Thrilled to meet in person this October as part of the National Living Donor Assistance Advisory Group, working together to overcome financial barriers to living donation! 💚 Every effort brings us closer to making living donation accessible to all.
Learn more about the impact we’re making at livingdonorassistance.org.
🌍 Dr. Amy Waterman recently attended the prestigious Santander Summit in Spain, presenting on the global state of living organ donation! Hosted by the Spanish Organización Nacional de Trasplantes under the European Union, the summit gathered experts from 57 countries to tackle global challenges in transplantation and healthcare. Dr. Waterman’s contributions are shaping the future of transplant care and equity worldwide! 🩺💡
To read more about her experience click the link below:
🌟 Meet Dr. Paula Shireman, an expert surgeon and clinical informatics researcher! As a key collaborator with the Patient Engagement Research Lab, Dr. Shireman is applying her knowledge to reduce healthcare disparities and improve patient outcomes using AI-based data analytics. 🚀 Her work focuses on improving access to surgery and transplant care, particularly in rural communities.
🎤 Dr. Potter is in the spotlight, presenting our AIM-AHEAD research! 🌟 Sharing powerful insights from our patient advisory council, Dr. Potter highlights key recommendations to improve transplant care and patient support. 🩺💡 Together, we’re shaping a brighter future for transplant healthcare!
🚀 Exciting news! Drs. Kakadiaris, Potter, and Waterman proudly represented the University of Houston and Houston Methodist Hospital at the AIM-AHEAD Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia! 🌟 Together, they’re leading the charge in advancing AI and health equity, making impactful strides toward a more inclusive healthcare system.  🧠💡
🎉 Huge congratulations to Laxmi for presenting at the RICE University Artificial/Machine Learning Conference 2024 on behalf of the Patient Engagement Research Lab! 🚀 Laxmi’s poster, “Listening to Patients at Higher Risk of Not Completing Kidney Transplant Evaluation,” highlighted how machine learning is tackling patient barriers in underserved communities. 🙌
The audience praised the research for shining a light on financial and knowledge challenges faced by patients. Many were moved by using real patient quotations and amazed by how AI is helping us understand why 54% dropped off the kidney transplant list despite being eligible! 🧠💡
🚀 Exciting times at the 3rd annual AI on Health Conference, hosted by the Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University! Solaf had the honor to represent our team. She presented our poster “Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cardiometabolic Health: Developing a Risk Index Predicting Kidney Transplant Dropout for African American and Hispanic Patients.” 🎯
Solaf also delivered an incredible presentation and showcased our groundbreaking work in reducing health disparities. The audience was highly engaged with our efforts to bridge AI with real-world health outcomes. 💡🩺
Great job to the Patient Engagement Research Lab at Houston Methodist for all the outstanding work you do for patients and the community! 👏
🌍✨ Exciting News from Rome! ✨🌍
Leaders in Living Donation Psychosocial & Ethics Research, including Drs. Jamie Locke, Macey L. Levan, Amy D. Waterman, Rhiannon D. Reed, and Ms. Carter, are presenting their groundbreaking work at the Living Donor Abdominal Organ Transplantation State of the Art International Conference in Rome, Italy this August 2024! 🏛️
This is a huge step forward for living donation and transplant care, with insights that will shape the future. Can’t wait to see how their expertise inspires change! 💡💙
🎉 Big Congratulations to my friend, John, on an incredible achievement! 🎉
John has just been appointed as a 125th Anniversary Chair at the University of Birmingham in the College of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, Department of Applied Health Sciences! In his new role, he’ll amplify his patient-centered research in kidney disease internationally.
As John said, “I see a partnership with Amy Waterman and the Patient Engagement Research Lab at Houston Methodist as a key element of this work. We will build a strong international partnership between institutions with two of the world’s largest transplant centers, and two established hubs for patient-focused research in kidney disease, to improve the lives of individuals living with kidney disease everywhere.”
Behind the scenes at the Department of Surgery photo shoot – a glimpse of the camaraderie and teamwork that drive our success. While we remain committed to excellence in patient care, our team values collaboration and a supportive work environment. Stay tuned for official photos highlighting the talented individuals dedicated to advancing the field of surgery.
🚨 Spotlight on Excellence! 🚨
We’re thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievements of Dr. Andrea M. Meinders, MD, a general surgery resident at Houston Methodist Hospital. During her two-year research fellowship with the Patient Engagement Research Laboratory, funded by the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, Dr. Meinders made significant strides in transplant research. From expanding access to optimal treatments to reducing racial disparities, her work is shaping the future of transplant care. 🌟
With 13 national conference presentations, four first-author publications, and the prestigious “Best in Hepatology” award from ILTS 2024, Dr. Meinders is making waves in the medical field! 🙌
Read more about her journey, insights, and the impact of her research in our latest blog post! 📖✨

