Funding Supports New Study on Brain Monitoring during Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Organ Donation

The Organ Donation and Transplant Research Foundation of BC (ODTRF) is delighted to partner with the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) in supporting the 2026 Innovation and Translational Research Award. This award recognizes projects with the potential to enhance patient care, strengthen health system performance, and generate meaningful benefits for patients and families.

This collaboration is a natural fit for ODTRF and builds upon the longstanding partnership between ODTRF and VCHRI in advancing practice-based research and supporting discoveries that improve health outcomes across British Columbia.

The co-funded $100,000 award was granted to Dr. Mypinder Sekhon for a study investigating whether multimodal neuromonitoring can confirm the absence of cerebral blood flow and oxygen after death has been declared in organ donors undergoing normothermic regional perfusion (NRP).

NRP is an emerging technique used in organ donation after death determination by circulatory criteria that restores oxygenated blood flow to organs before transplant. By maintaining organs at normal body temperature and supporting their function prior to organ donation, NRP can improve organ quality, and ultimately contribute to better transplant outcomes for recipients.

While NRP shows significant promise, an important safety requirement is ensuring that blood flow and oxygen delivery do not return to the brain during the perfusion process. Using multiple advanced brain-monitoring technologies, Dr. Sekhon’s study will examine whether any cerebral blood flow or oxygen delivery occurs after death declaration in NRP. The findings will address a critical evidence gap, inform clinical practice, and help ensure the safe and ethical implementation of NRP in organ donation and transplantation.

This award builds on years of collaboration between ODTRF and Dr. Sekhon, whose research continues to generate innovative solutions to some of the most important challenges in organ donation and transplantation. Regarding the impact of ODTRF’s investment, Dr. Sekhon shared, “We are so grateful to the ODTRF for their instrumental funding support of our research. Our current project entails ensuring organ donor safety during abdominal normothermic regional perfusion and will undoubtedly lead to valuable knowledge that will support its implementation to optimize organ donation experiences. The ODTRF plays an integral role in facilitating research that has direct implications for clinical care of organ donors and transplant recipients in British Columbia and beyond. We are so appreciative of the opportunity to complete this work in partnership with ODTRF.”