Dr Rakesh Sindhi, an internationally recognized transplant surgeon, physician-scientist, and healthcare leader, has been appointed executive director of the WVU Medicine Center for Organ Transplantation, formerly known as the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance.
In his new role, Dr. Sindhi will provide strategic leadership for the continued growth of transplant services across the West Virginia University (WVU) Health System, according to a university release.
A graduate of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India, he will work closely with physicians, clinical teams, and System leaders to advance innovation, expand patient access, and strengthen the Center’s position as a regional and national destination for comprehensive transplant care.
Sindhi joins WVU Medicine with more than three decades of experience in transplant surgery, clinical research, and academic medicine.
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Most recently, he served as professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and co-director of pediatric transplantation at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he also directed pediatric transplant research and established that institution’s Center for Computational Immunogenetics and Drug Repurposing.
Throughout his distinguished career, Sindhi has helped pioneer advances in liver, intestine, and multivisceral transplantation while leading groundbreaking research focused on precision medicine, transplant immunology, and improving long-term transplant outcomes.
“Expanding and strengthening transplant services is an important part of our commitment to providing West Virginians and all we serve with the most advanced care close to home,” Albert L. Wright Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said.
Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Transplantation, Sindhi has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and is internationally recognized for his contributions to transplant medicine, surgical innovation, and precision immunology.
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His work has advanced the understanding of transplant rejection, immune monitoring, and personalized therapies designed to improve long-term outcomes for transplant recipients.
The newly renamed WVU Medicine Center for Organ Transplantation brings together multidisciplinary experts dedicated to delivering comprehensive care for patients requiring lifesaving transplant services, building on the former WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance’s existing clinical expertise and infrastructure.
The Center’s new name establishes a unified identity for WVU Medicine’s transplant services across the WVU Health System, reflecting its continued investment in advancing comprehensive organ transplantation care for patients throughout West Virginia and the surrounding region.
“We have an incredible opportunity to build one of the nation’s premier transplant programs while ensuring patients throughout West Virginia and the surrounding region have access to world-class transplant care close to home,” said Sindhi on joining the Center “during this exciting time of growth.”