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The Abdominal Transplant Research Program within the Abdominal Transplant Center — a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin — works to enhance access to transplantation by reducing health disparities, incentivizing more efficient use of organs, and improving the health care system of transplantation to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.

Researchers within the program carry diverse interests but share a common goal of enhancing access to transplantation with opportunities to integrate discoveries into clinical practice and improve services to the community.

Joel Adler presents a slide deck on kidney transplant-related research.
Gloria Chen stands by a research poster relating to kidney transplantation.
An individual gives remarks at a podium during the 2023 American Transplant Congress.

The Abdominal Transplant Research Program studies the following sample of topics and more:

  • Use of telehealth for patients with end-stage kidney disease in rural areas
  • Measurement of individual hospital performance in decreased organ donation
  • Relationship between dialysis facility quality and eventual kidney transplant waitlist registration

Active Research

The Abdominal Transplant Research Program receives funding support from local and national organizations to help catalyze new discoveries across its areas of research.

Researchers within the Abdominal Transplant Research Program aim to find new ways of increasing access and reducing barriers to successful organ transplantation. Program research has studied psychosocial assessment tools and the role of caregiver support in transplantation.

Other research has explored patient health literacy levels and whether it impacts their ability to access transplantation. The program assesses practical and clinical issues related to transplant access. One focus involves setting up telehealth visits for patients with severe kidney disease in rural areas so that they can connect with specialists at medical centers.

Another area of interest is the importance of dialysis facilities and their relationships with patients and transplant centers. Program research seeks to improve interactions between providers at dialysis centers and transplant centers.

Researchers within the program have additional expertise spanning the following areas of research:

  • Islet cell transplantation
  • Organ utilization
  • Immunology and biomarkers
  • Investigational pharmaceuticals that prevent organ rejection
  • Social support and transplantation
  • Behavioral economics and transplant decision-making
  • Patient health literacy

The Abdominal Transplant Research Program collaborates with experts both within UT and the external life sciences community.

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