2002-2023

The MDFF invests in the future by supporting the University of Maryland and other organizations through gifts and scholarship endowments.

2023

The MDFF adopts a new mission to prevent families from experiencing the heartbreaking loss of a loved one due to an organ shortage. With this goal in mind, our initiative to increase the availability of life-saving organs emerged.

2024

The MDFF requests the University of Maryland School of Public Health research and report on (1) organ donation and transplantation practices around the world and (2) organ donation messaging and measures of effectiveness.

2025

The MDFF proposes support for collaborative research efforts between the Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland. The ultimate goal is to reduce the organ waiting list to zero.

The MDFF gifts the University of Maryland to support bioengineering research on organ transplantation, from extending organ viability to improving patient outcomes. The gift specifically includes:

The MDFF fellowship and symposium are fortuitously buoyed by the recent gift by Edward & Jennifer St. John to support a collaboration at UMD between two powerhouse fields: Medicine & Engineering. Read more about The Edward and Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine (CTEM).

2026

July – The MDFF submitted a Practicum to Georgia Tech’s Data Science team for inclusion as a student project this Summer. The applied research initiative focuses on evaluating kidney procurement, allocation, and transplant outcomes in the US using both publicly available and restricted-access datasets.

August – Eight separate teams tackled questions along the patient experience journey, from being waitlisted to transplant surgery and outcomes. Students were looking for potential biases in the system and the short answer is “Yes.” A summary of their thought-provoking conclusions will soon be available online, stay tuned.

October – Our first Symposium has arrived: October 2, 2026 at UMD’s new 4MLK building in Baltimore. Distinguished moderators John P. Fisher, Ph.D. (Fischell Department of Bioengineering at UMD) and Raphael P. H. Meier, MD, Ph.D. (Division of Transplant Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine) have a renowned list of speakers, including Anthony Atala, MD; Alexandre Loupy, MD, Ph.D; and Elias T. Zambidis, MD, Ph.D. Each of them with a long list of credentials, read more here. Grad students and poster sessions are also planned.

Update: A joyous success! Bright minds, current advances, and new information abound at our first symposium with the University of Maryland. A lot to take-in, but one thing is crystal clear: a future where nobody waits for an organ is underway. Transplant patients of the future will not only have proven life-saving procedures, they will have options.

Hearing about the latest discoveries and applications on the horizon for kidney transplants made one thing abundantly clear:

The question is no longer how we solve the problem, but when it will happen.

Knowing what will work is definitely a breakthrough, and it’s also the start of a long process of required testing and approval before patients ever see benefit. Despite this reality check, we look forward at an unbelievable future, boosted by the thought of the millions of people who will be spared the ESKD experience.

A future where no one waits for an organ is the MDFF north star.

Patience is a skill that does not come naturally to our family, so taking on a moonshot goal with enormous future impact prompts us to think more. With so much emphasis on the future, we are also looking at ways to provide more immediate impact for the ones ineligible for the latest developments.

Those waiting for a kidney transplant wish for more quality time with loved ones. That’s something we can relate to and hope to help.

Stay tuned for more!