Comprehensive Transplant Center 

Ronald Ferguson, MD, PhD, Director

Established in February 2005, Ohio State’s Comprehensive Transplant Center encompasses all solid organ and cellular transplantation programs at OSUMC and involves faculty from a wide cross-section of clinical and research programs. Thoracic, abdominal and cellular transplant programs at Ohio State formerly operated independently of one another within their respective academic units. These programs enjoyed many recognized successes, especially in the kidney, pancreas and bone marrow transplant programs – which are among the best in the country – but University officials determined that even more could be accomplished by working more closely together, particularly on research projects.

“Ohio State and other top transplant programs around the country have on-site research and education programs that serve as an engine to clinical care,” says Ronald Ferguson, MD, PhD, director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center. “The Center is a common thread that weaves through each of the programs and is a driver for enhancing collaboration.”

Each transplant program maintains direct links to its respective academic department, but the Comprehensive Transplant Center is closely involved in support and operation of the programs, including grant acquisition and faculty recruitment. Within the Center, teams of researchers and clinicians from each of the transplant areas pursue projects of common interest in transplantation, including immunopharmacology, immune assessment monitoring and engineering, building information systems and biostatistic databases, and public policy and ethics. Among projects the Center is pursuing are an islet cell transplantation program and expansion of the lung and liver transplantation programs.