management. Additionally, from 2016 to 2019, she Jennifer worked in the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control on an exchange with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

 Jennifer has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. in experimental medicine from McGill University.

ChemicalHonarmand Biography

Dr. ChemistryhonorandHe is a specialist in adult intensive care and a clinical epidemiologist. she stopsMaestroHe graduated from the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology from McMaster University. Her research focuses on stakeholder perceptions of emerging and controversial practices and procedures in organ donation and transplantation. She has led several funded studies to assess the perceptions of healthcare providers and the general public in Canada regarding heart donation after determining cardiac death using mixed methods approaches. She has experience in various investigative methods, includingsystematicReview and meta-analysis, observational study designs, and qualitative and mixed methods research. She is the author of more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and serves as an Investigator and Methodologist on the Stakeholder Engagement Working Group for Clinical Practice Guidelines for Defining and Determining Deaths under the direction of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) and as a guideline methodologist for various clinical practices. Guidelines, which are sponsored by the Canadian Critical Care Society (CCCS) and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM).

Kristina Krmpotic Biography

dr. Kristina Krmpotic is a pediatric critical care physician at IWK Health and an assistant professor in the Department of Critical Care at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. She is heavily involved in organ donation initiatives as a donor physician for Legacy of Life in Nova Scotia, co-director of Activity 1 of the LEADDR research program to assess the impact of implementing presumed consent laws in Nova Scotia, and director of donations from the Academic Training Program at the CDTRP. Her research interests in the field of organ donation focus on improving system performance through the analysis of quantitative metrics.

Lori West Biography

dr. Lori West is Professor of Pediatrics, Surgery, Medical Microbiology/Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine/Pathology at the University of Alberta and Canada Tier 1 Research Chair in Heart Transplantation. As a clinical scientist, she has a longstanding interest and experience in pediatric heart transplantation and transplant immunology, particularly as it relates to ABO glycoimmunology. Her pioneering work in breaking down ABO barriers had a worldwide impact on pediatric heart transplantation. dr. West is Director of the Alberta Transplant Institute and Founding Director of the Canadian Donation Transplant Research Program (CDTRP), a national research coalition funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research since 2013. She is Past President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and of the Canadian Transplantation Society, and is the immediate past president of the International Women in Transplantation Initiative of the Transplantation Society. As a member of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Dr. West recently appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

mary smith biography

dr. Mary Smith has a PhD in nursing from the University of Victoria and is a primary care nurse in Ontario. She is also an Assistant Professor at Queens University School of Nursing and has a keen interest in delivering indigenous kidney health through culturally safe and community-centered research approaches. Her interests stem from her own experiences as a living kidney donor and as a member of a First Nations community in Ontario. Mary volunteers with the Kidney Foundation of Canada and has lectured throughout Canada, the United States and Australia about her experience with kidney organ donation. Through the Kidney Foundation Allied Health Grant of Canada, Drs. Smith and her research team are currently finding strengths-based approaches to indigenous solutions for kidney health. She is also a volunteer member of the Council for Research and Participation of Indigenous Peoples through the CAN-Solve CKD network. Additionally, Mary has worked in mental health service delivery for over a decade and is actively involved in mental health education.

Biography of Michael Ward

Prior to his role as Trillium Gift of Life Network/Ontario Health (TGLN), Michael was a funeral director for 30 years. He is certified in Crisis Intervention and Traumatic Grief Revitalization Counseling. After accepting a position with TGLN in 2013 to create a support and aftercare program for donor families in Ontario, he began another chapter of rewarding work. This work has resulted in the growth and expansion of support for 2,400 organ and tissue donor families each year, including donor recognition ceremonies throughout the province, as well as more than 1,000 anonymous correspondences exchanged annually between recipients and the donor family.

Sandra Holdsworth Biography

Sandra has held various positions in the banking industry for 30 years. She received a liver transplant in 1997 after going undiagnosed for several years with a rare liver disease and Crohn's disease. After years of treatment for Crohn's disease, she required a permanent stoma in 2012. She has dealt with melanoma skin cancer and currently suffers from chronic kidney disease. One year after the transplant, Sandra was diagnosed with PTSD, and she is taking medication to treat the anxiety and depression that accompany mental illness.

Sandra is co-director of the Canadian Donated Transplant Research Program (CDTRP) on long-term outcomes. She helps identify research questions and helps design studies, recruits study participants, and assists in the translation of knowledge. Her focus has been on exercise, nutrition, mental health and wellness, as these are the areas of research that patients and carers are interested in pursuing. Sandra was a member of the CanRestore steering committee from 2014 to 2018.

With her lived experience as a transplant patient and organ donation benefactor, she has been a passionate advocate for organ and tissue donation and has mentored others affected by diseases requiring transplantation on their journey to medical care.

vanessaGruben's biography

Vanessa Gruben B.Sc.H (Queen's), LL.B. (Ottawa), LL.M. (Columbia) is Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa School of Common Law and a fellow at the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics. Her research focuses on a variety of topics related to health law, including legal and ethical aspects related to organ donation, assisted reproduction, and professional self-regulation. She is Associate Editor of Canada's Canadian Health Law and Policy, Issue 5, co-edited with Joanna Erdman and Erin Nelson (LexisNexis, 2017). Her work was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Blood Services and the Foundation for Legal Research.

Professor Gruben teaches master's and bachelor's courses in health law, public health law, and a seminar on access to health care.

Organ Donation in BC - Adapting to a Pandemic

BC Transplant's organ donation team learned how to make quick adjustments during an ongoing and evolving pandemic to ensure lifesaving donations continue to help those in need. Adapting to a changing landscape was paramount.

Screening tools have been developed to assess donor and hospital risk of COVID-19.
Resilience rounds were initiated to offset the psychological impact of COVID-19 and exhaustion.
The workload on hospital staff increased, so our team supported hospitals by being on-site whenever possible.
In-person engagement and training sessions went virtual.
Many interactions with family were done virtually or over the phone due to hospital protocol.
Ongoing meetings were organized to ensure that stakeholders were well informed of any changes.
Adjustments were made to donation logistics.

Collaboration and communication with all healthcare partners is critical to donation and transplant success at a time when the system is extremely strained on the road to breaking the record for deceased donations in 2021. This is a direct result of the dedication of our nursing team and staff in British Columbia.

International Clinical Trials: A Funder's Perspective

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) is Canada's leading health research funding agency. Our strategic plan (2021-2031) focuses on excellence in health research; capacity development; indigenous health research; equity, diversity and inclusion; and knowledge mobilization. This presentation will highlight the value of quality evidence in improving the health of all Canadians. In addition, it will summarize the national and international models for financing international multicenter clinical trials. Finally, he will describe the new funding for clinical trials proposed at CIHR.

The art and science of COVID-19 in transplants

COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of transplantation, and transplant recipients are at serious risk of disease. This talk will provide an overview of what we know about emerging therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and antivirals for COVID-19 and their use in transplantation. Donors must be tested for COVID-19 and the possibility of using organs from COVID-19 donors is being discussed. The immune response and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in transplant candidates and recipients will also be presented.

Does having a pet affect mental health and lifestyle habits?

Using longitudinal data collected since April 2020, we will present the preliminary results of our ongoing studies aimed at better understanding whether pet ownership and the type of pet are involved in stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, resilience, but also in lifestyle habits such as sleep and physical inactivity. affectivity and physical activity of immunocompromised people and their families in the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barriers to accessing kidney transplants/living-donor kidney transplants among populations underserved by race and ethnicity in Canada

People from indigenous and racial (African, Caribbean and Black [ACB], South and East Asian) communities in Canada are at increased risk of kidney failure compared with whites, due to a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and some specific kidney diseases. Reduced access to preventive and risk reduction interventions may also contribute.

In turn, kidney failure patients in these communities are much less likely to receive a living-donor kidney transplant, which is medically the best kidney failure treatment option for eligible patients. Kidney failure patients from indigenous and racist communities are also more likely to wait longer to receive a deceased-donor kidney transplant. In addition to socioeconomic differences, living in rural and remote areas of the country, mistrust in the health system, historical and personal experiences of micro- and macro-aggression, experiences of racism inside and outside the health system may contribute to this persistence. Inequities A possible lack of knowledge about the effects of kidney failure and the risks/benefits of each treatment modality may also contribute.

In this presentation, I will focus on the barriers that patients in ACB and Asian communities may face when considering treatment options for kidney failure.

Cell surface engineering of the endothelial glycocalyx to prevent transplant rejection

The endothelial glycocalyx is a glycoprotein-rich coating on the luminal surface of vascular endothelial cells that has important immunomodulatory properties. It is particularly susceptible to injury during organ harvesting and this may play a role in triggering inflammation and early graft rejection. Reconstruction of the endothelial glycocalyx by enzymatic conjugation of linear polyglycerol polymers containing the bioactive sugar sialic acid to the surface of human endothelial cells reduced leukocyte binding and inhibited leukocyte-mediated endothelial cell cytotoxicity. The application of this technology to arterial grafts in mouse models resulted in a significant reduction in early inflammation and acute and chronic rejection. Furthermore, this cell surface engineering of vascular endothelial cells in mouse kidney transplant models reduced ischemia-mediated kidney transplant failure and allograft rejection. This work provides a foundation for the development of a new cell surface engineering protocol that can be applied to donor organs at the time of procurement and protect them from rejection.

Kevin Hay Biography

– Hematologist, BC Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program
- Scientists, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Research Institute
– Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
– Director, Clinical Cell Therapy Laboratory, BC Cancer
- Medical Director, Conconi Family Immunotherapy Laboratory, BC Cancer

dr. Kevin Hay is a Clinical Scientist at the Terry Fox Laboratory and BC Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program in Vancouver. dr. Hay received a Master of Science in Immunology from the University of Manitoba (2008) followed by an MD (2011). After completing his residency in internal medicine (2014) and a clinical fellowship in hematology (2016) at the University of British Columbia, he received a fellowship from the UBC Clinical Investigator Program to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in cellular immunotherapy, which he conducted at the University of British Columbia graduated from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, under the direction of Dr. Cameron Turtle. The research of Dr. Hay is focused on understanding the unique toxicities associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and developing new CAR T cell therapies. He is director of the BC Clinical Cancer Cell Therapy Laboratory, where he oversees cell processing for hematopoietic cell transplantation. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Conconi Family Immunotherapy Laboratory, a British Columbia facility dedicated to manufacturing cellular immunotherapies, and is the Principal Investigator of a Phase I/II study in Canada testing CD19-CAR-C cells. T used to treat B- cell neoplasms.

Living as a transplant family during COVID

Throughout the pandemic, living as a vulnerable family has been a difficult and lonely life. I will share with everyone what it was like to be the parent of a transplant recipient, how covid has affected us, and how we hope to inspire others to care more for the vulnerable people in their community.

Home exercises for solid organ transplant patients and people with chronic diseases: a shift from Brazil to Canada

In this presentation, Dr. Ferreira examines how she adapted her PhD research study "Home Dance Exercise Program for People with Moderate Parkinson's Disease" to Movimentum, the home exercise and wellness center's virtual platform for solid organ transplant patients and people with chronic diseases. She will also talk about getting started as a researcher in Canada, the importance of networking/collaborators and sharing her ideas, and how CDTRP meetings and other presentations from her are helping to build her career in Canada.

Patient and family centered care: a new approach? The four Vs and the donor-recipient family relationship.

Michael will discuss the value of sharing and the content that is created between recipient and donor families when they write to each other, as well as the positive outcomes of grief for donor families struggling to find meaning in the death of a loved one. Although not currently allowed in Ontario, the desire for people connected through donation and transplantation to be reunited is being discussed.

The biography of princess Okoh

Frictions in the Transplant Clinic: Using Ethnography and Art to Understand Challenges Throughout Solid Organ Transplantation

This presentation will discuss some of the common psychosocial challenges that persist across extended timescales of different types of solid organ transplants: from initial psychosocial assessments, through waiting lists, to post-transplant adherence and long-term survival. term, and transplant failure. We discuss the limitations of quantitative analysis in capturing the nuance and complexity of aspects of these challenges and describe an ongoing novel project at UHN that brings together ethnography, arts-based practices, science and technology studies, and the science of critical disabilities. to reinvent them. the friction that can occur during the transplant period. As part of this redesign, we propose that new service spaces and opportunities be created.

Examine the legal and policy framework for the disclosure of information between donor families and transplant recipients.

In Canada, the law protects the anonymity and privacy of organ donors and transplant recipients. Within this legal framework, the organ donor and transplant community has developed a set of guidelines that allow the disclosure of certain types of information between families of donors and transplant recipients. Some families of transplant donors and recipients have argued that these laws and policies are too restrictive and have defended the ability to disclose identifying information and the ability to communicate with each other. This presentation examines the current legal and policy framework in Canada and considers whether these frameworks should be revised to allow for broader information disclosure.

The BRiC programme: understanding work-related issues among organ donation coordinators

The purpose of this presentation is to present the progress of the national research program “Burnout and Resiliency in Coordinators” (BRiC study) that aims to address work-related issues (for example, in Canada). We will provide an overview of the program along with the progress made so far present.

When the donor met the recipient: ethical issues

dr. Fortin will address ethical issues related to anonymity between donors and recipients.

Biography of Gabriele Jagelaviciute

Gabriele is currently a medical student at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. She has been involved in stem cell donor recruitment for over 5 years and is interested in equity, diversity and inclusion. Gabriele also runs Why We Swab (@WhyWeSwab via Facebook/Instagram/Twitter), which develops and shares stories of stem cell donors and recipients, their families and caregivers, and transplant workers.

Biography of Louis Beaulieu

Louis Beaulieu has served as Executive Director of Transplant Québec and Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Directors, the Quebec-wide organ donation organization mandated by the Minister of Health and Human Services, since 2008. He acts as administrator in Quebec, Canada and internationally. In addition, he regularly interacts with the media.

In 2011, Louis Beaulieu was elected a full member of the Transplantation Society (TTS) and in 2013 a board member of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement (ISODP), where he has served as Treasurer since 2017.

From 2010 to 2018, he was appointed by the Québec Cabinet to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQ-S).

Louis Beaulieu has been a speech pathologist since 1993. From 1996 to 2008 he was President and CEO of the Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec*. He was also Vice President (1998-2006) and then President (2006-2008) of the Québec Interprofessional Council. In 2017 he received the Mérite du Conseil award. In 2014, the Université de Montréal honored him as one of 8 out of 8,000 graduates of the 1989 PhD.

Louis Beaulieu received his first art degree from Université Laval (1986). He received his second bachelor of science in 1989, followed by a master's degree in speech pathology and audiology from the Université de Montréal in 1993. In 2014 he completed the Summer School in Managing Creativity in the Innovation Society, a program of HEC -University of Montreal and the University of Barcelona.

Biography of Guillaume Maitre

"Pediatrician from Switzerland, currently a Fellow in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University. After completing my training in pediatrics, I completed training in pediatric intensive care, neonatology and adult intensive care. I have an interest in Research in the physiology of congenital heart defects and pediatric organ donation.

Sam Shemie's War

Dr. Shemie's area of interest is organ replacement for critical illness. He is a pediatric intensive care physician, ECMO specialist, and trauma team leader at Children's Hospital Montreal, McGill University Health Center. He is Professor of Pediatrics at McGill University Children's Hospital Montreal and a member of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. He is the Medical Advisor on Deceased Organ Donation for the Canadian Blood Services. His academic focus is advancing the science and practice of deceased organ donation. His research interests include the clinical and policy implications of technologies to support organ failure, the development and implementation of national leading ICU practices in organ donation, and research at the intersection of end-of-life care. , the evaluation of death and the donation of deceased people.

a common heart

"We will guide you through the journey of incredible loss, hope, joy and peace as we share our story. The story of how the loss of a teenager and the sheer determination to keep his legacy alive found an unexpected path that led to family, love and a sense of gratitude.”

Watch the video of her story here.

Biography of Kim LeBlanc

Donor mother and mother of two trying to make a difference and carry on a legacy.

Dave Allingham Biography

Grateful Heart recipient, 50 years old, father of two, man who lives life to the fullest every day.

Biography of Melanie Dieude

dr. Mélanie Dieudé is an immunologist, Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal School of Medicine, Principal Investigator at the Center de Recherche du Center Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), and Executive Director of the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program. She has received numerous awards such as the 2017 Scientific Personality of the Year (LaPresse, Montreal) and the American Congress of Transplantation Young Investigator Award (2011). Dr. Dieudé's research program focuses on extracellular vesicles from tissue injury and their impact on autoimmune responses important in organ transplant rejection, graft-versus-host disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

John Gil Biography

dr. John Gill is Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Department of Nephrology, St. Paul Hospital.

dr. Gill completed her medical education in 2000 - BSc 1990, MD 1995 (British Columbia), Internal Medicine 1998 (Western Ontario), Nephrology 2000 (British Columbia) - and completed an MSc in Clinical Care Research from Tuft University in Boston (2002), before joining the UBC Department of Nephrology in July 2002.

John is an active researcher whose interests include kidney transplant clinical outcomes, access to care, clinical trials, and public health research. He was a supervisor of master's and doctoral students at the UBC School of Population and Public Health. He has a fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation and received the 2017 Established Clinical Investigator Award from the American Transplant Society. He is past president of the Canadian Nephrology Society and the Board of Directors of the Canadian Organ Replacement Registry. He previously served as co-chair of the White House Transplant Research and Innovation Task Force under President Obama.

dr. Gill currently serves on the Expert Advisory Panel for the United States Renal Data System and the External Expert Panel for the NIH Apollo Study. John is a consulting editor for the American Journal of Transplantation and an associate editor for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. John is president-elect of the American Transplant Society and a member of several national task forces advancing transplant care in Canada.

Biography of Anton Skaros

dr. Anton Skaro joined the Division of General Surgery and the Multi-Organ Transplant Program of the Western University Department of Surgery in September as an Associate Professor. dr. Skaro received his medical degree from Western University, followed by a residency and Ph.D. from Dalhousie University. He completed a fellowship in transplant surgery at Northwestern University in Illinois, after which he joined Northwestern's Department of Surgery as an assistant professor. In 2014 he was named an Associate Professor at Northwestern.

dr. Skaro's liver transplant research has received major grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute on Aging/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). She has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications and has presented her research nationally and internationally.

Biography of John Basmajis

“I am an academic acute care physician practicing in a quaternary care facility and a general internist. My experiences span a diverse practice spanning community hospital settings. I am a PhD student with research interests in clinical trial design and guideline development in the areas of point-of-care ultrasound and deceased organ donation. I am also involved in the training of medical students, residents and fellows in intensive care”.

Henrietta Consolo Biographies

Henrietta completed her medical studies at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, UK, and left clinical practice to train as a lawyer at London Law School. After working as a solicitor in London, she completed her PhD at the University of Glasgow to pursue her interest in science. She is currently writing her thesis examining the concept of donor autonomy in organ donation. Her research interests lie in medical law and in particular the ethical and legal issues of organ transplantation.

Biography of Stephen M. Robbins

Stephen M. Robbins Ph.D. is Director of the Lady Davis Institute at Jewish General Hospital, Glaxo Smith Kline Chair in Pharmacology and Professor in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology at McGill University. In 2013, he was appointed Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Cancer Research Institute, for two terms.

