Cardiac and heart transplant surgeon, University Health Network; Surgeon-scientist, University Health Network; Surgical Director of the Heart Transplant Program, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Ajmera Transplant Centre; Faculty member, University of Toronto

Dr. Seyed Alireza “Ali” Rabi is a cardiac and heart transplant surgeon and surgeon-scientist specializing in advanced ex-vivo organ perfusion. He is the Surgical Director of the Heart Transplant Program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, and a faculty member at the University of Toronto. Previously on faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Rabi leads a translational research program focused on developing platforms that integrate cold static preservation, hypothermic oxygenated perfusion, and normothermic machine perfusion to extend preservation, enable physiologic assessment, and deliver therapeutic interventions to donor hearts. His work aims to expand the donor pool, improve transplant outcomes, and bring transformative perfusion technology to clinical practice.

Dr. Rabi earned his undergraduate degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto, followed by an MD and PhD in Immunology from Johns Hopkins University. He then completed his residency in cardiothoracic surgery and fellowship in heart and lung transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital, along with postdoctoral research training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This combination of engineering, scientific, and surgical training underpins his innovative, interdisciplinary approach to advancing heart transplantation.

Dr. Laia Aceituno Sierra is a transplant hepatologist and clinical researcher with a strong focus on transplant oncology. She completed her medical and specialty training in Hepatology in Barcelona, Spain, before pursuing advanced fellowship training and research in liver transplantation and hepatobiliary oncology. Her work focuses on the integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors in liver transplantation, molecular predictors of recurrence and rejection, and the development of personalized biomarkers using genomics . Dr. Aceituno Sierra has led and collaborated on multiple international studies in transplant oncology and has presented her research at major international meetings, including AASLD and EASL. Her academic interests center on bridging translational science and clinical practice to improve outcomes for patients with liver cancer and advanced liver disease.

Invited Speaker, iPeer2Peer: a patient-partnered eHealth intervention for peer mentorship and social support

Clinical Fellow in Organ Preservation, Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network; Clinical Fellow (Liver and Kidney Transplantation), Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network

Dr. Francisco Calderon Novoa is a clinical fellow in organ preservation at the Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network. His clinical and research focus spans liver and kidney transplantation, with a particular interest in machine perfusion technologies, including normothermic and hypothermic perfusion strategies, as tools for graft assessment and optimization. His work sits at the intersection of organ preservation and regenerative medicine, exploring how ex-vivo perfusion platforms can be leveraged to actively enhance graft function prior to transplantation, rather than serve solely as a storage modality.

Nephrologist; Research Fellow, Konvalinka Lab, University Health Network; Research Affiliate, University of Toronto

Dr. Hong Sang Choi is a nephrologist from Korea and joined Dr. Konvalinka's lab in August 2024. His research interest is proteomic analysis in the context of inflammation and fibrosis in kidney transplantation.

Clinical Associate in Transplant Nephrology, Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network; PhD Candidate in Clinical Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Trainee (Internal Medicine and Nephrology), University of Manitoba 

Christie Rampersad is a Clinical Associate in Transplant Nephrology at the Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network, and a PhD candidate in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She completed her MD, Internal Medicine residency, and General Nephrology fellowship at the University of Manitoba. Her doctoral research applies advanced epidemiologic designs and biostatistical methods to elucidate determinants of kidney discard and refine allocation frameworks that enhance kidney utilization, post-transplant outcomes, and access to transplantation. 

Mary Vyas is a patient advocate who brings lived experience to research in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and liver transplantation. She co-founded PSC Partners Seeking a Cure Canada and led the Canadian registered charity for over a decade, raising funds to support innovative research aimed at developing treatments and a cure for PSC. Mary contributes to patient-partnered research as a principal investigator, co-investigator, and collaborator. Her commitment to this work is deeply personal, shaped by the profound impact of PSC on her family’s life and her experience as a living liver donor.

Assistant Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing; Nurse Practitioner, Henry Ford Health Transplant Institute

Dr. Jane Simanovski is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor, Windsor, ON Canada and a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Henry Ford Health Transplant Institute, Detroit, MI, USA. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and PhD at the University of Windsor. In her clinical NP role, she specializes in the care of patients with end-stage lung disease, supporting patients and their families throughout the pre- and post–lung transplantation trajectory.

She is registered in the Extended Class with the College of Nurses of Ontario and holds national board certification with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is licensed to practice in both Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, USA.

Dr. Simanovski teaches in the undergraduate and Nurse Practitioner programs at the University of Windsor and holds graduate faculty status, supervising MScN and PhD students. Her program of research focuses on improving health outcomes following lung transplantation; supporting informal caregivers; and examining practice frameworks and mentorship that guide nursing roles within the Canadian healthcare system

Senior Scientist, University Health Network; Affiliated Scientist (Programmable Immune Engineering Program), University of Toronto; Research Affiliate, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Dr. Michael Henneresse is an immunologist and immune engineer focused on designing human T cell responses for reliable function in complex clinical settings, including inflammation, immunosuppression, cancer, and transplantation. His work advances next generation engineered T cell and regulatory T cell therapies, with an emphasis on persistence, resistance to immunosuppression, tissue directed function, as well as immune compatibility of gene editing approaches. At the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, he led the Experimental Immunotherapy group and established a translational program integrating immune engineering with human tissue-based model systems, including patient derived organoid and tumoroid platforms. He trained at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is a Senior Scientist at the University Health Network, Toronto, with an affiliation to the University of Toronto, where he is establishing a program in programmable immune engineering.