Transplant Surgery Research
The Transplant Surgery Division research interests include transplant immunosuppression, chronic allograft nephropathy, solid organ transplantation in patients with HIV, islet cell transplantation, transplantation tolerance, gene therapy and xenotransplantation.
Clinical Research
The Transplant Research Office, located within the University of Virginia Health System at 1779 Old Medical School, is a full service clinical trials office offering cutting edge technology and innovative methods to explore novel opportunities to optimize donor organ health and transplant patient outcomes. Our research staff work alongside UVA’s top surgeons and nephrologists to provide opportunities for patients to participate in the nation’s most promising new clinical trials. We have ongoing studies ranging from investigator-initiated trials, national and international sponsor device and drug trials, and electronic medical chart review. UVA is helping drive the latest medical advances and is able to offer our patients the best care possible. Collaborations are encouraged with other researchers, believing that cooperation leads to better results in the lab and in the clinic. The TRO offers abdominal, thoracic, and pancreatic islet cell clinical trials. By participating in a study with the TRO, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the expansion of transplant scientific literature in order to contribute to the advances in the transplant field.
Please contact transplantresearch@virginia.edu you are interested in learning more about any of the below studies.
Please also contact transplantresearch@virginia.edu if you are a sponsor or investigator seeking collaboration and the TRO will connect you with the most appropriate Principal Investigator.
Interests include: Living and Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation, Expansion of donor organ utilization, Organ Donation, Novel Immunosuppression, Translational Research, and Immune Monitoring
Currently enrolling studies:
HSR #170020
A Phase I/II, Open-Arm Study Evaluating the Safety of Islet Transplant on Patients with Type I Diabetes
Principal Investigator: Kenneth Brayman, MD, PhD
Primary Clinical Research Coordinator: Robin Kelly, RN, RLK5A@virginia.edu
HSR #19834
A 5-year Longitudinal Observational Study of the Natural History and Management of Patients with
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Principal Investigator: Shawn Pelletier, MD
HSR #21717
HOPE in Action Prospective Multicenter, Clinical Trial of HIV+ Deceased Donor Kidney Transplants for
HIV+ Recipients
Principal Investigator: Avinash Agarwal, MD
Primary Clinical Research Coordinator: Jamie Nagy, jn6km@virginia.edu
HSR #180003
A Multicenter, Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 Study of
ANG-3777 (formerly BB3) to Reduce the Severity of Delayed Graft Function in Recipients of a
Deceased Donor Kidney
Principal Investigator: Kenneth Brayman, MD, PhD
HSR #180037
Noninvasive organ transplant rejection monitoring via SNP profiling of cell-free DNA from venous and
finger-stick blood
Principal Investigator: Josef Oberholzer, MD
HSR #19451
A Phase 2a, Randomized, Open-Label, Active Control, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Efficacy and
Safety of Bleselumab in Preventing the Recurrence of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in de novo
Kidney Transplant Recipients
Principal Investigator: Kenneth Brayman, MD, PhD
HSR #20240
International Randomized Trial to Evaluate The Effectiveness of The Portable Organ Care System (OCS™)
Liver For Preserving and Assessing Donor Livers for Transplantation (OCS Liver PROTECT Trial)
Principal Investigator: Shawn Pelletier, MD
Primary Clinical Research Coordinator: Karli Beaver, KB6PM@virginia.edu
Kenneth L. Brayman, MD, PhD, FACS
Dr. Brayman is the director of UVA’s kidney, pancreas and islet transplant programs and the director of the Center for Cellular Therapy and Biologic Therapeutics. He’s also the Nabi Professor of Transplantation. Dr. Brayman has over twenty years of experience as a principal investigator in basic and translational research and clinical trials. His research interests include transplant immunosuppression, chronic allograft nephropathy, solid organ transplantation in patients with HIV, islet cell transplantation, transplantation tolerance, gene therapy and xenotransplantation
Shawn J. Pelletier, MD
Dr. Pelletier returned to the University of Virginia in 2012 as the surgical director of liver transplantation. His clinical interests focus on living and deceased donor liver transplants, minimally invasive (laparoscopic) liver resection, as well as other aspects of hepatobiliary surgery. His research focuses on the outcomes following liver transplants and the development of donation following cardiac death.
José Oberholzer, MD
José Oberholzer, MD, MHCM, FACS, is a researcher and surgeon and the director of the Charles O. Strickler Transplant Center. Dr. Oberholzer has performed over 1,000 transplant-related surgeries and is an expert in liver, kidney, pancreas and small bowel transplants, as well as organ transplants in patients with diabetes. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Oberholzer specializes in islet transplantation and parathyroid transplantation, as well as vascular access for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis catheter placements. Additionally, he practices minimal invasive, robotic assisted surgery, including robotic kidney and pancreas transplantation, living donor nephrectomy, adrenalectomy, liver and pancreas surgery and hernia surgery.
Basic and Translational Research
Kenneth L. Brayman, MD, PhD, FACS
Dr. Brayman is the director of UVA’s kidney, pancreas and islet transplant programs and the director of the Center for Cellular Therapy and Biologic Therapeutics. He’s also the Nabi Professor of Transplantation. Dr. Brayman has over twenty years of experience as a principal investigator in basic and translational research and clinical trials. His research interests include transplant immunosuppression, chronic allograft nephropathy, solid organ transplantation in patients with HIV, islet cell transplantation, transplantation tolerance, gene therapy and xenotransplantation
José Oberholzer, MD
José Oberholzer, MD, MHCM, FACS, is a researcher and surgeon and the director of the Charles O. Strickler Transplant Center. Dr. Oberholzer has performed over 1,000 transplant-related surgeries and is an expert in liver, kidney, pancreas and small bowel transplants, as well as organ transplants in patients with diabetes. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Oberholzer specializes in islet transplantation and parathyroid transplantation, as well as vascular access for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis catheter placements. Additionally, he practices minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery, including robotic kidney and pancreas transplantation, living donor nephrectomy, adrenalectomy, liver and pancreas surgery and hernia surgery.
Yong Wang, MD
Preeti Chhabra, PhD
A researcher in the Cellular Therapy & Transplant Core, Preeti Chhabra researches type 1 diabetes and transplant immunology. Her preclinical research focuses on strategies to improve islet transplantation outcomes and prevent/reverse the onset, progression and recurrence of type 1 diabetes to permanently restore glycometabolic control.
Chhabra has examined the role of adenosine A2A receptor agonists as an anti-inflammatory agent to enhance islet transplant outcomes. Her main objective in doing so is to establish the utility of specific and selective A2AR-agonists in reducing the deleterious effects of inflammation that result in islet injury and loss immediately following human islet transplantation. To that end, Chhabra is working on designing an effective short-term therapeutic strategy using A2AR agonists applied in conjunction with islet transplantation, which would eliminate the need for chronic immunosuppressive therapy, enhance graft survival, and permit the use of minimal number of islets. These studies will also provide a rationale for the use of A2AR agonists and other compounds in the treatment of inflammatory diseases like vascular inflammation, arthritis and asthma, as well as inflammatory disorders associated with ischemia, infection and autoimmunity.
Chhabra is currently researching the role of mouse and human naturally-occurring immunoglobulin M autoantibodies in preventing or reversing the onset and progression of autoimmune diabetes and establishing permanent tolerance. She has participated in islet isolation in the Cell Processing Core and is trained in data collection for approval for investigational new drugs.