Improving liver transplant outcomes for children facing social challenges
Official title: Addressing social adversity to improve outcomes among children undergoing liver transplant: the role for a health advocate on the transplant team
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11082406 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how tough social situations can affect kids getting liver transplants and sees if having a health advocate can help these families do better after the surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $196,020 |
| NIH project number | 5K23DK132454-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11082406 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are undergoing liver transplantation and come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing liver transplantation or those from stable socioeconomic backgrounds may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how social adversity affects the outcomes of pediatric liver transplants and explores the role of a health advocate in addressing these challenges. By focusing on children from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds, the study aims to identify specific social risk factors that contribute to poor post-transplant outcomes. The research will utilize a multi-center cohort of children undergoing liver transplants to assess the impact of these social risks and the effectiveness of integrating health advocates into the transplant team. This approach seeks to enhance support for families and improve adherence to post-transplant care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved survival rates and quality of life for children undergoing liver transplants by addressing social determinants of health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research in other medical fields has shown that addressing social determinants of health can significantly improve patient outcomes, suggesting a promising avenue for this approach in pediatric liver transplantation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wadhwani, Sharad — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Wadhwani, Sharad
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
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Biomarker-guided reduction of immunosuppression after liver transplant
A multicenter trial tests whether using blood biomarkers to guide tapering of immunosuppression in adults with liver transplants can keep people healthy while lowering drug exposure.
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Understanding how liver disease progresses in people waiting for a liver transplant
A study will build a knowledge base that maps how liver disease worsens over time in patients on the transplant waitlist to improve care and planning.
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Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
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Pre-Transplant Immune Health Marker Panel to Predict Liver Transplant Outcomes
A patient-facing biomarker test used before liver transplant to help doctors estimate the risk of early death after the transplant.
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Thinking skills and self-care after a liver transplant
This project follows people who received liver transplants to learn how changes in thinking and memory affect managing medicines, clinic visits, and overall health.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.