Two physicians at Willis Knighton John C. McDonald Transplant Center – Drs. Gaza B. Zibari and Neeraj Singh –  continue to share their passion for altruistic work through appointments to leadership positions with several leading national transplant organizations. 

Dr. Zibari, transplant center director, is the new president of Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Foundation  (AHPBF). He previously served as president of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. The nonprofit aims to improve human suffering caused by HPB disorders through education, training, innovation, research and patient care.

In addition, Dr. Zibari, has also been elected chair of the International Relations Committee for the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. The committee builds international relationships through clinical and scientific exchange to optimize transplant access, organ donation and solid organ transplant care worldwide.

“I feel it is my moral obligation to reciprocate what America has done for me by helping our community and the less fortunate all over the world,” said Dr. Zibari, who came to the United States in May 1976 as a refugee from Kurdistan, Iraq. Since then, he has worked at the local, national and international levels to impact patient care, surgical medical education and humanitarian medical outreach. 

Dr. Singh, medical director of kidney and pancreas transplant, is chair of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Kidney Pancreas Committee. He works on issues affecting kidney and pancreas transplantation as well as guides and monitors progress in achieving initiatives to improve patient care, transplant education and policies. He also is co-chair of the organization’s Medical Director Committee.

As Region 3 representative on the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network Pancreas Transplantation Committee, his goal is to improve the health outcomes of pancreas and islet transplant recipients, among other initiatives.

Dr. Singh, from India, was instrumental in drafting the application for accreditation by the American Society of Nephrology-American Society of Transplantation Council for Graduate Medical Education Task Force. The task force vice chair said accreditation will lead to a better recognition of the specialty, standardize training across the country and improve the quality of care provided patients before and after transplant.

Both doctors credit support of Willis Knighton leadership and transplant center colleagues with enabling them to share their time and expertise nationally and internationally.  

ling them to share their time and expertise nationally and internationally.