Transforming Transplantation in Alberta

The Alberta Transplant Institute is a multidisciplinary, virtual institute that brings together researchers, clinicians, educators/scholars, and patient-partners to work towards common goals of improving transplantation and donation in Alberta, and achieving global impact in cutting-edge research, improvements in patient care, education, and advocacy.

Broad in scope, the Alberta Transplant Institute includes multiple transplant programs (kidney, liver, heart, lung, and others, including the world's largest islet transplant program). It fosters collaboration across faculties within the University of Alberta, with the University of Calgary, with Alberta Health Services, and throughout the province.

The Alberta Transplant Institute is the home of the Canadian National Transplant Research Program (CNTRP), a national research network funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and partners, designed to increase organ and tissue donation in Canada, and enhance the survival and quality of life of Canadians who receive transplants.

Transplantation in Alberta

Transplantation has a long-history at the University of Alberta. The clinical transplant programs perform between 250-300 transplant procedures per year in adults and children for kidney, heart, liver, lung, pancreas, and intestinal transplantation.

The challenge

Despite the successes in Transplantation, work needs to be done to improve access to transplantation for patients with end-stage organ disease.

Goals include:

• Enhanced organ donation awareness
• Increasing the number and type of transplants
• Improving strategies to treat organ failure
• Implementation of novel transplant technologies and research
• Improving quality of life and long-term outcomes for patients