Degree: Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Research Interests: Organ preservation, transplant immunology, intrahepatic hemodynamic modeling, xenotransplantation, and clinical transplant outcomes research.
Dr. Rao's research focuses on advancing organ preservation and transplantation through the integration of bioengineering, transplant immunology, and computational modeling. His work encompasses normothermic and oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion, high-subzero isochoric supercooling of kidneys and pancreas, and ultralow-temperature vitrification of livers, kidneys, and pancreatic islets. A central focus is mitigating preservation associated injury and ischemia–reperfusion injury following extended preservation, with the goal of improving graft function and creating favorable conditions for donor-specific immune tolerance and transplantation without lifelong immunosuppression. His research also extends to genetic engineering of humanized porcine donors for xenotransplantation, investigating strategies to reduce xenogeneic immune responses and improve graft compatibility and survival.
A major component of Dr. Rao's research involves developing mathematical models of intrahepatic hemodynamics for split and reduced-size liver grafts. By modeling intrahepatic vascular flow, wall shear stress, and sinusoidal pressure during normothermic machine perfusion, these models aim to identify physiological conditions conducive to graft regeneration before transplantation. This computational framework also supports preoperative hemodynamic assessment in living donor liver transplantation, informing surgical planning, graft selection, and donor–recipient safety. Complementing his experimental and computational research, Dr. Rao investigates clinical transplant outcomes using registry and multicenter datasets, applying multivariable regression, survival analysis, competing-risk methods, and predictive modeling to identify determinants of graft and patient outcomes.
About Me: Dr. Rao is a trained pianist who composes music and collaborates with fellow musicians in the Twin Cities. He is also a professional photographer, with a portfolio spanning wildlife, architecture, sports, and weddings.
