Meet our trainers

As the Senior Advisor of Transplant Partnerships and Education, Christina dedicates her work to the kidney transplant and living donation community, including patients, providers, and research collaborators to promote informed treatment decisions.

Having spent years as a nephrology social worker, Christina has experience working with ESRD patients, their loved ones, and providers who serve them. Through our transplant initiatives, we partner with the renal community to collaborate on ways to help our patients make informed treatment choices about dialysis, transplant and living donation.

Christina has extensive experience developing and delivering transplant and living donation education using health literacy techniques and principles. Starting her career over 25 years ago as a dialysis social worker, where she served as the Divisional Lead for DaVita, co-chair of the CNSW Chapter, Christina went on to work at Washington University School of Medicine where she became the co-creator of the Explore Transplant Dialysis Provider Training. To date, Christina has educated over 7500 dialysis providers serving over 26,000 ESRD patients. She continues to work tirelessly on new and innovative ways to help patients pursue treatment plans that are right for them.

Christina holds a Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree in Health from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor's degree in Human Environmental Sciences from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Joseph D. Sharp has been a dedicated Explore Transplant Master Trainer since 2012 and currently serves as the Business Development Specialist and Outreach Coordinator at the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, a role he has held since 2006. With a career in transplantation that began in 1994, Joe brings over three decades of valuable experience and insight to his work.

At Houston Methodist, Joe leads special projects through the Transplant Awareness Program, focusing on advancing transplant education for both patients and healthcare professionals. He has played an active role in national transplant initiatives, having served on the Patient Affairs Committee and the Ad-Hoc International Relations Committee for UNOS Region 4.

In addition to his work at Houston Methodist, Joe also serves as a transplant education ambassador, collaborating with transplant centers across the country to launch and strengthen outreach programs aimed at expanding education and awareness. He is deeply passionate about removing obstacles and broadening access to transplant knowledge — ensuring that individuals have the information they need to make informed decisions about their care.