Michael de Vera, MD Head, Surgery, Transplant Division School of Medicine Professor, Surgery School of Medicine

Research & Grantsmanship 

  Grant Proposals--Funded

• 1U01DK085587-01 (Co-PI)    09/30/2009-08/31/2014       University of Pittsburgh                      10% NIDDK, PI- Humar                                         $1,534,023 A2ALL Cohort Study: Psychosocial and Surgical Outcomes             The goal of this project is to study the short- and long-term effects of adult living donor liver transplantation on the donor and recipient and to gain insight into unique donor and recipient issues through study of this innovative procedure ( 9/2009 - 8/2012 )

• de Vera (PI, 5%)          7/1/06 – 1/31/10   University of Pittsburgh       Novartis Pharmaceuticals          $137,250 A prospective study on the tolerability and efficacy of the de novo use of Myfortic in liver transplant recipients             This study seeks to compare the efficacy and safety of Myfortic and CellCept in liver transplant patients ( 7/2006 - 12/2010 )

• R01 NR009878-01A1 (Co-PI)   University of Pittsburgh   3/03/06-12/31/10                 5%  NINR, PI- Stilley        $1,102,500            Adherence & Health Outcomes after Liver Transplantation The Specific aims of this study are to identify subgroups of patients prior to or early after transplantation who are at risk of non-adherence and suboptimal health outcomes for targeted patient-specific interventions ( 3/2006 - 12/2010 )

• de Vera (PI, 2%)          7/1/08 – 6/30/10   University of Pittsburgh       Cangene Corporation               $70,700 HB-009: Evaluation of Hepagam BTM in combination with antiviral treatment in hepatitis B liver transplant patients             This study seeks to assess the efficacy of Hepagam B in addition to antiviral agents in preventing HBV recurrence after liver transplantation. ( 7/2008 - 6/2010 )

• de Vera (PI, 20%)        7/1/04 – 6/30/10   University of Pittsburgh    Starzl Transplant Institute          $75,000/yr The role of DAMPS in the development and growth of metastatic tumors in the liver.             This work seeks to characterize and assess the role of Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern molecules in the growth of hepatic metastase ( 7/2004 - 6/2010 )

• de Vera (PI, 5%)          7/1/06 – 1/31/10  University of Pittsburgh       Novartis Pharmaceuticals          $113,250 Conversion of CellCept to Myfortic: A prospective study on the safety and tolerability of Myfortic in liver transplant recipients             This study seeks to assess the safety and tolerability of Myfortic in liver transplant recipients previously on CellCept. ( 7/2006 - 1/2010 )

• NIAID 1R01 AI052748-01 (Subcontract, UCSF)     8/15/03 – 1/31/10  Univeristy of Pittsburgh     3%  Solid Organ Transplantation in HIV: Multi-Site Study . This is a prospective Phase I multicenter study to evaluate the safety of solid organ transplantation in the setting of HIV infection ( 8/2003 - 1/2010 )

• de Vera (PI, 1%)          9/1/08 – 9/30/09          Cylex Inc.   University of Pittsburgh                     $30,000 Evaluation of the Cylex ImmuKnow Assay in HCV Patients in Liver Transplantation             The objective of this study is to assess the utility of the Cylex Assay in predicting HCV recurrence and response to interferon-based therapy. ( 9/2008 - 9/2009 )

• de Vera (PI, 1%)          4/19/04 – 8/1/06          Cangene Corporation   University of Pittsburgh            $51,375 Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (NP-002) for the prevention of graft re-infection in hepatitis B related liver transplant patients             This study seeks to assess the efficacy of NP-002 in preventing HBV recurrence after liver transplantation in patients with chronic hepatitis B. ( 4/2004 - 8/2006 )

• de Vera (PI, 5%)          7/1/02 – 12/31/04        Novartis Pharmaceuticals  University Of Pittsburgh        $122,843 Exploratory study of Neoral C2 in de novo liver transplantation patients converted from tacrolimus for tacrolimus-related toxicity and old liver transplant patients maintained on Neoral             The aim of this study is to compare C0 and C2 Neoral concentrations in relation to rejection and cyclosporine toxicity ( 7/2002 - 12/2004 )

• de Vera (PI, 20%)        7/1/03 – 6/30/04          Surgical Infection Society   University of Pittsburgh         $40,000 Augmentation of defective dendritic cells in chronic hepatitis B with an adenoviral vector encoding the hepatitis B surface antigen              The goal of this study is to augment impaired dendritic cell function in patients with chronic HBV infection through adenoviral transfection of HBsAg.  ( 7/2003 - 6/2004 )