November 21, 2022 Posted by dkumar
A fellow AST Board Member, Linda Ohler, and I recently discussed how powerful and rewarding mentoring young transplant professionals can be. We have all had mentors throughout our careers, and many have had the opportunity to support others. Most of us can look back and see how these experiences shaped our careers.
For me, I fondly remember those who mentored me both in clinical medicine and research, along with the many personal and professional discussions that influenced my career decisions. At some point, I became a mentor to others. Seeing my trainees and mentees become...
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September 08, 2022 Posted by dkumar
I encourage you to take advantage of all the opportunities that we offer. The AST has been my professional home for two decades. Through the AST, I’m fortunate to have found like-minded colleagues, have interesting discussions, start research collaborations, and bring ideas for new initiatives to enrich my own local program. The AST has been very important for my professional growth, and I want to make sure that through the AST, you are able to maximize your learning and opportunities for national and international recognition of your work. Here are the top three ways to make this happen...
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June 21, 2022 Posted by dkumar
On June 6, 2022, I was excited and honored to officially become your new AST President. My affiliation with the Society dates back almost two decades. I have served the AST in various roles, including Board Secretary, Councilor-at-Large, IDCOP Chair, and several other positions. It is a privilege to serve as AST President and I look forward to working with the members of our great Society.
Outside of my roles at the AST, I am a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Transplant infectious diseases physician in the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at Toronto General...
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June 01, 2022 Posted by jgill2
It is hard to imagine that my term as President will soon be ending. The past year has been one of productivity and excitement for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your President, and it has been a privilege to work with the AST Board, committees, and members.
The past year has provided a lot of reasons for pride and gratitude to our members and partners. While it is bittersweet to reflect on how quickly this year has passed, today, I focus on some of our biggest moments.
AST Membership
AST (formerly American Society of Transplant Physicians (ASTP...
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March 17, 2022 Posted by jgill2
March is National Kidney Month – a month dedicated to raising awareness around kidney care. With nearly 100,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States, it is essential that living donors are protected and not disincentivized from donating.
Make a real impact this month by taking action. Here are two things that can be done right now.
Tell Your Network About the Living Donor Circle of Excellence
We recently launched a brand-new website for the AST’s Living Donor Circle of Excellence program. If you...
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December 09, 2021 Posted by achandraker
This guest blog post was written by Anil Chandraker, MD.
We held our first Future of Transplantation meeting last month, and I had the privilege of chairing the Program Planning Committee. This meeting was designed to engage with biotech and corporate stakeholders in our field and address the unmet needs in kidney transplantation. While transplantation has seen many advances, continued innovation and product development remain challenging due to concerns about market size, regulatory requirements, and the ability to measure impact on long-term graft and patient survival.
...
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August 10, 2021 Posted by jgill2
June 30, 2021, marked the passing of one of our leaders who made extraordinary contributions to the field of transplantation, Dr. Barbara T. Murphy. In recognition of her contributions to the field of transplantation and service to the Society, the AST is proud to announce that Dr. Murphy will be the 2022 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is the Society's highest honor reserved to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of transplantation and is selected by a committee of the Society's past presidents. A list of past...
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July 04, 2021 Posted by jgill2
“Our jobs are not about circumstances of birth. We are all here because of what we ourselves have done. You don’t become part of transplantation because your ancestors made some earth-shattering discovery. You are here because of your drive to achieve, your desire to help and your efforts to learn.” – Barbara Murphy, 2009 Presidential Address
With great sadness, we announce the passing of previous AST President, Dr. Barbara T. Murphy, who passed away on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. She was 56 years of age. Barbara's commitment to transplantation inspired so many of us, and...
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June 08, 2021 Posted by jgill2
Dear AST Members,
It is my honor to serve as your President for the year 2021-22.
I want to express my gratitude to Rich Formica for his leadership of the Society during this past year. Under Rich’s leadership, the Society continued to grow and evolve despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am truly fortunate for Rich’s guidance, vision, and positivity. Rich’s term was remarkable for many reasons, including the first entirely virtual presidency and for the passage of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (...
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May 28, 2021 Posted by rformica
It is hard to believe that my term as President will soon be coming to an end. With the challenges from COVID-19, it certainly wasn’t the year that I was expecting. Nevertheless, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as President and proud of all we accomplished this year.
In March 2020, it became apparent that I needed to reorient my goals to reflect the threat of the pandemic to the Society. Together with the AST Board of Directors, we worked strategically to remain fiscally responsible while still providing members like you with the benefits and services you need....
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