He received his BA from York University in 1985 and his PhD from the University of British Columbia in 1991 in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. She acquired her passion for cancer research during her postdoctoral studies (1991-1996) with Nobel Prize winner Dr. J. Michael Bishop at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the University of Calgary in 1996, where he rose to the rank of professor in the departments of oncology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. He completed his last position as a research scientist with Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (formerly known as the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) and held a Canadian Level 2 Research Chair in cancer molecular genetics. Between 2009 and 2013 he was Director of the Cancer Research Institute of Southern Alberta and Associate Director of Research at Alberta Health Services Cancer Care In addition to serving as Scientific Director of the ICR, he is currently Chairman of the Governing Council of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Lyon, France) and past president of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance.

dr. Robbins has a long-standing interest in understanding the biochemical circuits that control cell proliferation and differentiation, and how these circuits fail in cancer. During his research career, he pursued a more translational approach, including defining new therapies for malaria, discovering a new class of anti-inflammatory agents, and identifying new therapeutic targets for brain tumors. Recently, a peptide that he and his colleagues discovered was advanced to a Phase 2 clinical trial in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. In addition to maintaining a prolific research program, he is also involved in teaching and postgraduate education and has received several awards related to these activities.

Biography of Sabine Ivison

"I studied microbiology and biochemistry at the University of Munster and wrote my doctoral thesis (in dubious German) with Paul Tudzynski, in which I investigated the role of active oxygen in the pathological mechanism of the rye pathogen Claviceps purpurea (most notorious for the production of LSD precursor lysergic acid).

As a postdoc in Vancouver, I transitioned into the medical field, comparing epitopes of heat shock proteins in pathogenic and commensal strains of Staphylcoccus, and wondering how the immune system differs between the two (remember flesh-eating disease). In my second postdoc with Dr. Ted Steiner, I investigated the influence of stress (ATP, active oxygen) on the recognition of bacterial flagellin by intestinal cells; did strange (but gentle) things to mice to advance our understanding of inflammatory bowel disease. I joined Kirk Schultz, who specializes in leukemia immunotherapy, for a research associate position. In his lab, I organized his clinical research studies, performed more ELISAs, and investigated the immunostimulatory properties of mitochondrial DNA, among other things. I eventually landed in Megan's adaptive immunology lab where I am fully dedicated to assay development and standardization for the clinical setting. One project aims to stratify patients with autoimmune diseases based on likely response to biologics, another seeks immunological monitoring of patients after transplantation using flow cytometry.

My main interest is in the conflict between the self and all that is not the self (including the altered cancer of the self and the autotransplantation of another). That pretty much covers everything."

Susan Doherty Biography

Susan Doherty is an award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction based in Montreal. Her volunteer work in the psychiatric departments of Douglas Hospital led to the publication of The Ghost Garden, an examination of the lives of people with psychotic illnesses. Her new novel The Monday Rent Boy is about the exploitation of children on the dark web. She is an active member of the board of directors of several shelters for women at risk.

In 2015 he signed for HLH. a rare blood disorder that required a bone marrow transplant. William Ashby-Hall, 23, from St Albans, UK, was her stem cell donor.

Surviving HLH: inclusion saves lives

At the time of my SCT, Canadian MSM donors were severely restricted from joining the blood supply registry. It's a bias that excludes a key group of young men from participating in life-saving stem cell donation. These rules have been re-examined and I am the beneficiary of a critical subgroup of global members who want to save lives.

Biography of Rupal Hatkar

Rupal Hatkar is a third-year PhD student in Cancer Genomics at the University of Toronto (U of T) in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. In addition to his studies, he also works as a stem cell specialist at Princess Margaret Hospital, where he screens blood stem cell donors and recipients to ensure informed consent and clearance for transplantation and assists in cell therapy inventory management. (including national and international stem cell donors and recipients). cells). Since 2019, Rupal has served as co-chair of the U of T chapter of the Stem Cell Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of blood stem cell donation and increasing representation of diverse ethnic/racial groups in the community. Canada's stem cell industry. registry In addition to his leadership role in stem cell donor recruitment at the U of T, Rupal supports national donor recruitment efforts through his work developing and evaluating virtual campaigns to recruit donor demographics necessary and create a more complete donor registry, including for LGBTQ2S+. -People.

Biography of Teneille Gofton

dr. Gofton received his medical degree from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) followed by a neurology residency from Western University. He has dual fellowship training in hospice and palliative care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY, USA) and in neurocritical care and electroencephalography at Western University. dr. Gofton is currently an Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Western University) in the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences and has been a faculty member since 2012. She is Acting Director of the Neurocritical Care Fellowship Training Program.

dr. Gofton has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences and has received research grants from national funding agencies. His research interests and publications are in the areas of neurocritical care and neuropalliative care. Gofton on disorders of consciousness, status epilepticus, and neurophysiology associated with deceased organ donation. In Neuropalliative Care, Dr. Gofton Challenges and Barriers to Starting Neuropalliative Care, Neuropalliative Care for Serious Neurological Disorders, and Neuropalliative Education for Trainees.

Biography of Jennifer Chandler

Jennifer A. Chandler researches and writes about the legal and ethical aspects of biomedical science and technology, with a focus on mental health law and policy, neuroethics, organ donation, and regenerative medicine. She has published numerous articles in legal, bioethical, and health sciences journals and is co-editor of the recent book Law and Mind: Mental Health Law and Policy in Canada (2016).

She is internationally recognized for her research and publications on law and ethics in the brain sciences. She is an elected member of the board of directors of the International Society of Neuroethics and sits on international editorial boards in the field, including Clinical Neuroethics (part of Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics), Springer Book Series Advances in Neuroethics, and Palgrave. -MacMillan's Book Series Law, Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She is also a member of the International Advisory Boards of the Neuroethics Network of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM) (Paris) and of the Société française de psychologie juridique (Paris).

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, he contributes to work on legal policy and administration of justice in Canada and is a member of the Ontario Trillium Gift of Life Network and Public Policy Ethics Committees on Organs. Donation and Transplantation the Canadian Transplantation Society.

He holds the Bertram Loeb Research Chair at the University of Ottawa and leads several research teams studying trust in the organ and tissue donation system, end-of-life family decision-making, and the law and ethics of ante-mortem interventions in support of organs. donation deal. She is also co-director of the Research Center on Ethics, Law and Society at the National Transplant Research Program of Canada.

His ethical, legal, and qualitative empirical research at the forefront of biomedical science and technology has been funded by CIHR, SSHRC, Canadian Blood Services, Stem Cell Network, Genome Canada, Law Foundation of Ontario, and Canadian National Transplant Research Program.

At the University of Ottawa, Professor Chandler teaches courses on mental health law and neuroethics, medico-legal issues, and tort law, and leads an interdisciplinary reading group called Mind Brain Law on ethical-legal issues raised by emerging research in the natural sciences, behavioral Genetics and mental health law. He is a member of the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, where he co-chairs the interdisciplinary working group Power, Vulnerability and Health.

He has law degrees from Harvard University and Queen's University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario. She joined the University of Ottawa Law School in 2002 after clerking to the Honorable John Sopinka of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Biography of Claire Williment

Claire Williment was appointed Head of Transplant Development at NHS Blood and Transplant in 2013, with responsibility for developing and implementing strategies to increase the quantity and quality of transplant organs nationally and internationally. In 2017, she was appointed Lead Implementation Officer for opt-out legislation to oversee the development and implementation of plans to implement the changes in 6 different UK countries to consent to organ and tissue donation. In 2020 she was appointed Chief Organ Utilization Program Executive, leading a portfolio of activities aimed at maximizing the potential of organ transplantation in the UK. She is also the secretary of the Organ Utilization Group, which is responsible for making recommendations to improve UK transplant services.

Prior to joining NHSBT, Claire worked in the Department of Health where she was a Senior Policy Leader with organ donation, respiratory and pathology services in her portfolio. She also served in the Offices of the Ministers of Health for several years.

Lauren Sanos Biography

Lauren Sano is currently an undergraduate student at Western University in London, Ontario. She is co-chair of the Stem Cell Club in the Western Chapter and has been involved in recruiting stem cell donors for several years. She was previously a stem cell donor for her father and she uses her story as a platform to encourage and educate others to join the registry. She is also a member of the @WhyWeSwab team that develops stem cell donor and recipient stories.

Biography of Bartira Roza

dr. Roza is Associate Professor at the School of Nursing at the Federal University of Sao Paulo – Unifesp. She has a degree in Nursing and specialized in Surgical Nursing through the residency program at Unifesp. Dr. Roza completed her Master's and Doctorate at the School of Nursing of the Federal University of Sao Paulo – Unifesp, specializing in organ donation research and investigating the reasons for family rejection in Brazilian organ donation organizations. She is head of the Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Study Group-GEDOTT/CNPq. She is currently Associate Editor of the Acta Paulista de Enfermagem Magazine, member of the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation - ABTO, Transplant Coordination Department, and active member of the International Society of Transplant Nurses. As a full member of the Permanent Biovigilance Commission of the Brazilian Agency for Sanitary Regulation (ANVISA), she coordinates the project "Implementation of the National Biovigilance System" financed by the United Nations Development Program in Brazil (UNDP). PAHO-Washington Adviser for the "technical subsidy for the management of heme and biomonitoring and post-use monitoring of food, cosmetics and disinfectants by Anvisa, in relation to the preparation of the chapter on biomonitoring concepts and the work plan for the establishment of the Biovigilance Module of the Course to Strengthen the National Donation and Transplantation System OPAS of the Government.He also leads the funded project "Intelligent autonomous packaging for the cold chain of health systems" to develop a safe transport system for products of origin human, in particular organs, tissues and cells for transplantation, in partnership with the Mauá Institute of Technology, São Desarrollo Rafael Industria e Comercio Ltda. and the Institute of Technology and Food (ITAL) - Department of Agriculture and Supply (Sao Paulo) .

Ethical-legal challenges ante mortem interventions

Antemortem procedures are performed as part of a controlled donation after a donor has died with the goal of optimizing the chances of a successful organ transplant. This includes procedures and adjustments in the care of the dying patient that benefit the transplant recipient and provide no clinical benefit to the donor.

In this presentation, we discuss the key ethical and legal issues in antemortem interventions in terms of the potential donor's interests and justification of harm, the validity of consent, and the surrogate's authority to make decisions on behalf of the patient.

Ethical challenges in RCTs of antemortem interventions

Randomized controlled trials of antemortem interventions in organ donation are needed to ensure that such interventions are safe and effective. The design and conduct of RCTs for antemortem interventions raise difficult ethical issues, including informed consent of donor and recipient families, trade-off, protection of patients with imminent death, and protection of bystander researchers, including families of non-target organ donors and recipients. There are no specific ethical guidelines for RCTs on antemortem interventions in organ donation and they are urgently needed.

Randomized controlled trials of donation for cardiac death: understanding the barriers and progress

In donation after cardiac death, donor interventions aim to improve transplant outcomes. However, the clinical science of antemortem intervention to improve organ function after transplantation is still poorly developed. The design, organization, and conduct of randomized clinical trials for donation after cardiac death are severely constrained by a variety of ethical, regulatory, and pragmatic challenges. Raising awareness about these unique issues will benefit the donor and transplant communities.

Impact of ApoExo vesicles and anti-LG3 autoantibodies of vascular damage on microvascular depletion, fibrosis, and renal dysfunction associated with lupus nephretis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells and organs. One of the organs attacked is the kidney, resulting in a disease called lupus nephritis (LN). LN is a severe manifestation that affects 60% of adults with SLE. Damaged kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood. About 30% of patients progress to end-stage renal disease, in which the kidneys stop working. Patients then need to undergo dialysis or undergo a transplant to survive. During LN, the immune system attacks the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the kidneys. Our group has shown that when damaged blood vessels die, they release neurotransmitters that can alert the immune system and induce the production of autoantibodies, antibodies directed against the individual's own molecules. One of these molecules, "LG3", is found in microvessels. Our group has also shown that anti-LG3 autoantibodies, anti-LG3, were important players in the loss of microvessels in various kidney diseases and in transplant rejection. We have also shown that anti-LG3 autoantibodies measured after kidney transplantation are associated with severe vascular rejection and that anti-LG3 levels before transplantation are also associated with acute vascular rejection of kidney allografts. We found that these anti-LG3 were present at higher levels in the blood of LN patients and in lupus mice. The aim of my project is to characterize the effects of an anti-LG3 attack on renal microvessels in order to identify new mechanisms and predictors of renal dysfunction. My project offers a unique opportunity to identify new intervention targets to develop tests and therapies to help with surveillance.
and the treatment of patients with LN to prevent the devastating effects of this disease and the need for transplantation.

Changes in muscle fiber types in children with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation.

Introduction:Low muscle mass is common in children awaiting liver transplantation and can complicate post-transplant recovery. Muscles are made up of different fibers that have different functions. Some muscle fibers are better suited for endurance activity (slow muscle fibers [Type I]), while others are better for power and strength (fast muscle fibers [Type IIA and IID]). Little is known about how these muscle fibers are affected by the muscle loss that occurs with liver disease. This study aims to describe muscle differences (fiber types and size) in children with and without muscle loss.

Methods:Children were recruited from Stollery Children's Hospital pediatric transplant clinics. Muscle mass was determined from MRIs or CT scans performed at the time of transplant evaluation and corrected for height to determine muscle index (cm2/m2). Low muscle mass was determined by comparing the muscle index of healthy controls with children with liver disease. Abdominal muscle biopsy samples were taken at the time of transplantation. Muscle fiber histology was performed to determine the number and proportions of different types of muscle fibers present in the biopsy sample.

Results:18 children (0.3 – 15.0 years) were recruited. 14 children have received transplants, 2 people are currently awaiting transplantation, and 2 have died while waiting for transplantation. The most common type of liver disease was bile duct atresia (39%), followed by Alagille syndrome (17%) and others (44%). A total of 33.3% of the children had low muscle mass. The percentage of fiber types was: Type I (56.8 ± 11.1%), Type IIA (47.3% ± 16.6%) and Type IID (8.2 ± 3.2%). However, no differences were found in muscle fiber percentages between children with and without low muscle mass.

Conclusions:These data suggest that children with liver disease who have normal muscle mass and low muscle mass have similar ratios of muscle fiber types.

A qualitative descriptive study of kidney transplant recipients suffering graft loss: a forgotten cohort

Bottom:Kidney transplantation (KT) is the best treatment for patients with kidney failure. But CT doesn't last forever, and many patients will eventually lose their transplanted kidney. Little research has been done on the experiences of patients who have lost a transplanted kidney. Furthermore, no research has looked at how these patients decide what to do next, such as whether or not to receive another transplant. Because there is so little research on this, our objectives are: i) to understand the experiences of patients who have lost a transplanted kidney; ii) understand how they then decide on treatment.

Methods:This is a qualitative study, which means we collected information by talking to people who have lost a kidney transplant to get their experiences and opinions. First, we will ask 30 people who have lost a TR to keep a diary for six months in which they can write about their experiences. After that, we will interview them to talk about these experiences.

Expected results:The results of this study will be in-depth accounts of the experience of transplant loss, in the words of the people who live through it. By hearing directly from people about the experience of losing a transplanted kidney, we can also ensure that strategies to improve care for these patients are firmly based on their perspective.

Sense:It was identified as a priority to learn more about the experiences of people with failed RT. There is very little research on the care patients need after losing a transplanted kidney. Of course, from the patient's perspective, we need to know more about this so that we can better care for you if your transplant fails. Our study will capture these perspectives and identify strategies to improve patient care.

Regulatory T-cell biomarkers identify patients at risk of acute cellular rejection in the first year after heart transplantation

Patients receive heart transplants as a life-saving measure after heart failure; Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure the success of the transplant. Rejection is one of the leading causes of heart transplant failure, and as a result, patients must take medications that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection. However, these drugs are not specific and cause serious side effects that can be life-threatening. New immunosuppressive drugs that prevent transplant rejection while allowing normal immune function can significantly improve care and outcomes. A type of immune cell called regulatory T cells (Tregs) can effectively suppress the immune system in a very specific way. We believe that these cells may be effective in preventing and treating acute rejection. To work towards such a goal, we first seek to understand how Tregs behave during rejection. We tracked Tregs by measuring 36 genes (Treg-associated genes) in the blood of heart transplant patients during the first year after transplant. We found that Treg-associated genes were downregulated not only at diagnosis of acute rejection, but also in all samples from patients who developed acute rejection. This finding suggests a clear difference in Treg response between stable and rejecting patients. Measurement of Tregs in heart transplant patients may help predict patients at higher risk of developing acute rejection.

Weight inequality between donor and recipient as a risk factor for delayed graft function in kidney transplantation

Bottom:The compatibility of kidney donors and recipients is an important predictor of outcomes after kidney transplantation. Studies have shown that the weight match (RW) of the donor and recipient is particularly important for kidney transplant outcomes. Recipients who receive organs from smaller donors have been shown to have significantly worse outcomes than those who receive kidneys from donors of the same weight. Given the increasing rates of obesity in kidney transplant recipients, the impact of obesity on DR weight mismatch warrants investigation. Delayed graft function outcome, defined as the need for dialysis within the first 7 days post-transplant, was assessed.

Methods:We use a large database to identify kidney transplant recipients. We grouped DR according to their weight mismatch at transplant, yielding the following 4 groups: DR weight mismatch at >30 kg and 10-30 kg (D>R; D<R). We grouped RDs separately according to their obesity status, using a BMI cutoff of 30 kg/m2 to identify obese versus non-obese RDs. We determined the probability of DGF for each of the DR weight mismatch groups compared to DR with a matching weight.

Results:A total of 255,480 transplant recipients were included; 18% developed DGF. DGF was higher in the 30 kg weight mismatched groups (22.4% for DR>R; 21.1% for DR<R). In all DR-obesity pairings, DR < R per 30 kg was associated with the highest risk of DGF compared with no weight difference.

Conclusion:Our study showed that the risk of DGF is higher when recipients are 30 or more kg larger than their donors. This finding was observed regardless of DR obesity status. This can be explained by a more complicated operation at a larger size from recipient to donor. This finding is supported by previous studies that have shown that DGF is associated with more difficult and longer transplant surgeries.

AutoKV-Net: Automatic calculation of individual renal volume in two-dimensional ultrasound imitating sonographers

Measurement of individual kidney volume on ultrasound may be a useful surrogate biomarker of kidney function because renography requires scarce and expensive materials. Ultrasonic volume measurement is a promising approach, but requires expertise to identify and measure. In this pilot study, we investigated a machine learning approach for SKV estimation in 2D ultrasound cineclips in transplanted and native kidneys. A machine learning algorithm was trained on 514 images annotated by sonographers for the renal capsule. Another group of 16 patients (32 film clips, 16 volumes) was randomly selected. The sonographers measured the lengths and widths of the kidneys on these films. The trained algorithm processed the cines and generated a prediction for the image with the maximum area of the capsule. It snaps to a bounding box with the latest angular dimensions serving as the cardioid dimensions. The annotator's measured SKV was 220 ± 119 mL (95% CI: 162, 278), while the algorithm's measured SKV was 224 ± 109 mL (95% CI: 171, 277) with no significant differences. The absolute mean difference was 4 mL, while the relative mean difference was 6.7%. For comparison, an error of +0.1 cm in each of the algorithm's measured dimensions using the same volume equation would result in an absolute difference of 78 mL and a relative difference of 42%. There was no difference in performance between the native kidneys and the transplanted kidneys. Manual measurements take 5-10 minutes, while the algorithm takes < 10 seconds. In this pilot study, an automated algorithm for measuring SKV from 2D ultrasound films was shown to be comparable to expert volume estimates. Such a technique may allow automatic, rapid and reliable measurement of SKV using conventional standard 2D ultrasound images. Future work includes correlation with renogram functional tests and prospective validation of the technique.

Biography of Anna Horton

Anna Horton has a BA in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh and an MS in Family Medicine from McGill University. She is a qualitative researcher at the McGill University Health Center Research Institute, where she applies her social science expertise to transplant nephrology research.

Bio de Rohit Singla

Rohit Singla is an MD/PhD student and Vanier Scholar at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Under the direction of Prof. Robert Rohling and Dr. Chris Nguan, he does research on smart ultrasound for chronic kidney disease and transplantation. I strongly believe in the ability of technology to improve the lives of patients and healthcare providers.

