Let’s explore transplant together
Congratulations on deciding to learn more about kidney transplant and living donation. Whether you are a patient, family member, friend, potential donor, or healthcare provider, we are here to help.
Explore Transplant is a national consortium of leading experts in transplant, health literacy, and research. Our commitment is to provide you with the best education and decision-making tools available.
Latest news
💚 From awareness to action! Dr. Amy Waterman unveiled the Badge of Honor at the World Transplant Congress—an AI-powered campaign inspiring living kidney donation. 🌟 It’s already reached 58M people, led to 63 evaluations, and 6 approved donors preparing to give the gift of life. This is the first U.S. Campaign proven to turn awareness into transplants. 🙌
#WorldTransplantCongress #LivingDonation #AIforGood #TransplantAwareness #GiftOfLife #BadgeOfHonor #KidneyHealth #HealthInnovation
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New End Stage Renal Disease Patient (ESRD) Orientation Packet (NEPOP)
Getting diagnosed with ESRD can feel overwhelming — but you’re not alone. 💙 The NEPOP is a collection of essential resources for newly diagnosed ESRD patients, including:
✅ Medicare coverage info
✅ Vascular access education
✅ Treatment options
✅ Patient rights & responsibilities
📲 Access the NEPOP anytime online at www.esrdncc.org
#ESRD #KidneyCare #PatientEducation #Dialysis #Transplant #CKD #PatientSupport #KidneyHealth #HealthcareEducation #NEPOP
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💙 HAPPENING TODAY: Let’s Talk about Prostate Cancer 💙
Face to face, shoulder to shoulder, we’re coming together for a powerful day of awareness, advocacy, and action.
📅 Saturday, Sept 13, 2025
🕙 10AM – 2PM
📍 Progressive New Hope Church, Houston, TX
✨ What to expect:
✔️ Free PSA, biometric, blood pressure & glucose screenings
✔️ Immunizations, health resources & mobile health units onsite
✔️ Inspiring panel with top experts from MD Anderson, TSU, VA Medical Center, Harris County Public Health & more
✔️ Community Health Worker CE credits (2.0, unaccredited)
✔️ Lunch provided – free & open to the public!
Join us in person or on Zoom.
➡️ Register now: linktr.ee/cectxsouthernu
Scan the QR code on the flyer
#ProstateCancerAwareness #MensHealth #HoustonEvents #CommunityHealth #HealthEquity #TSU #cectxsouthernu
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💙 Let’s Talk about Prostate Cancer 💙
Face to face, shoulder to shoulder, we’re coming together for a powerful day of awareness, advocacy, and action.
📅 Saturday, Sept 13, 2025
🕙 10AM – 2PM
📍 Progressive New Hope Church, Houston, TX
✨ What to expect:
✔️ Free PSA, biometric, blood pressure & glucose screenings
✔️ Immunizations, health resources & mobile health units onsite
✔️ Inspiring panel with top experts from MD Anderson, TSU, VA Medical Center, Harris County Public Health & more
✔️ Community Health Worker CE credits (2.0, unaccredited)
✔️ Lunch provided – free & open to the public!
Join us in person or on Zoom.
➡️ Register now: linktr.ee/cectxsouthernu
Scan the QR code on the flyer
#ProstateCancerAwareness #MensHealth #HoustonEvents #CommunityHealth #HealthEquity #TSU #cectxsouthernu
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💙 Let’s Talk about Prostate Cancer – A Community Health Event 💙
On behalf of CEC Texas Southern University, join us face to face, shoulder to shoulder for a day of awareness, advocacy, and action.
📅 Saturday, Sept 13, 2025
🕙 10AM – 2PM
📍 Progressive New Hope Church, 3106 Paige St, Houston, TX
✅ Free event | Lunch provided | Open to the public
✅ Mobile units & health services onsite
Highlights include:
✔️ Free PSA, biometric, blood pressure & glucose screenings
✔️ Immunizations & health resources
✔️ Panel discussion with prostate cancer warriors & experts from MD Anderson, TSU, VA Medical Center, Harris County Public Health & more
✔️ Community Health Worker CE credits (2.0, unaccredited)
Join us in person or via Zoom.
