Research Projects & Grants

College/University

  • Maximizing geographic and scientific reach through a Northern California APOLLO Network: application for Clinical Center, Role: PD/PI, University of California, San Francisco, (09/2023 - 05/2026) Status: Awarded
  • Maximizing geographic and scientific reach through a Northern California APOLLO Network: application for Clinical Center, Role: PD/PI, University of California, San Francisco, (06/2020 - 07/2023) Status: Closed

For Profit Organization

  • Evaluation of patient outcomes from the kidney allograft outcomes allosure registry (KOAR), Role: PI, CareDx, Inc., (10/2025 - 10/2026) Status: Approved
  • A phase 3 prospective, randomized, multi-center, open-label, controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of cellular immunotherapy with MDR-101 for induction of immune tolerance in recipients of HLA-matched, living donor kidney transplants, Role: Investigator, Medeor Therapeutics, Inc., (05/2023 - 04/2024) Status: Completed
  • A 24 month, multicenter,randomized, open-label safety and efficacy study of concentration-controlled everolimus with reduced calcineurin inhibitor vs mycophenolate with standard calcineurin inhibitor in denovo renal transplant- advancing renal transplant efficacy and safety outcomes with an eveRolimus- based regimen (TRANSFORM, Jan 2015), Role: Investigator, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, (02/2018 - 02/2019) Status: Completed
  • A prospective observational trial to evaluate the correlation of T-SPOT® response to CMV infection and T cell-mediated acute graft rejection. The PROTECT Study (PROTECT, May 2015), Role: Investigator, Oxford Immunotec, (07/2017 - 07/2018) Status: Completed
  • (CDA) ExThera Medical Corp / Dr. Rafael Villicana, Role: PD/PI, ExThera Medical Corporation, Status: Awarded
  • ATARA Biotherapeutics, Inc. ATA129-EBV-302: Multicenter, Open Label, Phase 3 study of Tabelecleucel for solid organ or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant subjects with Epstein-Barr virus-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease after failure of Rituximab or Rituximab and Chemotherapy (ALLELE study), Role: Investigator, PIERRE FABRE MEDICAMENT, (11/2025 - 11/2026) Status: Approved
  • A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Randomized Phase 3 Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Felzartamab in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Late Antibody-Mediated Rejection (AMR) (TRANSCEND), Role: PI, Biogen, (04/2026 - 04/2027) Status: Approved

Internal

  • The role of B cells in kidney allograft dysfunction (B cell 3/1/2014), Role: Investigator, LLU Transplantation Institute, (06/2022 - 06/2023) Status: Completed
  • Highly Suppressive Regulatory T Cell as a Biomarker for Immunologically Relevant Delayed/Slow Graft Function after Kidney Transplantation, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (10/2020) Status: Approved
  • Incidence of Glomerular Disease Post-Kidney Transplant, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Medicine, (10/2024) Status: Approved
  • Assessment of IVIG in highly sensitized patients with panel reactive antigen (PRA) of over 94%., Role: Investigator, LLU Transplantation Institute, (04/2025) Status: Approved
  • Transplantation of HCV positive donor kidneys in HCV negative or previously successfully treated recipients, Role: Investigator, LLU Transplantation Institute, (11/2025 - 11/2026) Status: Approved
  • Outcomes of kidney transplantation at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Role: Investigator, LLU Dept. of Surgery, (11/2024 - 11/2025) Status: Completed
  • Comparing Antithymocyte Globulin and Basiliximab Induction Therapy in Pancreas Transplant Patients: A Single-institution Retrospective Study, Role: Investigator, LLU Transplantation Institute, (10/2025) Status: Approved

Non-Profit Organization

  • Integration of donor-derived cell-free DNA with HLA-DR+TNFR2+ regulatory T cell in the prediction of acute rejection and graft function after kidney transplantation, Role: Investigator, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, (08/2025 - 08/2026) Status: Approved