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 4, 2025 - June 30, 2030 - EARLY SIGNALS OF THE TRANSITION FROM IMMUNE QUIESCENCE TO ACTIVATION IN THE LIVER ALLOGRAFT MICROENVIRONMENT AND IN THE CIRCULATION , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01AI189341
  • August 2, 2023 - July 31, 2024 - iSYNAPSE: Early signals of the transition from immune quiescence to activation in the liver allograft microenvironment and in the circulation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R34AI174988
  • 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. Calthorpe LM, Lee C, Fenton C, Barron G, Or N, Roll GR, Feng S, Lai JC. The Activity Measure for Postacute Care "6-Clicks" Basic Mobility Score is Associated with Pre- and Posttransplant Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with Cirrhosis. Transplantation. 2026 Jul 30. View on PubMed
  2. Highet A, Borst JM, Gutierrez S, Lee C, Foy A, Vu L, Lai J, Feng S, Wadhwani SI. Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Adverse Outcomes for Infants with Biliary Atresia in the United States. J Pediatr. 2026 Jul 23; 115252. View on PubMed
  3. Levine M, Feng S. AJT inSight. Am J Transplant. 2026 Jul 09. View on PubMed
  4. Angelico R, Sensi B, Tisone G, Feng S, Roll GR, Herrero I, Bonaccorsi-Riani E, Pons JA, Ruíz P, Berenguer M, Den Hoed C, Mazariegos G, Smith R, Parente A, Aluvihare V, Sanchez-Fueyo A, Tan E, Calretas S, Lanari J, Spada M, Montano-Loza AJ, De Meijer VE, Pirenne J, Riley C, Chahal D, De Martin E, Di Sandro S, Patrono D, García-Juárez I, Cachero A, Adali G, Ghinolfi D, Camagni S, Milla AA, Bayramov N, Elbahr O, Manzia TM, Rogers R, Mehdi T, Jakoubek D, Pascual M, Iñarrairaegui M, Foguenne M, Ciccarelli O, Mazo AB, Romero PR, Colmenero J, Aguilera MV, Polak W, Lytvyak E, Glassey E, Rajoriya N, Muthiah M, Boccagni P, Blokzijl H, Rodriguez-Perálvarez M. Complete immunosuppression withdrawal after liver transplantation: An International Multicenter Study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2026 Jun 09. View on PubMed
  5. Highet A, Borst JM, Lee C, Gutierrez S, Foy A, Vu L, Lai J, Feng S, Raval M, Wadhwani SI. National Analysis of Secular Trends and Racial Disparities in Age at Kasai Hepatoportoenterostomy for Infants with Biliary Atresia, 2005-2025. Ann Surg. 2026 Jun 04. View on PubMed
  6. Gardner J, Feng S. AJT Catalyst: Expanding voices, accelerating science. Am J Transplant. 2026 May; 26(5):907. View on PubMed
  7. Calthorpe L, Lee C, Fenton C, Barry F, Roll GR, Feng S, Lai JC. Development and validation of an administrative frailty index for patients with cirrhosis (CAFI). Liver Transpl. 2026 Mar 23. View on PubMed
  8. Kirk AD, Feng S, Halloran PF. American Journal of Transplantation at 25 years: A trusted voice. Am J Transplant. 2026 May; 26(5):916-917. View on PubMed
  9. Klepper A, Asaki J, Caspar CM, 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, Wilson MR, Lai JC, Weiler-Normann C, Lohse AW, DeRisi J, Tana MM. Immune profiling links autoimmune hepatitis to human herpesvirus 6 and relaxin receptor antigens. J Exp Med. 2026 Apr 06; 223(4). View on PubMed
  10. Gupta AR, Chu SN, Du J, Qualls AE, Ponnusamy R, Salehi A, Hsiao CY, Gillis-Buck E, Feng S, Rickert CG, Gardner JM. Development of a Viable Tissue Acquisition Laboratory Core: A Generalizable Partnership Model to Advance Groundbreaking Human Biology. Transplantation. 2026 Jul 01; 110(7):e1361-e1363. View on PubMed
  11. Calthorpe L, Rubin J, Lee C, Roll GR, Feng S, Lai JC. Age, comorbidity burden, and mortality risk in hospitalized patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver Transpl. 2026 Jan 14. View on PubMed
  12. 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. Am J Transplant. 2026 Jan; 26(1):151-159. View on PubMed
  13. 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. Liver Transpl. 2026 Feb 01; 32(2):222-230. View on PubMed
  14. Feng S. Xenotransplantation - Long Awaited, Much Learned, Much More to Be Learned. N Engl J Med. 2025 May 15; 392(19):1971-1972. View on PubMed
  15. Kirn G, Chandran S, Rajalingam R, Feng S. Efficacy of Steroid Pulse to Treat Borderline T-Cell Mediated Rejection on Protocol Kidney Allograft Biopsy. Clin Transplant. 2025 May; 39(5):e70171. View on PubMed
  16. 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. Clin Transplant. 2025 Feb; 39(2):e70100. View on PubMed
  17. 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. Transplantation. 2025 08 01; 109(8):1367-1382. View on PubMed
  18. 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. Am J Transplant. 2025 May; 25(5):1030-1044. View on PubMed
  19. 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
  20. 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. Liver Transpl. 2024 11 01; 30(11):1159-1168. View on PubMed

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