Honor to be presented at NKF’s 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings
New York, NY – May 6, 2019 —The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) will present its first ever award for Excellence in Kidney Transplantation to Matthew Cooper, MD, at NKF’s 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston in May.
Dr. Cooper is a Professor of Surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at the Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute. He is a pioneer in the laparoscopic donor nephrectomy procedure and in the field of Paired Kidney Exchange (PKE). He conducts critical work to remove barriers for living organ donors. He is co-chair of the National Kidney Foundation’s Transplantation Task Force to reduce the rate of discarded, deceased-donor kidneys.
Dr. Cooper is involved in several ongoing clinical research projects primarily with an interest in immunosuppression minimization and amelioration of delayed graft function in kidney allografts following ischemic reperfusion injury.
“We are so pleased to bestow Dr. Cooper with the National Kidney Foundation’s first award in kidney transplantation,” said NKF President Dr. Holly Kramer. “His work and extensive commitment to helping kidney patients leads to increased transplants, fewer people on dialysis and lives saved.”
This award has been established to recognize a scientist or clinician scientist whose exceptional research has contributed novel insights in or resulted in improved access to kidney transplantation. The award embodies the dedication of the National Kidney Foundation to help people navigate the challenges of kidney disease, organ donation and transplantation. The NKF Excellence in Kidney Transplantation Award has been endowed through a grant from Veloxis Pharmaceuticals.
“I have valued the transformative opportunities my relationship with NKF has provided me,” Dr. Cooper said. “As a truly patient-centered organization, NKF consistently seeks to provide those with CKD and [end stage renal disease] opportunities for not only a longer lifespan but an overall improvement in their quality of life.
“The NKF leadership and its Board of Directors have supported bold activities allowing the organization to assume national leadership on several key kidney transplant initiatives. NKF is now and forever recognized as the best organization to bring multiple transplant stakeholders together for a common goal utilizing the patient’s voice as its most powerful influence.
“Receiving the NKF’s Excellence in Transplantation award is both thrilling and incredibly humbling. I am honored and remain committed to the NKF’s mission in bringing and maintaining the Gift of Life to more patients and families suffering with kidney disease.”
Dr. Cooper serves on NKF’s national board of directors, as well as the local advisory board for the NKF serving the National Capital Area. He is a member of the Public Policy Committee. He has served as the chairman of the United Network of Organ Sharing’s Living Donor Committee and currently acts as the Councilor for UNOS Region 2 and sits on its Board of Directors. In addition to NKF, he is a current board member for the American Foundation for Donation and Transplantation, the International Pancreas and Islet Cell Transplant Association, the National Kidney Registry, Donate Life America and the local OPO-Washington Regional Transplant Community. He is the immediate past Co-Chair for the American Transplant Congress and a current member of the planning committee for the upcoming International Congress of the Transplantation Society (TTS) in Seoul, Korea in 2020.
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 27 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF’s Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year’s Spring Clinical Meetings will be held May 8-12 in Boston, MA.
NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.
Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States 30 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure).
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.