We’re excited to introduce the AST Mentorship Program, a new member benefit designed to foster meaningful, career-shaping connections across the transplant community.

Whether you're looking to give back as a mentor or grow as a mentee, this program supports all transplant professionals — including students and trainees — with a flexible structure that fits your schedule and preferred way to connect: remote, hybrid, or in-person.

Immerse yourself in the latest research and breakthroughs in the field of transplantation at WTC 2025, hosted in the dynamic city of San Francisco. This global congress draws experts, healthcare practitioners, and researchers and provides them with an opportunity to explore in-depth the sector’s newest developments. To register, click here.

Join your colleagues in sharing innovative approaches to clinical practice, gaining insight into transplant finance, and expanding your leadership skills at the AST Medical Directors Forum.

Registration for the Fellows Symposium on Transplantation is now open! This comprehensive program is designed for clinical fellows and residents, surgical fellows, research fellows, pharmacists, and other trainees planning a career in transplantation medicine, surgery, or research.

Fellows, residents, trainees, and pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for a travel grant. Fellows and those who do not meet the travel grant criteria may register as general attendees. Medical students are also welcome to attend.

On behalf of the AST, the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT), and The Transplantation Society (TTS), we are excited to announce that registration is officially open for the International Transplantation Science Meeting 2025. 

ITS 2025 marks the fourth tri-society event in this global collaboration, bringing together top experts, early-career researchers, and transplant professionals worldwide. This meeting offers an exciting forum to explore cutting-edge basic and translational science in and beyond the field of transplantation.

Check out these complimentary on-demand sessions from CEoT 2025 — featuring OPTN modernization discussions and expert insights on the future of transplantation. 

Join your colleagues and the entire transplant community for the 2025 AST Virtual Run and Fitness Challenge, taking place April 1 – June 15!

Together, we’re aiming to complete 48,149 miles — one for every organ transplant performed in the U.S. last year. Whether you walk, run, bike, swim, or choose any other form of exercise, every mile counts toward our shared goal.

Together, it is our goal to complete a mile for every organ transplanted last year. Can we count on you to help us reach this goal? All funds raised will support a transplant research grant.

The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) has been reintroduced in Congress, and we need your support. This bipartisan legislation would prohibit insurance discrimination against living organ donors, ensure they can use FMLA leave during recovery, and require updated educational resources to promote donation.

Take action now — urge your lawmakers to support the LDPA.

We’re excited to announce the results of the recent Communities of Practice (COP) Executive Committee election. Thank you to all who participated and to those who ran for leadership roles. To view the full list of newly elected members, click here. 

Funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) put critical transplant research at risk. NIH-funded studies have driven advancements in transplantation, improving patient outcomes and paving the way for innovations like new immunosuppressants, immune tolerance strategies, and even organ regeneration. Without this support, progress in the field could slow, affecting countless patients and families.

We need your help to ensure that transplant research remains a priority. Use our advocacy page to contact your members of Congress and urge them to protect NIH funding. Together, we can make a difference. Take action today!

The AST developed a survey aimed at soliciting your perspectives on legislative and regulatory issues that significantly influence both patient care and professional practice. Our goal is to establish a platform for our membership to share their invaluable ideas and perspectives and actively engage with the Public Policy Committee and AST leadership. We look forward to your input as we navigate the dynamics of our ever-evolving landscape of transplant care and practice.

Source: Clinical Transplantation
Borderline T-cell mediated rejection (bTCMR) is the most common renal allograft rejection phenotype within 1-year post-transplant and is associated with allograft failure. There is substantial heterogeneity in bTCMR management; steroid pulse therapy is commonly used but data regarding efficacy are lacking.

Source: Clinical Transplantation
Tacrolimus is highly effective at preventing allograft rejection and prolonging survival after lung transplantation. However, erratic pharmacokinetics may limit efficacy and predispose to greater adverse effects. We conducted a prospective, open-label trial of lung transplant recipients who underwent early conversion (within 30 days) to LCP tacrolimus (LCPT, n = 40) and compared first-year outcomes to an historical control of patients who remained on immediate-release tacrolimus (IRT, n = 24). Subjects were converted 1:1 from IRT to LCPT. 

Source: JTCVS
We sought to provide a single-center analysis of our normothermic regional perfusion (NRP)-recovered donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplant outcomes compared with a historical control group of donors of donation after brain death (DBD). We hypothesized that postoperative short-term outcomes and long-term survival trends are comparable in DCD-NRP and DBD cardiac allografts.

Source: Pediatric Transplantation
Organ transplantation is the gold standard for treating end-stage organ failure, improving survival, and quality of life. Despite efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities, these disparities persist, with their impact on the pediatric organ donation process remaining unclear.