About us

The Organ Donation and Transplant research centre (ODTC) undertakes a range of research and stakeholder engagement activities in relation to organ donation and transplantation. The ODTC is led by Professor Randhawa who is Co-Chair of the European Working Group on Public Issues in Organ Donation and Transplantation.

• Staff have been involved in undertaking commissioned research.
• Research findings have been published nationally and internationally.
• The ODTC is regularly commissioned to undertake stakeholders' events with a range of different communities.

Policy impact – Professor Gurch Randhawa, Director, ODTC

• Chairman, Transplant 2020 Stakeholder Group – current
• National Member, National Black and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance - current
• Member, European Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspect of Transplantation Platform (ELPAT) – Public Issues in Organ Donation & Transplantation – current
• Co-Chairman, European Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspect of Transplantation Platform (ELPAT) – Public Issues in Organ Donation & Transplantation, 2007-2020
• National Member, Triennial Review of NHS Blood & Transplant, Department of Health Challenge Group, 2015-2016
• International Evaluator, Bi-ennial Review of Mohan Foundation, Tata Trust, 2015-2016
• Non-Executive Director, Human Tissue Authority, 2010-2014
• Non-Executive Director, UK Transplant, 2001-2005
• National member, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ UK Donation Ethics Committee, 2009-2015
• National Member, Evidence Update Group – Organ Donation, NICE, 2014-2016
• National advisory member, Minister of State for Health Services’ Commissioned - Organ Donation Taskforce, Department of Health, 2006-2008
• National advisory Chair, Minister of State for Health Services’ Commissioned - Organ Donation Taskforce, Department of Health, sub-group – Cultural issues and consent models, 2007-2008
• National Member, NICE Guidelines Development Group – Organ Donation, 2012-2014

Staff Members

• Professor Gurch Randhawa, Director, ODTC
• Dr Chris Papadopoulos
• Dr Erica Cook

PhD Students

• Britzer Paul Socio-Ecological Perspective on Deceased Organ Donation from Two Diverse Regions in India
• Asmaa Abdulghani Examining Public and stakeholder views towards organ donation in Qatar

PhD Graduates

• Dr Catrin Pedder Jones A general practice intervention targeting registration on the NHS Organ Donor Register
• Dr Chloe Sharp Examining relationships between deceased organ donation, gift exchange theory and religion: perspectives of Luton Polonia

Policy Reports

Recent Grants

• NHS Blood & Transplant – Role of GP practices in organ donor registration consent rates. £30,000 2016-19. C Papadopoulos & G Randhawa.
• Department of Health/Organ Donation Taskforce Implementation Group – What are the barriers to organ donation and the factors that affect the decision of the bereaved family to give consent? £182,240 2010-12. M Sque, M Morgan, G Randhawa & A Warrens.
• NHS National Institute for Health Research – Increasing the acceptability and rates of organ donation among ethnic groups. £731,741, 2009-2013. M Morgan, R Jones, M Sque, A Grieve, T Newton, B Farsides, G Randhawa, A MCguire, J Scoble, D Banerjee, C Rudge, P Weaver.
• Department of Health/Organ Donation Taskforce Implementation Group – Promoting an improved understanding of organ donation amongst the UK’s multi-ethnic and multi-faith population: The potential contribution of Faith and Belief Leaders. £130,000 2010-12. G Randhawa & Kulwinder Kaur-Bola
• NHS Blood & Transplant – A national study examining the reasons and circumstances in which individuals make gifts and donations and exploring the relevance to increasing organ donation among the UK's multi-ethnic and multi-faith community. £130,000, 2009-2011. G Randhawa.
• Department of Health/Organ Donation Taskforce Implementation Group – Engaging UK Faith Leaders with Organ Donation. £30,000. 2009. G Randhawa.

Book

• Randhawa G & Schicktanz S (Eds) (2013) Public Engagement in organ donation and transplantation. Pabst Science Publishers.

