Special Episode - A New Era in Transplantation: Keeping Hearts Alive for 48H

Juliet Cruz and Maria Nikokavoura from the University of Ottawa interview Dr. Giovanni Ferrari for the TMM4950 Science Communication course about pushing the limits of donor heart preservation times. Dr. Ferrari is an associate professor of surgical sciences and the Scientific director of the cardiothoracic research program at Columbia University. Dr. Ferrari's research focuses on exploring how the heart functions and how we can better protect it, especially during surgery and organ transplantation. In this episode, Dr. Ferrari presents his findings from their work on a revolutionary method to keep donor hearts viable for up to 48 hours outside the body using a novel oxygen-rich cooling system. This could dramatically expand access to life-saving transplants and reshape how we think about organ preservation.

Learn more: https://columbiasurgery.org/about/giovanni-ferrari-phd

0:00 | Introduction to podcast
0:18 | Introduction to Dr. Ferrari
1:11 | What sparked Dr. Ferrari’s early interest in the heart and organ preservation?
2:59 | What is the HOPE system, and how does it differ from standard cold storage?
5:32 | Why push the limits of donor heart preservation, and what challenges came with it?
6:44 | What surprising insights emerged from the RNA and metabolomic analyses?
9:15 | How did it feel to see a HOPE-preserved heart beat again after 48 hours?
11:15 | Can HOPE principles be applied to preserve other organs in transplantation?
12:09 | What future research questions is the team most excited to pursue?
14:30 | What advice does Dr. Ferrari have for young scientists bridging engineering and medicine?
15:27 | Closing remarks

“Only You with the Universe” by Spøq, licensed via Tribe of Noise PRO. All rights reserved. Listen more:
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Juliet Cruz and Maria Nikokavoura (Voice), Reena Corbane (Post-Production), Nika Abedian (Producer)