"My current research interests include ultrasound, artificial intelligence, chronic kidney disease, kidney transplantation, and medical student education."

Biography of Faisal Jarrar

Faisal Jarrar is currently completing his final year at Dalhousie University School of Medicine in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Under the direction of Dr. Amanda Vinson and Dr. Karthik Tennankore he focuses his research at the Kidney Research Institute Nova Scotia (KRINS) on the interplay between donor and recipient obesity and various transplant outcomes after heart transplantation. kidney. He plans to specialize in internal medicine and hopes to make research a central part of his future practice.

Biography of Amber Hager

“I am a registered dietitian currently in my second year of a master's program in human nutrition and metabolism at the University of Alberta. My areas of interest include pediatric liver and gastrointestinal diseases. My main research focus is how muscle atrophy and body composition changes affect pre- and postoperative outcomes in children undergoing liver transplantation. I look forward to developing nutritional and exercise rehabilitation strategies to improve outcomes and quality of life for these patients."

Biography of Ji Young Kim

Ji-Young Kim is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia and at the Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF). She has a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Arizona and has a background in data science and molecular biology. At the PROOF Center, Ji-Young is co-leading the clinical validation study of the HEARTBiT assay, a blood-based diagnostic test to rule out acute cellular rejection in heart transplant patients. Her postdoctoral research focuses on understanding what constitutes optimal post-transplant immunosuppression and translating these discoveries into biomarkers that can improve transplant care.

Resume of Marie-Hélène Normand

Marie-Hélène Normand is currently 11 months into a Master's program inMicrobiology and Immunology from the University of Montreal. she stopsBachelor-Abschluss in Molecular and Cellularbiologyof the Universityby Sherbrooke. Under the direction of Dr. Mélanie Dieudé, he focuses his research onCharacterization of the effects of autoimmune responses induced by vascular injuryon the development of lupus nephritis and end-stage renal failure (ESRF). With this research he wants to identify biomarkers and new interventionsGoals to develop tests and therapies to help with monitoring and treatmentPatients with lupus nephritis to prevent ESRF and theNeed toTransplant.

Biography of Marie-Josée Hébert

Marie-Josée Hébert earned a specialized degree in nephrology from the Université de Montréal, followed by postdoctoral studies at Harvard. dr. Hébert is a researcher and nephrologist-transplant physician at CHUM, a professor in the School of Medicine, and co-holder of the Shire Chair in Kidney Transplantation and Regeneration. She is also co-director of the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP) and founder of numerous interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research groups.

His lab focuses on the role of programmed cell death as an important signaling pathway that contributes to immune dysregulation, rejection, and abnormal vascular repair. His team's findings have led to the characterization of new mediators of rejection and kidney failure in humans. They also contributed to a better understanding of the mechanisms of fibrogenesis triggered by endothelial injury, autophagy, and apoptosis. Marie-Josée Hébert, a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, received the Dr. John B. Dossetor Research Award (2015) and the Kidney Foundation of Canada's Medal for Research Excellence (2016). In 2017 she was named Scientist of the Year by La Presse newspaper.

As Vice Chancellor for Research, Discovery, Creation and Innovation at the Université de Montréal since 2015, she has played a leading role in developing major interdisciplinary research initiatives, including founding IVADO - Institute for Data Valorization, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Digital Health Consortium, and the Montreal Declaration for the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence.

Biography of Patricia Gongal

dr. Patricia Gongal is the Executive Director of the CDTRP. She received her PhD in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Alberta in 2009 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in France. She has worked in a variety of roles in support of researchers and research programmes, including as a freelance scientific writing adviser, research development officer at Aberystwyth University, UK, and director of major grants at Aberystwyth School of Medicine and Dentistry. the University of Alberta. her where she developed, implemented, and led the strategy for large-scale research funding initiatives.

Biography of Lorraine Hamiwka

dr. Lorraine Hamiwka is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and a Pediatric Nephrologist at Children's Hospital of Alberta. She has been President of the Pediatric Group of the Canadian Transplant Society. She is director of the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Alberta Children's Hospital and directs the Young Adult Kidney Transplant Clinic in Calgary, whose goal is to improve the healthcare experience for young adult kidney transplant recipients. Her research interests in pediatric transplantation include quality of life and long-term outcomes. dr. Hamiwka is currently participating in and supporting several national multi-center transplant research projects, as well as many national initiatives.

Dra. Amy Waterman

Amy Waterman is the Head of the Department of Patient Engagement and Diversity at the Center for Outcomes Research at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, Director of Patient Engagement, Equity and Education at the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital and a faculty member. from the Terasaki Research Institute. The research of Dr. Waterman is researching how best to expand access to transplants, reduce racial disparities in transplantation, ensure informed decision-making, ensure transplant compliance, encourage paired donation, and increase living donation rates. His research incorporates many components of clinical and translational research, including patient-centered research, clinical trials, behavioral studies, development of new educational technologies, cost-benefit analysis, outcomes, and care research. medicine, and the implementation of best practices. dr. Waterman collaborates with and advises other researchers in the fields of nephrology, urology, health research, economics, public health, and nursing with experience and interest in transplantation or educational research. Her research has been supported with more than $25 million in federal grants and she has published more than 80 research articles and book chapters. dr. Waterman is also designing and testing the effectiveness of new patient and living donor education resources, including brochures, videos, mobile apps, social media interventions, and provider-based education, in motivating kidney patients to transplant and living donors to donate. In 2009, she founded the non-profit series of educational programs and training courses called Explore Transplant and Explore Living Donation, which enable more people to become educated about transplantation and living donation.

DR. Lashara Davis

dr. LaShara Davis is a researcher in the Patient Engagement, Diversity and Education department and represents both J.C. Walter Transplant Center at Houston Methodist Hospital and the Center for Outcomes Research at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. She is committed to patient-centered care research, health messaging and educational development, and the reduction of racial and ethnic health disparities through communication.

For the past 17 years he has been investigating the many facets of living and deceased donation. She uses a mixed methods approach that employs research tools such as surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and focus group methods to capture the patient's perspective to inform health education and message design. She has worked at all levels of campaign development, including formative stakeholder interviews and design of campaign materials. She previously served as Assistant Professor of Health Communication and Faculty Liaison for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at DeSales University, where she helped launch campus-wide diversity initiatives and programs. She also worked at RWJ Barnabas Health (formerly Saint Barnabas Medical Center) in the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Unit as a Principal Investigator, where she conducted research on educational strategies to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in seeking transplants and methods to improve design. of standard transplant center patient education.

After 5 years in a purely teaching role, he hopes to return to research full-time and refocus on involvement in community-based participatory research design, patient engagement, and patient-centered educational development.

Biography of Maria Beaucage

Mary Beaucage is an Anishnaabe from the Nipissing First Nation near North Bay Ontario. She has built her career in retail management, honing her skills in recruiting, training and succession planning, opening new stores, and analyzing markets and business needs. She is a vulnerable and attractive storyteller who trusts you with her story.

Mary has type 2 diabetes and was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in 2013 for which she was on dialysis. In March 2015, Mary received a kidney from her cousin Janice, who lives in Manitoba.

He is a patient leader in CDTRP Topic 1 research. Mary is co-chair of the Can-SOLVE CKD Network Patient Governance Circle and the Indigenous Peoples Engagement Research Council. She holds leadership and board positions with various healthcare organizations. Mary has been a keynote speaker, panel member, and moderator at regional, national, and international nephrology conferences. Mary is interested in education and advocacy on issues related to indigenous health, patient association, chronic kidney disease research, and organ donation and transplantation.

Tim Ramsay

dr. Tim Ramsay has a Ph.D. in biostatistics and isSI'm inSResearch Associate in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and inassassociatedPProfessor at the School of Epidemiology at the University of Ottawayhealth care. He is the Scientific Director of the Ottawa Methods Centre, a group of statisticians, information technology specialists, epidemiologists and health economists that supports clinical research at Ottawa Hospital and throughout Ontario through the strategy of research focused on the CIHR-funded patient.(SPORT).dr. Ramsay wrote about 257publications and has earned more than $Sixty-fiveMillions in research funds as PI and co-investigator.

sara douglas

Sarah Douglas lives in Ottawa and works as a policy analyst for HealthCanada. For the past three years, Ella Sarah has supported the Organ Donation and Transplantation Cooperation at the Secretariat, working closely with the Governing Committees and the Patient/Advocate Advisory Committee.

Biography of Ruth Sapir-Pichhadzes

dr. Sapir-Pichhadze is an Investigator at the McGill University Health Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nephrology and the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at McGill University in Montreal. She completed specialized training in nephrology and kidney transplantation at the University of Toronto and also completed the Eliot Phillipson Clinical Scientist Program and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Clinical Investigator Program, where she earned a Ph.D. in clinical epidemiology and health services research. Her doctoral studies focused on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of antibody-mediated lesions resulting from the production of antibodies against human leukocyte antigen in kidney transplant recipients and candidates.

Biography of Caigan Du

dr. Caigan Du is a Research Scientist at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urological Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He received a Ph.D. She graduated in Biochemistry in the UK and postdoctoral training in Immunology in the USA. He is interested in the pathogenesis of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury and transplant rejection and in the molecular control of urinary malignancies. He has investigated the influence of kidney donor-derived factors on kidney transplant rejection and the molecular pathways of kidney damage and regeneration in experimental models. He is also interested in developing medical solutions that include medicines made from natural compounds for all kinds of health problems, including immune disorders, organ preservation, kidney failure, and urinary cancer. He is the PI for many grants from the Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Biography of Mamatha Bhat

Mamatha Bhat is a Research Associate at the UniversityHealth Network Ajmera Transplant Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Toronto. She completed her medical school and residency at McGill University, followed by a fellowship in transplant hepatology at the Mayo Clinic and a PhD in medical biophysics through a CIHR Fellowship for Health Professionals.

Biography of Michael Khoury

Michael Khoury is a pediatric cardiologist and assistant professor at Stollery Children's Hospital of the University of Alberta. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of Toronto and his fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the University of Toronto and Alberta. He completed subspecialty fellowships in Preventive Pediatric Cardiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation at CCHMC and the University of Alberta. He is co-director of the Kawasaki Disease/MIS-C Clinic at the University of Alberta and his research interests are in cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac graft vasculopathy, lipid disorders, and hypertension.

james lan biography

dr. Lan is a jointly appointed assistant professor for the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology. He is medical director of the Vancouver HLA Laboratory and a transplant nephrologist at Vancouver General Hospital. dr. Lan is the recipient of a Michael Smith Scholar Award and is the holder of several research grants supporting the development and application of new technologies to improve HLA matching between donor and recipient. A key focus of his current research, funded by the Kidney Foundation of Canada, is to develop new solutions for highly sensitive patients on the kidney disease waiting list.

Biography of Carrie Thibodeau

Carrie Thibodeau was one of the project leaders for theImprove engagement and empower patients on their journey to transplantationProject. His educational background is in applied health sciences and communications, and his professional career has focused on renal health. She has worked closely with patients and healthcare professionals for many years and has been involved in various projects with the Kidney Foundation of Canada. This project was an opportunity to be part of a team responsible for ensuring that patient experiences are at the center of decisions made about how best to manage organ donation and transplants in Canada.

Kristi Coldwell Biography

Kristi Coldwell is a Senior Transplant Research Advocacy Advisor at the BC Transplant Research Foundation. Having undergone a heart transplant as a teenager for a congenital heart defect, Kristi is keenly aware of the role research plays in improving outcomes and quality of life. She believes that patient and family partners play an important role in shaping and reporting research to ensure that it is meaningful and accountable to all stakeholders. She is also co-chair of the Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) Collaborative Patient Advocacy Advisory Committee, a Health Canada initiative that brings together key stakeholders in Canada's ODT system.

Holly Mansell Biography

Holly Mansell is an Adjunct Professor in the University of Saskatchewan School of Pharmacy and Nutrition. She is a transplant pharmacist, but currently spends most of her time researching and teaching pharmacy students. Her research focuses primarily on transplantation, patient education, patient-centered research, and cannabis and youth. She is also working on a Ph.D. in Health Sciences and her family is very excited for her to complete it this summer.

Biography of Maria J. Santana

dr. Maria J. Santana is a public health researcher, a patient and family-centered care researcher, and an associate professor in the departments of pediatrics and community health sciences at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine.

dr. Santana received training in Clinical Pharmacy (BPharm, MPharm, London School of Pharmacy, UK, Universidad La Laguna, Spain), Public Health and Clinical Epidemiology (PhD, University of Alberta, Canada). Her research focuses on developing novel methods to integrate the voice of patients and caregivers into health and care research to improve health and medical care. The methods promote person-centred care and patient-oriented research.

She is the provincial director, Patient Engagement for theAlberta Strategy for Patient-Centered Research. She is scientific director of theParticipation of patients and the community in research(pacemaker).

Murdoch Leeies Biography

dr. Leeies is a Manitoba-based specialist in organ donation, acute care medicine and emergency medicine. Trained as a clinical investigator, he serves as Director of Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Manitoba.

dr. Leeies leads a collaborative research program focused on promoting health equity in organ and tissue donation and transplantation. This intersectional research program connects to her clinical work as an organ donation specialist with the Transplant Manitoba Gift of Life program. dr. Leeies extends his commitment to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) through academic and clinical service as National EDI Director for the Canadian Critical Care Society and as Chair and Co-Chair respectively of the Emergency Medicine Committees and EDI Manitoba Critical Care.

dr. Leeies was recently recognized by the University of Manitoba's Center for Healthcare Innovation with the Preparing for Research by Engaging Public and Patient Partners (PREPPP) Award to support the development of an engaged 2SLGBTQIA+ patient and public advisory team in patient development. injustices facing 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada's organ and tissue donation and transplantation system. Through this work, Dr. Leeies to generate knowledge that can inform reform of the structural and systemic elements of the health system that perpetuate these inequities.

Biography of Joanna Mitchell

Juana Mitchellis the mother of 16-year-old Ryley, who underwent a heart transplant at the age of 7 months. Shortly after Ryley's transplant, the Mitchell family volunteered with the Trillium Gift of Life Network to encourage others to consider organ donation by sharing Ryley's story. Joanna and Ryley received the 2017 TGLN Board of Directors Champion Award for their contribution to raising awareness about organ donation.

When Ryley was 5 years old, she competed in her first Canadian Transplant Games and the family became involved with the Canadian Transplant Association. With the CTA, Joanna has helped organize various events to promote both organ donation and a healthy, active life after transplant. Joanna has also worked as a parent liaison to bring a pediatric and family perspective to transplant games. She encourages the connections of transplant families by supporting various social networking groups and informal mentoring.

CV de Davina Banner

dr. Davina Banner is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. Davina leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on rural and cardiovascular health along with research that advances the science and practice of integrated knowledge translation and patient-centered research. Through her research, Davina seeks to improve the health of Canadians living with complex health conditions and studies methods and practices that support meaningful co-production in research.

Leonard Hodders Biography

Leonard Hodder lives in Brampton, Ontario and works as a project manager for his family's business. Len is a living non-directed liver and kidney donor and enjoys volunteering with various organizations including CDTRP, the UHN Center for Living Organ Donation, the Transplant Ambassadors Program, and the Lung Transplant Physical Therapy Room at the Hospital Toronto General.

Biography of Rienk de Vries

Based in Oakville, Rienk de Vries runs a consulting firm that has provided water management services in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean for more than 15 years. Rienk has been a patient investigator and Patient, Families and Donor (PFD) representative on CDTRP Theme 5: Restoring Long-Term Health for just over a year. He received a heart transplant in December 2012 and has been involved in various transplant-related research projects for the past 10 years.

Biography of Linnea Franson

Linnea Franson is a communications professional with a background in sociology, research, and education. Originally from Toronto, Linnea received her Master's in Professional Communication from Ryerson University in 2018. Prior to joining Can-SOLVE CKD Network as a patient association and training manager, she worked in communications at the University of British Columbia. She previously also worked as a network communications coordinator with Can-SOLVE CKD in 2019.

When she's not in the office, Linnea explores Vancouver's culinary scene, reading the latest health and wellness research, or enjoying long walks outside.

Alice Murdoch Biography

Alicia is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (ACRP-CP) with over 12 years of clinical research experience. Prior to joining Can-SOLVE CKD, she worked as a Research Coordinator, Review Manager on a Research Ethics Board (REB), and Ethics and Regulatory Coordinator. Her previous work experiences have provided her with extensive knowledge of the investigative process. In her current role as Can-SOLVE CKD Network Project Manager, she is responsible for the Canadian Nephrology Trials Network and the Can-SOLVE CKD Network Pediatric Committee, helping these key infrastructures promote their initiatives and ideas to improve the lives of people affected by chronic kidney disease. illness.

Biography of Lynne Feehans

Lynne Feehan, PhD, is a healthcare researcher and director of knowledge translation in the BC SUPPORT Unit, and is passionate about helping patient partners and healthcare researchers learn how to collaborate and engage in meaningful partner engagement in research of health. She is also a physical therapist with many years of experience in the healthcare system. Her lived experience as a researcher and clinician has helped Lynne learn how to deal with the opportunities and challenges of conducting or using insights from health research in health care and service delivery.

Biographies of von Larry Mróz

Larry Mróz, PhD, is the Patient Engagement Coordinator at the BC SUPPORT Unit. In this role, she helps BC health researchers collaborate with non-researchers, including patients, who want to understand what health research does, why research can be important, and how they can help make research more meaningful. most relevant. Larry is also a health researcher. His health research has focused on understanding how people experience living with different health conditions and how their experiences can influence their health behaviors.

Biography of Aggie Black

Agnes (Aggie) Black is Director of Health Services and Clinical Research and Knowledge Translation at Providence Health Care Working closely with Patient Family Partners consultants, Aggie supports clinicians in research projects, including leading the Research Challenge Based on Practice. Aggie received her nursing degree from the University of Washington, Seattle and her Master's in Public Health from Simon Fraser University. She is Associate Professor at the UBC School of Nursing and Associate Researcher, Center for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences (CHEOS).

Heather Badenoch Biography

Heather Badenoch is a non-directed living liver donor and communications strategist. As president of Village PR, she provides strategic communications leadership and training to nonprofit clients in the community and health sectors. Heather, an active transplant volunteer, helps transplant candidates find living donors by making their public appeals, small and large, on a voluntary basis. She also accompanies potential living donors on their journey to living donation. Heather volunteers with the UHN Center for Living Organ Donation and the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program. She and her spouse adopt rescue dogs and volunteer with Community Veterinary Outreach, a group that provides free veterinary care for homeless pets.

CV of Sylvain Bédard

Sylvain Bédard first heard the word transplant in 1980 when he was diagnosed with HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), a heart disease that had just killed his 18-year-old sister. Sylvain will have to fight for 20 years before receiving the gift of life.

In 2000 he received a heart transplant and in 2003 he climbed Mont-Blanc (4800m). In December 2004, he became the first heart transplant recipient in history to climb over 6,000m in Bolivia's 6,500m Sajama Mountain. He has spoken and published his journey at the International Heart Lung Transplantation Society, Canadian Cardiology Society, Canadian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association…just to mention Sylvain's medical adventure as a patient who experienced arrhythmia, three Peace Defibrillator implants, embolism, hernia disc and many other health problems... But always with a smile!

Sean Delaney Biography

Sean Delaney lives in Edmonton, Alberta and has worked for CanadianBlood Services for the past 14 years, where he developed the guidelines and implemented many of the interprovincial organ propagation programs Canadians trust: Kidney Paired Donation, the kidney sharing program for highly sensitive patients, and interprovincial heart-liver sharing programs will soon be implemented. He also oversaw several key practice leadership initiatives this year, including ongoing work to optimize kidney allocation for expanded criteria donors and to develop eligibility recommendations for liver transplants in patients with alcohol use disorders. He is also a lifelong kidney patient and a two-time kidney transplant recipient. He received his last transplant in October 2020 from a generous living donor.

