New York City Surgeon Presented with the Excellence in Kidney Transplantation Award

NEW YORK, March 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has awarded Jayme Locke, MD, MPH, FACS, FAST, Vice President, Medical Development, Xenotransplantation, United Therapeutics, Adjunct Professor of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation, with the Excellence in Kidney Transplantation Award.

NKF considers the work of hundreds of specialists in the field of nephrology and selects among them those who most exemplify the relentless efforts of NKF to enhance the lives of patients through action, education, and accelerating change. The Excellence in Kidney Transplantation Award recognizes scientists or clinician scientists whose exceptional research has contributed novel insights to improved access to kidney transplantation.

Dr. Locke is nationally and internationally respected abdominal transplant surgeon specializing in innovative strategies for the transplantation of incompatible organs, disparities in access to and outcomes after transplantation and living donation, transplantation of HIV-infected end-stage patients, and xenotransplantation.

"It is both an exclamation point and reminder: a celebration of team science and our collective efforts to move the field forward, and simultaneously, a reminder of our patient heroes who fight to live another day and who bravely partner with us on our collective quest to eliminate kidney disease," said Dr Locke.

Dr. Locke has dedicated her career to studying chronic disease prevention and reversal and access to and outcomes after transplantation through policy change and translating innovative therapies from bench to bedside, including the development of the Parsons Model which has catapulted xenotransplantation into the realm of reality.

"Dr. Locke's innovative drive, expertise, dedication, and compassionate approach have transformed countless lives, bringing hope and healing to those in need," said Dr. Kirk Campbell, President of the National Kidney Foundation. "She is a true leader in the field, and her work continues to inspire us all in our shared commitment to improving patient care."

Dr. Locke is also an accomplished leader and mentor known for building highly effective teams defined by a collaborative spirit, discovery-driven learning, and integrative decisions. Her prolific career has directly impacted the field of transplantation, improving the lives of countless patients.

"NKF represents and fuels our collective resilience, tenacity, and audacity to both dream and pursue the next scientific breakthrough capable of transforming the lives of patients and families living with kidney disease," said Dr. Locke.

She has authored more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 24 book chapters, garnered more than $25 million dollars in NIH and extramural funding, and given more than 200 national and international presentations. In addition, Dr. Locke has Leveraged innovation to help solve major healthcare challenges, including the organ shortage with xenotransplantation; most recently, along with colleagues at NYU Langone Health, performing a 10 gene-edited pig-to-human kidney xenotransplant. Her patient is the longest living recipient with a functioning kidney xenograft.

Dr. Locke is the recipient of numerous honors including induction into the American Society of Clinical Investigation, AL.com's Women Who Shape the State, the Association for Clinical & Translational Science (ACTS) Distinguished Investigator Award: Translation into Public Benefit and Policy, and the AST Clinical Science Faculty Award.

NKF will honor all award winners at the NKF 2025 Spring Clinical Meetings, which will be held in Boston April 9-13.

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings

For more than 30 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary and interprofessional healthcare teams' skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year's Spring Clinical Meetings will be held April 9-13 in Boston.

Kidney Disease

In the United States, more than 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.

NKF Professional Membership

Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease. Visit https://www.kidney.org/membership to learn more and join our community today.

About the National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about kidney disease, please visit www.kidney.org/

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation