White House Highlights AST's New Initiative with Organ Preservation Alliance
Thursday, December 22, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Libby McDannell
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TRANSPLANTATION ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES TO ACCELERATE TRANSPLANT RESEARCH
MOUNT LAUREL – December 22, 2016 - The American Society of Transplantation (AST), the largest organization of transplant professionals in North America, applauds the White House for its efforts to highlight impactful organ donation and transplantation initiatives, as announced in their recent blog.
Last month, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy made a national call for commitments aimed at 1) facilitating breakthroughs in transplant research and development, 2) closing the gap between those who support organ donation and the number of registered donors, and 3) increasing the number of transplants and improving transplant outcomes.
The AST was pleased to have a major initiative highlighted through the blog, announcing a new partnership with the Organ Preservation Alliance to create an AST Community of Practice focused on organ and tissue preservation. This community will provide resources and recruit researchers from a wide variety of disciplines to focus on preservation challenges, accelerating progress surrounding one of the key scientific opportunities to advance transplantation.
“The AST remains committed to increasing the number of lives saved through advances in transplantation. It is our hope that this new community will provide a home to support, develop, and advance cutting-edge organ and tissue preservation technologies that will benefit the field of transplantation- both its practitioners and the patients we serve every day,” said AST President, Dr. Anil Chandraker.
In addition to this commitment, the AST is also poised to be transformative in its approach to successfully engage transplant patients in the coming year. In 2017, the American Society of Transplantation will host a new Patient Congress in Washington, DC that will serve as a forum to educate, connect, and advocate. With 150 total participants, the AST hopes to use this meeting as a platform to provide post-transplant educational resources, offer insight and pathways for effective patient-centered advocacy, and highlight research efforts to improve long-term graft survival.
By pushing the boundaries of research through investments in new technologies and engaging patients to provide critical insights, the AST will continue to play a significant role in enhancing and growing the science of transplantation and better serving individuals awaiting organ transplant.
About the AST
The American Society of Transplantation (AST) represents more than 3,500 transplantation professionals dedicated to advancing the field and improving patient care by promoting research, education, advocacy, and organ donation. The AST’s diverse membership includes physicians, surgeons, scientists, nurses, allied health professionals, and administrators. For more information about the AST, please visit www.myast.org.