[Crib-list] CRiB (Computational Research in Boston Seminar -- Friday, 09/02/2005

[Shirley Entzminger]

COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH IN BOSTON SEMINAR
Friday, September 2, 2005
12:30 PM
Building 2, Room 105
(Pizza and beverages will be provided.)

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TOPIC:	MAXIMIZING PAIRED KIDNEY DONATION

SPEAKER:  SOMMER GENTRY (United States Naval Academy)

ABSTRACT:

Kidney transplantation is the best option for many end-stage-renal-disease 
patients, but about one-third of patients who have a willing live donor 
will find that they have an incompatibility that prevents the direct 
donation.  Paired kidney exchange is an innovative but embryonic approach 
that allows an incompatible donor/recipient pair to exchange kidneys with 
another donor and recipient in a similar situation.  To choose the best 
method of selecting patients and donors to exchange kidneys before any 
national paired donation program begins, we examine different algorithms 
for arranging paired kidney exchanges on simulated patient populations. 
Optimal matchings over a graph representing the incompatible pairs and 
possible trades can guarantee that the patient-donor pairs are matched to 
the greatest possible benefit.  Maximum edge weight matching affords both 
customizing each patient's match to his preferences and protecting 
disadvantaged groups. Including triple exchanges presents a computational 
challenge, as does projecting wait-list growth over more than three years.

This is work with Dr. Dorry Segev and Dr. Robert Montgomery, both 
transplant surgeons at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Mathematics
Cambridge, MA  02139


http://www-math.mit.edu/crib

For information on CRiB, contact:

Alan Edelman:  edelman at math.mit.edu
Steven G. Johnson:  stevenj at math.mit.edu
Jeremy Kepner:  kepner at ll.mit.edu