News

Dr. Mary Amanda Dew Elected to Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Board

Mary Amanda Dew, PhD has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the governing body that oversees the organ allocation and transplantation system in the United States.  This is a significant honor for Dr. Dew, as she is one of the few mental health professionals to be elected to the Board, which consists primarily of transplant physicians and professionals from other medical disciplines closely aligned with transplantation.  

In addition, Dr. Dew will serve as Chair of the OPTN Living Donor Committee, the working group responsible for developing policies for the safety and well-being of living organ donors.  She has been an active member of that committee for over five years. 

Dr. Dew's research focuses on mental health, medical adherence, and quality of life outcomes in organ transplant recipients and their family caregivers, as well as similar issues in individuals who receive mechanical circulatory support as either a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy. She also studies strategies to promote safety and prevent poor psychosocial outcomes in living organ donors.