Robert C. Harland, MD, FACS, is a professor of surgery, the vice chair of academic affairs, and the surgical director of Solid Organ Transplantation with the University of Arizona Department of Surgery and Banner University Medical Center – Tucson.
Dr. Harland has more than 20 years of experience in the management of complex patients with end-stage organ failure. In addition to kidney, pancreas, and liver transplantation, his expertise encompasses advanced laparoscopic surgery, including donor nephrectomy, hepatobiliary (liver and gallbladder) surgery, and dialysis access surgery in patients with kidney disease. He also has extensive experience with multi-organ transplantation, such as heart/liver and heart/kidney transplants, and in the management of patients who require repeat transplantation. Dr. Harland recognizes that each patient is unique and requires a different approach based on their situation. This insight presents opportunities to find ways to get each patient transplanted with the best possible organ as quickly and successfully as possible. He is a strong advocate of the multidisciplinary team approach for optimal patient care.
As a researcher, Dr. Harland has been active in both basic and clinical studies focused on increasing the number of organs available for transplant through improved preservation methods and xenotransplantation (transplantation between species). He has been a principle investigator in clinical trials focused on the development of novel immunosuppressive agents or regimens to make transplantation safer and more successful. He is an author of more than 90 articles and book chapters.
A graduate of Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Harland also completed residency training in internal medicine and general surgery and a multi-organ abdominal transplant fellowship in transplant surgery at Duke. Dr. Harland is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the International Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association, and the International Xenotransplant Society. He is a member of the Leadership and Innovation Council of the Alliance for Organ Donation and Transplantation.