Research Summary

Dr. Sandy Feng is a transplant surgeon who performs liver, kidney and pancreas transplants.

In her research, Feng studies transplantation tolerance, a transplant recipient's ability to maintain normal organ function with minimal or no use of immunosuppressive drugs. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, she has led several multicenter clinical trials to study tolerance in both adult and pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Feng is a graduate of Harvard College, where she received the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. She completed a doctorate in molecular biology at the University of Cambridge and earned her medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed a general surgery residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, followed by a transplant fellowship at UCSF.

Feng has held leadership positions in prominent professional societies and with the United Network for Organ Sharing. She has organized several national conferences addressing issues critical to the transplantation community, serves on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine and is the editor-in-chief for the American Journal of Transplantation.

Dr. Feng was elected to be a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2023.

Research Funding

  • August 10, 2017 - July 31, 2021 - PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF IWITH SCREEN FAILURES SECONDARY TO HISTOPATHOLOGY , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01DK114180
  • June 1, 2014 - May 31, 2021 - Donor-Alloantigen-Reactive Regulatory T Cell Therapy in Liver Transplantation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01AI110658
  • February 1, 2013 - January 31, 2020 - Polyclonal Tregs to Promote Tolerance in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01AI104347
  • July 27, 2012 - June 30, 2019 - Immunosuppression Withdrawal for Stable Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01AI100807
  • April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2014 - Donor-Specific Regulatory T Cell Therapy in Liver Transplantation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R34AI095135
  • September 30, 2009 - March 31, 2013 - Immunosuppression Withdrawal for Stable Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U34DK083031

Education

Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Cambridge, MA, B.A., 1979-1982, Chemistry
Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, Ph.D., 1982-1985, Molecular Biology
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, M.D., 1985-1990, Medicine

Honors & Awards

  • 1979
    National Merit Scholarship
  • 1979
    Harvard and Radcliffe National Scholarship
  • 1981
    Phi Beta Kappa
  • 1981
    Marshall Scholarship
  • 1982
    DeLancey Scholarship
  • 1986
    EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Fellowship
  • 1995
    Sandoz Transplant Research Fellowship, American Society of Transplant Surgeons
  • 1997
    Young Investigator Award, American Society of Transplant Surgeons
  • 1999
    American College of Surgeons Faculty Research Fellowship Award
  • 2004
    Young Investigator Award, American Society of Transplant Surgeons
  • 2004
    Vanguard Prize, American Society of Transplant Surgeons