Recent papers

1. Paul Vincent B, Randhawa G, Cook E (2020) Barriers towards organ donor registration and consent among people of Indian origin living globally: a systematic review and integrative synthesis—protocol. BMJ Open Link here
2. Jones C, Papadopoulos C, Asghar Z & Randhawa G (2020) Improving access to organ donor registration in general practice – A feasibility study. British Journal of General Practice. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X709601
3. Aktas M, Randhawa G, Brierley J (2020) Children, organ donation and Islam: a report of an engagement day of Islamic Scholar, young Muslims and pediatric transplant and donation professionals. Pediatric Transplantation. Archives of Disease in Childhood. doi: 10.1111/petr.13677.
4. Pradeep A, Ormandy P, Augustine T, Randhawa G & Whitling M (2019) Attitudes and beliefs regarding organ donation among the South Asians in the UK. Journal of Kidney Care Link here
5. Pedder-Jones C, Papadopoulos C, Randhawa G (2019) Who's opting-in? A demographic analysis of the U.K. NHS Organ Donor Register. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 2;14(1):e0209161. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209161
6. Pedder-Jones C, Papadopoulos C, Randhawa G & Asghar Z (2018) Research protocol: general practice organ donation intervention—a feasibility study. (GPOD). Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 4:171 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0362-9
7. Molina-Pérez A, Rodríguez-Arias D, Delgado-Rodríguez J, Morgan M, Frunza M, Randhawa G, Reiger-Van de Wijdeven J, Schiks E, Wöhlke S, Schicktanz S (2018) Public knowledge and attitudes towards consent policies for organ donation in Europe. A systematic review. Transplantation Reviews Link here
8. Sque M, Rodney A, Randhawa G, Walker W, Long-Sutehall T, Morgan M (2018) Bereaved donor families’ experiences of organ and tissue donation, and perceived influences on their decision making. Journal of Critical Care Link here
9. Pedder-Jones C, Papadopoulos C, Randhawa G (2017) Primary care interventions to encourage organ donation registration: a systematic review. Transplantation Reviews. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trre.2017.08.006
10. Ibrahim M & Randhawa G (2017) Knowledge, attitude and behaviour of Nigerian students towards organ donation. Transplantation Proceedings. Link here
11. Randhawa G & Neuberger J (2016) The role of religion in organ donation - Development of the UK Faith and Organ Donation Action. Transplantation Proceedings. 48: 3, 689–694. doi:10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.10.074
12. Sharp C & Randhawa G (2016) The potential role of social capital in deceased organ donation: A case study of UK Polish migrants. Transplant Proceedings.48:3, 680-688.doi:10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.10.063
13. Sharp C & Randhawa G (2016) Death practices, attitudes toward the body after death and life after death in deceased organ donation: A UK Polish migrant perspective. Journal of Palliative Care and Medicine 6: 262. doi:10.4172/2165-7386.1000262
14. Rose C, Nickerson P, Delmonico F, Randhawa G, Gill J, Gill JS. (2015) Estimation of potential deceased donors in Canada. Transplantation.
15. Morgan M, Sims J, Jain N, Randhawa G, Sharma S & Modi K (2015) Inequalities in waiting times for kidney transplantation among Black and minority ethnic groups: causes and strategies. British Journal of Renal Medicine. 20(1):4-7.
16. Sharp C & Randhawa G (2014) UK Polish migrant attitudes toward deceased organ donation: Findings from a pilot study. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. DOI 10.1007/s10903-014-0070-3
17. Sharp C & Randhawa G (2014) Altruism, gift giving and reciprocity in organ donation: A review of cultural perspectives and challenges of the concepts. Transplantation Reviews, 28, 163-8.
18. Sharp C & Randhawa G (2014) Organ donation as an ‘altruistic gift’: Incentives and reciprocity in deceased organ donation from a UK Polish migrant perspective. Annals of Transplantation. 19, 23-31.