➡️ Register now: linktr.ee/cectxsouthernu
#ProstateCancerAwareness #MensHealth #HoustonCommunity #HealthEquity #PublicHealth #TSU
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🌟 Spotlight on Dr. Arica Brandford 🌟
As the Associate Director of Community Outreach & Engagement at the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center and Assistant Research Professor of Community Engagement Science in Medicine, Dr. Arica Brandford is on a mission to reduce the cancer burden through patient- and community-informed research.
From cancer prevention to cross-disciplinary collaboration, Dr. Brandford’s work connects community voices with innovative health solutions—aligning perfectly with the Patient Engagement Research Lab’s mission. Her leadership bridges health disciplines, ensuring diverse perspectives come together to address real-world health challenges.
💡 Her advice for future collaborators? “Don’t worry if your expertise is in a different field. The strength of the PE Lab lies in its diversity.”
📖 Read her full inspiring story here: exploretransplant.org/spotlight-on-dr-arica-brandford-advancing-community-engagement-across-healt...
#PatientEngagement #CancerPrevention #CommunityHealth #HealthEquity #PublicHealth #PELab #TransdisciplinaryResearch #CommunityEngagement #HoustonMethodist #HealthInnovation #PatientCenteredCare #ResearchImpact #PopulationHealth #PublicHealthResearch #CollaborationInAction #HealthcareLeaders #AricaBrandfordSpotligh
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🧠💓 Meet Dr. Javed Zulqarnain — A true changemaker at the intersection of heart health, kidney care, and equity. As a scientist, professor, and national study leader, he’s advancing innovative, data-driven research that puts patients and communities first.
From leading national trials like PRESSURE CHECK to developing new risk prediction tools, Dr. Zul is helping shape a future where cardiovascular and kidney care are more connected, inclusive, and impactful.
Through his dynamic partnership with the Patient Engagement Research Lab, he's working to close health equity gaps and bring research closer to real-life needs of underserved populations. ❤️🧬
🎯 His secret to success? Interdisciplinary teamwork, community collaboration, and a healthy dose of cricket and music on the side! 🏏🎶
✨ Read his full spotlight story and see how his leadership is transforming patient-centered care:
🔗 Spotlight on Dr. Javed Zulqarnain: Championing Equity in Heart and Kidney Health - Explore Transplant & Living Donation
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Visit ExploreTransplant.org > under Transplant News for full blog
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#HealthEquity #KidneyHealth #HeartHealth #PopulationHealth #CKD #CVD #AIMAhead #PatientEngagement #DataDrivenCare #TransplantResearch #HoustonMethodist #HealthInnovation #CricketLover #PublicHealthLeadership #InspiringLeaders #ZulqarnainSpotlight #PELab #HealthcareForAll #SDOH #ChronicDiseaseCare #PreventiveCardiology #ClinicalResearch #TransformingHealthcare
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🌬️💚 Meet Denise — A Supermom with Super Lungs! 💚🌬️
Denise’s life took a dramatic turn when COVID-19 left her lungs severely damaged, but her determination to watch her daughter grow and cherish every milestone kept her fighting. After 311 days on ECMO and a long hospital stay, Denise received the gift of life through a double lung transplant. 🙌🏽
Her story is one of resilience, family love, and the power of patience. Denise reminds us that behind every transplant is a donor family grieving—and a recipient celebrating life. 💔❤️
✨ Hear Denise’s full story here: healthstories4u.org/videos/denise-lung-transplant-recipient/
and many other inspiring transplant journeys:
🎥 healthstories4u.org
🎥 livingdonationstories.org
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💫 Like, share, and help spread the word about this beautiful journey!
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👫Tag someone who needs to hear this!
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👍 LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, AND FOLLOW to get more inspiring stories! #livingdonationstorytelling
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#LungTransplantSurvivor #TransplantWarrior #GiftOfLife #DoubleLungTransplant #LivingDonationStories #OrganDonationAwareness #HealthStories4U #DenisesJourney #SuperMom #TransplantStrong #DonateLife #Resilience #LungHealth #ECMOSurvivor #PatientSupport #FamilyFirst #TransplantLife
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Exciting news from the 2025 AIM-AHEAD Annual Meeting! 🎉
Our project was honored as the top Year Two project in the Consortium Development Program and selected for the Lightning Round Talk ranking among the top 15 out of 210 AIM-AHEAD projects nationwide!
