Transplant Team
A successful transplant is a team effort. At Children’s, the same team of dedicated specialists will work with you to care for your child throughout the transplant process.
We do everything we can to give our patients a chance at healthy, active lives.
Children’s has some of the best and brightest transplant specialists in the nation, and our surgeons employ the latest surgical techniques. Research is a critical part of the care we provide.
One of our top research priorities—unlocking the human immune system—will mean much higher rates of survival and better quality of life for all children receiving transplants.
Our Transplant Center has taken major strides to attract top transplant specialists and add innovative programs. Our staff of nationally known doctors and transplant specialists includes:
- Dr. Patrick Healey, division chief, Transplantation
- Dr. Gordon Cohen, division chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery; co-director, Heart Center
- Dr. Jorge Reyes, director, Transplant Services
- Dr. Ruth McDonald, medical director, Solid Organ Transplant
- Dr. Yuk Law, medical director, Cardiac Transplant and Heart Failure
- Dr. Simon Horslen, medical director, Liver and Intestine Transplant
- Dr. Karen Murray, director, Hepatobiliary Program
- Dr. Robert Sawin, surgeon-in-chief
- Dr. John H.T. Waldhausen, division chief, General Surgery
- Dr. Robert Boucek
- Dr. Jodi Smith
- Dr. Andre A. S. Dick
Patrick Healey, MD, division chief, Transplantation
Patrick Healey, MD
Dr. Patrick Healey joined Children’s in 1995. After earning his medical degree at the Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Healey completed his residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., serving as the chief surgical resident during his final year.
He was a research fellow at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and a transplant fellow in the Division of Transplant Surgery at the University of Washington. He moved to Children’s for a fellowship in pediatric surgery before assuming his current role.
Dr. Healey’s areas of interest include pediatric transplantation, liver and kidney transplantation, congenital anomalies and pediatric tumors.
Gordon Cohen, MD, PhD, division chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, and co-director, Heart Center
Gordon Cohen, MD, PhD
Dr. Gordon Cohen joined our medical staff in 2002. He received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans La. and master’s and doctorate degrees in pharmacology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Cohen completed residencies in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and in general surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center.
Before joining Children’s, Dr. Cohen was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London and a senior lecturer at the Institute of Child Health at University College London.
His clinical interests include complex neonatal repairs, pediatric heart and lung transplant, mechanical cardiac assistance and heart failure.
Jorge Reyes, MD, director, Transplant Services
Jorge Reyes, MD
Pioneering transplant surgeon Dr. Jorge Reyes joined Children’s and the University of Washington School of Medicine in July 2004.
In addition to leading the Division of Transplantation at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Dr. Reyes performs pediatric transplant surgery at Children’s.
Dr. Reyes attended medical school in Brazil and trained at Harvard, New York Medical College and the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked with transplant pioneer Dr. Thomas Starzl.
He established a world-class pediatric small intestine and liver transplant program at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. In Seattle, Dr. Reyes has developed a new small intestine transplant program and added live-donor liver transplants.
His research focuses on reducing transplant patients’ dependence on anti-rejection drugs. His practice includes pediatric and adult transplant surgery (all abdominal organs) as well as complex hepatobiliary (liver), pancreatic and intestinal surgery.
Ruth McDonald, MD, medical director, Solid Organ Transplant
Ruth McDonald, MD
Dr. Ruth McDonald earned her medical degree at the University of Minnesota, where she earned the university’s Top Medical Graduate Award, before moving to Seattle for a residency at Children’s.
After serving as Children’s assistant chief resident during her final year, Dr. McDonald became a fellow in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
She joined the faculty with a focus on transplant medicine. Currently, she serves as associate professor of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology, and is the medical director of Solid Organ Transplant.
Her professional interests include pediatric nephrology and solid organ transplant. She serves as a principal investigator in many multi-center research studies on pediatric renal transplant.
Yuk Law, MD, medical director, Cardiac Transplant and Heart Failure
Yuk Law, MD
Dr. Yuk Law is a contributing author on pediatric heart failure to the field’s most authoritative text, Congestive Heart Failure. His fellowship in both pediatric cardiology and immunobiology allows him to take a comprehensive approach to the care of patients with cardiopulmonary failure who require transplantation.
He joined Seattle Children’s transplant team in 2006.
Simon Horslen, MD, medical director, Liver and Intestine Transplant
Simon Horslen, MD
Dr. Simon Horslen joined our medical staff in January 2005. A pediatric hepatologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Dr. Horslen is helping to lead the expansion of Children’s transplant program.
He is also a professor of pediatrics within the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington.
Dr. Horslen joins us from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, where he was the medical director of the pediatric transplant program. British-born, he earned his medical degree from the University of Bristol, England in 1984.
