Maximizing transplant opportunities with deceased-donor initiated kidney paired donation chains
Official title: Maximizing Transplant Opportunities through Deceased Donor-Initiated Kidney Paired Donation Chains
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11450243 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aimed at expanding kidney transplants by using deceased donors to kick-start chains that connect living donors with patients in need.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $847,498 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK143288-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11450243 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with end-stage kidney disease who are on the waitlist or eligible for living-donor transplantation, including those with rare blood types or high HLA sensitization.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for kidney transplantation or whose clinical situation does not align with the proposed donor chain strategies.
What this research studies
This project seeks to modernize how kidneys are allocated in the United States by creating and validating a common donor quality metric that can compare living and deceased donors. Researchers will analyze national registry data to model outcomes and compare new metrics to current ones, with the goal of increasing transplants and reducing wait times for highly sensitized patients. The work involves developing methods and tools to integrate deceased and living donor systems while ensuring fairness across blood types and donor quality. This could lead to more kidneys reaching patients who otherwise wait longer or remain on the list.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could significantly increase the number of kidney transplants and shorten wait times for patients in need.
How similar studies have gone: Prior approaches to kidney paired donation have shown promise, but this project extends the concept by integrating deceased-donor initiation and a unified donor profile index to enable broader, fairer matching.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mankowski, Michal a — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Mankowski, Michal a
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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.