Biographies of Teresa Atkinson

Teresa is privileged to work, live, and play within the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. She has lived with kidney disease for 35 years and has spent more time on dialysis than she has on a successful transplant. After waiting 17 years for dialysis, she was lucky enough to receive her third miracle transplant from the list of highly sensitized patients.

As a person with a lifetime of experience living with a chronic illness, Teresa is a passionate advocate for empowering others and building community. She has 25 years of experience volunteering with various kidney health charities; Public awareness, peer engagement, organ donation promotion, strategic planning and governance. She loves connecting with people within the kidney community and helping them on their kidney journey.

“Research has become an exciting area where I can make a difference for patients and clinicians by sharing my patient journey and knowledge. My recent participation in various research projects is among the most satisfying jobs I have ever done.”

Biography of Marc Bains

Marc Bains is Co-Founder and Vice President of the HeartLife Foundation, a patient-focused charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people living with heart failure by engaging, educating and empowering a global community to create lasting solutions. and build healthier lives. Marc has been active in a wide range of health research, including co-directed studies exploring patient-centered research methodologies and practices.

Patient-oriented knowledge mobilization: Turning the dial
for the generation and translation of knowledge

This presentation reflects the results of two research studies examining research partnerships within health research networks. We will draw on data collected from diverse stakeholders operating in 10 Canadian research networks and identify how perspectives on knowledge are changing and how patients and families are taking an increasingly important role in the development and implementation of the research. We will highlight opportunities for patient-centered knowledge mobilization and the critical role of patients and the public in advancing research with local and global reach.

Biography of Javairia Rahim

Javairia Rahim is a Dr. Jonathan Choy MSc candidate at Simon Fraser University studying the role of cell surface engineering in preventing transplant rejection. She has been a member of the CDTRP since the summer of 2021 and is also a member of the Society for Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST).

Biography of Paraag Trivedi

Paraag Trivedi has been passionate about his community from a young age and is involved in organizations such as the Kids Help Phone Student Ambassador program and the Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association. After the shocking diagnosis of kidney failure, he received a kidney transplant from his father at the age of 15. After he was cured, he wanted to try to serve his community to the best of his ability, and in 2012 he was admitted to the University of Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy, where he was fortunate enough to participate in an education project for patients with kidney failure and those who received transplants. While at the U of S, he continued to serve as the financial officer for the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns. After graduating in 2016, he entered group practice while also contributing to research projects, mentoring and teaching pharmacy students, acting as a guest speaker for the patient experience of a kidney transplant patient's journey, and giving regular presentations. continuing education for medical personnel. Paraag has also made it a mission to speak to patients in his area, such as presenting various health issues in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and senior groups, and is currently a member of the board of directors for the Association of Pharmacies as well. from Saskatchewan. For his dedication, impact and his commitment to the profession, Paraag received the 2021 New Horizons Award from the Saskatchewan Association of Pharmacies.

Terry Steeves-Gurnsey Biography

Terry Steeves-Gurnsey received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Saskatchewan in 1974 and became a Certified Virology Technologist at the Royal University Hospital in 1976. In 2004 she received a kidney transplant at St. Paul Hospital. He continued to work until 2018 when he retired from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Biography of Nicola Rosaasen

Nicola wandered through the biology department at the University of Saskatchewan before entering the School of Pharmacy, with a lifelong love of all things biologically whimsical. After graduating in 1992, she completed a bachelor's degree in pharmacy and was hired as a pharmacist at St. Paul's in Saskatoon. In 2002, she was offered a position with the Saskatchewan Transplant Program. At Transplant, Nicola found a professional home: a place of continued learning and research, but most importantly, a place that fostered the development of long-term relationships with so many wonderful patients. She has been honored with a number of professional awards over the years, including 2018 Pharmacist of the Year from the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (SaskBranch). from themselves, their time and their stories to the many research and educational projects over the years.

sean dick

Sean Dicks is a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience supporting families of organ donors and transplant recipients. While it is rare that you will have contact with a donor and recipient family associated with the same organ donation-transplant event, you will have contact with families who have experienced organ donation on the one hand, and with patients who have received transplants on the other. side. on the other, he has provided opportunities to explore how their journeys connect as they seek to make sense of their respective crises.

Sean recently completed his PhD at the University of Canberra, Australia. His study examined the bereavement experiences of the families of potential organ donors. In preparation for the empirical component of her research, she conducted several systematic reviews of the literature, each examining aspects of the experiences of families of organ donors, transplant recipients, and healthcare professionals.

One of these reviews attempted to understand the relationship that develops between the families of organ donors and transplant recipients. Referring to the literature on both sides of this relationship, a number of interesting observations have been made. His presentation will focus on these observations, his experiences supporting families of organ donors and transplant recipients, and the findings of recent international studies that have examined the relationship and needs of the parties involved.

Shaifali-Sandalia

Shaifali Sandal is a transplant nephrologist, an associate professor at McGill University Health Center, and a researcher at the McGill University Health Center Research Institute. She received her graduate education at SUNY Upstate Medical University and the University of Rochester, followed by a fellowship in transplant nephrology at McGill University Health Center and a fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Her clinical and research interests are to improve rates of and access to living-donor kidney transplantation and retransplantation using health systems approaches. She is the author of more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and has received an American Transplant Society Clinical Faculty Development Research Fellowship, a Kidney Foundation of Canada Research Fellowship in Kidney Health, and a fellowship from research innovation from the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program. to support this work.

Karthik Tennankore

dr. Tennankore is a nephrologist and associate professor of medicine. His clinical experience includes chronic kidney disease and home dialysis modalities (home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). In addition to residency training, he is interested in research methodology and leads the research rotation for nephrology fellows.

dr. Tennankore is interested in studying and improving patient outcomes after the initiation of dialysis and transplantation, and is part of national and international research initiatives on home hemodialysis. She participates in clinical trials and conducts a series of prospective cohort studies in nephrology.

Puneeta Tandon

dr. Tandon is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the Cirrhosis Care Clinic, a Transplant Hepatologist, and Director of the Cirrhosis Care Alberta Quality Improvement Program. He received education from him at the University of Alberta, the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona and Yale University. His clinical practice and research focus on cirrhosis with research interests such as cirrhotic complications, malnutrition, frailty, exercise therapy, palliative care, integrative health approaches such as meditation, and knowledge translation. His professional goal is to provide holistic, interdisciplinary, evidence-based, and patient-centered care through education, empowerment, engagement, and teamwork.

Susan Q McKenzie

Susan is a seasoned fundraising and communications professional who has worked to promote various charities across Canada. In 2010, after a year of dialysis, she received a new kidney from her husband's sister. The fear and isolation of this experience planted the first seeds that much more needed to be done to help other people with kidney disease. Two of Susan's three daughters were also diagnosed with a rare gene mutation (MUC1) that ultimately leads to kidney failure.

When Susan's middle daughter needed a kidney transplant in 2017, her daughter's support as she tried to navigate the health care system in her search for a living donor underscored the crucial role of patients and donors, who gave come forward to support each other during this difficult time. As someone who walks away from a challenge, Susan began working with other patients, kidney donors, and researchers to create the Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP), a volunteer-led peer support program that helping kidney patients and donors grow navigating the path to transplantation since 2017.

Currently, TAP has more than 150 ambassadors and has been implemented in all 27 renal centers in Ontario. TAP recently launched additional innovative features to support patients and living donors, including a new ambassador directory and a Canada-first service, Patients Seeking Donors, which allows patients to post a profile on a secure website to help them with their Seeking help for a living donor.

Franz Migneault

Francis Migneault is a Research Associate in the Nephrology, Transplantation and Renal Regeneration Research Unit at the CHUM Research Center in Montreal. He is also co-director of the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP) education and training platform. He received his degree in biochemistry from the University of Sherbrooke. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Montreal at the Lung Research Unit in Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). He then continued his postdoctoral studies investigating the importance of paracrine mediators, specifically extracellular vesicles released by apoptotic endothelial cells, on blood vessel function in the context of transplantation. Furthermore, he is investigating the potential of these vesicles as biomarkers of vascular rejection in kidney transplant patients. When he's not in the lab, Francis' main interests are woodworking and the delights of the great boreal forest.

alba richards

Dawn Richards, PhD, is the founder of Five02 Labs Inc. and director of patient and community engagement at Clinical Trials Ontario. With a Ph.D. (Analytical Chemistry) from the University of Alberta and experience in various roles over the past 20 years, her journey of combining her passion for science for the best possible benefit began when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis fifteen years ago. years. In her role as CTO, Dawn is tasked with delivering on the CTO's strategic pillar of patient and community engagement.

As a patient, Dawn is Vice President of the Canadian Arthritis Patients Alliance, a Research Ambassador for the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health Institute (the Canadian Institutes for Health Research), has served on the BMJ Patient Advisory Panel, and was the first patient advisor in the Canadian Medical Association Waiting Time Alliance. She advocates for disease awareness, access to treatment and research options, and the inclusion of patients as partners on research teams and in decision-making.

Amina Silva

Amina Silva is a registered nurse and is in her final year of PhD at Queen's University. Her clinical experience focuses on end-of-life care, kidney transplants, and eye donation procedures. Her research program focuses on organ donation processes, death and survival care, and simulation-based educational strategies. Amina is also a research coordinator for the BRiC (Stuying Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Among OTDCs in Canada) program, a research assistant at Queen's University, and a simulation facilitator at the University of Ottawa.

Quality improvement tools for the management of deceased organ donation processes: a scoping review

Deceased organ donation is a highly complex, multi-step process that makes it prone to adverse events and errors. Appropriate quality improvement tools must be used to ensure order and safety throughout the donation process. We conducted a scoping review to map existing evidence on the use of quality improvement tools to manage the deceased organ donation process. A total of 40 references were included and the tools identified included checklists, algorithms, flowcharts, diagrams, paths, decision tree maps, and mobile apps. These tools were applied in the following phases of the organ donation process: (1) identification of potential donors; (2) donor recommendation; (3) determination of death; (4) evaluation of potential donors; (5) donor management; (6) donor risk assessment; (7) withdrawal of life support; (8) organ removal; and (9) the entire organ donation process. By mapping existing tools, we want to facilitate both the clinician's choice among available tools and research work that builds on existing knowledge.

beautiful hunter

Linda is a retired nurse and health manager who has worked in the health sector locally, nationally and internationally for the past 35 years. With spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and severe degenerative disc disease, she has lived with chronic pain for over 10 years. Linda is a CIHR Patient Engagement Research Ambassador for the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health Institute and a member of the Institute's Advisory Board. Linda states: “It is critical that the voice of patients is respected, heard and included in changes in healthcare delivery, including research. Patients are experts in their disease and what they have experienced. They are increasingly informed and informed and it is imperative that they participate in developing plans for what is being investigated."

Biography of Jennifer Woolfsmith

Jennifer (Jen) Woolfsmith is a full-time Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Project Management Professional (PMP) with a BA in Psychology. She has worked for NOVA Chemicals for the past 20 years and currently serves as the Chief of Staff. Her professional career has given her so much and has taken her on adventures in the UK, Pittsburgh and Houston, but her greatest adventure comes in the form of family. She and her husband Dan are sea people who now call Calgary home. They have 2 amazing boys Owen and Declan and their beautiful baby girl Mackenzy. In May 2012, Mackenzy died after catastrophic injuries at the hands of her nanny; Shortly before her second birthday she became an organ donor. Since her death, Jen has taken every opportunity she has to brag about herself and the lasting impact she continues to have on this world. She believes that organ donation can offer a potential source of hope for bereaved, as it did for her, and she wants every family to have the opportunity to choose to donate organs when it's right for them and their loved ones.

https://youtu.be/YOvPHEGFdRs

Biography of Marat Slessarev

dr. Marat Slessarev BSc MSc MD PhD FRCPC is a Clinical Scientist and Adult Critical Care Physician at Western University in London, Canada. dr. Slessarev was born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan, completed middle and high school in London, UK, and moved to Canada in 2000 to pursue university studies. dr. Slessarev completed a BS in Physiology, an MS in Cardiopulmonary Physiology under the supervision of Dr. Joseph A. Fisher, MD, and a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician, all from the University of Toronto. He then moved to London, Ontario, where he completed his training in adult critical care, followed by an academic clinical program and a PhD in medical biophysics under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Ellis and Christopher McIntyre. He joined the Western faculty in 2017 as an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine and carries out his clinical work at the London Health Sciences Centre. His research focuses on sedation, neurophysiology, and cognition in critical illness. dr. Slessarev is co-director of the CDTRP-supported Neurological Physiology After Removal Therapy (NeuPaRT) research program, funded by CIHR and the New Frontiers in Research Fund. He is also a hospital donor physician and regional medical director for Trillium Gift of Life Network (Ontario Health), Ontario's organ donation organization.

Dan Harvey Biography

dr. Dan Harvey is a specialist in intensive care medicine at Nottingham University Hospitals and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham. He chairs the UK Intensive Care Societies Legal and Ethical Advisory Group and is the author of the GPICS guidelines. Dan recently chaired the national consensus group that published guidance on the treatment of devastating brain injuries in the UK. Dan has an active interest in research with roles as National Leader of Innovation and Research in NHS Blood Organ Donation and Transplantation, Vice-Chairman of the NIHR National Critical Care Group, and Joint Principal Investigator of the SIGNET Study, the intervention study largest in the world in organ donation

Biography of Maureen Meade

dr. Maureen Meade is a Critical Care Consultant at Hamilton Health Sciences and a Professor at McMaster University. dr. Meade has directed numerous national and international randomized trials. She is Co-Director of the Canada-DONATE Research Program and Vice Chair of the CIHR-funded Platform Trials Initiative of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group.

Biography of Blayne Amir Sayed

dr. Sayed is a member of the SickKids Department of General and Thoracic Surgery. He specializes in benign and malignant diseases of the liver and bile ducts. dr. Sayed is double board certified in Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery and Abdominal Organ Transplantation with a special interest in minimally invasive liver surgery, living donor liver transplantation, and complex liver surgery with biliary and vascular reconstruction. dr. Sayed is an associate scientist with expertise in cellular immunology. He is building a lab focused on understanding the molecular machinery that controls the development of immunological memory after organ transplantation.

Biography of Keir Forgies

dr. Keir Forgie is a PGY5 resident in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the University of Alberta. He is a doctoral student in experimental surgery specializing in ex situ lung perfusion. His primary supervisor is Dr. Jayan Nagendran (MD/PhD) and his co-supervisor is Dr. Darren Freed (MD/PhD).

Biography of Jennifer Conways

dr. Jennifer Conway is a cardiologist at Stollery and an associate professor at the University of Alberta School of Medicine and Dentistry. dr. Conway, an experienced caregiver, previously had appointments at the Hospital for Sick Children (in Toronto) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (in Charlotte, PEI). She is currently the Director of Stollery's Cardiac Function and Cardiomyopathy Program, a position she has held since 2018.

dr. Conway is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of heart failure, transplantation, and ventricular assist devices. His professional organizations reflect this; he is an active member and holds leadership positions in the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION), which aims to improve outcomes in children with heart failure who require ventricular assist devices; he is a member of the American Heart Association Young Hearts Committee on Heart Failure; She is a past president of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society and a pediatric representative of the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network. He also played a key role in establishing Stollery's Home Pediatric Milrinone Program, which allows children (who have previously been hospitalized) to return to the comfort of their own homes while awaiting a transplant, and has introduced rounds of heart functions biweekly width of western Canada. .

dr. In addition to being a cardiologist by training, Conway also has a master's degree in clinical epidemiology from the University of Alberta. As a researcher, she is the author of numerous publications and fellowships, all focused on advanced therapies for heart failure. She currently serves on the editorial boards of ASAIO Journal, JACC-Heart Failure, and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and serves as a manuscript reviewer for several prestigious journals.

Biography of Masataka Kawamura

dr. Kawamura graduated from Nagoya City Medical College in 2011 and trained as a junior resident before moving on to Osaka University's Department of Urology, where he trained as a senior resident. During this time, she received training in kidney transplantation, urologic oncology, and stones, and received specialty certification from the Japan Urological Society. He also worked at Osaka University Hospital, one of Japan's leading kidney transplant centers, and began research on reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney transplants as a graduate student at the College of Medicine from Osaka University in 2017, where he received his Ph.D. in March 2021. The research results were published in 2019 and received the Japan Urological Association General Assembly Award. She plans to join Dr.

Lauren Westhavers Biography

Lauren Westhaver is a graduate student in the Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. Jeanette Boudreau. Her research focuses on the response of lymphocytes to endogenous signals of tissue damage and the regulation of sterile inflammation.

Biography of Tania Janaudis-Ferreira

dr. Tania Janaudis-Ferreira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy at McGill University and a Research Fellow at the McGill University Health Center Research Institute.

The overall goal of Dr. Janaudis-Ferreira's research program is optimizing rehabilitative care for people with chronic illnesses to improve physical functioning, quality of life, and morbidity. There are two main patient populations in which he conducts rehabilitation studies: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients. Within this focus, his research program encompasses two interrelated themes: 1) improving the acceptance of rehabilitation by COPD patients, and 2) developing and evaluating new rehabilitation and physical activity interventions for SOT candidates and recipients.

Dr. Janaudis-Ferreira ist Mitbegründer des Canadian Network of Rehabilitation and Exercise for Optimal Recovery from Solid Organ Transplants (CAN RECOVER).

The biography of Dmitry Rozenberg

dr. Dmitry Rozenberg is a respirologist at the University Health Network and a member of the Ajmera Multi-Organ Transplant Program. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and has received the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Chairs in Rehabilitation Medicine. He began studying Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University, which sparked his passion for fitness and movement training. He then completed his medical studies at the University of Ottawa and his training in internal medicine and respiratory medicine at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto Institute of Medical Sciences with a focus on skeletal muscle dysfunction in lung transplantation with support from the Eliot Phillipson Training Program for Clinicians and Scientists and the CIHR Vanier Fellowship.

Biography of Caroline Taits

Caroline Tait has a Ph.D. in medical anthropology from McGill University and is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan. dr. Tait is a member of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and grew up in a small Métis community in central Saskatchewan. she along with Dr. Michael Moser she founded Dr. Tait, the Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis Organ Donation and Transplantation Network, comprised of knowledge keepers, lived experiencers, researchers, clinicians, and students.

Biography of Richard (Robin) N. Pierson

dr. Pierson holds the W. Gerald and Patricia Austen Chair in Cardiac Surgery and is Scientific Director of the Transplant Science Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. He is Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Visiting Surgeon at MGH, where he is clinically involved in thoracic transplantation and critical care cardiac surgery. He is an established NIH-funded investigator in the fields of translational tolerance induction in cardiac allografts and the immunobiology of lung, heart, kidney, and liver xenografts and the author of more than 175 peer-reviewed original scientific articles. book reviews and chapters.

dr. Pierson received his medical degree from Columbia University and completed his training at the University of Michigan, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire, England, in association with the University of Cambridge. He has served on the faculty at Vanderbilt University (1994-2002), the University of Maryland (2002-2018), and Harvard University (since 2018).

dr. Pierson is a board-certified thoracic and general surgeon and a member of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Association for Surgery, the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Society of University Surgeons, among others. He is past President of the International Xenotransplantation Association (2007-09) and current Chairman of the IXA Ethics Committee. He co-chaired the 1st WHO International Consultation on Regulatory Requirements for Clinical Trials in Xenotransplantation, held in Changsha, People's Republic of China, and was rapporteur for the follow-up meeting in Geneva.

