Pediatric Transplant Symposium

Dr. Lorraine Hamiwka is pleased to host the first ever pediatric multiorgan and multidisciplinary transplantation-focused symposium in a hybrid format, with the in-person component in Calgary, AB.

This symposium aims to highlight current and emerging opportunities for moving the latest evidence in pediatric transplant research into action in Alberta and internationally. It will comprise a keynote speaker, additional lectures, panel discussions, interactive sessions, and networking. This program brings together world-leading researchers (from Alberta, nationally, and internationally), health professionals, and patient, family, and donor research partners who are at the leading edge of pediatric transplant research. This forum will highlight major developments in the science behind improved care, treatment, and well-being of patients and families prior to, at the time of, and following an organ transplant. This event is free.

Session 2: Into the 21st century: Updates on Novel Diagnostics (10:40 – 12:00)

Moderated by Dr. Steven Greenway, this session will explore significant advancements in transplant diagnostics. Dr. Phil Halloran will kick off the session with a presentation entitled “Refining Pathology Using Genetic Transcript Analysis.” Next, Dr. Seema Mital will present on “Precision Medicine in Transplantation Care.” Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen will then conclude the session with a presentation entitled “Non-invasive Monitoring of Graft Rejection.” The session concludes with a Q&A (11:40 – 12:00), allowing participants to interact with the speakers and deepen their understanding of equitable care for pediatric transplant patients.
Register below to ensure you are a part of these insightful discussions!
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About Dr. Dr. Phil Halloran

Dr. Philip F. Halloran earned his MD from the University of Toronto and a PhD in immunogenetics from the University of London. He began his career at the University of Toronto’s Toronto General Hospital and later became Director of Nephrology at the University of Alberta. Dr. Halloran is a founding editor of the American Journal of Transplantation and chaired the board of the Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation in Switzerland. Now a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta, his research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of organ rejection and injury, developing diagnostic tools to improve transplant care. He has published 411 original peer-reviewed papers and has trained many fellows now on university faculties around the world.
His Molecular Microscope® Diagnostic System (MMDx) uses microarrays to assess organ transplant biopsies. Dr. Halloran’s program integrates gene-wide measurements with machine learning to link molecular changes to disease states, fostering collaborations across 80 research centers worldwide. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an officer of the Order of Canada, Dr. Halloran has received numerous awards, including the J. Gordin Kaplan Award for Excellence in Research and the Prix Galien Canada Research Award. His achievements also include lifetime honors from the American Society of Transplantation and international recognition from institutions in France and the Czech Republic.
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About Dr. Seema Mital

Dr. Seema Mital is a Staff Cardiologist & the Head of Cardiovascular Research at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute. She is also the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Chair of Cardiovascular Science, and the Scientific Co-Lead of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research. She leads the Cardiac Precision Medicine program at SickKids that leverages genomics, stem cells, AI and digital technology to model disease, test therapies, and implement precision-focused decision support tools. Dr. Mital established the SickKids Heart Centre Biobank, a multi-centre biorepository for childhood onset heart disease as well as a pan-Canadian Transplant Biobank Registry. She leads the ERAPerMed/CIHR funded PROCEED network for Personalized Genomics in congenital heart disease, the multi-centre international Precision Medicine in Cardiomyopathy (PRIMaCY) network, the CIHR-funded multi-centre INSERT-HCM study, and co-leads the CIHR-funded Precision Medicine for Heart Failure in the Young (PRIORITY) project of the Canadian Heart Function Alliance. She led the CDTRP funded pan-Canadian Pediatric Outcomes in Transplant: PersOnaliSing Immunosuppression to ImproVe Efficacy (POSITIVE Study).
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About Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen

Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen completed his MD at McGill University, and his Pediatric and Nephrology specialization at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, followed by further specialization in transplantation at the University of California, Los Angeles. He began his Nephrology career at the University of Manitoba in 2001, where he was Division Head of Nephrology from 2005-2014. He then moved to BC Children’s Hospital in 2014, where he is Director of the Multi Organ Transplant Program and Senior Scientist at the BCCH Research Institute. He is a past-President of the Canadian Society of Transplantation, a Board member of the NAPRTCS Registry, and collaborating with Canadian Blood Services to establish national Class II matching for pediatric transplant recipients. His research program is focused on identification and development of relevant non-invasive urine biomarkers of allograft injury in pediatric kidney transplant recipients using metabolomic and proteomic methods. He is also engaged in several collaborations to identify urinary biomarkers (metabolomics) associated with chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, cisplatin toxicity, type 2 diabetes and cisplatin nephrotoxicity.
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About Dr. Steven Greenway

Steven Greenway is a pediatric cardiologist and translational researcher in Calgary whose practice includes managing children with heart failure and post-heart transplantation.