Organ Transplant Pioneer

Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD, FACS

Thomas Starzl’s contribution to transplantation goes beyond the operating room. Although he began his research and practice with kidney transplant surgery, Dr. Starzl is known for his breakthroughs in liver transplantation. Dr. Starzl performed the first successful liver transplant in 1967. Thirteen years later, Dr. Starzl brought transplantation a step forward when he introduced anti-lymphocyte globulin and cyclosporine, the next stage in immunosuppressive medication after the development of azathioprine and corticosteroid. These discoveries raised the bar for transplantation and became the accepted form of treatment for patients with liver, kidney and heart failure.

By 1989, Dr. Starzl introduced the anti-rejection medication FK506, which served to increase survival rates for liver and other organ transplants. This led the way to successful surgeries for rare organ transplants. Today, Dr. Starzl serves as director emeritus of the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, heading up research in the area of xenotransplantation. He is also mapping the relationship between donor and recipient cells post-transplant, a therapy called immune tolerance.