Organ Donation and Transplant Research Foundation of BC

10/24/2025

Join us in celebrating the remarkable leadership of Lori Lothian who is retiring after more than a decade of dedicated service as cochair and chair of ODTRF.

Motivated in part by her husband Tom’s liver transplant, Lori has shown unwavering dedication to advancing organ donation and transplant science. Through her leadership, ODTRF has become a driving force for innovative organ donation and transplant research in B.C., empowering investigators to turn bold ideas into life-changing discoveries.

Thank you, Lori, for your steadfast commitment and lasting impact.

10/22/2025

There is still time to register for this important webinar being held today!

Conversations about Health in Black Communities — Family Past, Family Future
📅 Oct 22, 2025 | 🕚7–9 PM EDT | 📍Zoom

Register now: https://cdtrp.zoom.us/meeting/register/qgxk0-59SqaWQmGQoCcPuQ

📢Pediatric Liver Transplantation Webinar - October 22 Webinar

Conversations about Health in Black Communities — Family Past, Family Future
📅 Oct 22, 2025 | 🕚7–9 PM EDT | 📍Zoom

Hear from Kwameah Anoush Bennett as she shares her son’s pediatric liver transplant journey and the unspoken truths of family, culture, and advocacy in healthcare.

Key topics will include:
- Pediatric liver transplantation
- Knowing your family medical history
- Unspoken truths and cultural realities
- Caregiver mental health and advocacy

Register now: https://cdtrp.zoom.us/meeting/register/qgxk0-59SqaWQmGQoCcPuQ

10/15/2025

ODTRF-funded clinical nurse educator Florence Tsai is exploring the experience of living kidney donors at St. Paul’s Hospital as part of her recent Research Challenge award.

With the help of her team—Juna Kim, Alisa Sirosis, and Reema Kandola—Florence is bringing patient voices to the forefront of donation and transplant research to improve the care of living kidney donors.

Learn more about this vital study by visiting: https://www.odtrf.org/research/research-challenge/current-grants/

10/14/2025

We love Gale Ladua — an incredible research coordinator who has been instrumental in advancing the ODTRF co-funded TREAT-COVID project. Gale’s commitment to supporting patients to take part in studies have been vital to the project’s success and helps shapes research that truly reflects the patient experience.

Q: What is your role in health research? A: I work as a clinical research coordinator under the guidance of Dr. Sara Belga in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia (UBC). My responsibilities include managing ethics applications, recruiting study participants and c...

10/10/2025

What an incredible evening! Thank you to everyone who made our Celebrate Transplant event last week such a success—from our amazing speakers and volunteers to all who joined us in celebrating innovation, partnership, and the gift of life.

09/30/2025

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation we honour the lived experiences of Indigenous communities.

Today is a time for reflection, learning, and a renewed commitment to truth, justice, and healing. Together, let us continue walking the path of reconciliation with humility, openness, and respect.

09/29/2025

Congratulations to ODTRF-funded researcher Dr. Sara Belga on receiving a prestigious Michael Smith Health Research BC Health Professional-Investigator (HP-I) award for her groundbreaking project: Immune Monitoring to Predict Risk of Clinically Significant CMV Events after Solid Organ Transplantation (Predict-CMV SOT Study).

This recognition builds on the early seed funding she received through an ODTRF supported Vancouver Coastal Health Team Grant which helped spark this potentially transformative area of research.

We’re proud to see Dr. Belga’s work advancing the science of CMV in the transplant population, ultimately improving the future for recipients.

Learn more: https://healthresearchbc.ca/awardrecipient/2025-health-professional-investigator-hp-i-award-recipients/

09/22/2025

Yesterday, ODTRF proudly joined the Canadian Transplant Association - British Columbia Transplant Trot!

Together with our incredible patient partners, researchers, and clinicians, our Strides for Science team hit the ground running (and walking) to celebrate the gift of life. With over a dozen team members, we showcased the power of community and the vital role research plays in advancing transplantation.

09/19/2025

Transplant surgeon and ODTRF-funded researcher, Dr. David Harriman, has recently published groundbreaking work on the urinary microbiome (urobiome). His research offers valuable insight into how the urobiome changes in kidney transplant recipients, particularly during episodes of acute rejection.

Dr. Harriman will be presenting his findings at our October 1 Celebrate Transplant event, highlighting how these discoveries may one day help predict and manage transplant complications.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand about this important advancement in transplant science. Register today: celebratetransplant2025.eventbrite.ca

09/10/2025

It’s Living Donation Week—a time to honour the life-saving generosity of living kidney donors.

At Providence Health Care, nephrologist Dr. Jagbir Gill is helping lead innovative work on Donate Now—a groundbreaking policy proposal designed to break down barriers and transform living kidney donation in BC. Read our recent interview with Dr. Gill: https://www.odtrf.org/how-a-first-of-its-kind-policy-seeks-to-eliminate-major-disincentives-to-living-kidney-donation/

Join us at our Celebrate Transplant event on October 1, where Dr. Gill will share findings from an ODTRF-funded study capturing the perspectives of patients, living donors, and community members on this bold approach.

Register: celebratetransplant2025.eventbrite.ca

09/04/2025

After receiving a double lung transplant in July 2023, Ben Konkin faced many setbacks and sadly passed away just months later. But his story of courage lives on.

In his memory, Ben’s father, Dann, and the Founder’s Cup Charity Classic donated $5K to ODTRF, ensuring Ben’s legacy helps fuel life-saving transplant research and offers hope to future patients and families.

On October 1 at our Celebrate Transplant event, Dann will share their family’s story—reflecting on the power of transplant and why research is essential to improving outcomes for recipients.

Read more about Ben's powerful story:
https://www.odtrf.org/a-life-well-lived-a-legacy-that-gives-back-honouring-bens-journey-through-research/

RSVP to Celebrate Transplant: celebratetransplant2025.eventbrite.ca

07/30/2025

Lung transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease. But for patients with heightened immune sensitivity, marked by high levels of antibodies, there is a greater risk of rejection, making their path to transplant more complex.

At Vancouver General Hospital, a specialized approach known as peri-operative desensitization—which combines targeted medications and antibody removal, has been used to help reduce this risk.

With support from a VCHRI Team Grant, co-funded by ODTRF, Amanda Driver and her team are now evaluating the effectiveness of this strategy with the aim to improve access to transplantation and outcomes for patients.

https://www.vchri.ca/announcement/2025/07/22/team-grant-awards-2025-recipients