He is a founding Fellow of the Royal College of Pediatric and Child Health, and a member of the Royal College of Physicians. Dr. Horslen is accredited in both general pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology.
Karen Murray, MD, director, Hepatobiliary Program
Karen Murray, MD
Dr. Karen Murray received her medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md. While completing her residency here at Children’s, she was part of Children’s Emergency Neonatal Transport Team.
Dr. Murray was chief pediatric resident in 1993-1994.
She completed a clinical and research fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at The Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Her professional experience includes research and work in Bangladesh and Tanzania, which contributed to her focus on pediatric gastroenterological diseases.
In addition to her research publications, she contributed a chapter in Clinical Pediatric Gastroenterology, a clinical text designed to facilitate care of pediatric patients with gastrointestinal and nutritional problems.
Dr. Robert Sawin, surgeon-in-chief
Robert Sawin, MD
Robert S. Sawin, MD, is the Surgeon-in-Chief at Seattle Children’s and the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Surgery in the University of Washington School of Medicine.
He has been at Children’s since 1987 when he arrived from Boston to begin his fellowship in Pediatric Surgery. He had completed his residency at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
After he completed his fellowship here in 1989, Dr. David Tapper asked him to stay on the faculty to help establish the liver transplant program and the ECMO program. In 1990, he performed the first pediatric liver transplant in the Northwest with Dr. Jim Perkins. He also performed the first ECMO cannulation.
In addition to a clinical interest in pediatric liver and tumor surgery, Dr. Sawin developed a research interest in the biology of pediatric tumors. He became an active member of the national oncology cooperative, the Children’s Cancer Group and has published many articles focused on cancer surgery, including the treatment of neuroblastoma, sarcomas and Wilm’s tumor.
He has held leadership positions at Children’s since 1995 when he became the Chief of General and Thoracic Surgery. He was named Children’s Hospital’s second Surgeon-in-Chief in December 2002, succeeding his mentor David Tapper.
Dr. Sawin has been active in many regional, national, and international surgical societies, and has served as Secretary of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons, as well as Secretary Treasurer of the North Pacific Surgical Association.
John H.T. Waldhausen, M.D, division chief, General Surgery
John H.T. Waldhausen, MD
Dr. John Waldhausen attended medical school at Pennsylvania State University. His post-doctoral training was completed at the University of Virginia Health Science Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Following a pediatric surgery fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Dr. Waldhausen joined the faculty of Children’s and the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1992.
Dr. Waldhausen is a member of many professional organizations such as the American Pediatric Surgical Association, Washington State Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Surgeons, International Pediatric Endosurgery Group, Society of University Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Surgical Association.
Dr. Waldhausen’s primary research is in clinical outcomes. He is responsible for running the pediatric surgery fellowship training program and two medical student clerkships within the department.
He is also responsible for overseeing general surgery education at Children’s.
Dr. Waldhausen’s clinical activities cover the broad range of pediatric surgery with a focus on minimally invasive surgery, congenital surgical problems and pediatric cancer surgery.
Robert Boucek, MD
Robert Boucek, MD
Dr. Robert Boucek joined our medical staff as the division chief of Cardiology and co-director of the Heart Center in October 2004.
A distinguished clinician and researcher, Dr. Boucek served as professor and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa.
He was also program director of the Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program at the University of South Florida/All Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Boucek received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La. He completed a pediatrics internship and residency at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry and pediatric cardiology prior to joining the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Jodi Smith, MD, MPH
Jodi Smith, MD
Dr. Jodi Smith earned her medical degree and completed her pediatric residency at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
She came to Seattle where she completed her pediatric nephrology fellowship and earned an MPH in epidemiology from the University of Washington.
After completing her fellowship, she joined the faculty as a clinician scientist with a focus on transplant medicine.
Currently, she serves as an Acting Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology.
She has just been awarded a 5-year mentored scientist award by the NIH to study the role of sub-clinical viral infections in the development of kidney transplant dysfunction in pediatric recipients.
The importance of her research is highlighted by the fact that she was also selected as a National Kidney Foundation Young Investigator and an American Society of Transplantation Junior Faculty grant recipient to support these studies.
Andre A. S. Dick, MD
Andre A. S. Dick, MD
Dr. Andre Dick joined Children’s medical staff in 2009 after completing a transplant surgery fellowship in the Division of Transplant Surgery at the University of Washington.
Dr. Dick earned his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed his residency in general surgery at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine's M.S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Penn. Before moving to Seattle, he also completed a two-year research fellowship in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.
Dr. Dick is board certified in general surgery and is qualified to perform transplantations of the liver, kidney and pancreas. His research interests include outcomes in pediatric and adult transplantation.