Recent conference presentations

1. Randhawa (2021) Journey of the body and soul: how different faiths have interacted with organ donation, BTS NHSBT Congress 2021, February (online due to COVID-19).
2. Randhawa (2020) Promoting access and equity in living organ donation – lessons from the UK. International Perspectives on Access & Equity in Living Organ Donation & Transplantation, Centre for Living Organ Donation, Toronto, September (online due to COVID-19).
3. Pedder Jones, Papadopoulos, Randhawa (2020) ‘Would you like to join the NHS Organ Donor Register?’ A general practice feasibility study. British Journal of General Practice Annual Conference, Royal College of General Practitioners, London, March.
4. Randhawa (2020) Public engagement with organ donation among multi-ethnic and multi-faith population – lessons from the UK. Faith, Ethics and Organ Donation, Wolff Institute, University of Cambridge, February.
5. Randhawa (2019) Does ethnicity play a role in being a donor or a recipient? Dutch Clinical Review Symposium. Utrecht, November.
6. Randhawa (2019) Increasing Donation from under-represented donors with an emphasis specifically on Black and Asian donors. 20^th European Day for Organ Donation & Transplantation. London, October.
7. Randhawa (2019) Tackling inequalities in organ donation in the UK – the role of public engagement. Islamic perspectives on organ donation after death. Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham, October.
8. Randhawa (2019) Developing a culturally competent approach to public engagement and organ donation – lessons from the United Kingdom. European Transcultural Nurses Association. Ceske Budejovice, June.
9. Randhawa (2019) Promoting organ donation in BAME groups in the UK. 5^th International Transplant Conference, University of Warwick, May.
10. Randhawa (2019) ‘They will finish me off before I am dead’ - challenges & opportunities in organ donation from a multi-ethnic and multi-faith UK population 5^th ELPAT Congress, Krakow, April.
11. Randhawa (2019) Organ donation from black and minority ethnic communities. Joint Annual British Transplant Society & NHS Blood and Transplant Congress, Harrogate, March.
12. Randhawa (2018) Is organ donation and transplantation a reality for everyone in an unequal world? Lessons from the UK. 11^th Annual Transplant Co-ordinators Conference. St John’s National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, December.
13. Randhawa (2018) Organ donation among multi-ethnic and multi-faith communities – lessons from the UK. 14^th Congress for the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation (DSO), Frankfurt, November.
14. Randhawa (2018) Inequalities in organ donation – developing an ongoing community dialogue – lessons from the UK. Religion and culture in Transplantation, Organisation of Catalonia for Transplants (OCATT), Palau Macaya, Barcelona, September.
15. Randhawa (2017) The challenge of globalisation and immigration for kidney care in the UK. British Renal Society Annual Conference, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, April.
16. Randhawa (2016) Communicating organ donation to different communities: “Impact of globalisation and immigration in Europe for organ donation – lessons from the UK”26^th European Dialysis and Transplant Co-ordinators Congress, Barcelona, Spain, October.
17. Randhawa (2015) Public engagement with organ donation – lessons from the UK. 24^th Annual meeting of the Deutsche Transplantationsgesellschaft (DTG), Dresden, Germany, October.
18. Randhawa (2015) Public engagement with organ donation – lessons from the UK. 8^th National Association of Transplant Co-ordinators Conference, Chennai, India, October.
19. Randhawa (2015) Faith engagement and organ donation action plan. Faith leaders summit, University of Derby, September.
20. Randhawa (2015) Gender and organ donation – a strategy to create a revolution in public behavior on organ donation. 14^th Congress of the Asian Society for Transplantation, Suntec City, Singapore, August.
21. Randhawa (2015) Increasing consent from ethnic minorities for deceased organ donation. 14^th Congress of the Asian Society for Transplantation, Suntec City, Singapore, August.
22. Randhawa (2015) Promoting conversations about organ donation in a multi-ethnic and multi-faith context. Faith and Organ Donation Conference, Beardmore Conference Centre, Clydebank, June.
23. Randhawa (2015) Communicating organ donation to different communities: “Impact of globalisation and immigration in Europe for organ donation – lessons from the UK”. 10^th Competent Authority Meeting on Organ Donation and Transplantation. European Commission, Brussels, March.
24. Randhawa (2015) Faith and organ donation. Evaluating faith-based responses to healthcare challenges. Faith Action, Royal Society of Arts, London, March.
25. Randhawa G (2014) Engaging UK Public with Organ Donation. South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust. September.
26. Randhawa G (2014) Impact of immigration in Europe and organ donation. Eurotransplant, Leiden, September.
27. Randhawa G (2014) Organ donation in diverse populations, learning from the UK. World Transplant Congress, San Francisco
28. Randhawa (2014) Organ donation Faith Action Plan. London Organ Donation Regional meeting. Guys Hospital, London, May.
29. Randhawa (2014) Organ donation in a multi-ethnic and multi-faith context. Put your faith in organ donation, Council Chambers, Birmingham, April.

PhD Research Topics

• Developing and evaluating interventions to encourage organ donation registration
• Public engagement with organ donation
• Ethnicity and faith in organ donation
• Developing and evaluating cultural competency staff programmes for organ donation and transplant staff

Consultancy areas

• The ODTC is regularly commissioned to undertake stakeholders' events with a range of different communities. Recent examples include the UK, India, and Qatar
• ODTC develops and provides culturally competent training for healthcare staff in relation to organ donation