Exciting collaboration at TSU’s inaugural conference, “Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Data in Healthcare: What Do I Need to Know?” The Houston Methodist Patient Engagement Research Lab and the Innovation team joined forces with Veronica Ajewole and TSU’s Community Engagement Core to raise awareness about the impact of technology, AI, and data in healthcare. The goal? Empowering communities to use these tools to close health disparity gaps and advance health equity.

A great weekend of celebrating what transplant makes possible and launching the Living Donor Storytelling Project nationally at the 2022 Transplant Games in San Diego – special thanks to our amazing collaborators at Sanofi!

Drs. Osama Gaber and Amy Waterman of Houston Methodist Transplant Center and Mr. Kevin Myer, CEO of LifeGift stand together to celebrate how Nora’s Home supports people awaiting transplants.

Ms. Lorrinda Gray-Davis, President of Transplant Recipients’ International Organization (TRIO) and Dr. Amy Waterman (both in the first row), along with other Working Group members, proudly share important metrics prioritized at the People Driven Transplant Metrics Conference hosted by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients in 2022.

Drs. Waterman & Davis mentor 10 bright scholars from different high schools across Houston as part of the Department of Surgery’s Rising Stars Summer Enrichment Program.

Over the years, the teams of Health Literacy Media and the Patient Engagement Research Lab have been awarded many Certificates of Excellence for health literate animations, online educational portals, and print campaigns that they have designed for transplant patients.  We couldn’t have done it without each other.  To learn more about Health Literacy Media, visit their website: https://www.healthliteracy.media/  

Dr. LaShara Davis presenting her poster at ATC 2022, titled, “Do Videos Work Better Than Digital Ads at Reaching Audiences? Examining Which Message Types Engage and Encourage Further Exploration of Living Donation.

We love our Living Donor & Explore Transplant Fellow, Martha Gershun (being hugged by her kidney recipient).

The entire Houston Methodist family, including CEO Mark Boom, at the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) – ATC Meeting 2022.

Getting to stand near a legend, Dr. Suki, after speaking about our patient engagement research in transplant at the Symposium bearing his name, the Wadi N. Suki Symposium: New Horizons in Kidney Disease, Dialysis and Transplantation. 

Celebrating Dr. Andrea Meinders’s first national oral presentation “Are More Knowledgeable Living Donors More Likely to Donate Kidneys?” at the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) Winter Symposium 2023 with Drs. Waterman and Gaber. Congratulations!

Dr. Waterman’s Centennial Endowed Chair for Clinical Research in Transplantation bears the name of this lovely and charitable woman, Deborah C.  Phillips, on the right.  We care deeply about patients always having the best experiences possible.  It is an honor to work at Houston Methodist Hospital, because we know all of us share that same commitment.  We look forward to expanding the research and educational activities that we do as a result of her generous gift. 

Drs. Gaber, Waterman and Davis, in collaboration with the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation, share their perspectives on health disparities in kidney transplantation and how novel educational techniques, such as the Linked by Love edutainment series, can help educate patients about kidney disease prevention and raise awareness for living donation! 

The Patient Engagement Lab celebrates their partnership with the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation and the national launch of the Linked by Love edutainment video series at the Director’s Guild in Los Angeles.   We are so proud to be supporting the vision of Nicole Mendez, the Executive Director, who is a leader in the use of edutainment to inspire diverse communities to learn more about transplantation. 