Biography of Daniel Luo

Haiming (Daniel) Luo is a senior graduate student at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Professor Jayachandran Kizhakkdathu. Daniel has received several competitive research awards, including the NSERC PGS-D and the NSERC Nanomat. Daniel has published with research teams at UBC and McMaster on various polymeric biomaterials for therapeutic interventions, with the latter completing his undergraduate degree in the laboratory of Professor Todd Hoare. Daniel is also Chairman of the Center for Blood Research's Health and Wellness Committee.

Biography of Ibrahim Adam

Ibrahim developed a keen interest in becoming a biomedical scientist during his university studies in Sudan. He earned a Bachelor's degree (with distinction) in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Khartoum, Sudan. After graduation, Ibrahim worked in various clinical laboratories in Sudan, including an international medical organization called Doctors Without Borders/Doctors Without Borders.

He returned to university and earned a Master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of Khartoum, Sudan. During his master's studies in genetics and molecular biology, he was very interested in immunology. Therefore, Ibrahim enrolled and received a Ph.D. program in Immunology at the University of Alberta under the direction of Dr. Lori West.

His future plan is to be more involved in clinical transplantation, as he is interested in diagnostic immunology and may work in the transplant immunology laboratory to care for transplant patients.

Biography of Atul Humar

Atul Humar is a professor at the University of Toronto School of Medicine. dr. Humar received his medical degree from the University of Ottawa. He completed his residency and advanced training in Transplant Infectious Diseases in Toronto and Boston. Dr. Humar's research interests are in virology with a focus on the pathogenesis of herpesvirus infections after transplantation. He is involved in both basic and clinical research evaluating the immunological and virological determinants of infections. dr. Humar has more than 200 publications in these areas. His work was an integral part of the development of internationally used guidelines for the management of post-transplant infection. For example, he is the lead author of the International Guidelines for Cytomegalovirus in Transplantation and related guidelines from the American Transplant Society. dr. Humar is director of the University Health Network Organ Transplant Center, one of the largest transplant programs in North America, and is director of the Transplant Institute at the University of Toronto. He is past president of the Canadian Society for Transplantation (CST) and a member of the American Society for Transplantation (FAST).

Biography of Sunita Mathur

dr. Mathur is a Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at Queen's University School of Rehabilitation Therapy. His research program focuses on the evaluation and rehabilitation of sarcopenia and skeletal muscle dysfunction in people with chronic diseases. dr. Mathur studies multiple patient populations, including people with chronic lung diseases (such as COPD, interstitial lung disease, and cystic fibrosis), organ transplants, critical illness, and intensive care unit-acquired frailty.

dr. Mathur is a researcher at the Motor Performance Lab at Queen's University. It uses a combination of non-invasive techniques to study muscle structure and function, including muscle force measurements (dynamometry), stress testing, bioelectrical impedance analysis, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS), muscle ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). ).

dr. Mathur also conducts research in the field of knowledge translation with a particular focus on movement and physical activity in solid organ transplantation. She is co-founder and co-chair ofCAN RECOVER, a national network dedicated to achieving optimal wellness in transplant patients through exercise and rehabilitation.

Biography of Xiang Gao

Xiang Gao is currently beginning his final year of university studies in data science at the University of Toronto and the Vector Institute, where he is mentored by Professor Rahul Krishnan. His research sits at the intersection of machine learning and healthcare. His goal is to develop a deep understanding of overparameterized models, build reliable learning algorithms that generalize to uncommon settings, and ultimately create autonomous agents for clinical decision making.

Biography of Leanne Stalker

dr. Leanne Stalker is National Director of Research for the Kidney Foundation of Canada, based in Ontario, and she has degrees in molecular biology and genetics from the University of Guelph and a PhD in biochemistry and biomedicine from McMaster University. Leanne is a professional research scientist with diverse experience in transplantation, stem cells, epigenetics, reproductive biotechnologies, and a variety of biomedical platforms. Prior to joining the Kidney Foundation of Canada in January 2021, Leanne worked for the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program as a research manager, building relationships with the donor and transplant communities. Leanne has experience managing research labs and networks, with skills as a facilitator between academic and industry-focused collaborations, including international and multi-stakeholder projects, extensive experience in program design, and familiarity with the approval process from peer review to implementation and awareness. translation. Leanne has a long-standing interest in programs that integrate research science, clinical development, and patient-centered programs, and provides the support necessary to engage, empower, and support the renal research community to meet and, ultimately grow the Kidney Foundation's research strategies. results for people with kidney disease.

Biography of Rafael Correa Rocha

Rafael is a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a Doctor of Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid, both with Extraordinary Doctorate Award. His research career has focused on the field of pediatric immunology with a clear translational focus.

Raphael is theFinancial Director of the Immune Regulation Laboratoryat the “Gregorio Marañón” Health Research Institute (IISGM) in Madrid (Spain). His group's research focuses on the study of immune homeostasis and on the development of cell therapies to induce immune tolerance in various diseases associated with immune hyperactivation. As a result of their research, the group initiated a landmark clinical trial to prevent rejection in child transplant recipients using Treg cell therapy derived from the patient's thymus tissue.

Rafael has received more than 25 national and international grants and is the author of more than 80 indexed publications, including articles in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Transplantation, Frontiers Immunology, etc.

More recently, in 2022, Rafael founded the biotechnology company THYTECH, which aims to bring cutting-edge technology and research in immunology closer to patients.

Biography of Shelby Gielens

Shelby Gielen has received two liver transplants, having received her first transplant at age 14 and her second transplant at age 27. The prospect of a third liver transplant has motivated Shelby to become a strong advocate for transplant recipients and their families. Throughout her youth and adult life, Shelby remained active in the transplant community as a mentor, volunteer and athlete at the Canada Transplant Games.

As a PatientPartner in research, Shelby is passionate about using her lived experience to bring the patient's perspective into the research process, leading to better outcomes and practical solutions.

Biography of Alice Viranis

Alice is Executive Director, Clinical Ethics and Spiritual Care Services at the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC. Alice is a passionate advocate for justice-based healthcare and decision-making, with a strong focus on cultural safety, trauma-informed practice, and humility. In addition to her work at PHSA, Alice is passionate about the role of ethics at the national level and is a proud member of the Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics, the CIHR Ethics Committee, and the Public Health Ethics Advisory Group for Public Health. Agency of Canada.

Alice is also a respected and sought-after qualified educator, researcher, and scholar and collaborator with over 50 peer-reviewed publications and multiple research grants. Before turning to ethics, she Alice was a genetic counselor in the Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She has an M.A. from Oxford University, an M.A. in Genetic Counseling from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.P.H. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Genetics and Ethics from UBC. Alice is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC.

Jordy Hermiston Biography

Jordy is the Facilitator of the Donor Family Services Program at BC Transplant, where he is dedicated to supporting organ donor families after the death of a loved one.

Jordy is a registered social worker and prior to working with donor families in the community, he practiced in various intensive care units and emergency rooms in the Vancouver area. He has a Master of Social Work from the University of British Columbia.

Biography of Jordan Joseph Wadden

Jordan is a full-time bioethicist and director of ethics at the Ontario Shores Mental Health Sciences Center. He also supports a regional ethics center consisting of additional hospitals, rural health centers, children's centers and community mental health organizations in central eastern Ontario. His approach prioritizes the inclusion of patient and family voices and emphasizes the benefits of the clinical decision of comfortable discomfort.

As a researcher and advocate, Jordan's work focuses on equal access to healthcare, advocacy for people with disabilities, and the implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning in hospitals. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of British Columbia, where he focused on patient consent and physician obligations when using powerful artificial intelligence in diagnosis. He has a Master of Philosophy from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

Biography of Sarah Shalhoub

Pronto.

Biography of Ranie Ahmed

Ranie Ahmed is a first-year master's student at the University of Toronto. His research aims to examine disparities in access to living-donor kidney transplantation in racialized communities.

Biography of Audrey L'Esperance

Audrey is an assistant professor of management in health and social care at the École national d'administration publique (ÉNAP) in Montreal. Audrey received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on the association of patients and the public in the healthcare ecosystem, as well as the mobilization and integration of empirical knowledge and experience in the political decision-making processes in the healthcare sector. Over the years, she has developed experience in program evaluation, public policy analysis, and project management in various academic and public health fields.

Catherine Butler Biography

Catherine Butler, BA, BScN, MHA is Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for Canadian Blood Services, where she is responsible for providing overview, strategic planning, operational oversight and expertise to a team of unique industry systems specialists. Canadian. It is the organization in charge of acting as the coordinating body for ODT in Canada. Her role includes national responsibility for an interprovincial organ division registry and a national organ waiting list. A seasoned healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience across the country in various sectors from acute care to community, she looks forward to working closely and partnering with a wide range of national and international stakeholders to further develop the ODT. -System through transformative processes. national initiatives that will improve system performance and outcomes for Canadians. Catherine currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The war of Jed Gross

Jed Adam Gross is a member of the University Health Network (UHN) bioethics program in Toronto, where his clinical practice supports the work of the UHN Ajmera Transplant Center. He also advises organizations involved in transplant governance, including the Trillium Gift of Life Network and the CSA Group. A member of the Massachusetts Bar, Mr. Gross practiced health law at Ropes & Gray before completing a fellowship in transplant ethics at the Cleveland Clinic. His scientific publications provide comparative, historical, and legal information on the policy challenges related to biomedical innovation.

Biography of Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper is a Ph.D. Computer Science student at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Rahul Krishnan and Michael Brudno. His research focuses on applying machine learning methods to health care problems, and his current work uses machine learning to improve organ allocation and pre-transplant outcomes in liver transplant patients. Before beginning his PhD, Michael earned a B.S. and an MS in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from Stanford University.

Biography of Amal Trigui

Amal Trigui received her bachelor's degree in medical biology from the University of Sfax in Tunis in 2014. In 2019 she received her Master's in Health Sciences Research from the Université de Sherbrooke. He is currently a doctoral student in nutrition at the Université de Montréal School of Medicine. His research project is carried out at the CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), specifically at the Hepato-Neuro Laboratory, where he is interested in malnutrition and sarcopenia before and after liver transplantation.

Longitudinal evolution of nutritional risk and muscle function in patients awaiting liver transplantation and the effect of early nutritional intervention after transplantation

Aisha Adil, Golnaz Karoubi, Siba Haykal

In cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT), protein-energy malnutrition is the most frequent complication (>80%). After LT, nutritional status can rapidly deteriorate, leading to sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and function).

Objectives: 1) To evaluate longitudinal changes in nutritional risk, muscle function, and quality of life in cirrhotic patients awaiting LT. 2) To assess the effect of early dietary supplementation rich in protein, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), and energy after LT on muscle mass and function, nutritional risk, and quality of life.

Method: A randomized controlled pilot study will be carried out with 30 patients undergoing LT. Muscle mass (TC), muscle function (standing chair test), nutritional risk (liver disease malnutrition screening tool) and quality of life (SF-36) will be assessed every 3 months before LT. , immediately after hospital discharge. and 12 weeks later they scored -LT. In the LT, participants will be randomly assigned to: (1) intervention group (n=15) receiving standard dietary care and high-protein, HMB, and high-energy supplements for 12 weeks, and (2) control group ( n=15) receiving standard dietary care.
Results: Currently, 26 patients awaiting LT are included. One participant was transplanted. The mean age is 51.3 ± 12.9 years. The most common cause is alcohol (33%). 84% of patients at risk of malnutrition remain on the waiting list without changes for up to a year. Muscle function is altered (18.1 ± 11.0 s vs. 12.6 s in healthy subjects; p<0.001) and decreases with time on the waiting list. Regarding quality of life, the scores for physical health (41.8% ± 18.6) and mental health (52.1% ± 25) are below normal. Quality of life tended to decrease over time before LT.

Conclusion: Most patients waiting for LT are at risk of malnutrition, altered muscle function, and a tendency to reduced quality of life. These preliminary data support the need for early nutritional support after LT.

Biography of Chloe Wong-Mersereau

Chloe Wong-Mersereau recently completed her Master's in Social Cultural Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include crisis narratives, aging diaspora communities, and the sensory and bodily experience of marginalized people navigating medical spaces. During the pandemic, she has worked with the Canadian Red Cross in long-term care homes, COVID testing clinics, homeless shelters, and the Montreal Housing Crisis Project. This engagement has led to the development of her interest in understanding the lived experience of individuals navigating medical institutions through arts-based and community approaches. She now works as a Research Associate on the Frictions of Futurity team led by Dr. Suze Berkhout and Dr. Kelly Fritsch. She leads a discourse analysis of publicly available liver transplant materials and organizes digital storytelling with a team of filmmakers to help liver transplant recipients explore, create, and share their stories.

Temporary Extensions: Aggravating Psychosocial Tools for Liver Transplant Survivors Through Critical Discourse Analysis and Digital Storytelling

Chloe Wong-Mersereau, Ruo Hao (Selena) Zhang, Fraser Best, Josee Lynch, Mamatha Bhat, Kelly Fritsch y Suze Berkhout

Background: There is little qualitative research in the literature on the experiences of liver transplant survivors. What exists demonstrates the complexity of the pre- and post-transplant experience. Transplant programs often address these challenges through scales and clinical tools that prepare recipients to face and manage psychosocial challenges. However, the materials used to capture the experiences of liver transplant patients shape those experiences and, in turn, tell a specific type of story.

Methods: The Temporalities of Cure in Liver Transplantation research project explores what remains unexplored in the experience of liver transplant survival through critical discourse analysis of transplant manuals, clinical tools and scales, and through qualitative interviews and digital storytelling with long-term liver. transplant survivors.

Results: The language and structure commonly used in psychosocial assessments and quality of life scales, surveys, and questionnaires may ignore the impact of axes of social power on the health needs of survivors before, during, and after heart transplantation. liver. These can also help to structure patients' narratives in such a way that the temporal complexities of transplantation are not fully reflected. Similarly, patient manuals construct a linear narrative of the transplant experience that can be contrasted with the more complex and layered lived experiences told through people's digital stories.

Discussion: Both clinical scales and patient manuals can effectively soften the transplant experience, while the multimodality of interviews and digital stories engage storytellers and viewers/listeners in a way that reveals important insights. of the psychosocial challenges that exist during the transplant journey itself. developed over time. Critical discourse analysis and digital storytelling complicate traditional biomedical ways of learning about liver transplants by opening a space for serious engagement, understanding, and witness to the tensions and frictions that can arise when experiences of disease collide. long term (chronic).

Biography of Christine Wardell

Christine Wardell is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Dr. Megan Levings at the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute in Vancouver, BC. Her work focuses on the detection of alloreactive T cells after transplantation and the development of regulatory T cell therapies to prevent transplant rejection.

The Trogocytosis Assay: A Blood Assay for the Detection of Alloreactive Immune Cells

Christine Wardell, Caroline Lamarche, Vivian Fung, Paul Orban, Tom Blydt-Hansen y Megan Levings

After receiving a donor kidney, transplant recipients continue to be treated with immunosuppressive drugs to dampen their reactive immune response to the donor, which would otherwise destroy the kidney. However, these drugs also suppress healthy immune responses against pathogens and cancer. Leading clinicians continually adjust a patient's immunosuppressive regimen to minimize the risk of infection while preserving graft health. These adjustments are based on the results of transplant biopsies, which are invasive and infrequent, limiting the clinician's ability to optimize immunosuppression. Our goal is to develop a blood assay that detects immune cells that respond to donors' human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), which are often mismatched in transplants. Our assay is based on the immunological concept of 'trogocytosis', in which immune cells that recognize and strongly bind target proteins extract the target protein from the cell of origin and re-incorporate it as part of their own membrane. We hypothesized that HLA-reactive donor immune cells in transplant recipients trogocytosed donor HLA and that the frequency of trogocytosis+ cells negatively correlated with graft health. The trogocytosis assay cocultures recipient blood cells with K562 expressing donor HLA fused with a fluorescent protein; Donor HLA-reactive immune cells trogocyte the fluorescent donor HLA, making them countable by flow cytometry. We optimized the parameters of this assay based on a clone of HLA-A2 reactive CD8+ T cells. HLA trogocytosis correlates well with conventional activation-induced markers (4-1BB, CD25 and CD69). The efficiency of trogocytosis depends on the ratio of K562:T cells, the seeding density, and the maximum values after 24 hours of cocultivation. The assay has an approximate sensitivity of detecting 1 donor reactive T cell in 500 T cells. We are currently testing the trogocytosis assay in cryopreserved blood from HLA-A2 recipients of HLA-A2+ kidney transplants and correlating the results with the results of the biopsy. The trogocytosis assay can serve as a reproducible and reliable method to assess graft status from recipient blood.

Biography of David Zorko

dr. David Zorko is a Pediatric Intensive Care Fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada). He received his medical degree from the University of Ottawa. He then completed his residency in pediatrics as part of the Clinical Investigator Program at McMaster University while earning his Master's in Health Research Methodology. Dr. Zorko's research interests include long-term morbidities experienced by children and families after critical illness, as well as crowdsourcing and machine learning methods in conducting systematic reviews.

Automated resuscitation after cardiac arrest: an updated systematic review.

David J. Zorko; Jonás Shemie; Laura Hornby; Gurmeet Singh; Shauna Matheson; Ryan Sandarage; K. Wollny; L Kongkiattikul; Sonny Dhanani

Introduction and objective: in organ donation after determination of death by circulatory criteria (DCD), it must be determined that circulation has been permanently stopped to ensure that death has occurred. Current practice recommends a 5-minute observation period after cardiac arrest to monitor unassisted return of circulation, known as self-suscitation. In light of the most recent data, the aim of this updated systematic review was to determine whether an observation time of 5 minutes in DCD is still appropriate.

METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched from inception to August 28, 2021 for studies evaluating or describing self-sustaining events following cardiac arrest. Citation selection and data extraction were performed independently and in duplicate. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE framework.

Results: Of 3741 unambiguous citations evaluated, 136 full texts were reviewed and 73 studies met the selection criteria. Of these, 45 studies were included in our previous reviews, thus 18 new studies were identified in this update, consisting of 14 case reports and four observational studies. Most studies evaluated adults (n=15, 83%) and patients who failed resuscitation for cardiac arrest (n=11, 61%). In general, the automatic resuscitation time after cardiac arrest ranged from 1 to 20 minutes. In all of the self-resuscitation studies identified in our reviews (n=73), seven observational studies were conducted. Examining studies of weaning from life support with or without DCD (n=6), 1037 adult and 12 pediatric patients with a total of 23 self-resuscitative events (2.2%; 95% CI: 1.4) were evaluated. -3.3%). All readmissions occurred within 5 minutes of cardiac arrest, and all patients undergoing self-resuscitation died.

Conclusion: In the context of controlled DCD, current evidence shows that an observation time of 5 minutes is sufficient to determine death by circulatory criteria (intermediate certainty). The results of this systematic review will be incorporated into a Canadian guideline for determining death.

Hyunun Kim Biography

Hyunyun Kim is a Ph.D. Student at the University of Montreal. He has a Bachelor of Science from Yeungnam University and a Master of Science from Pusan National University in South Korea. After completing his master's degree, he continued his research activities at the Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH) Medical Research Center and Yeungnam University Medical Center (YUMC) as a research associate. He later joined the laboratory of Dr. Heberto A. His research interests center on crosstalk and the mechanisms of cell death and autophagy in acute kidney injury (AKI) induced ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

Inhibition of autophagy exacerbates microvascular injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury

Hyunyun Kim, Shanshan Lan, Francis Migneault, Julie Turgeon, Imane Kaci, Annie Karakeussian Rimbaud, Amani Mahroug, Natacha Patey, Mélanie Dieudé, Marie-Josée Hébert

A kidney transplant is an operation to replace a healthy kidney in a person whose kidneys are no longer working properly. The donor kidney suffers from nutrient and oxygen shortages during surgery, followed by kidney damage caused when the blood supply to the tissues returns. This is a common cause of kidney damage in transplants, affecting more than 20% of kidney transplant patients. Therefore, it is important to understand how kidney damage develops during transplantation. We found that preventing the cell death mechanism protects the kidney's blood vessels after surgery. However, the role of autophagy, which plays a crucial role in the survival mechanism of blood vessels, remains unclear. Here we examine the role of autophagy in the response to kidney damage.

