2026-2028 WIT Research Grants for Research in Gender and Sex in Transplantation
Dr. Germaine Wong
Request for Applications Now Open!
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2026
We are delighted to announce that we will continue to offer a grant to faculty working in low or middle income countries. This grant will allow transplant professionals working in low and middle income countries to work with an experienced mentor from among the WIT membership to address an important question within their own unique context. We hope that this award will spur exciting international collaborations and build more research capacity in lower resource settings.
For the second year, we are delighted to announce that we will run the WIT Research Grant for Projects in Gender and Sex and SOT amongst Indigenous Populations.
quests for Applications for all grants are now open and are being considered. Please note that we will accept only one mentee application per mentor, and only one application from any single administering institution (defined either by the hospital network or the university or academic institution. This will apply across all grants
If you have any further questions and for information on how to apply, please contact Katie Tait (WIT Manager) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request more information.
We welcome all applications and look forward to an exciting competition!
Women in Transplantation: History of Reproductive Medicine
Announcement of 2025-2027 WIT Indigenous Research Grant Winner
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Dr. Johanna Birrell
Project Title:
Emory University of Sydney
Australia
Transplant Inequities: Knowledge and Access
Announcement of 2025-2027 WIT Fellowship and LMIC Research Grant Winners
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Dr. Annika Gompers
Project Title:
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
Atlanta, USA
Examining Multilevel Determinants of Intersectional Gender and Racial Disparities in Kidney Transplant Access in the United States
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Dr. Khushboo Saxena
Project Title:
Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Center - Institute of Transplantation Sciences
Ahmedabad, India
Developing and Testing Digital Tools to Expand Access to Kidney Transplantation: A Gender-Focused Approach
Announcement of 2024 WIT Award Winners
MD, PhD, Nephrology
National Medical Center
Senior Consultant
Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University
Iranian Society of Organ Donation
Women in Transplantation - Showcase of WIT Members
WIT is proud to feature individuals who contribute to WIT’s mission of: (1) Advancing and inspiring women transplant professionals (Pillar 1), (2) Championing issues of sex and gender in transplantation (Pillar 2), and (3) Advocacy to address sex and gender-related disparities in transplantation (Pillar 3). Learn more about clinicians, researchers, and patients who shed light on disparities and try to overcome them to improve patient outcomes.
University of Sydney, Australia
Bio
The University of Sydney
Dr Brenda Maria Rosales is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at The University of Sydney. PhD graduate in 2021, she was awarded the Sanofi Women in Transplantation Research Fellowship Grant for Research in Gender and Sex in Transplantation in 2022. She has received TTS Young Investigator and TSANZ Early Career Researcher awards.
The Impact of Sex & Gender on Equity and Access to Cancer Care for Kidney Transplant Recipients
Cancer mortality in kidney transplant recipients differs by age and sex. This indicates possible systemic biases in the delivery of cancer care. There is a need to evaluate current clinical practice to identify points of sex and gender inequity in and healthcare delivery for cancer management in kidney transplant recipients.
Cancer disproportionally impacts kidney transplant recipients, but it affects men and women differently. Male kidney transplant recipients have higher absolute cancer incidence and mortality compared to females; however, female kidney transplant recipients experience greater excess cancer death(1,2). Sex and gender differences have also been described in access to healthcare and consequently there has been an increase of gender-based health plans, particularly in cardiovascular disease(3,4).
Investigation of how sex impact access to cancer care may identify systemic biases in cancer care delivery to kidney transplant recipients.
Using existing health data and survey of kidney transplant recipients, our work asks, how do sex and gender impact access and equity in cancer care for kidney transplant recipients?
What does the data say?
We will use evidence integration and population data to investigate the impact of sex on access to cancer screening, efficacy of cancer treatment and, relative survival in kidney transplant recipients with cancer.
What do our patients say?
We will explore gender-based experiences of cancer care in kidney transplant recipients using focus-group interviews and online preferences surveys to identify barriers in access and elicit patient preferences for treatment.
What does it mean for our patients?
Our work will provide a better understanding of the varied needs of males, females and people of nonbinary gender and, how current cancer prevention and treatment strategies differ by sex & gender. Our findings will inform strategies to deliver more equitable cancer care for kidney transplant recipients to balance its benefits and harms.
Literature
- Rosales et al. 2020, IntJCancer (doi:10.1002/ijc.32585)
- Rosales et al. 2022, AJKD (doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2022.03.010)
- De La Mata et al. 2021, BMJ (doi:10.1136/BMJ-2021-068247)
- Wyld et al. 2020, Transplantation (DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003224)
Pillar 3 Patient Brochure
Recent Past Event Recording
Women's Barrier to Transplant
Who can take part?
• Women over 18 years of age
What will be involved in participating?
• Global interviews are taking place
• Held at a time that suits you
• Face-to-face via telephone or video conference
What will be asked?
How accessible your treatment has been and some of the hurdles you may have faced living with your transplanted kidney.
If you are interested in participating, please contact:
Nicole Scholes-Robertson
Research Fellow and Transplant recipient
Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.