In the News
2017 American Transplant Congress Highlights
The 2017 American Transplant Congress in Chicago was another great success for the Adams Lab. Dr. Adams had several talks and served as a moderator. Dr. Kitchens served as a moderator and chaired a session. Dr. Stephen Kim presented his work on the use of mesenchymal stem cells to improve allograft survival as well as his work on xenotransplantation immunotherapies. The Adams Lab was excited to report the longest pig-to-primate kidney transplant survival, a record 499 days! Another highlight from the 2017 ATC was Dave’s Plenary Session talk in which he discussed the role of CD127 signaling in costimulation independent acute rejection. Overall, the 2017 ATC was fun-filled event with new ideas being shared and new connections being made within a group of individuals dedicated to saving lives through scientific advancements in immunology.
Steven and Dave selected as William C. Wood Research Symposium winners!
The 16th Annual William C. Wood Research Symposium showcased the basic and clinical science research of the Emory Department of Surgery's students, postdocs, residents, and fellows. Among those who attended and presented at the symposium, Steven and Dave were selected as winners. Steven was recognized for having the Most Outstanding Basic Science Oral Presentation and Dave was recognized for having the Most Outstanding Basic Science Poster. Congratulations to Steven and Dave for their exemplary work!
#BeST16 in Ft. Lauderdale- Congrats Steve & Dave!
Our lab attended the Basic Science in Transplantation Meeting, #BeST16, a joint meeting between the American Society of Transplantation's Community of Basic Scientists and the European Society of Transplantation. The meeting was an intimate, informative and enriching experience for all involved. The organizers did a tremendous job, and Drs. Mandy Ford (of the Emory Transplant Center), Marissa Alegre and David Rothstein provided excellent leadership, along with European counterparts including Dr. Thomas Wekerle. Dr. Adams chaired a session on "New Applications of CRISPR". Steven and Dave from the Adams Lab both received Young Investigator Awards, with top 10 abstract submissions for the whole conference. Congratulations!
5 Year, 5 Million Dollar Xenotransplantation Grant Award!
Congratulations to Dr. Adams and the Lab, including Dr. Newell, Dr. Mandy Ford and our collaborator Dr. Joe Tector and his lab. We received an NIH R01 grant award for roughly $1 Million/year over the next five years for a project entitled "Optimizing Strategies to Overcome Kidney Xenograft Rejection". Every day, 14 people die on the waiting list for a life saving organ transplant. Our lab has already demonstrated the longest recorded pig-to-primate transplant survival in history, and with the support of the NIH, NIAID we look forward to continuing this breakthrough work which we hypothesize will translate to a potential solution for the global organ shortage, and meet the needs of patients on the waiting list.
2016 American Transplant Congress Highlights
So many great highlights to report from the 2016 American Transplant Congress in Boston, including Dave's Plenary Session talk which highlighted the cumulative work of many people in the lab, especially Cindy Breeden and Walter Wakwe. Dr. Adams had several talks and chaired a session as well. Dr. Steven Kim presented his work on novel costimulation blockade reagents as well. The meeting key-note was delivered by our own Dr. Chris Larsen who discussed the people, science, and processes that have led to landmark long-term survival with belatacept treated patients. The talk captured the translational spirit of our work, and our goal which is to improve lives through transplantation. The best part of the meeting by all accounts was the camaraderie, the fun, the sharing of ideas, and meeting friends, old and new who are enthusiastic about saving lives through fundamental immunologic investigation.
NIH F30 Fellowship Award
Congratulations to Dave Mathews, Dr. Adams and the lab who successfully competed for an F30 fellowship award for MD/PhD students. Special thanks to Dr. Ford who is co-mentor on this training grant. The project is entitled "Novel Combined Costimulation and CD122 Blockade in Islet Transplantation" and builds on great work done in the lab in both mouse and non-human primate models of transplantation.