An evening “Under the Stars” as we celebrated the Gift of Life and Nora’s Home Gala at the beautiful McGovern Centennial Gardens! All evening proceeds went to support Nora’s Home Adopt-A-Family program, to ensure no guest is turned away due to the inability to pay. It was a night to remember as the Patient Engagement Research Lab of Houston Methodist Transplant Center, Department of Surgery and Sanofi came together to bring hope and celebrate a place that many on their transplant journey call home!  

The Patient Engagement Research Lab & Nicole Mendez at the Houston Methodist premiere of Linked by Love, a 6-episode “edutainment” series created by the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation to provide vital information about kidney disease, prevention of kidney disease, kidney failure, transplantation and living donation.

Dr. Amy Waterman, Dr. LaShara Davis, and Nicole Mendez (Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation) at the premier of Linked by Love at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The Patient Engagement Research Lab and Nicole Mendez (Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation) at the Houston Health Museum premier of Linked by Love.

The Houston Methodist Patient Engagement Research Lab attends the Greater Gulf Coast Translational Science Alliance (CTSA) Retreat with great collaborators such as TSU, UTMB, and the University of Houston – Clearlake to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate scientific operational innovations that improve the efficiency/effectiveness of clinical translation. Such a fantastic way to collaborate to build what the community engagement partnership is all about!  

Collaborating as a diverse faculty and staff, Health Literacy Media and the Houston Methodist Hospital Patient Engagement Research Lab ensures that more patients learn about the option of transplant and receive access to innovative, health literate educational resources. And, we have a lot of fun!

Tiffany Hopson, MA, presenting our award-winning poster, “Houston Methodist Hospital’s Rising Stars Summer Enrichment Program: Inspiring the Next Generation of Diverse Healthcare Professionals”, at the Global Health Summit celebrating the success of our Rising Stars program. The purpose of this research project was to develop and evaluate the value of a Rising Stars Summer Enrichment program on increasing the confidence of high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine and to build a pipeline to support these individuals.

Dr. Jonathan Daw, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Demography from Pennsylvania State University to give Grand Rounds at Houston Methodist Transplant Center. Dr. Daw presented “The Ties that Transplant”. He enlightened us with living kidney donor relationship distribution – trend rate and potential living donor outcomes. We’re excited to get to work with him on future projects!

Presenting our first collaboration at the American Transplant Congress in San Diego with Kevin Myer and the LifeGift OPO – “Does Post-procurement Allocation of Donation After Circulatory Death Kidneys Affect Kidney Use Rate?”.

Christina Goalby, Amy Waterman, and LaShara Davis reunite at ATC San Diego, and celebrate over 10 years of working together through Explore Transplant and at multiple transplant centers.

Bethany and Mayra had the opportunity to be part of LifeGift’s annual 2nd Chance Run in September to bring awareness of all the wonderful resources available at J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center and the Living Donation Storytelling Project. They also met so many donor families who decided to give the gift of life to others by donating their loved one’s organs.

To learn more about the Living Donation Storytelling Project click on the link: https://livingdonationstories.org/

The Patient Engagement Research Lab visits the Medical Humanities Research Institute at Rice University to discuss their collaboration in narrative medicine. Both groups enjoyed learning more about each other’s work and opportunities for collaboration – of which there are many!

Women leaders in transplantation meet to share best practices at the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Meeting in 2023.  So proud to know and work with Drs. Krista Lentine and Christina Klein, two nephrologists who ensure that excellent kidney and transplant care is being provided at two of the 250 transplant centers in the country.  

Drs. Amy Waterman and Solaf Al Awadhi of Houston Methodist’s Patient Engagement Lab hosted leaders in organ donation from the United Arab Emirates in Houston.

For the first time, Houston Methodist Patient Engagement Research Lab is honored to finally meet in person with the Department of Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville (Dr. Monica Gentili and Joshua Nielsen), the University at Buffalo (Dr. Xiaoyu Chen), and the Marketing Director (Ashley Livingston), from Multiview to create possibilities to help increase living donation rates!

