Month: July 2025

QUOD is excited to be attending the World Transplant Congress in San Francisco this August!

We’re proud to have had the opportunity to curate a dynamic scientific session spotlighting the transformative power of bioresource and databank collaborations in shaping the future of transplantation.

Session title: “How to Optimise a More Global Research Infrastructure — Redefining the Clinical and Scientific Landscape in the Era of AI”

Time and date: Sunday 3 August at 14:15.

This session brings to the forefront the pivotal role of global research infrastructures and features insights from three leading biobanks:

• Brendan Keating (USA) – iGeneTrain
• Maria Kaisar (UK) – QUOD
• Antonio Gomes (NL) – TransplantLines

Following the talks, a panel discussion with additional experts will explore how strategic development of these infrastructures can accelerate innovation and precision medicine in transplantation.

Full details of the session can be found here.

If you’re attending WTC, we warmly invite you to join us for this compelling session — and don’t forget to stop by the QUOD booth in Exhibition Hall B; Aisle 1100; Exhibit Booth 1128.

In February, QUOD launched the first QUOD Innovation Competition in partnership with the charity Live Life Give Life, Alexion, and the European Society of Transplantation (ESOT).

The final of the QUOD Innovation Competition 2025 took place during the Young Academics Masterclass at the ESOT Congress in London on 28 June.
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We received a strong pool of high-quality applications, which were evaluated based on criteria including originality of the project, patient impact, and clinical translation.

Six shortlisted researchers competed for two awards of up to £5000-worth of QUOD samples for their research projects.

The finalists were…

• Peishan Wang
  Spatial-integrated temporal graph neural network model for early liver micro-injury and immunoabnormalities prediction in DCD liver donation
  
• Maithili Mehta
  Decoding the Impact of cytosorb therapy during kidney normothermic machine perfusion using single-cell transcriptomics
  
• Euan Bright
  The role of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase in preventing ischaemic cholangiopathy following liver transplantation
  
• Sarah Fawaz
  Not all diabetic donors are the same: identifying differential risk profiles for transplant outcomes
  
• Mayara Ramos
  Evaluation of the donor’s hormonal profile according to sex and age
  
• David Baird
  Biomarkers of cell senescence and patient outcomes in kidney transplantation

The judging panel, comprising Prof Rutger Ploeg (QUOD Biobank), Karen Rockell (UKODTRN and QUOD Biobank), Dr Liset Pengel (Erasmus MC Transplant Institute), and Dr Luke Yates (Live Life Give Life), were blown away by the high standards of the research proposed.

After much deliberation, the winners were announced.

Huge congratulations to our two winners, David Baird and Euan Bright! We cannot wait to get started supporting your research and we patiently await the results.

A huge thank you to everyone who applied. We are extremely grateful to Live Life Give Life and Alexion for sponsoring the Innovation Competition, and to ESOT for hosting the final.

ESOT Congress 2025 is just around the corner, running from 29 June to 2 July.

Pre-congress activities kick off on 28 June and the highlight for the QUOD team is the QUOD Innovation Competition final. Six shortlisted finalists will take the spotlight during the Young Academics Masterclass, where they’ll pitch their research proposals in a bid to win one of two awards of QUOD samples, generously sponsored by Live Life Give Life and Alexion.

A number of presentations from researchers using QUOD samples also feature at the congress (see below). We’ll be sharing details of the scientific sessions on our social media channels during the congress, so do keep a look out if you are attending.

Oral presentations

Rebecca Vaughan
Title: Prolonged fWIT is associated with metabolic dysregulation in DCD kidneys
Date: Monday 30 June 2025
Time: 17:24–17:30
Session: Next-Generation Kidney Preservation | Donation, Preservation & Regeneration
Room: S5

Ioannis Michelakis
Title: Plasma uromodulin dynamics in deceased kidney donors and the association with transplant outcomes
Date: Monday 30 June 2025
Time: 17:18–17:24
Session: Next-Generation Kidney Preservation | Donation, Preservation & Regeneration
Room: S5

Azita Mellati
Title: Necroptosis in kidney ischaemia reperfusion injury and the effects of a RIPK1 inhibitor in a preclinical model  
Date: Tuesday 1 July 2025
Time: 17:06–17:12
Session: Unlocking Transplant Success: Biology, Engineering & Innovation | Donation, Preservation & Regeneration
Room: S3

Posters

Alexander Daniel
Development of a magnetic resonance imaging protocol for ex-vivo assessment of deceased donor human kidneys

Letizia Lo Faro
Plasma proteome during Normothermic Regional Perfusion show reduced complement and high detoxification level

And finally, we look forward to meeting with you at the congress, whether it be to talk about how QUOD can support your research, to reconnect, or just drop by and say hello. Visit us at the QUOD booth at stand F10, North Halls (Entrance N9 within the Society Village) and pick up a QUOD pen.

We would love to see you!

Full ESOT Congress programme