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David Mulligan, MD, FACS, FAST, FAASLD

he/him/his
Professor of Surgery (Transplant)
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Professor of Surgery (Transplant)

Biography

David C. Mulligan, MD, is an abdominal organ transplant surgeon performing both living and deceased donor liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants.

He currently serves as Professor of Surgery, Transplantation and Immunology in the Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Health System.

His clinical and academic focus surrounds living donor liver transplantation, expanding donation, and working on ways to utilize ex-vivo organ perfusion systems to increase transplantation in the United States.

Dr. Mulligan and his team are testing novel strategies in immunosuppression; improved biomechanical organ preservation methods to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury and promote regeneration; and working in the field of 3D bioprinting to collaborate in finding ways to grow new organs from stem cell precursors.

He has performed more than 250 living donor transplants and has authored more that 180 publications. He also has served on numerous editorial review boards and presented across the U.S. and internationally.

Dr. Mulligan’s leadership in solid organ transplantation across national and international platforms has grown considerably and he now serves as Past President of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)/Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN), Member at-large on the Governing Board of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Past Chair of the Advisory Council on Transplantation (ACOT) to the Secretary of HHS, special government employee for FDA Medical Device Advisory Committee and chair of the Business Practice Committee of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. He also contributes to the oversight and recommendations regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on solid organ transplantation in the U.S. for both the AASLD and the ASTS.

In these visionary roles, he has led major changes in organ allocation and distribution and will hopefully culminate in substantial increases in organ transplants. Passionate about patient-centered care and building more resilient teams, he makes time to share his enjoyment of spending time in nature, especially near the ocean, with his wife and three children.

Appointments

Education & Training

MPA
Yale University (2014)
Fellowship
Baylor University Medical Center (1995)
Residency
Case Western Reserve University (1993)
Residency
Univeristy of Louisville School of Medicine (1991)
Residency
University of Louisville School of Medicine (1988)
Internship
University of Louisville School of Medicine (1987)
MD
University of Louisville School of Medicine (1986)
BA
Bellarmine College, Chem/Biology (1981)

Research

Overview

Most recently, I have been heavily involved in national liver allocation and distribution. During my career, I have been extensively involved in scientific and clinical research as well as extensive public policy development and consensus generation. My scientific research began with ischemia/reperfusion injury in livers, immunologic modulation to improve and prolong graft function, and currently working on ex-vivo machine perfusion and 3-D bioprinting for transplantation.

St Peter SD, Post DJ, Rodriguez-Davalos MI, Douglas DD, Moss AA, Mulligan DC. Tacrolimus as a liver flush solution to ameliorate the effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury following liver transplantation. Liver Transpl. 2003 Feb; 9(2):144-9. PubMed MID:12548508.

Adding to the scientific research came the opportunity to publish our clinical outcomes, with particular emphasis on Living Donor Liver Transplantation and modulation of immunosuppression.

Hsieh TH, Mekeel KL, Crowell MD, Nguyen CC, Das A, Aqel BA, Carey EJ, Byrne TJ, Vargas HE, Douglas DD, Mulligan DC, Harrison ME. “Endoscopic treatment of anastomotic biliary strictures after living donor liver transplantation: outcomes after maximal stent therapy”. Gastrointest Endosc. 2013 Jan; 77(1):47-54 Epub 2012 Oct 11. PubMed PMID:23062758. DOI:10.1016/j.gie.2012.08.034.

Reddy KS, Devarapalli Y, Mazur M, Hamawi K, Chakkera H, Moss A, Mekeel K, Post D, Heilman R, Mulligan D. Alemtuzumab with rapid steroid taper in simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation: comparison to induction with antithymocyte globulin. Transplant Proc. 2010 Jul-Aug; 42(6):2006-8. PubMed PMID:20692393.

Since coming to Yale, I have been working with our team to establish successful ex-vivo machine perfusion for solid organ transplantation and utilization of 3-D bioprinting for transplantation.

  • Munoz-Abraham AS, Patron-Lozano R, Narayan RR, Judeeba SS, Alkukhun A, Alfadda TI, Belter JT, Mulligan DC, Morotti R, Zinter JP, Geibel JP, Rodriguez-Davalos MI. Extracorporeal Hypothermic Perfusion Device for Intestinal Graft Preservation to Decrease Ischemic Injury During Transportation. Gastrointest Surg. 2016 Feb;20(2):313-21.

Most recently, I have become heavily involved with national issues regarding liver allocation and distribution. As the past Chair of the UNOS Liver and Intestinal Transplantation Committee, I led two major national forum meetings sponsored by HRSA as well as multiple webinars, conferences and regional meetings to create consensus around what is best for patients to best utilize the scarce national resources.

