Transplant Research Center

The MedStar Research Institute, Transplant Research Center has as its purpose to enhance patient care through the systematic investigation of therapeutic interventions to prevent organ rejection and to prolong graft function. The research team supports the members of Transplantation Services in their research endeavors by assisting them with:

• development and implementation of clinical research protocols
• gathering and analyzing data collected from patients and their records
• completion of all clinical trials regulatory documents including IRB required documents
• obtaining voluntary informed consent from patients for participation in the on-going studies of Transplantation Services.

The Research Center is self-supporting. Clinical studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies, not-for-profit foundations and the federal government.

Patients who qualify for a study are given the opportunity to participate. The studies are done under the supervision of the Director of Transplantation, Dr. Jimmy A. Light. They include:

1. Studies to find out if new FDA- approved medicines or combinations of medicines are more effective than the current standard of practice.

2. Clinical trial of two different daily doses of one FDA approved medicine to determine if the lower dose will be as effective as the higher dose in preventing rejection. The lower dose would have less unwanted side effects.

3. Studies of new procedures or methods of providing care that will enhance patients’ quality of life while simultaneously promoting better patient and graft survival.

4. Investigations of the cost-effectiveness of different therapies.

All of our studies are presented at regional, national, and international meetings and are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. We are committed to advancing the art and science of transplantation and to improving the quality of patients’ lives through systematic investigation.

Contact Director of Transplant Research

Transplant Research Center Homepage