Kidney Pancreas Community of Practice (KPCOP)
Mission Statement
The Kidney Pancreas Community of Practice (KPCOP) is dedicated to advancing knowledge and scientific collaborations of professionals engaged in education, research and patient advocacy to promote improved health, safety and quality of life for kidney and pancreas transplant recipients as well as living kidney donors.
2023-2024 Executive Committee
Chair: Neeraj Singh (2025)
Co-Chair: Gaurav Gupta (2025)
Past Chair: Ronald Parsons (2025)
Board Liaison: Deirdre Sawinski (2024)
Hector Madariaga (2023)
Millie Samaniego (2023)
Nadiesda Costa (2025)
Asif Sharfuddin (2025)
Kenneth Woodside (2025)
Diala Khirfan (2024)
AST Staff Liaison: Olivia Snow (osnow@myAST.org)
2023-2024 Activities
- Formalize the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship training pathway and getting it recognized as a distinct specialty.
- Enhance KPCOP member engagement and professional development and increase membership.
- Reduce Pancreas Organ Non-Use.
- Increase Advocacy for Pancreas Transplantation in Public Policy and Provider Education of Pancreas Transplantation Practices.
- Increase access to kidney transplantation.
- Develop clinical guides for pre- and post-transplant management of patients with paraprotein-associated kidney diseases.
- Examine the utility and application of genetic tools in the assessment and management of patients anywhere on the transplant continuum from referred transplant candidates, to patients on the waitlist, to patients who have already been transplanted
- Provide mentorship to Junior faculty with the goal to match junior faculty with mid to senior level faculty with similar research or clinical interests.
- Examine the care of failing allograft, palliative care, and the transition of care (Peds into adult).
- Increase awareness in allo-islet transplantation.
- Create educational resources for patients in the transplant community.
- Develop guidelines for evaluating elderly KT candidates
- Assess practices across kidney transplant providers associated with various frailty scenarios.
- Build Frailty Registry.
- Coordinate public comment on OPTN proposals through survey and workgroup meetings.
- Explore the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of molecular testing and determine whether testing should be available for screening, diagnostics, or treatment and if testing should be available for all nephrologists.
- Finalize manuscript from Controversies Conference for submission.
- Organize KPCOP-specific webinars and journal clubs.