Andrew Adams Personal Statement

I believe that the AST is the organization that best represents our community.  Physicians, scientists, surgeons, pharmacists, administrators as well as other transplant health professionals are all members working together to improve care for transplant recipients.  As a clinically active liver transplant surgeon with a focus on both pediatric and adult patients, I have personally witnessed many of the challenges that confront us. Whether it is the lack of appropriate resources to provide optimal patient care, the immunologic or social barriers that limit desired outcomes, or the unsettling landscape of scientific funding, we and our patients are constantly facing new challenges.  I view the mission of the AST as advancing the cause of transplantation and supporting us in our primary objective, which is to improve the length and quality of our patients’ lives.

There are many opportunities for the AST to lead our field and I have a particular interest in two approaches: expanding mentorship opportunities and increasing support for the development of new immunomodulatory therapies. I believe one key strategy to enlarge the scope of our society’s influence is a continued and expanded program to support mentorship of trainees and young faculty.  This effort should include not only those who are interested in basic science research but also seek out those focused on health services research and quality improvement efforts.  Through expanded programs to encourage mentorship led by established scientists and physicians, we can attract the best and brightest trainees to our field. 

Another key focus area that will solidify the AST’s influence in the future is continued support for the development of new transplant therapeutics. The introduction of effective immunosuppressive medications is arguably the single greatest factor responsible for the outcomes we enjoy today.  Despite these achievements there is still ample opportunity for innovation and improvement as highlighted by a recent editorial reminding us that 5-year outcomes following transplantation are comparable to patients suffering from metastatic breast or colon cancer. As those who know the needs of our patients the best, the AST can continue to work with regulatory agencies, industry and our community to support clinical trials to examine promising therapies.  The AST should continue to act as a catalyst to connect clinicians and basic scientists with interests in transplant research in an effort to promote hypothesis-driven studies to address current clinical challenges.

I view the AST as the premier society representing the field of transplantation and I envision that this role will expand in the coming years.  I believe that I can provide meaningful contributions to the discussions that determine the direction of our society.  I can speak from personal experience on a wide range of pertinent issues and thereby represent many diverse interests and priorities: pediatric and adult abdominal transplantation, basic, translational and clinical research, education and advocacy.  If fortunate enough to be elected, I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the AST board and commit to engage on these and other topics as they arise.