Mayra and Analisa from Houston Methodist Patient Engagement Research Lab and J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, bring DEI and The Living Donation Storytelling awareness to Their Day Foundation in the Corpus Christi community – Health Fair 2023. Inspiring better health, “When passionate leaders, organizations, and community-minded people come together, inspiration strikes, and change occurs.”

The team’s Aim-Ahead Pilot project using machine learning to identify disparities in access to kidney transplantation attracted a big audience at ASN Kidney Week 2023 and several potential national collaborators from NYU, John Hopkins University and University of Michigan were interested in applying our risk indices and identifying patients in need of adapted support.

Team Living Donation, Drs. Krista Lentine, Amy Waterman, Matt Cooper, spoke at the Santander Summit in Spain this November about the need for consistent living donation education, protections from exploitation, and expansion of access to living and paired donation globally.

The Patient Engagement Research Lab teams up with UTMB, UHCL, and TSU for the ultimate Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) 4.0 Writing Retreat in Galveston, TX! We’re on a mission to propel clinical and translational science, crafting groundbreaking operational innovations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical translation. More to come as we collaborate together in fast-track Translation Research projects on local, regional, and national levels. Let’s create, provide, and share innovative research programs and partnerships across institutions and communities to tackle health disparities head-on.

George P. Noon – Research and Transplantation Sympodium – The Patient Engagement Research Lab from Houston Methodist joins a room filled of dynamic research teams who focus on improving successful Transplant outcome by exploring innovative ways to improve transplant health.

Recap of the Third Annual George P. Noon Symposium in DEI at Houston Methodist!  This past Monday marked an inspiring event focused on “The Future of Transplant: Increasing Awareness in Diversity.” Notable speakers covered incredible topics, sparking thought-provoking discussions.  To everyone’s delight, the legendary George P. Noon made a surprise appearance, adding a special touch to the symposium.

Thrilled to have LaShara Davis, PhD from the Patient Engagement Research Lab at Houston Methodist share her experience at the George P. Noon – The Future of Transplant Conference: Increasing Awareness in Diversity, this Monday. She shared powerful insights on ‘Finding Equity in Healthcare through Diversity. Let’s work together to increase awareness and foster inclusivity in the future of Transplant Care.

The Patient Engagement Lab is proud to celebrate Dr. Atiya Dhala from Houston Methodist for her newly funded grant titled ‘Enabling Access to Prehab for Kidney Transplant Candidates who are Frail,’ through the Digital Health Workshop at Rice University.

It’s hard to believe we’ve only been in Houston, Texas, together for two years. The year 2023, marks a period of significant growth for the Patient Engagement Research Lab, with expansions in staff, partnerships, and national policy leadership. To learn more about the details of the lab’s progress and achievements, click the link below to read the full article: https://exploretransplant.org/2023-a-year-of-expansion…/

A first for the Patient Engagement lab, Dr. Waterman attended the commissioning of a new Ph.D. faculty member and spiritual chaplain, Dr. Beth Muehlhausen, conducting research in spirituality and health at Houston Methodist.
The presiding chaplain asked her…” Will you provide excellence in spiritual research with patients, families, and staff? ” Her answer was, “I will, with the help of God.” Welcome, and prayers for Beth’s success. Here, she is lighting a candle to symbolize her new beginning.

Dr. Amy Waterman’s inspiring journey to Dubai in January 2024. She shared insights on ‘Patient Engagement, Diversity, and Education for Organ Donation and Transplantation’ at a conference. Exciting news: Dubai launches a Deceased Donor Program! Dr. Waterman also had the privilege of meeting and greeting living donors.

The Patient Engagement Research Lab had a blast at the LifeGift expansion Open House! Explored cutting-edge simulation facilities, witnessed drone tech for healthcare access, strolled the Rooftop Terrace, and soaked in the joy with special guests like Gospel Music Workshop of America, art painting with HTX Art in the Heart.

