Being an honorary member of the Dutch Transplantation Society is a distinguished recognition awarded to individuals who have made notable contributions to the field of transplantation or to the association itself.
Rutger Ploeg, who is Professor of Transplant Biology at Oxford and part-time Professor of Transplant Surgery and Research at Leiden University and Head of Strategy, was elected to the position during the annual general meeting of the Dutch Transplant Society based on his achievements in the field of transplantation with a special focus on donor quality and assessment, organ preservation and perfusion.
Notable examples of his contributions include his involvement in the experimental and clinical work of the UW preservation solution, the development and trialling of the Kidney- and Liver-Assist as novel devices in hypo- and normothermic organ perfusion and the establishment of the Consortium for Organ Preservation in Europe (COPE), which was funded by the European Commission. In the UK, Professor Ploeg has established, in close collaboration with academic centres and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the National Quality in Organ Donation (QUOD) biobank to facilitate and enhance research in organ donation and transplantation.
Commenting on his achievement Professor Ploeg said: ‘I’m very grateful and would like to thank the Society and many of its members for years of creative collaboration and exciting projects together whilst having a lot of fun.’
The Dutch Transplantation Society aims to promote science and scientific interaction, to optimise the quality of care, organ acquisition and organ allocation, as well as to provide and support education and (re)training, specifically in the field of solid organ transplantation, transplant medicine and surgery.