We induced kidney damage in mice to mimic kidney transplantation and used chloroquine, a drug used to prevent the survival mechanism. We collected kidneys and blood to measure survival mechanism activation and kidney damage. We found that an injured kidney induces a survival mechanism that was blocked by the drug. The drug worsened and damaged kidney function. We found that regulation of the survival pathway could be a potential therapeutic strategy to ensure protection of blood vessels during kidney transplantation.

Biography of Imane Kaci

Imane Kaci has a PhD. She is a student at the Nephrology, Transplantation and Renal Regeneration Research Unit of the CHUM Montreal Research Center. She is also an academic intern with the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP). She completed a master's degree in Molecular Pathology and Personalized Medicine at the Université de Montréal. She then joined the laboratory of Dr. Marie-Josée Hébert to complete her Ph.D. in molecular biology. Her research project focuses on understanding the immune response elicited by apoptotic exosome-like vesicles released from apoptotic endothelial cells and its impact on microvascular rarefaction, renal fibrosis, and loss of renal function after renal ischemia-injury. reperfusion in transplanted and native kidneys.

Apoptotic exosome-like vesicles mediate dysregulation of the immune response and renal dysfunction after ischemia-reperfusion injury

The kidneys clean the blood and remove wastes made by the body's cells in the urine. They have abundant blood vessels that provide them with oxygen and nutrients to function. Kidney function decreases when the smallest blood vessels are injured, especially in the elderly. We have shown that damage to these vessels during transplantation leads to kidney transplant failure. We found that the injured vessels release cell fragments, so-called "ApoExo" cells, into the blood. ApoExo activates the immune system to produce antibodies that attack damaged kidneys. We found these antibodies in the blood of kidney recipients with poor transplant function. We are now studying how ApoExo alters the immune response, leading to kidney failure and transplant rejection. We use mice with damaged kidneys that mimic what transplant procedures do to patients. We collected kidneys and blood to measure ApoExo, immune response, and kidney damage. We found that as an injured kidney ages, it releases more ApoExo, which increases activation of the immune system. This causes more antibodies and white blood cells to attack the smaller blood vessels in the kidneys. The release of ApoExo then continues and worsens kidney damage and function. Our study provides new insights into the immunological mechanisms that cause kidney transplant deterioration. It will help to better preserve the donor kidney and to make it last longer in patients.

Biography of Jorge Castillo

My name is Jorge Castillo, I am originally from Ecuador. I completed my Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto. I am now a first year Master of Science student under Dr. Ian Rogers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. My project is to create an ex vivo model of kidney disease using a bioreactor designed to take an organ and maintain it for several days. I am passionate about regenerative medicine approaches to disease treatment and the different ways we can use human and non-human sources to regenerate functional tissue. In my free time I like to spend time with friends and play soccer.

Development of an ex vivo organ perfusion system for modeling kidney diseases

Anupama Bhadwal, Alex Cho, Ian Rogers

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 11-13% of the world population. Disease models are needed to help discover disease pathogenesis and develop new therapies. Several animal models of CKD involve invasive procedures that can compromise animal health and experimental results. Since the affected organs cannot be analyzed without invasive techniques, the stages of the disease are also missed. Ex vivo whole organ perfusion (EVOP) offers a solution, enabling real-time, longitudinal, whole-organ level analysis and convenient delivery of treatments. Furthermore, controlled culture conditions lead to reduced changes between experiments. We assume that a mouse kidney can be maintained on EVOP for 14 days. After isolating the kidney, cannulating the renal artery and vein, the kidney was cultured using EVOP for 4, 7 and 14 days.
We found that tissue viability was preserved up to 7 days along with the correct expression of key kidney proteins such as nephrin, LTL, AQP2. We have found that our system meets the oxygen demand of a mouse kidney. By analyzing the urine produced by the EVOP kidneys, we demonstrated normal renal function as the kidney was able to reabsorb proteins found in the culture medium and maintain normal glucose levels in the urine. However, cell death was observed on day 7.

Future steps include optimizing the culture medium to extend EVOP times to 14 days. Our goal is to improve growth conditions by supplementing the culture medium with amino acids and essential and non-essential fatty acids to meet the metabolic needs of the kidney. Our goal is to implement Flolan, a well-known vasodilator used in ex vivo whole organ perfusion studies. In addition, we will also analyze gene expression to improve the EVOP model.

Biography of Maude Lanoie

Maude is a doctoral student in the molecular biology program at the Université de Montréal. She is also an intern with the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program (CDTRP). Maude earned her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Université de Montréal, where she also completed a fellowship in Public Health. She joined Dr. Hébert's lab and is currently working to characterize the mechanisms by which ApoExos loads specific sets of nucleic acids to shape endothelial function. Outside of the lab, Maude plays rugby for the Carabins de l'Université de Montréal.

Apoptotic exosome-like vesicles deliver bioactive mRNA to endothelial cells via phosphatidylserine-dependent macropinocytosis

Alexandre Brodeur, Francis Migneault. Nicolas Thibodeau, Deborah Beillevaire, Mélanie Dieudé, Marie-Josée Hébert

When the kidneys do not receive enough blood as a result of a kidney transplant, the small vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the kidney are damaged. The loss of microscopic blood vessels is an important factor in kidney dysfunction and the development of chronic diseases. Our group identified small fragments of vessels
Cells called apoptotic exosomes that are released into the circulation when the kidneys are deprived of oxygen. These fragments can induce an immune response and a
Changes in the blood vessel environment that can affect the transition from acute kidney injury to kidney transplant loss. We make
showed that apoptotic exosomes harbor some specific enzymes and RNA molecules known to induce antibody production, which in turn can further damage the kidneys. Here we investigate the mechanism by which vascular cells can internalize apoptotic exosomes and form microscopic blood vessels. To do this, we exposed cells to apoptotic exosomes tagged with fluorescent molecules to track them after internalization. We use inhibitors and genetic techniques to study the different inputs to cells. We found that apoptotic exosomes are internalized into blood vessel cells by a non-classical mechanism and that they can promote their entry by activating the same mechanism. We have shown that functional RNA molecules can be delivered to cells via apoptotic exosomes and affect recipient cell homeostasis. We also found that blocking this entry prevents the transfer of molecules from apoptotic exosomes to their environment and the disruption of the vascular bed around injured vessels. These results open new avenues to prevent the internalization of apoptotic exosomes and prevent the development of renal dysfunction.

Biografía de Ruixuan (Sunnie) Yang

Experimental medicine graduate student with more than 5 years of experience in renal research. Her study focuses on the urinary microbiome and its impact in kidney transplant patients, and the results support the role of the microbiome as a leading indicator of health.

Gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial surface components impede kidney cell viability in vitro

Dirk Lange, Caigan Du, David Harriman

Introduction and objectives: There is a lack of research on the urinary microbiome in transplant patients, although growing evidence supports the impact of bacterial species on patient health. Our goal is to better understand the nature of this interaction from a cellular perspective by evaluating the effects of bacterial components on kidney cell lines. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are components of the surface membrane of gram-negative bacteria that induce inflammation, while lipoteichoic acid (LTA) acts as a functional equivalent in gram-positive bacteria. This project aims to evaluate the effects of LPS and LTA on renal cell viability as the first study on the urinary microbiome and renal allograft health.

Methods: In vitro renal cell line models: human mesangial cells (T-HMC) and human renal proximal tubular cells (HKC-8) were developed to assess the cellular effects of LPS and LTA. Cells were cultured in vitro with LPS from Escherichia coli and LTA from Staphylococcus aureus at varying concentrations for 48 hours. FACS and MTT assays were performed to assess cell apoptosis and metabolic activity, respectively.

Results: Elevated concentrations of LTA and LPS resulted in a consistent decrease in renal cell metabolic rates. In contrast, cell apoptosis was independent of changing concentrations. Tubular cells showed a higher sensitivity to the treatment groups compared to mesangial cells, while the combination of LPS and LTA seems to have a modulatory effect that reduces their overall toxicity.

Conclusions: LPS and LTA act as renal cell stressors that can affect the health of renal allografts. When combined, they appear to have a modulatory effect that reduces joint toxicity and further supports the potential protective roles of a diverse microbiome in patient health. Our next steps will be to assess the inflammatory cytokine signals generated by these interactions, in addition to analyzing the urinary microbiome of kidney transplant recipients in a shotgun sequencing format.

Samrat Ray Biography

I am a National Board Certified GI, BPH and Liver Transplant Surgeon from New Delhi, India. I am currently doing my postdoctoral fellowship on the topic of establishing mechanical perfusion in pancreas transplants in the laboratory of Dr. Trevor Reichman and Dr. Markus Selzner at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada. My research is focused on establishing a normothermic perfusion machine in porcine pancreas transplants in 3-day survival models and replicating this in human pancreas transplantation in the future to expand the pancreas transplant donor pool. I also work with machine perfusion models in porcine liver and kidney transplants and have participated in the Organox Human Liver Study (Metra study) as part of my study plan here at the Toronto Organ Preservation Laboratory.

Expansion of the donor pool using the ex vivo normothermic perfusion machine model in pancreas transplantation

Catherine Parmentier, Laura Mazilescu, Masataka Kawamura, Yuki Noguchi, Emmanuel Nogueira, Sujani Ganesh, Bhranavi Arulratnam, Sangeetha Kalimuthu, Markus Selzner, Trevor Reichman

Introduction: Pancreas transplantation has shown promising results in improving the quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus. However, pancreas grafts are the most frequently rejected grafts at procurement and have the lowest utilization rate (9%) of any organ, primarily due to the gland's susceptibility to edema and ischemia injury. -reperfusion. The normothermic perfusion machine (NMP) aims to simulate the physiological environment of the ex vivo organ as close to homeostasis as possible. Here, we summarize our previous experience with the use of NMP in discarded human and porcine pancreas transplants.

Methods: Using an S3 cardiopulmonary bypass machine and neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass set with normothermic perfusion solution and dialysis system, our laboratory established a 3-day MPN survival model using porcine pancreas obtained from 15-week-old Yorkshire pigs. old. A similar perfusion protocol was replicated for discarded human pancreas transplants to determine viability.

Results: 12 porcine pancreases were exposed to NMP alone for 3 hours after minimal cold storage using the modified perfusion formulation (9% CO2) and dialysate (1.5 g/L salt). Based on its favorable results (maximum mean amylase at 3 hours: 5500 U/L), the transplant was performed in 3-day survival models (n=4). All animals survived up to 3 days with acceptable glucose levels (mean peak on day 1 = 6.4 mmol/L) and a normal glucose tolerance test on day 3. Among the human transplants, 5 were from donors. brain dead and 1 from a dead donor heart. Glucose decreased during the infusion (mean peak: 9 mmol/L; 3.9-19.6) and insulin increased (mean peak: 1688.4 pmol/L; 7-4304 pmol/L). All grafts (human and porcine) were metabolically active during perfusion and histopathology showed minimal tissue damage.

Conclusion: Creating optimal conditions for MPN is a challenge for pancreas transplants. However, careful cold dissection, minimal handling of the organ during the machine together with a relatively hyperosmolar composition of the dialysis solution have shown promising results.

Biography of Wajiha Ghazis

Wajiha Ghazi is a graduate student working in clinical research at Toronto General Hospital. He is passionate about assessing the physical function and physical activity of patients in clinical settings. His current research focuses on evaluating the physical function of kidney transplant recipients from patient reports. He is passionate about integrating physical function assessments into routine clinical care using patient-reported outcomes.

Impaired physical function in dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients

Ram Ahuja, Corrin Doucette, Zain Ahmad, Nathaniel Edwards, John Peipert, Susan J Bartlett, Madeline Li, Doris Howell, Marta Novak, Istvan Mucsi

Dialysis-treated patients are reported to lead sedentary lives and have reduced physical function associated with poor quality of life. Compared with dialysis, kidney transplantation offers better clinical results; However, many kidney transplant recipients are also sedentary and have low physical functioning. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the deterioration of physical function in dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients.

We assessed physical function impairment using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), an instrument that includes item banks for different domains of health-related quality of life, including physical function. PROMIS is efficient and accurate because it personalizes the assessment and reduces the question load. Participants also completed the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, which covers five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and depression). We found that kidney transplant recipients had higher PROMIS physical functioning scores than dialysis patients. Moderate to severe impairment of physical function was prevalent in 70% of dialysis patients compared with 25% in kidney transplant recipients. Similarly, 66% of dialysis patients reported at least some "difficulty walking" on the EQ-5D-5L mobility device compared to 38% of kidney transplant recipients.

These results may help improve the interpretation of PROMIS physical function scores and help patients and clinicians determine the need for exercise intervention. In future research, we will compare performance-based interventions with PROMIS and investigate whether exercise interventions can reverse physical function decline in this patient population.

Biography of Manoela von Paula Ferreiras

Resume of Marie-Hélène Normand

Marie-Hélène Normand is Ph.D. Student in the laboratory of Dr. Mélanie Dieudé at the CHUM Research Center in Montreal. She received her bachelor's degree in molecular and cell biology from the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec. After completing the first year of the Master's program in Microbiology and Immunology and admission to the accelerated M.Sc.-Ph.D. program she began a Ph.D. She graduated in Microbiology and Immunology from the Université de Montréal School of Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Dieude. Her research project focuses on autoimmunity induced by tissue damage in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus. She is an intern with the CDTRP and part of the Laurent Project, a One Health interdisciplinary project initiated by patient and professional partners to bring safe pet ownership to immunocompromised patients.

Biography of Sandrine Juillard

Sandrine Juillard is a master's student in the laboratory of Dr. Mélanie Dieudé at the Center de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM). She graduated with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and immunology from the Université de Montréal in 2021, during which she completed an internship in the laboratory of Dre Marie-Josée Hébert. Since May 2021, Sandrine is enrolled in a Master's program in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Montreal under the supervision of Dr. Dieudé and has received a prestigious CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship. Her project aims to characterize the importance of toll-like receptors in modulating autoimmune responses elicited by extracellular vesicles released during vascular damage associated with lupus erythematosus. Eager to acquire additional knowledge, she is part of another project with the CDTRP, where she has been an intern since 2020. Sandrine is not only interested in the molecular mechanisms that explain immune diseases, but also in their impact on the lives of patients.

Effects of telerehabilitation on physical functioning, mental health, and health-related quality of life in solid organ transplant recipients. A systematic view

Manoela von Paula Ferreira, Sandrine Juillard, Marie-Hélène Normand, Sherrie Logan, Denis Arvisais, Dmitry Rozenberg, Tania Janaudis-Ferreira, Lisa Wickerson, Sunita Mathur, Isabelle Doré

Introduction: The use of telerehabilitation to deliver training programs is increasing. However, the telerehabilitation, adherence, and safety implications of these virtual interventions in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients remain unclear. This systematic review aims to 1) describe the impact of telerehabilitation on physical function, frailty, mental health, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults receiving SOT, and 2) describe the safety and compliance with telerehabilitation programs.

Methods: PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and the PICOTS framework were used. Successful registration: CRD42022337985. All intervention study designs with a synchronous, asynchronous or hybrid (mix of face-to-face and virtual) telerehabilitation exercise program for adults receiving SOT (heart, liver, kidney, lung or pancreas), published in English, Portuguese , or French to be included. Abstracts and literature reviews are excluded. As results, physical function (cardiorespiratory resistance, balance, strength, coordination, flexibility, functional mobility and physical activity); mental health (stress, mental anguish, anxiety and depression); Frailty, HRQoL, safety, and adherence are described. A librarian will search six databases (MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, EMBASE, Web Science, SportDISCUS, and Cochrane Library) and gray literature from inception to July 2022. Studies will be grouped into two groups: early intervention (< 6 months post-transplant) and long-term (> 6 months post-transplant), and a descriptive approach will summarize the impact, safety, and adherence of telerehabilitation in each group. . The Cochrane tool (rob-2) is used to assess the methodological quality of randomized clinical trials and the risk of bias in non-randomized trials – of interventions (ROBINS – I) for non-randomised trials.

Results: The results of this review will help to understand the benefits of telerehabilitation for SOT recipients.

Conclusion/Clinical relevance: This review will also help identify gaps for future research to improve the evidence and quality of telerehabilitation for SOT recipients.

Biography of Amina Silva

Organ donation after assisted dying: a scoping review

Vanessa Silva e Silva, Andrea Rochon, Ken Lotherington, Laura Hornby, Tineke Wind, Jan Bollen, Lindsay Wilson, Aimee Sarti, Sonny Dhanani

Background: Organ donation after medical assistance in death (MAiD) is a relatively new procedure compared to deceased organ donation practices in general, and this dual procedure is currently practiced in Canada, the Netherlands , Belgium and especially Spain. To inform practice guideline changes and to ensure ethically acceptable procedures, we reviewed the international literature on existing processes, outcomes, and ethical debates related to organ donation after MAiD.

Methods: Scope review using the JBI framework. Published literature was searched in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Ovid PsycINFO, Web of Science - Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index via Clarivate, and Academic Search Complete via EBSCOhost. Gray and unpublished literature included material from organ donor organizations. Reports were considered when organ donation was discussed after MAiD at home or in a healthcare facility in any country. Reports were reviewed and data extracted and analyzed by two independent reviewers.

Results: The search process returned 1879 reports and 121 were included in this review. Most of the reports were in English (n=95), from Canada (n=51) and were published between 2019 and 2021 (n=57). The results of this review identified the following main topic areas: the main processes and procedures involved in MAiD organ donation in hospital and at home; the main clinical pathways involved in different settings; ethical dilemmas associated with this combined procedure; roles and perceptions of health professionals; Effects on the organ donation system; transplant results; public perception; existing security processes and tools; educational strategies for the health professionals involved; and suggestions for future research to fill the knowledge gaps.

Conclusion: The results of this review can also be used as a rich source of information for MAiD organ donation countries and provide important pointers to improve the current system of organ donation and transplantation using MAiD donors.

Cindy Wish Biography

Cindy Wen is a junior at Western University completing a fellowship with honors in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She is currently the team leader of the China Health Equity Project in the Kidney Health Research and Education Group, led by Dr. Istvan Mucsi, a transplant nephrologist at Toronto General Hospital in the United States Health Network. University. Her work focuses primarily on investigating potential barriers to living donor kidney transplantation in the Chinese Canadian population. More broadly, her research interests lie in studying the social determinants of health and understanding gender and ethnocultural differences that create unequal access to care.

"Loss of face" as a potential barrier to living-donor kidney transplantation for Chinese Canadians in Toronto, Ontario: preliminary results of a qualitative analysis

Susan Abbey, Samantha Anthony, Beth Edwards, Kenneth Fung, Jagbir Gill, Jenny Kang, Janet Li, Sarah Pol, Cathy Yang, Istvan Mucsi

BACKGROUND: Patients seeking a living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) should advise their need for a living donor. The reluctance to discuss this need is a well-known stumbling block. Chinese Canadians have limited access to LDKT. We examined the barriers Chinese Canadians might face when seeking LDKT.

METHODS: Adults on dialysis, kidney donors and recipients, and individuals with no history of kidney disease who self-identified as Canadians were recruited using snowball and targeted sampling. Individual interviews were conducted by telephone and MS teams in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Topics explored include ethnocultural identity, knowledge of kidney disease, and treatment options. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English when necessary. Data were analyzed through a thematic analysis using inductive and deductive coding strategies.