Selected Publications

  1. Lai M, Verna EC, Kato T, McCulloch CE, Feng S, Lai JC, Ge J, Cullaro G Trends and Recipient Outcomes in Multiorgan Transplantation in the United States 2013-2023.  View on PubMed
  2. Calthorpe L, Rubin J, Lee C, Roll G, Feng S, Lai JC The Cirrhosis-Hospital Frailty Risk Score predicts mortality in patients with chronic liver disease: Analysis of a nationally representative database.  View on PubMed
  3. Feng S Xenotransplantation - Long Awaited, Much Learned, Much More to Be Learned.  View on PubMed
  4. Kirn G, Chandran S, Rajalingam R, Feng S Efficacy of Steroid Pulse to Treat Borderline T-Cell Mediated Rejection on Protocol Kidney Allograft Biopsy.  View on PubMed
  5. Foroutan F, Rayner DG, Oss S, Straccia M, de Vries R, Raju S, Ahmed F, Kingdon J, Bhagra S, Tarani S, Herrera S, Bhanji R, Ross H, Pruett T, Feng S, Pereira M, Rotstein C, Guyatt G, Aleksova N Clinical Practice Recommendations on the Effect of COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies on Outcomes in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.  View on PubMed
  6. Madill-Thomsen KS, Gauthier PT, Abouljoud M, Bhati C, Bruno D, Ciszek M, Durlik M, Feng S, Foroncewicz B, Grat M, Jurczyk K, Levitsky J, McCaughan G, Maluf D, Montano-Loza A, Moonka D, Mucha K, Myslak M, Perkowska-Ptasinska A, Piecha G, Reichman T, Tronina O, Wawrzynowicz-Syczewska M, Zeair S, Halloran PF Defining an NK Cell-enriched Rejection-like Phenotype in Liver Transplant Biopsies From the INTERLIVER Study.  View on PubMed
  7. Tanimine N, Markmann JF, Wood-Trageser MA, Demetris AJ, Mason K, Silva JAF, Levitsky J, Feng S, Humar A, Emond JC, Shaked A, Klintmalm G, Sanchez-Fueyo A, Lesniak D, Breeden CP, Nepom GT, Bridges ND, Goldstein J, Larsen CP, DesMarais M, Gaile G, Chandran S Donor-specific immune senescence as a candidate biomarker of operational tolerance following liver transplantation in adults: Results of a prospective, multicenter cohort study.  View on PubMed
  8. Klepper A, Asaki J, Kung AF, Vazquez SE, Bodansky A, Mitchell A, Mann SA, Zorn K, Avila-Vargas I, Kari S, Tekeste M, Castro J, Lee B, Duarte M, Khalili M, Yang M, Wolters P, Price J, Perito E, Feng S, Maher JJ, Lai JC, Weiler-Normann C, Lohse AW, DeRisi J, Tana M. Novel autoantibody targets identified in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) by PhIP-Seq reveals pathogenic insights. medRxiv. 2024 Oct 29.  View on PubMed
  9. Dixon W, Feng S, Roll GR, Tavakol M, Fenton C, Cullaro G The type, duration, and severity of pretransplant kidney injury predict prolonged kidney dysfunction after liver transplantation.  View on PubMed
  10. Feng S, Roll GR, Rouhani FJ, Sanchez Fueyo A The future of liver transplantation.  View on PubMed
  11. Bellamy COC, O'Leary JG, Adeyi O, Baddour N, Batal I, Bucuvalas J, Del Bello A, El Hag M, El-Monayeri M, Farris AB, Feng S, Fiel MI, Fischer SE, Fung J, Grzyb K, Guimei M, Haga H, Hart J, Jackson AM, Jaeckel E, Khurram NA, Knechtle SJ, Lesniak D, Levitsky J, McCaughan G, McKenzie C, Mescoli C, Miquel R, Minervini MI, Nasser IA, Neil D, O'Neil MF, Pappo O, Randhawa P, Ruiz P, Fueyo AS, Schady D, Schiano T, Sebagh M, Smith M, Stevenson HL, Taner T, Taubert R, Thung S, Trunecka P, Wang HL, Wood-Trageser M, Yilmaz F, Zen Y, Zeevi A, Demetris AJ Banff 2022 Liver Group Meeting report: Monitoring long-term allograft health.  View on PubMed
  12. Mengel M, Mannon RB, Feng S The Banff process-Reloaded: A joint initiative from the Banff Foundation for Allograft Pathology and the American Journal of Transplantation.  View on PubMed
  13. Calthorpe L, Chiou SH, Rubin J, Huang CY, Feng S, Lai J. A modified Hospital Frailty Risk Score for patients with cirrhosis undergoing abdominal operations. Hepatology. 2024 09 01; 80(3):595-604.  View on PubMed
  14. Cravedi P, Riella LV, Ford ML, Valujskikh A, Menon MC, Kirk AD, Alegre ML, Alessandrini A, Feng S, Kehn P, Najafian N, Hancock WW, Heeger PS, Maltzman JS, Mannon RB, Nadig SN, Odim J, Turnquist H, Shaw J, West L, Luo X, Chong AS, Bromberg JS, AST COTS MOuse MOdels in Transplantation (MOMOT) work group Advancing mouse models for transplantation research.  View on PubMed
  15. Ladner DP, Goldstein AM, Billiar TR, Cameron AM, Carpizo DR, Chu DI, Coopersmith CM, DeMatteo RP, Feng S, Gallagher KA, Gillanders WE, Lal BK, Lipshutz GS, Liu A, Maier RV, Mittendorf EA, Morris AM, Sicklick JK, Velazquez OC, Whitson BA, Wilke LG, Yoon SS, Zeiger MA, Farmer DL, Hwang ES, ASA Task Force for Research Sustainability Transforming the Future of Surgeon-Scientists.  View on PubMed
  16. Appenzeller-Herzog C, Rosat A, Mathes T, Baroja-Mazo A, Chruscinski A, Feng S, Herrero I, Londono MC, Mazariegos G, Ohe H, Pons JA, Sanchez-Fueyo A, Waki K, Vionnet J Time since liver transplant and immunosuppression withdrawal outcomes: Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.  View on PubMed
  17. Dixon W, Sheetz K, Feng S. Kidney transplantation in a patient with anomalous iliofemoral vasculature. Am J Transplant. 2023 Oct; 23(10):1641-1643.  View on PubMed
  18. Meier RPH, Nunez M, Syed SM, Feng S, Tavakol M, Freise CE, Roberts JP, Ascher NL, Hirose R, Roll GR. DCD liver transplant in patients with a MELD over 35. Front Immunol. 2023; 14:1246867.  View on PubMed
  19. Dixon W, Perito ER, Bucuvalas J, Feng S. Mapping children by ALT 4-5 years after liver transplant: Potential individual and population applications. Pediatr Transplant. 2023 09; 27(6):e14569.  View on PubMed
  20. Chapman WC, Barbas AS, D'Alessandro AM, Vianna R, Kubal CA, Abt P, Sonnenday C, Barth R, Alvarez-Casas J, Yersiz H, Eckhoff D, Cannon R, Genyk Y, Sher L, Singer A, Feng S, Roll G, Cohen A, Doyle MB, Sudan DL, Al-Adra D, Khan A, Subramanian V, Abraham N, Olthoff K, Tekin A, Berg L, Coussios C, Morris C, Randle L, Friend P, Knechtle SJ. Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Donor Livers for Transplantation in the United States - A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2023 Jun 26.  View on PubMed

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