  • Edwards EB, Harper AM, Hirose R, Mulligan DC. The impact of broader regional sharing of livers: 2-year results of “Share 35”. Liver Transpl 2016 Apr;22 PMID: 26890858. (4):399-409. DOI: 10.1002/lt.24418.
  • Gentry SE, Hirose R, Mulligan D. Resolving Misconceptions About Liver Allocation and Redistricting Methodology. JAMA Surg. 2016 Oct 1;151(10):991-992. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2016.1315. No abstract available. PMID: 27333440.
  • Gentry SE, Segev DL, Kaiske BL, Mulligan DC, Hirose R. “Robust Models Support Redistricting Liver Allocation to Reduce Geographic Disparity”. Transplantation. 2015 Sep;99(9):e159-60. DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000000834. No abstract available. PMID: 26308421

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=mulligan%2C+david

D. Research Support

Ongoing:

U01 AI063594-11 Heeger (PI); Formica (Site PI) 09/01/2015-08/31/2019

Effects of Inhibiting Early Inflammation in Kidney Transplant Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial of Infliximab (Remicade) Induction Therapy for Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients.

The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of intravenous infliximab administered at the time of transplantation, prior to reperfusion, on 2-year kidney transplant survival and function.

Role: Co-I

QRK306 QPI-1002 Kulkarni (PI) 12/2015-12/2019

A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of QPI-1002 for Prevention of Delayed Graft Function in Recipients of a Donation after Brain Death Older Donor Kidney Transplant (ReGIFT)

The objective is to determine the efficacy of QPI-1002 in reducing the incidence and severity of delayed graft function in comparison to placebo in recipients of a donation after brain death older donor kidney.

Role: Co-I

IM103-177 Formica (PI) 09/2015-06/2019

Evaluation of Acute Rejection Rates in de novo Renal Transplant Recipients Following Thymoglobulin Induction, CNI-free, NulojixÒ (belatacept) -based Immunosuppression

The primary objective is to assess the incidence of clinically-suspected and biopsy proven acute rejection (CSBPAR) at 6 months post-transplant in de novo renal allograft recipients treated with thymoglobulin induction, rapid corticosteroid withdrawal, and maintenance belatacept in combination with MMF or EVL, or maintenance TAC in combination with MMF.

Role: Co-I

HIC#1405014029 Heeger (PI); Kulkarni (Site PI) 09/2014-06/2017

Eculizumab for Prevention of Delayed Graft Function in Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation

This is a pilot prospective, randomized study to test the efficacy of eculizumab (vs. placebo; given once at the time of transplantation and once 24 hours later) in preventing DGF in first adult recipients of deceased donor kidneys.

Role: Co-I

Completed:

CTOT U01 RFA-AI-08-015 Friedewald (PI); Heilman (Site PI) 07/01/2009 - 06/30/2014

Proteogenomics for Organ Transplantation: Prediction, Diagnosis, Intervention, Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation

Role: Co-I

Public Health Interests

Hepatitis; e-Health

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of David Mulligan's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

  • activity

    JAMA

  • activity

    Nature

  • honor

    Top Doctors, Connecticut

  • activity

    United Network of Organ Sharing

Clinical Care

Overview

David C. Mulligan, MD, is an internationally acclaimed leader in organ procurement, distribution, and transplantation—with a focus on living-donor liver transplants, and a professor of surgery at Yale School of Medicine. He also performs pancreas and kidney transplants, as well as surgery for liver and pancreatic disorders and tumors.

Dr. Mulligan, who established the solid organ transplant program at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona before joining Yale Medicine, chose his field partly because of the amazing recoveries patients often make after an organ transplant. “There is nothing more rewarding than to see a patient who was moments from death walk out the door days after surgery with an entirely new outlook on life—and the ability to live a healthy, normal life,” he says.

Organ transplant has evolved rapidly in the last 30 years, and the Yale New Haven Transplantation Center is a leader in performing both kidney and liver transplantations. But, getting organs for all the people who need them has become more difficult, with some patients waiting several years.

Dr. Mulligan believes living-donor transplants are a solution to the organ shortage. He has helped drive a pioneering initiative by Yale Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital that is creating supportive communities of living donors and providing them with free, lifelong local medical monitoring for any health issues that may arise related to their organ donation.

“If transplant surgeons don’t have these organs, it’s like having one hand tied behind our back, and we are unable to help our patients,” Dr. Mulligan says. “I think we can do better.”

Dr. Mulligan is also a past president of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)/Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN), and served as division chief for Transplant Surgery at Yale from 2013 until 2022.

Clinical Specialties

Transplant Surgery; Gastrointestinal Surgery; Liver Transplant Surgery; Kidney Transplant Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Surgery General

    Certification Organization
    AB of Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2012
    Original Certification Date
    1994

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