Results: “Loss of face” or “Diūliǎn” emerges as the main theme of our preliminary data analysis (n=12, 6 women, 6 community members, 5 KT recipients, 1 dialysis patient). "Diūliǎn" refers to social norms related to social obligation, social integrity, and self-respect. It is rooted in the desire to maintain harmonious relationships and a positive social reputation by avoiding apparent weakness or other causes of shame. Subthemes include: 1) perception of the disease as shameful; 2) perception of the disease as a personal responsibility; and 3) demand burden and anticipated need for reciprocity. Participants described that communicating about diseases can embarrass the family, so privacy is necessary to avoid rumors, especially about kidney failure. The disease must be managed in private without being a burden to others. Finally, asking for large gifts or favors can damage one's reputation in society and require reciprocity.

Conclusion: "loss of face" is emerging as a potential barrier to considering LDKT among Chinese Canadians. Next, we will work with community partners to develop culturally appropriate strategies to support communication about kidney failure treatment.

Biography of Gopika Punchhis

Gopika Punchhi is a third-year medical student at the University of Western Ontario Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. She completed her undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. She is a member of Dr. Mamatha Bhat's lab at the University Health Network Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto, ON. Her research interests are primarily focused on patient selection, organ allocation, and post-liver transplant outcomes.

Deep learning to predict trajectories and identify features associated with death and transplantation in waiting list NASH patients

Gopika Punchhi, Yingji Sun, Sirisha Rambhatla, Mamatha Bhat

Background: Patients with cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who are on the waiting list for liver transplantation (LT) are older, have more comorbidities, and are at high risk of abortion on the waiting list and death. We used data at the time of waiting list to build a DeepHit machine learning model and perform a competitive risk analysis to predict the probability of death versus transplantation in wait-listed NASH candidates.

Methods: 17,551 patients with NASH listed for LT from 2002-2021 of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (excluding exceptional indications such as hepatocellular carcinoma) were included. We built a DeepHit model with waiting list death as the main event and LT as the competing risk and compared it with regular CoxPH models predicting death or transplantation. We select the best performing models and hyperparameters based on the average agreement index (C-index) during validation. Event-specific C indices and Brier scores were assessed at the 25th percentile (1 month), median (5 months), and 12 months in the waiting list of the test set and compared between models.

Results: The DeepHit model achieved higher C-index scores for the death event at 1, 5, and 12 months of 0.920 (⁤ ± 0.001), 0.820 (± 0.002), and 0.750 (± 0.002), respectively, and produced a bramble. smallest scores for the transplant event of 0.130 (±0.003), 0.210 (±0.001), and 0.220 (±0.005), respectively. In the DeepHit model, characteristics associated with death were baseline MELD, hospitalization and ICU status, and poor performance status, while baseline MELD, blood type AB, poor performance status, and hemodialysis were associated with transplantation.

Conclusion: Our DeepHit model outperforms traditional CoxPH models and can be used to predict the outcome of a NASH patient on the TL waiting list from waiting list data. Modifiable predictors of death or transplantation can be identified to reduce the risk of death on the waiting list.

Biography of Farnaz Farahbakhsh

Farnaz Farahbakhsh received his Master of Clinical Science from the University of Western Ontario. For several years she has been at the forefront of stem cell donor recruitment in Canada, advocating for patients of various ethnic backgrounds in need of blood stem cell transplants. She currently leads the Stem Cell Club's life-saving Iranian donor campaign along with a dedicated team of volunteers to recruit Iranians as potential stem cell donors.

The Iranian Donors Save Lives campaign to recruit Iranian citizens as stem cell donors

Dr. Farnaz Farahbakhsh, Brady Park, Gabriele Jagelaviciute, Elena Kum, Michelle Ho and Dr. Farnaz Farahbakhsh, Brady Park, Gabriele Jagelaviciute, Warren Fingrut

Background: Although allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative therapy for a number of blood disorders, most patients lack a fully matched family donor and require an alternate donor. Patients are more likely to find a matched unrelated donor from their own ethnic group. However, Iranians are underrepresented in global stem cell donor registries (eg, in Canada with <0.2% of donors).

Methods: In collaboration with a team of Iranian-Canadian volunteers and partners, a series of multimedia content was developed to encourage donations from the community. Transplant experts and members of the Iranian community reviewed the multimedia and then posted it at stemcellclub.ca/Iranian/.

Findings: Multimedia content developed included infographics highlighting racial disparities in access to stem cell donors, WhyWeSwab stories, and videos from patients of Iranian descent (mobile.twitter.com/whyweswab;https://youtu.be/zrQH5JVnt2s), testimonies from members of the Iranian community (https://youtu.be/sd9reXoXt4M) and social media influencers (eg.https://www.tiktok.com/@stemcellclub/video/7095913308280130821), statements by doctors from Iranian Canadians who are campaigning for their communities to register as donors (eg.https://youtu.be/x1eAoRe5C4k,https://www.youtube.com/watch) and tiktoks with Iranian Canadians to engage and educate people within the Iranian community about the importance of stem cell donation (https://www.tiktok.com/@stemcellclub/video/7096256780807752966,https://www.tiktok.com/@stemcellclub/video/7099958142640934150,https://www.tiktok.com/@stemcellclub/video/7096893023795170565). The multimedia was incorporated into a national recruitment campaign, Iranian Donors Save Lives (stemcellclub.ca/Iranian/) and was shared by Iranian partners across Canada (eg Iranian Students Association, Canadian Iranian Foundation).

Conclusion: Multimedia was developed in collaboration with Iranians to help recruit Iranians as potential donors. We are now evaluating the impact of this multimedia on potential Iranian donors' awareness and attitudes towards donations.

Biography of Katina Zheng

dr. Katina Zheng, MD, received her medical degree from the University of Ottawa and is now a second-year resident in internal medicine at the University of Toronto. She has a longstanding interest in organ donation and transplantation, which she sparked early in her medical school education. Under the direction of Dr. Bhat she continues to be actively involved in research focused on liver transplantation.

Living-donor liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis: an indicator of an organ allocation system that does not meet the needs of patients

Fernanda Onofrio, Katina Zheng, Cherry Xu, Shiyi Chen, Aliya Gulamhusein, Cynthia Tsien1, Keyur Patel, Nazia Selzner, Leslie Lilly, Gideon Hirschfield, Mamatha Bhat

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare cholestatic liver disease in which transplantation is the only definitive treatment option. Patients are on the waiting list for liver transplantation (LT) according to the MELD-Na score, which may not accurately reflect the burden of disease in this condition. We intend to describe and analyze the temporal evolution of patients with PSC referred for LT in a mixed deceased-donor/living-donor transplant program.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study from November 2012 to December 2019, which included all patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis who were referred to the Liver Transplant Clinic of the University Health Network for evaluation. Hepatic symptoms, hepatobiliary malignancy, MELD-Na progression, and death were evaluated.
Results: Of 172 patients with PSC evaluated for transplantation, 144 (84%) were listed, of which 106/144 (74%) were transplanted. The mean age was 47.6 years and 66% were male. During follow-up, 26/144 (18%) were removed from the waiting list due to infection, clinical worsening, liver-related mortality, or new cancer. At the time of listing, 118/144 (81.95%) had a potential living donor (pLD), of whom 94 were transplanted: 64 LT from a living donor (LDLT) and 30 LT from a deceased donor (DDLT). All-cause mortality was 79% lower in patients with a potential living donor (p<0.001). Exception points were awarded to 13/172 (7.5%) patients.

Conclusions: In general, the majority of PSC patients evaluated for transplantation were recruited and subsequently transplanted. Only a minority of patients received exception points, reflecting the difficulty in meeting the criteria. Mortality on the waiting list was 11.8%, lower than other LT indications. Most of the PSC transplant patients underwent LDLT; this may provide indirect evidence that patients and clinicians are realizing that the current MELD-Na allocation system does not accurately reflect their level of disease/clinical need. To make this more equitable, approaches to managing deceased donor allocation for PSC patients should be evaluated.

Khairunnadiya (Nadia) Prayitnos Biographia

Nadia Prayitno received her PhD for her work on the role of roX RNA in dose compensation during Drosophila melanogaster embryogenesis, using a variety of techniques from molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, NGS, and bioinformatics. Since July 2021, she has been working with Dr. Mamatha Bhat at the University Health Network to elucidate the transcriptomic and epigenetic changes that occur in post-transplant NASH. At the same time, she is developing a model to investigate the effects of immunosuppression in the aggressive form of the disease.

Changes in liver transplant recipients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis indicate dysregulation of wound healing

Diogo Pellegrina, Amirhossein Azhie, Elisa Pasini, Cristina Baciu, Sandra Fischer, Jüri Reimand, Mamatha Bhat

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing in parallel with obesity and diabetes. It is estimated that one in three Americans has NAFLD. Advanced NASH, the inflammatory form of NAFLD, can cause liver damage that requires a liver transplant (LT). NASH can recur or develop de novo at an accelerated rate and present with stage 3 fibrosis for up to 5 years after LT. Our aim was to investigate the mechanistic basis of post-LT-NASH.

Methods: Transcriptomes from post-LT liver biopsies with NASH, simple steatosis, or normal histology were profiled by RNA sequencing, and differential expression analysis was performed to identify significant changes between groups and available non-LT-NASH transcriptomes. Using ActivePathways, we identified enriched functional pathways and physical interactions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Results: We found 118 DEGs out of 19,847 genes measured in post-LT NASH. We identified published markers for NASH and liver fibrosis, including MUC1, AIML2, THBS2, IGF1, PCK1, and SOCS2. Our functional enrichment analysis revealed significant transcriptomic changes in the PI3K-Akt pathway associated with metabolic changes in NASH. Significant changes in gene expression have also been linked to wound healing, the cell cycle, and fibrosis. Our comparison with non-LT-NASH confirmed the increased activation of wound healing and angiogenesis pathways in the post-LT state.

Conclusions: Our results suggest the involvement of wound healing and fibrosis as a molecular basis for the accelerated development of fibrosis in post-LT NASH. Therefore, the targeting mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis may be a therapeutic avenue to optimize graft survival after LT-NASH.

Ruo Hao (Selena) Zhang Biography

Ruo Hao (Selena) Zhang received her bachelor's degree in pathology from Western University and is currently a second-year medical school student at the University of Toronto Temerty School of Medicine. She has emerging clinical and research interests in gastroenterology, internal medicine, and quality improvement.

The state of the ground in qualitative liver transplantation research: a scoping review and network mapping study.

Chloe Wong-Mersereau, Ani Orchanian-Cheff, Shikha Gandhi, Maryam Makki, Mamatha Bhat and Suze Berkhout

Background: Although the short-term survival of liver transplant patients has improved, the life experiences of transplant survivors are characterized by complications that accumulate over time. Qualitative research can examine the impact, importance, and significance of these challenges. However, qualitative research in the field of liver transplantation has so far only been of limited scope (Wall 2021).

Objective: To identify the range of issues faced by liver transplant survivors, their caregivers, and nurses, as represented in the qualitative literature, and to understand how the field is evolving over time.

Methods: The review was conducted using the Arksey & O'Malley (2007) methodology. We searched studies from MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and Web of Science from the inception of the database to August 2021. All English-language studies that focused on a population were included. of liver transplantation with a qualitative component of the method. Using the VOSviewer network mapping software, we created a visualization of thematic networks for the included studies.

Results: Our initial search returned 7,380 studies. After removing duplicates, 4808 abstracts and subsequently more than 300 full-text articles were reviewed, resulting in a much smaller number of studies to review. A significant minority of these studies were conference abstracts rather than full manuscripts. Thematically, quality of life was one of the salient aspects examined in the literature, although many of these were limited in the post-transplant time course they considered. Very few studies used methods based on critical theories.

Discussion: There are limitations in the way the experience of liver transplantation is conceptualized in the qualitative literature. There is a paucity of qualitative studies examining the life experience of liver transplant survivors beyond one year after transplantation. More research is needed to advance our understanding of the complexities of transplant survival.

Biography of Sibele Schuante

Sibele Schuantes, Graduated in Nursing, Master of Health Sciences, PhD student at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) - Brazil. Member of the Study Group on Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplantation (GEDOTT); Member of Allied Research in Donation and Transplantation (ARDOT); International Member of the Canadian Donation and Transplant Research Program (CDTRP); Member of the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation (Associação Brasileira de Transplante de Órgãos – ABTO).

Time elapsed between cell, tissue and organ donation and transplantation and detection of adverse events

Bartira de Aguiar Roza; Janine Schirmer

Introduction: Adverse events in the donation and transplantation of cells, tissues and organs are defined as any unfavorable situation that can cause damage to the recipient. A previous study developed in Brazil characterized the causes of adverse events. However, discrepancies have been observed in the time elapsed between the intervention (donation or transplantation), detection, and notification of adverse events. Therefore, this question arose: how long after transplantation can the unfavorable situation be considered an adverse event?

Objective: To discuss the time between transplantation and detection of reported adverse events in São Paulo - Brazil.

Method: Descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Data provided by the Central de Transplantes de São Paulo from the Individual Reporting Form for Adverse Reactions in Biovigilance between 2016 and 2019. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics.

Results: 52 reports were analyzed and three categories were formed: 1) adverse events detected on the same day of the transplant: eight; 2) adverse events detected between one week and 548 days post-transplant: 40 and 3) adverse events detected two years post-transplant: four. Regarding the third category, events were observed at three, five, 11, and 12 years after transplantation. All were discarded and classified as moderate. The nature of the events was hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and the cause of notification was neoplasm.

Conclusion: The discussion on the subject is just beginning, but it is important. Because the clinical management of transplant recipients, in addition to understanding what constitutes an adverse event and is the natural course of a patient's life, may have implications for clinical decision-making, public policy, and patient safety research. This study underscores the need to examine factors related to adverse events, particularly the time between the transplant procedure and the detection of adverse events, in order to establish clinical guidelines.

Biography of Emmanuel Nogueira

dr. Emmanuel Nogueira attended the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) and received his medical degree in 2013. He then became a Fellow at the Federal University of Ceará for Scientific Initiation in Liver Transplantation and completed his general surgery at the Onofre Lopes University Hospital , Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil from 2015-2017 and his residency in 2017-2019 Gastrointestinal Surgery at the General Hospital of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. He served as Team Surgeon for the Liver Transplant Program at Hospital General de Fortaleza and Hospital So Camilo in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil 2019 and as Project Manager for two years at Hospital de Sao Camilo, a pioneering operation where he performed around 40 liver transplants, has extensive experience in the implementation and supervision of clinical research groups with great success. In 2020, he began a Master of Science in Transplantation at the State University of Ceará with a focus on organ preservation research. dr. In addition to having a distinguished medical record, Emmanuel Nogueira continues to seek continuing education and training at the Toronto Organ Preservation Laboratory at Toronto General Hospital.

Use of pancaspase inhibitor during ex vivo normothermic liver perfusion: a strategy to reduce ischemia-reperfusion damage in porcine liver transplants

Yuki Noguchi, Masataka Kawamura, Catherine Parmentier, Samrat Ray
Bhranavi Arulratnam, Sujani Ganesh, Nazia Selzner, Trevor Reichman, Markus Selzner

BACKGROUND: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has a significant impact on liver transplantation (LTx), particularly for extended criteria donors such as cardiac death donors (DCD). IRI is mainly induced by apoptosis regulated by the caspase cascade. Caspases are proteolytic enzymes responsible for cell death and activation of inflammatory cytokines. Ex vivo normothermic liver perfusion (NEVLP) is proving to be an important tool to reduce the effects of IRI. NEVLP reduces liver tissue damage caused by cold ischemia, but also allows the development of strategies for better organ preservation, e.g. B. the use of nutrients, hormones, and drugs that act directly on the liver and can improve graft function after transplantation. In this study, we used a porcine model of NEVLP in which Emricasan, a pancaspase inhibitor, was applied during NEVLP to assess its effects on liver function and tissue damage.

Methods: A porcine DCD recovery model was used with 60 minutes of warm ischemia followed by 5 hours of NEVLP. The pigs were divided into two groups: the EMRICASAN group (n=4) and the CONTROL group (n=4). The primary endpoints were liver injury and function during the infusion.

Results: AST levels were significantly lower in the Emricasan-treated group than in the control group (p=0.0004). Bile glucose levels were higher in the Emricasan group (p<0.0001). Improvements in liver weight and bile production were observed with Emricasan treatment but did not reach significance. The values of hepatic and biliary pH, bile bicarbonate, hepatic artery and portal vein flow did not show differences between the two groups.

Conclusion: The pancaspase inhibitor emricasan showed potential benefit in reducing tissue damage and improving liver function during NEVLP in a donor model with increased ischemic damage. Emricasan administration during NEVLP could be a new strategy to reduce IRI after liver transplantation.

Biography of Aisha Adil

Aisha is a Master's student at the University of Toronto Institute of Medical Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Siba Haykal and Dr. Golnaz Karubi. Her research location is at the Latner Thoracic Surgical Research Laboratories of the University Health Network. Aisha previously earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Health and Disease before continuing her studies. Her research focuses on engineering compound rat hindlimb tissues by decellularizing and recellularizing tissue for vascular composite allografts (VCAs). She has published her own work on decellularization of rat hindlimbs and is currently investigating recellularization strategies. She has received numerous awards, including the Banting and Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-M). She has presented her thesis at various congresses in Germany and abroad. She aspires to continue in academic medicine by obtaining additional doctoral training through a clinical-scientific path.

Decellularization and recellularization by ex vivo perfusion of rat hindlimbs for composite vascular allografts

Aisha Adil, Golnaz Karoubi, Siba Haykal

BACKGROUND: Vascular composite allograft (VCA) is a promising reconstructive surgical approach for patients with severe tissue loss. The clinical implications of VCA are limited due to the high immunogenicity of the allograft and the long-term immunosuppression required. Development of acellular composite tissue allografts by decellularization and recellularization may help circumvent the need for immunosuppression and significantly advance VCA strategies.

METHODS: Rat hindlimbs were obtained from dead male Lewis rats based on the common femoral artery. An ex vivo perfusion-based bioreactor was constructed to perfuse 0.25% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The skin, femoral vessels, nerves, muscles, and bones were examined histologically to determine the absence of cellular content. Recellularization was performed using 20 million human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by arterial perfusion and 20 million rat L6 myoblasts by injection. The scaffolds were cultured and monitored for 24 hours to determine cell engraftment.

RESULTS: Gross morphology consistently revealed a white, translucent appearance of decellularized tissues compared to native tissues at 5 days. The design of a closed system, one-step perfusable bioreactor circuit was suitable for both decellularization and recellularization. The fabric structure of all fabrics was retained. Cellular content was absent in all decellularized tissues. For recellularization, cells could be detected histologically in vessels and muscle tissue after 24 hours from seeding.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides a proof-of-concept model for the application of this technique to composite tissue engineering. Perfusion of 0.25% SDS, a lower detergent concentration than commonly used, retained all appropriate tissue compartments after decellularization, suggesting a less toxic approach. Future work will include the study of long-term cultures to test cell proliferation and survival within cell-free scaffolds.

Biography of Alexandra Frankel

Alexandra Vieux Frankel is a doctoral student in anthropology at York University. Her research sits at the intersection of medical anthropology and feminist science and technology studies. She is also an Associate Investigator for the Frictions of Futurity and Cure in Transplant Medicine project at the University of Toronto Hospital Network.

Embodied Survival: Using Arts-Based Methods to Complicate Biomedical Narratives of Organ Transplantation and Improve Care

Eva Marie Stern, Chloe Wong Mersereau, Brad Necyk, Kelly Fritsch and Suze Berkhout

Background: The dominant biomedical narratives on organ transplantation describe it as a bridge to another, enhanced and productive life. Emerging qualitative research has begun to explore how this narrative can eliminate the everyday challenges transplant survivors face. However, transplantation is also highly valued and appreciated by patients, relatives and donors. Finding ways to examine the complexity of transplant survivors' sensory and physical experiences—what lies below the surface—can provide insight into novel interventions to better support transplant patients.