What made our work stand out?
✅ We used granualr patient-level health data to better understand kidney disease
✅ We focused on early warning signs like declining kidney function and limited access to transplants
✅ We involved patient focus groups to make sure their voices helped shape our research
✅ And we connected our findings directly to real-world care, helping guide next steps for improving patient outcomes
We’re proud to be leading data-driven, patient-informed efforts to transform kidney care.
#AIMAHEAD2025 #KidneyHealth #KidneyCare #HealthEquity #DataDrivenCare #PatientVoicesMatter #PatientEngagement #TransplantEquity #PublicHealthInnovation #HealthcareData #KidneyDiseaseAwareness #ChronicIllnessResearch #CommunityBasedResearch #ResearchImpact #TopProject #ConsortiumDevelopment #HealthTechForGood #PatientCenteredCare #EarlyDetection #HealthJustice #HoustonMethodist #AIMConsortium #TransformingCare #InnovationInHealth #LightningRoundWinner #EquityInKidneyCare #FocusOnThePatient #HealthcareInnovation
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🌟 Meet Dr. Catherine Pulicken — the powerhouse behind the scenes at the Patient Engagement Research Lab at Houston Methodist.
With a PhD in public health and deep roots in community advocacy, Catherine bridges strategy and storytelling—leading research operations with heart, equity, and purpose. 💡❤️
For nearly 4 years, she’s helped build a lab where patients are not just participants, but partners in shaping research and healthcare outcomes. As the lab transitions into a formal Center, her mission is clear: make collaboration more sustainable, inclusive, and impactful.
📸 Outside the lab, Catherine’s a traveler, foodie, and photographer who finds beauty in everyday moments.
Her vision? A future where empathy leads and every voice matters.
✨ “Lead with empathy and authenticity. That’s where the real impact begins.” – Catherine
Read her blog here: exploretransplant.org/meet-catherine-pulicken-bridging-systems-and-stories-at-the-pe-lab/
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Or Visit Explore Transplant - Transplant News
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#PatientEngagement #HealthcareLeadership #EquityInResearch #HealthAdvocacy #CommunityDrivenResearch #WomensVoices #HoustonMethodist #ParticipatoryResearch #EmpathyInAction #StoriesThatMatter #VoicesOfHealthcare #ResearchWithHeart
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Transplant news
INSIGHTS FROM KIDNEY RECIPIENTS, LIVING DONORS AND TRANSPLANT PROFESSIONALS
Spotlight on Dr. Arica Brandford: Advancing Community Engagement Across Health Disciplines
Associate Director of Community Outreach & Engagement | Assistant Research Professor | Dorothy and Mickey Ables Distinguished New Century Chair Leading with Purpose in Cancer Prevention and Community Research Dr. Arica Brandford serves as the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and an Assistant Research Professor of Community Engagement Science in Medicine at the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center. …Read more
Spotlight on Dr. Javed Zulqarnain: Championing Equity in Heart and Kidney Health
Assistant Professor, Scientist, and National Study Leader Bridging Disciplines for Better Health Outcomes A Multifaceted Role in Population Health and Cardiovascular Research Dr. Javed Zulqarnain, MBBS, MPH, PhD, holds multiple leadership roles at Houston Methodist, where he serves as Assistant Professor of Population Health and Preventive Cardiology, Scientist at the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Program Manager for the …Read more
Meet Dr. Catherine Pulicken: Bridging Systems and Stories at the PE Lab
Written by: Souha Farhat, MD Senior Program Manager | Patient Engagement Research Lab, Houston Methodist Hospital A Leader with a Dual Lens Catherine Pulicken is the Senior Program Manager of the Patient Engagement (PE) Research Lab at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she leads business and research operations within the Department of Surgery. With a PhD in public health and a …Read more