David P. Al-Adra, MD, PhD, FACS
Assistant Professor
- Division of Transplantation
aladra@surgery.wisc.edu
(608) 263-0388
Clinical Science Center
600 Highland Avenue
Madison WI 53792
Education
- MD, University of Alberta
- PhD, Clinical Investigator Program in the Department of Surgery, University of Alberta
- Residency, General Surgery, University of Alberta
- Abdominal Organ Transplant Fellowship, University of Toronto
Clinical Specialties
Dr. Al-Adra is certified by the American Board of Surgery (ABS), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA). He specializes in liver, kidney, pancreas and pediatric transplantation, live donor liver transplantation (LDLT), and hepatobiliary surgery.
Dr. Al-Adra and Dr. Aufhauser performed a living liver transplant between two sisters to cure one of them of her rare disorder. Read more here.
Dr. Al-Adra provides a wide range of services including Kidney Transplant, Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy, Liver Resection, Liver Transplant, Pancreas Transplant, Pediatric Liver Transplant, Wedge Resection of the Liver.
Research Interests
Dr. Al-Adra is investigating the mechanisms of immunological rejection after solid organ transplantation. The goal of his research is to decrease the immune response against the organ, which would then decrease the need for anti-rejection drugs. Specifically, the transplanted organs can be modified using normothermic machine organ preservation technologies to decrease rejection after transplantation.
Learn more about Dr. Al-Adra’s lab here.
Dr. Al-Adra was recently awarded a one-year, $65,000 grant from UW’s 2023 Fall Research Competition, which is administered by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Read more here.
Dr. Al-Adra received a new one-year, $50,000 Pilot Research Award from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation. Read more here.
Dr. Al-Adra was recently awarded a two-year, $100,000 Collaborative Scientist Grant from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Read more here.
Recent Publications
Immunological Rejection in a Heterotopic Rat Liver Transplant Model.
Thompson C, Verhoven B, Zhang M, Zeng W, Alderete I, Hassan A, Chlebeck P, Matkowskyj K, Jennings H, Barbas AS, Al-Adra D
Transplant Proc 2025 Sep 17;
[PubMed ID: 40967922]Over 30 Years of Living Liver Donation in North America: Mortality Associated With Donation.
King EA, Hernandez-Alejandro R, Emamaullee J, Al-Adra D, Byrne MM, Selzner N, Anderson B, Pomfret EA, Olthoff KM
Ann Surg 2025 Oct 01; 282(4): 650-657
[PubMed ID: 40772632]Sex-specific differences in preclinical models of advanced chronic liver disease and portal hypertension.
Aristu-Zabalza P, Andrés-Rozas M, Boyer-Díaz Z, Al-Adra DP, Maya-Miles D, Guixé-Muntet S, Fernández-Iglesias A, Gracia-Sancho J
Biol Sex Differ 2025 Jun 03; 16(1): 39
[PubMed ID: 40462236]De Novo Letermovir for Cytomegalovirus Prophylaxis in High-Risk Liver Transplant Recipients.
Kleiboeker HL, Descourouez JL, Saddler CM, Al-Adra D, Rice JP, Jorgenson MR
Clin Transplant 2025 May; 39(5): e70169
[PubMed ID: 40294127]A snapshot of challenges and opportunities faced by the scientific workforce in liver transplantation-a survey of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS).
Czigany Z, Putri AJ, Jiang D, Meier R, Emamaullee J, Al-Adra DP, Pang L, Kim J, Krendl FJ, Verstegen MMA, Meister FA, Lurje G, Mas VR, Bhat M, Bonaccorsi-Riani E, Martins PN, ILTS Basic and Translational Research Committee
Liver Transpl 2025 Aug 01; 31(8): 1007-1019
[PubMed ID: 40079696]