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President's Blog

CEOT 2016: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Clinical Care
April 13, 2016 Posted by jallan

"Surround yourself with good people and get out of their way."

Although elements of the above quotation have been ascribed to the likes of Ben Franklin and Ronald Reagan, my favorite variation of this quotation is attributed to Keith Reemtsma (often referred to as the father of xenotransplantation), who said, "surround yourself with good people, get out of their way, and borrow their slides on occasion."

I am reminded of this quotation for only one reason: the spectacular success of this year’s CEOT meeting. I honestly think that CEOT 2016 was the best winter meeting ever...

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Narrowing Racial Disparity in Kidney Transplant Outcomes
March 10, 2016 Posted by jallan

To conclude our three-part blog series on how the AST and its members are working to mitigate racial disparities in transplantation, I have invited AST member Tanjala Purnell to summarize her recent study of trends in kidney transplant outcomes among black recipients. Overall, her findings give reason for optimism, as her data show that traditionally underserved populations are indeed gaining ground as outcomes for recipients of all races steadily improve. No doubt more work needs to be done in the area; the AST remains committed toward reaching our strategic goal of seeing all...

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Partnering to Address a Critical Issue in Transplantation: APOL1
February 15, 2016 Posted by jallan

I want to thank Dr. Win Williams once again for his contribution to last month’s blog which highlighted a constructive approach to addressing an obvious disparity in access to organ transplantation. Continuing in this same vein, I have invited AST Past President Ken Newell to blog about a fantastic conference that the AST hosted on the biology and ethics surrounding APOL1 gene variants and organ donation.

As many of you know, there are APOL1 gene variants, principally within the...

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Health Disparities in Renal Transplantation
January 27, 2016 Posted by jallan

Disparities in access to health care and variations in utilization of services due to race and/or socioeconomic status remain an unfortunate reality in today’s society. The AST’s core purpose reads, "Improving human life by advancing the field of transplantation." This statement is a tagline that the AST has used for over a decade. What is important to notice is that our mission is to improve human life. Our mission is not to improve some human lives while ignoring others. It is therefore essential that the AST provides leadership directed toward resolving these issues, which are often...

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A New Look for the New Year
January 04, 2016 Posted by jallan

James S. Allan, MD, MBA, AST President

Today, the American Society of Transplantation (AST) is proud to announce the roll-out of a new brand image and a new website. This change is not simply cosmetic: it reflects the culmination of a multi-year process to strategically modernize the society's image and to provide advanced functionality to our members' most important interface with our organization.

The American Society of Transplant Physicians was formed in 1982 by a small group from the American Society of Nephrology to represent a growing number of transplant physicians...

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Keeping our "Eye on the Prize"
December 15, 2015 Posted by jallan

Currently, transplantation remains one of the most regulated areas of health care. A variety of groups, from payors to UNOS to CMS, have policies that ostensibly encourage the highest quality of patient care. However, these policies do not always align with each other or with the best interests of patients. I have invited my colleague Dr. Jesse Schold to share his thoughts on the current state of transplantation policies.

Jesse Schold, PhD, AST Board Member

Recently, Dr. Allan blogged about timely and important...

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Thanksgiving
November 19, 2015 Posted by jallan

James S. Allan, MD, MBA, AST President

A few years ago, I had the occasion to give my dad’s eulogy.

In a few brief moments, I had to tell a church full of people why I thought my dad was a great guy. Until then, I had never really thought about the specifics of this. I just knew that he was great and that had been sufficient.

With only a few days to prepare a coherent defense of my dad’s greatness, I settled upon a single theme: generosity.

My dad was generous: with his love, with his knowledge, with his time, and with his money.

He knew that he...

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CEOT 2016: Practice, Policy, and Politics of the Organ Shortage
November 09, 2015 Posted by jallan

In anticipation of CEOT 2016, I have asked Ken Newell to blog about what I think will be the best winter meeting our society has ever planned. I hope to see you and your families there!

Register for CEOT 2016

Kenneth Newell, MD, PhD, AST Past-President and CEOT 2016 Program Planning Co-Chair

Is your career focused on transplantation?

Do you want to better understand the sweeping changes that are impacting your practice today, as well as those that are just around...

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TIRN: Protecting the Future of Transplantation
October 26, 2015 Posted by jallan
The AST launched the Transplantation and Immunology Research Network (TIRN) to expand the scope, reach, funding, and effectiveness of the AST’s research program. I’ve invited Dan Salomon and Anil Chandraker to introduce TIRN’s newest feature: the researcher registry. It is absolutely critical for all of us as AST members to embrace and populate this new registry with our own work and scientific perspectives. As we have seen many times in the past, the transplantation community is strongest when we work together.

Daniel...

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The View from My Roof
September 15, 2015 Posted by jallan

Winter in Boston was rough this year. By mid-February, the snow had drifted above my rooftop. When the last snow melted late in April, it was clear that I had some damage to my roof. I started to pull my ladder from the garage, but my wife stopped me, knowing that my sense of balance was not one of my stronger attributes. She insisted that I call a repairman, saying, “Let someone else go up there...you’ll kill yourself!” What she was really saying was that I should hire someone who either values his safety less or needs money more than I do. I acquiesced and found a roofer who did an...

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