I am very pleased to announce that the International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) will be joining The Transplantation Society as a new Section, and I would like to welcome all its members to TTS. This is a significant milestone for both organizations, and I am confident that all our members will be able to take advantage of the synergies resulting from increased cooperation and the strengthening of our transplantation network. Pediatric transplantation is an important field, focusing on a special and vulnerable population with unique challenges technically, medically, and psychologically. As with all our Sections, we are committed to providing IPTA the support it needs to address these issues, while gaining expertise and insight in a critical field which has been historically underrepresented in TTS.

IPTA’s inclusion in TTS will provide members with access to new educational opportunities. Those whose work focuses on developing areas where there is a mixed child-adult practice, for instance, will be able to draw from IPTA’s wealth of knowledge. IPTA members in return will gain access to TTS’ comprehensive educational material and knowledge base, particularly with regards to science and public policy. As our first joint venture, TTS will be recording the IPTA presentations at its 2015 Congress and providing them free of charge to all IPTA members. I also urge those IPTA members who are not yet members of TTS to consider becoming members and gaining access to additional benefits. More information can be found on our website and in this issue of the Tribune.

Finally I would like to welcome all IPTA members to TTS. We are thrilled to have IPTA join the TTS group, and I look forward to meeting many of you for the first time. My deep-felt thanks goes to the IPTA President, and former TTS Vice President, Dr. Ron Shapiro, for his dedication and enthusiasm in this effort. I would also like to thank the IPTA Executive Committee and Council Members for their ongoing commitment and participation in an open dialogue with the TTS Council. I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen communication and cooperation in the field of transplantation.

This is an exciting opportunity, and I wish everyone the best as we go forward together.

When I assumed the presidency of The International Pediatric Transplantation Association (IPTA) in July 2013, I was particularly concerned about the long-term viability of the Association. Pharmaceutical support, which the Association had historically depended upon, had largely disappeared. With the participation of the Executive Committee, Past President Richard Trompeter, President-Elect Burkhard Toenshoff and Secretary-Treasurer Anne Dipchand, we explored a number of avenues and came to the agreement that becoming a Section of TTS was the best way to preserve the vitality of IPTA. The IPTA Council supported this transition unanimously. Our previous management company, Association Headquarters, was also in agreement that this was a reasonable move, and has been supportive and cooperative with the transition.

The International Pediatric Transplantation Association is the only transplantation association devoted exclusively to the welfare and the science of organ transplantation in pediatric patients. It has more than 600 members, its own journal, and organizes an international congress every other year, traditionally in off years of the TTS Congress. IPTA has been involved in outreach and in fellow education, and has sponsored the publication of two textbooks on pediatric solid organ transplantation. We have also supported the educational content for the pediatric parts of the ATC and TTS congresses. Affiliation with TTS is a natural fit for IPTA, as both organizations take an international approach to transplantation and are mutually committed to education and strengthening collaboration in the field.

As a result of the transition to TTS, IPTA will retain its independence as an Association, but will benefit from the centralized management that a substantial non-profit society can provide. The biennial congresses, outreach and fellow education activities, and journal will all continue, with the added benefit of sharing mutual goals with TTS. IPTA looks forward to a long and fruitful collaboration as a TTS Section, and is excited to be associated with the largest global society devoted exclusively to transplantation. The transition will be complete as of the end of May 2015, two months after the 8th International Congress of IPTA in San Francisco, in March 2015.

Thank you all very much for your continued cooperation and support.

IPTA Mission Statement...

The International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) is a professional organization of individuals in the field of pediatric transplantation. The purpose of the Association is to advance the science and practice of pediatric transplantation worldwide in order to improve the health of all children who require such treatment. The Association is dedicated to promoting technical and scientific advances in pediatric transplantation and to advocating for the rights of all children who need transplantation.

IPTA Membership Benefits

IPTA Membership offers a range of benefits for physicians, surgeons, scientists and other transplant and allied health professionals, including:

• Heavily discounted subscriptions to the print and online versions of IPTA’s official journal, Pediatric Transplantation, which publishes high quality original research and clinical experience articles concerning solid organ and tissue transplantation in infants, children and adolescents.
• Reduced registration fees for IPTA’s biennial Congress, as well as access to travel grants for allied health professionals and trainees/fellows.
• Online forum access, where members can connect and share material with colleagues, including a dedicated section for IPTA’s allied health professionals.
• Access to presentation slides from previous IPTA meetings.
• Different categories of membership, including significantly reduced due structures for transplant and health professionals from emerging economy countries.
• Reduced annual subscriptions to journals including Transplantation Proceedings, Transplantation Reviews, Transplant Infectious Disease, and Xenotransplantation.
• Discounts off all TTS Membership categories.

You will receive your login information by email in early April. Should you have any questions, please contact our Membership Department!

IPTA/TTS Membership Contact

Amanda Mayer
Membership Services Coordinator
Phone: 514-874-1717 ext. 215
Email: membership@tts.org