The Latest Research from ISHLT Early Career Members and Trainees
This special edition of ISHLT Journal Watch features research led or conducted by ISHLT early career and trainee members. These early career researchers present their own work and insights across the specialties represented by ISHLT.
Anesthesiology + Critical Care
Jorge A. Ortega-Hernández, MD
Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez | Mexico City, Mexico
International cooperation in cardiogenic shock is key to improving outcomes: Cardiogenic Shock Working Group impacts a single center in a developing country
Ortega-Hernández JA, González-Pacheco H, Hernández-Montfort J, Araiza-Garaygordobil D, et al. JHLT, 2025; 44(7):1165-1171
Cardiology
Jamal Mahar, MD
Banner Heart Institute/University of Arizona College of Medicine | Phoenix, AZ USA
Lack of association between donor left ventricular hypertrophy and graft survival in the contemporary era of heart transplantation
Mahar JH, Wayda B, Weng Y, Zhang S, Zaroff JG, Khush KK. Am J Transplantation, 21 January 2026
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Andrew R. Kumpfbeck, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, TN USA
Determining an optimal central cannulation strategy for ambulatory veno-venous extracorporeal life support
Kumpfbeck AR, Woo Y, Petrovic M, Simon V, Cortelli M, Adjei E, et al. JHLT 7 April 2026
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Anthony Kanelidis, MD
University of Chicago Medical Center | Chicago, IL USA
Mitigating Post-operative Right Ventricular Dysfunction After Left Ventricular Assist Device: The RV Protection Study
Kanelidis AJ, Gozdecki L, Belkin MN, Kalantari S, Nguyen A, Chung BB, et al. JCF 2025; 32, 46-57
Infectious Diseases
Laura N. Walti, MD
University Health Network, University of Toronto | Toronto, ON Canada
Serum Ammonia Screening and Donor Mollicutes Detection for Hyperammonemia Syndrome Post-Lung Transplantation: A Prospective Observational Study
Walti LN, Ng CF, Kaur S, Almansour S, Mazzulli T, BittermanR, et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2025; 81(5):998-1004
Pathology
Federica Pezzuto, MD, PhD
University of Padova | Padova, Italy
Detection of lung allograft injury through a comprehensive multidisciplinary analysis of donor-derived cell-free DNA in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage: a real-world single center experience
Calabrese F, Pezzuto F, Vedovelli L, De Chellis C, Lunardi F, Loy M, et al. Frontiers in Immunology 2025; 16:4 Sep 2025
Pediatrics
Emma Gerthoffer, PharmD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH USA
Association of Neutropenia With Valganciclovir Prophylaxis Dosing Practices Within Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
Gerthoffer E, Pozderac A, Darland L, Yasechko S, et al. Pediatric Transplantation 2025; 29:e70098
Pharmacy
Krysta Walter, PharmD, BCTXP
Lurie Children’s Hospital | Chicago, IL USA (current institution)
University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI USA (work completed)
Belatacept-Based Immunosuppression in Lung Transplant Recipients with Calcineurin Inhibitor Renal Toxicities
Walter K, Chen A, Hagopian J, Belloli E, Combs M, Lyu D, Sagana R. Transplantology 2025; 6(4), 31
Pulmonology
Alexander Graham, MD, MHS
Duke University | Durham, NC USA
Abnormal spirometry one year after lung transplantation may identify patients at risk for chronic lung allograft dysfunction in a multicenter cohort
Graham AR, Grau-Sepulveda MV, Todd JL, Neely ML, Snyder LD. JHLT Open 2025; 11:100473
Research + Immunology
Sirus Jesudasen, MD
University of Wisconsin | Madison, WI USA
Tiling 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Sequencing Identifies Bacterial Species Soon After Lung Transplant That Predict Acute Cellular Rejection
Jesudasen S, Haghnazari D, Minsik K, Brenner LN, et al. Transplantation 2026; 110(4):p e923-e928
Journal Watch Senior Editor
Ross Thomson, BA, BMBCh, MRCP