Methods: Data were collected using qualitative semi-structured ethnographic and art interviews that included an art therapy activity titled "Below the Surface" that was piloted within the research group prior to engaging in the activity with the participants. Participants were asked to create an aluminum foil cast of their hand and forearm and then asked to redesign the cast to fit their organ transplant experience. After dealing with the occupation, the interviewees were asked to reflect on the experience of working with the occupation and the process discussed.

Results: The interviews simultaneously revealed the emotional and sensory experiences of the participants and the challenges of expressing them. In the art activity, participants used a variety of techniques to manipulate, alter, and mark art materials. Some reshaped the plaster by smoothing it out, drilling holes, and marking the materials.

Discussion: Data and models from both the pilot and the study demonstrated the effectiveness of this arts-based methodology in exploring the multifaceted ways in which people understand and express their experiences. The Under Therapy activity allowed participants to retrieve embedded sensory information, create a safe and contained space for sensory experiences, and generate narratives that are not uncovered with traditional interviews. This approach shows promise as a method of disrupting the singular, linear structure of narratives that can emerge in more semi-structured approaches.

Amy Thachil Biography

Amy Thachil is a master's student at Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen's BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. She received her bachelor's degree in human biology and immunology from the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Her work will focus on immunometabolic biomarkers of transplant outcomes in kidney transplant recipients.

Investigation of serum immunometabolomic profiles associated with alloimmune outcomes after pediatric kidney transplantation

Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen, Dra. Katey Armstrong, Dr. David Wishart, Dr. Simon Urschel, Dr. Graham Sinclair, Dr. Atul Sharma, Dr. Paul Keown, Dra. Karen Sherwood

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for children with end-stage renal failure. After a transplant, some children develop chronic forms of rejection that shorten the life of their transplant and affect their quality of life. We have yet to determine all the factors that contribute to the development of tolerance to graft rejection. A person's metabolism can play a role. Metabolic factors, such as nutritional status and disease, can direct the immune response to the transplanted organ and affect transplant outcomes. The purpose of the study reported here is to determine if there are measurable differences in metabolism that might predict whether someone will have a tolerant or repellent response to their transplant.

We measured small molecules (metabolites), which reflect metabolism, in pre-transplant blood samples collected from 124 children who underwent kidney transplantation. Previous work from the Blydt-Hansen laboratory identified metabolite patterns in adult kidney transplant recipients indicative of chronic rejection and poor long-term outcomes. We first determined whether metabolite patterns identified in adults also predict transplant outcomes in children. We found that adult-derived metabolite patterns are not associated with graft function or inflammation within the first year after transplantation. We found that the levels of certain metabolites were related to age and body size. In the next phase of our study, we will use statistical modeling to identify child-specific metabolite patterns that may predict whether a child will develop chronic rejection.

This research will improve our understanding of the factors that contribute to the risk of chronic rejection and will allow us to develop a method to identify people at high risk. This, in turn, allows us to intervene before transplantation to personalize treatment and improve long-term transplant survival.

Biography of Daljeet Chahal

Pronto.

Metabolomic approach to identify causes of injury after liver transplantation

Elisa Pasini, Cristina Baciu, Amir Amirhossein, Mamatha Bhat

Background: Graft viability after liver transplantation (LT) depends on timely detection of graft injury. There is a need for biomarkers that can discriminate between the causes of lesions at an early stage. We present preliminary results of a metabolome study characterizing the molecular signatures arising in post-LT graft injury. The current analysis is limited to biliary damage after LT, but our long-term goal is to identify signatures associated with multiple disease states that can be combined in a single trial.

METHODS: From the UHN Transplant Biobank we obtained 22 biopsy-matched serum samples for the control group, 27 with post-LT biliary damage, 25 with post-LT NAFLD/NASH, and 67 with rejection. A metabolomic direct injection mass spectrometry reversed phase LC-MS/MS assay was used to identify and quantify up to 143 different endogenous metabolites. Statistical and machine learning analyzes were performed using MetaboAnalyst 5.0.

Results: After filtering and normalization, Volcano graphical analysis using the log2 fold-change threshold of 1.2 and the t-test threshold of 0.05 identified 25 metabolites of interest. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was able to distinguish between controls and biliary damage with a precision of 0.8, R2 0.9, and Q2 0.4. Elevated metabolites in biliary injury included glutamic acid, C18:1, PC ae C36:0, C12:1, C16:1, C2, SM C20:2, and PC aa C40:2. Glutamic acid was the most important with a VIP score of 3.0. A sparse PLS DA was also used and showed similar performance and feature ordering. Hierarchical clustering and heat mapping using features of interest showed a clear separation between control and biliary lesion samples.

Conclusion: These preliminary results identify a metabolomic signature associated with biliary injury after LT. Further analysis of the collected samples may lead to clear signatures of other causes of graft injury (NASH, rejection). These could then be combined with the bile duct signature to create a single assay capable of distinguishing between different etiologies at the time of first laboratory collection.

Biography of Marwa Sadat

Marwa is a first-year master's student under Dr. Ian Rogers at the University of Toronto in the Department of Physiology. She received her Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from the University of Toronto with a double major in Physiology and Neuroscience. In her research, she is interested in ex vivo perfusion of mouse and humanized pancreas to study type 1 diabetes. On the one hand, she is working on optimizing ex vivo perfusion of murine pancreas to model type 1 diabetes. At the same time, focuses on the generation of a humanized pancreas by decellularization-recellularization of the mouse pancreas with human progenitor cells, based on the idea that the extracellular matrix controls progenitor cell maturation. In her spare time, she enjoys discovering new hiking trails and trying new restaurants in town.

Ex vivo normothermic perfusion of the murine pancreas to model type 1 diabetes

Marwa Sadat, Jorge Castillo-Prado, Ian M. Rogers

Pancreatic diseases affect hundreds of millions worldwide, including diabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer, for which current treatments are inadequate and suitable disease models are lacking. Current animal models of pancreatic disease are useful, but they can be complicated, invasive, and fatal immediately after the disease develops. Our goal is to develop an ex vivo normothermic organ perfusion (EVOP) system for the pancreas that mimics the in vivo environment in which the pancreas can be monitored and tested in real time, which is limited in animal models. Previously, we mathematically designed and constructed an EVOP system that can successfully support the entire kidney of an adult mouse for up to 9 days by providing it with adequate oxygen, nutrients, and hydrostatic support in a sterile manner. In our current study, preliminary data shows that our EVOP system can support the native murine pancreas for up to 4 days, as indicated by H&E staining showing healthy-appearing tissue and a glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) test. positive. indicating healthy endocrine function. Culture conditions are currently being optimized for longer-term experiments by adding various nutrients and supplements to better support the metabolic needs of the pancreas. Next, we will generate a model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the isolated pancreas by perfusing the organ with the highly selective pancreatic β-cell cytotoxin streptozotocin (STZ), which is involved in the generation of effective in vivo T1DM in rodents. The generation of T1DM is confirmed by the disappearance of the insulin peak in the GSIS test after the STZ infusion. This system not only allows for the successful generation of ex vivo models of pancreatic disease that can be used to test various therapies in isolation, but may also help advance efforts to preserve human organs for transplantation.

Biography of Ke Fan Bei

My personal perspective in the field of transplantation constantly fuels my desire to contribute. To this end, I am a PFD Fellow of the CDTRP and am currently pursuing a PhD in Immunology from the University of Toronto with a focus on transplant immunology.

Princess Okoh

Princess is a first-year master's student at the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. She received her medical degree from the University of Benin, Nigeria. Princess is interested in understanding the barriers that lead to health inequities among underserved populations, particularly those affected by chronic health conditions such as kidney disease. She is currently a member of the Kidney Health Education and Research Group and works on ACTION, a project to improve access to living donor kidney transplants in racial minority communities in Canada. Additionally, she aspires to a career in population health science and research. During my academic and professional career, I have participated in various outreach programs with organizations that provide medical services to rural communities affected by noncommunicable diseases such as chronic kidney disease and complications of infectious diseases. Working in these communities has fueled my desire to gain the research skills necessary to understand existing health disparities in underserved populations and to reduce these health inequities. Hence my reason for doing an MSc. Bachelor of Medical Sciences and work in the Renal Health Education and Research Group. After completing my master's. Degree. I intend to pursue a PhD, which would allow me to pursue new questions and delve into specific research areas that benefit marginalized groups. with a PhD I hope to find a faculty position where I can pursue my research interests and teach students. With my research, I hope to help create sustainable health policies that improve health outcomes.

Aischa Fair

To assess the indications for genetic testing in living kidney transplant donors and relevant Canadian practices in light of current international guidelines.

Ke Fan Bei, Aisha Adil, Somaya Zahran, Prinzessin Okoh, Ahsan Alam

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a generalized disease with a tendency to be hereditary in up to 27% of affected individuals. Living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) is a superior treatment option for the kidney. However, in the United States, 40% of all living kidney donors (LKDs) are biologically related to their recipients, exposing these recipients to poorer transplant survival and putting donors at increased future risk of ESRD. Although not fully understood, this observation could be partially explained by a genetic predisposition to kidney disease.

Although genetic testing could be of paramount importance in potential LKDs, as it improves risk assessment and informs donation safety, the strategy for testing these donors is still evolving and there are no clear recommendations in light of current current international guidelines that are largely based on. in expert opinion due to the lack of reliable evidence to support strong recommendations and the inefficiency of current testing modalities.

In the Canadian context, there is no standard of practice that unifies the different transplant centers on the indications for genetic evaluation of LKD.

Method: International guidelines to compare the indications for genetic evaluation of LKD to the underlying CKD-predisposing genotype were reviewed. Surveys were sent to 25 Canadian transplant centers to review their protocols for genetic evaluation of LKDs.

Conclusion: This study aims to provide an overview of the current practices of Canadian transplant centers regarding genetic evaluation of LKDs in hopes of guiding future directions in advancing their findings.

explore the ethical considerations of face-to-face contact in pediatric organ transplantation; a qualitative study

authors

Jordan Joseph Wadden, Department of Ethics, Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences, and Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia

jordan hermiston, Family Services, BC Transplant, Provincial Health Council

Alicia Virani, Ethics Services, Provincial Health Services Authority and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia

Tom D. Blydt-Hansen, Department of Pediatrics (Nephrology), University of British Columbia, and Multi-Organ Transplant Program, BC Children's Hospital

Ranjeet Dhaliwal, patient and family partner

Shelby verde, patient and family partner

Summary

Bottom:Non-anonymous direct contact between the organ recipient and donor families has been studied internationally in adult settings, including the recent development of such a program in British Columbia. However, there is limited debate about whether direct contact should be extended to pediatric settings due to concerns from clinicians and researchers about potential harms to pediatric patients.

Methods:This qualitative project is based on narrative interviews with pediatric recipients, their families, and families of organ donors. The interviews were semi-structured and deliberately naive to ensure participant-centered knowledge translation. The interview questions fell into three broad categories: developing the context, determining the advantages and disadvantages of direct contact, and identifying needs and safeguards. Interviews were conducted in two phases: those furthest from the transplant process appeared first and informed the approach to interviewing those who had recently gone through the transplant process.

Results:29 people participated in 20 in-depth interviews, with some interviews involving multiple participants from the same family. Participants were pediatric recipients and families who had aged and are now in the adult program (n=13), pediatric recipients and families still in the pediatric program (n=11), and family members of organ donors (n=5 ). The study included participants from three major organ systems: kidney (adults n=3, adolescents n=6), heart (adults n=4, adolescents n=2), and liver (adults n=3, adolescents n=6). Eleven recipients reported meeting their donor family (n=5) or receiving essential identifying information about them (n=6). Across all groups, only five participants indicated that direct contact could cause harm or discomfort, while 23 indicated that they saw significant potential for benefits. Instead, nearly half (n=14) focused on harm to others rather than themselves, and nearly two-thirds (n=20) focused more on benefits to others than benefits to themselves. themselves.

Conclusion:This study indicates that expanding direct contact with the pediatric transplant community may have more benefits than drawbacks for recipient and donor families. Similarly, this expansion could take a harm reduction approach to mitigate the impact experienced by information seekers, even when there is no direct contact program in place. As such, current practices to protect patients and their families from harm may have gone beyond reasonable measures. These results suggest the need to rethink the assumptions in our practice as clinicians and researchers.

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R.J. Sigurdson's CV

RJ was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for EMS Reform on October 24, 2022 and was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Highwood constituency of Alberta on April 16, 2019.

Prior to becoming a member, RJ worked at Avalanche Air Systems as a Senior Project Director/General Manager and Stockholder. He also has extensive experience as a Red Seal sheet metal worker.

He grew up on a 40 acre family farm north of Cochrane. She also found additional work in high school on the farms of nearby families.

His mother, Ann Sigurdson, was a registered nurse for 35 years and his father, Richard Sigurdson, successfully ran a private ambulance service for 25 years.

After high school, RJ worked on a conventional oil rig in the oil and gas industry. Returning to Calgary years later, he began working construction and attended SAIT to receive his Red Seal Journeyman status. He has worked as a project manager for one of the largest machine design and construction companies.

He has been an active volunteer with organizations in the community such as Shriners International.

RJ has been married to his wife Leeanne for over 10 years. Together they raise 3 children. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, camping, fishing, and hunting.

Biography of Jorge Castillo

Biography of Wajiha Ghazis

Juliana Wu Biography

Juliana Wu is director of acute and ambulatory care information services at the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Juliana has nearly 20 years of ongoing leadership and management experience in CIHI's administrative databases, clinical records, and corporate data request program. Juliana is responsible for operating the Canadian Organ Replacement Registry (CORR) at CIHI and also leads the CIHI team on the joint CIHI-Infoway initiative (funded by Health Canada) to develop a pan-Canadian transplant and donation data and information system. of organs.

Biography of Tina Robinson

Pronto.

Veronica McKinney Biography

dr. Veronica McKinney is director of Northern Medical Services, a division of the University of Saskatchewan School of Medicine. Veronica is of Cree/Métis descent and takes a leadership role in health development by working with rural and remote indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan; the Saskatchewan Board of Health; and various health organizations, tribal councils, and bands to support and encourage the continued development and advancement of healthy communities, families, and individuals. She is Assistant Professor and Chairperson of the Indigenous Health Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. De Sakk. She teaches and promotes indigenous health at the Univ. of Saskatchewan, and has served on many boards and committees at the local, provincial, and federal levels. She practices clinical medicine at the Westside Community Clinic in Saskatoon. She has provided services as a Family Physician, Emergency Department Physician, Nurse Practitioner, and Laboratory Technologist over a period of 30 years. She strongly believes in her traditional cultural teachings and applies them to her medical practice. She is a strong advocate for the health of indigenous peoples, having seen and experienced the injustices firsthand.

Biography of Terri Hansen-Gardiner

Terri Hansen-Gardiner is a Cree-speaking Metis woman from northern Saskatchewan who is a 10-year breast cancer survivor. Her tireless spirit and her dedication to her community are undeniable. Terri is a cancer survivor who travels the province to support, educate and help indigenous patients trying to access and navigate the cancer care system.

A former federal and provincial employee, she began working as an advocate for Aboriginal clients in the Saskatoon Health Region shortly after her cancer diagnosis. Walking the cancer care system alone, she saw a great need that she needed to meet. From May to August, she speaks to some 3,000 people throughout the province, sometimes visiting as many as seven communities in a week.

Today, Terri is the knowledge keeper for the Saskatchewan Cancer Care Agency, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and the Saskatchewan Network Settings for Indigenous Health Research.

Peggy John Biography

Peggy John, Associate Director, Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, Canadian Blood Services

Of her 30+ years in communications, Peggy is most proud of the past decade (12 years actually) and the work she has done or led to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Prior to joining CBS, she led the communications and outreach team at BC Transplant, where she founded the agency's Live Life Pass it On brand, led the development of partnerships with Service BC and ICBC to create in-person enrollment opportunities, and worked with GlobalTV. to organize Canada's first national organ donor registration drive. Peggy has been with Canadian Blood Services for just over six years and is honored to lead a team whose education and awareness work aims to inspire a culture among Canadians where organ donation is the norm.

Biography of Rohit Malyalas

Rohit Malyala is a fourth year MD candidate at the University of British Columbia. Before studying medicine, he obtained his BHSc. from McMaster University in 2019. She is passionate about working at the intersection of machine learning, classical statistics, and medical engineering with clinical research to generate practical insights for the selection and management of kidney transplant patients and to optimize postoperative outcomes. in urological patients.

Determination of blood pressure targets for targeted anesthesia in kidney transplantation

Nick Habibi, Anna-Lisa Nguyen, Erika Escamilla, Lucie Hammond, Hana Mehdic, Sasha Vozynuk, Christopher Nguan

Intraoperative hypotension can compromise the health of a newly transplanted kidney, but it is unclear how best to characterize this hypotension and what are the best targets for transplant surgery. We therefore examined whether different types of intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) display correlate with the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF), defined as the need for dialysis within a week of transplantation.

We characterized intraoperative hypotension as the lowest MAP among various absolute or relative thresholds for at least 5 min or 10 min immediately after connecting the kidney to the recipient's blood supply. Relative thresholds were described as the percentage drop in MAP compared to pre-transplant measurements. We used logistic regression to model whether there was a relationship between these methods of describing hypotension and DGF. We then compared the strength of the association between the absolute/relative thresholds in the incidence of DGF using C statistics. We separated the analyzes between kidneys from donors who died of cardiac death (DCD) and neurologically related death (NDD).

225 patients (81 DCD, 144 NDD) were included, with 71 DGF events. In DCD kidneys, a lower absolute MAP below 80 mmHg nearly doubled the incidence of DGF. In a minimum time of 5 minutes, DGF rates increased from 25% at 80-85 mmHg vs. 57.5% at 70-75 mmHg (p=0.127), and with a minimum time of 10 minutes in a 12.5%. versus 68.8% for the same thresholds, p=0.029. Lower MAP thresholds resulted in worse outcomes in DCD kidneys, but no similar susceptibility to hypotension was found in NDD kidneys between 50-90 mmHg. Furthermore, the use of relative thresholds did not improve the DGF predictions.

In general, in this initial retrospective study, the use of relative MAP thresholds to characterize transplant hypotension had no predictive advantage over absolute thresholds. DCD kidneys can benefit from relatively high MAP targets over NDD kidneys.

Biography of Christopher Calara

Pronto.

Biography of Dima Kabbanis

DR.Dima Kabbani is aAttendeeProfessorin the field of infectious diseasesan der University of Alberta. your clinicthe focus isinfections athe immunocompromised host.she iseducational leadership fortTransplant Infectious Disease Scholarship Program at the University of Alberta.your research areascontainthe epidemiology and consequences of infections in organ transplant recipientsand more recently, the response to COVID-19 vaccines in organ transplants.

Biographies of Caroline Piotrowski

dr. Caroline Piotrowski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She is also a Research Fellow at the Manitoba Children's Hospital Research Institute and founding director of the Violence and Injury Prevention Research Group at the University of Manitoba. Her research interests include sibling relationships, trauma and resilience in children and families, and post-traumatic growth. Her recent work focuses on the well-being of siblings of children with chronic kidney disease.

Biography of Kednapa Thavorn

dr. Kednapa Thavorn is a Principal Investigator and Research Director in Health Economics at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She is also an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa School of Epidemiology and Public Health and an Adjunct Scientist at ICES (full state). She has a PhD. in Health Services Research from the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), University of Toronto. She completed postdoctoral fellowship programs in applied pharmacoeconomics at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital and Health Services Research at IHPME, University of Toronto. Her research interests are health economics, health technology assessment, pharmacoepidemiology, equity in health care, care for people with complex needs, and population health. As a health economist, she has collaborated with researchers and policymakers in Canada and internationally on various health research projects.