Exciting Grand Rounds at Houston Methodist’s Patient Engagement Research Lab! Dr. Catina O’Leary shared insights on ‘Engaging Patients in the Transplant Journey’.  Dr. Ghobrial led a thought, and discussion on integrating health literacy DEI initiatives at the Transplant Center. Joining forces for progress!

The Patient Engagement Research Lab collaborated with the Health Museum for a special series of events to raise awareness about the incredible gift of life-saving organ donation.

Patients at J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center unites for a heartwarming tribute during Donate Life Month! Teaming up with The Health Museum and The Patient Engagement Research Lab, they embarked on a creative journey of rock painting.  A beautiful way to spread awareness and celebrate the gift of life

Dr. Waterman epitomizes the qualities and values embodied by this prestigious endowment, and Houston Methodist is truly honored to collaborate with her as its inaugural holder.

This week marked a momentous occasion at Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center as we recognized the remarkable transplant team driving our patients’ journeys forward. It was an honor to have Mrs. Paula Walter with us for a group photo, symbolizing unity and support during Donate Life Month!

The Health Museum showcased the “Wall of Heroes” to celebrate the generosity of donor heroes who saved many lives with their selfless gifts. These touching stories illuminate the power of organ donation, bringing hope, healing and renewed vitality to those in need.

Dr. Amy Waterman gained insights on collecting meaningful patient experience data from Courtenay Bruce, Associate Chief Experience Officer at Houston Methodist, at the Healthcare Leaders Summit in LA. Thrilled to represent Patient Engagement for Houston Methodist in partnership with her!

Exciting insights at the ATC 2024 Philly! Woodlhey Ambroise shared the critical role of comprehensive biopsies in successful organ placement during the first poster session. Understanding the nuances of each biopsy can make a life-saving difference.

Exciting news! Drs. Waterman and Meinders from the Houston Methodist Patient Engagement Lab joined the ATC conference in June 2024!

Our work in Community Engagement to improve the health of all Houstonians begins with leaders from University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Houston Methodist Hospital, University of Houston Clear-Lake, and Texas Southern University – all members of the Greater Gulf Coast Translational Science Alliance. 

Authentic smiles from Amy Waterman, Kevin Myer, and Yolanda Becker as they celebrate the LifeGift Donation Optimization Research Group’s first five posters and talks at ATC Philly 2024. We honor the hard work and collaboration of various clinical partners in the deceased donation space in Houston, TX today!

Exciting times at ATC Philly 2024.  Amy Waterman and Veronica Martinez celebrate their time together at the conference, sharing knowledge and inspiring each other. Here’s to collaboration and innovation in transplantation!

Our Houston Methodist Surgery and Transplant researchers were huddled up and ready for back-to-back talks at ATC in Philadelphia! Their dedication and passion drive innovation and breakthroughs. Let’s cheer them on as they share their incredible insights and advancements in the world of health and medicine!

Dr. Waterman, Catherine Pulicken, and Darren Stewart, the NKR Research leaders, celebrate the 2024 NKR Gala and the many living donor transplants made possible by the NKR.

I am very proud to be the Director of Patient Engagement, Equality and Diversity in Surgery for the Houston Methodist Hospital system, a 2024 High Performer ensuring LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality in a state not known for compassion to this community. Today, RJ and I walked with our colleagues in 95 degree weather to kick off the Houston Pride Parade.

Dr. LaShara Davis talks at the American Transplant Congress San Diego about how to connect with Reddit users curious about living donation – “Assessing Public Dialogue About Living Donation From Anonymous Reddit Users: Who’s in the Room and What do they Share.”

Katya Kaplow and Dr. Amy Waterman are celebrating their paper being published this year! Their work, “National Attitudes Towards Living Kidney Donation in the United States: Results of a Public Opinion Survey,” it’s a must-read.

Nothing makes Dr. Waterman prouder than amplifying the patient’s voice. Congrats to Lorrinda Davis, President of the Transplant Recipients International Organization, for her award-winning research on the mental health needs of transplant patients and the power of peer support!