Dr. Brubaker is an MD PhD trained surgeon scientist who practices adult and pediatric liver and kidney transplant at UC San Diego Heath and Rady Children’s Hospital. She completed her medical and doctoral training at Loyola University in Chicago and went on to complete her surgical residency and transplant fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Brubaker is the founding member of CONCORD, a national consortium focused on the impact of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) on donation after circulatory death (DCD) abdominal allograft utilization and outcomes. Her clinical and research interests are centered on the ability of in situ and ex situ machine perfusion to metabolically rehabilitate organs in an effort to expand the available donor pool and improve access to safe transplant for waitlisted recipients.
The U.S. Landscape: Evolving Practices in DCD
As DCD continues to evolve globally, transplant programs are rapidly moving from concept to execution, raising new clinical, technical, and operational questions. Building on insights from the international experience, Part II of the DCD in Action series turns the focus inward to examine how NRP is being implemented, adapted, and refined within the United States. This US Roundtable discussion brings together clinical and operational experts to move beyond “how it started” and into what matters most now: standardization, decision-making, and technical performance. Join us as we unpack common challenges, highlight best practices, and share practical lessons that can be applied across transplant and OPO teams.
