UNOS recently received a generous gift from the Grammenos A. Adamantiades Memorial Fund (GAAMF) to support the development of heart simulation modeling. The nearly $68,000 gift will support the UNOS research team’s efforts to bring simulation modeling to the heart community and promote more informed decision-making.
UNOS has been developing simulation models with the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia for multiple organ communities. This series of simulation models has the ability to project the impact of possible changes to the transplant ecosystem. For the heart transplant community, this includes the ability to study the potential outcomes of allocation and treatment changes in various patient populations, including device studies.
Grammenos A. Adamantiades
The GAAMF chose to support heart simulation modeling to honor its namesake. Grammenos A. Adamantiades was a caring brother and son, esteemed scientist, aspiring chef and two-time heart transplant recipient. After battling a life-threatening infection that left him with an enlarged heart, Grammenos twice received the gift of life; he received his first heart transplant at age 21 and a second heart transplant at 25. These transplants gave him another decade of life, which he spent enjoying travel, the arts, golf and time with beloved family and friends.
The GAAMF was established in 1995 to commemorate Grammenos’ personal passion for the art of cooking and dream to become a chef. The fund provided scholarships to student chefs for 25 years and has now been gifted in its entirety to UNOS to drive progress in the heart transplant community. “All those who loved Grammenos and gave to this fund over the years understand the value of UNOS’ research and that it provides life,” says Maria Thomas, Grammenos’ partner at the time of his death and the founder and president of the GAAMF. “We want to focus on the future and support research that is informed by new ideas, new technology and a drive to improve the system. Heart simulation modeling represents a forward-thinking, data-informed project that will ultimately help the whole system do better.”
The simulations team, including Keighly Bradbrook, UNOS research scientist and lead of the heart simulation modeling project, is grateful for the support. “This gift allows us to devote time and resources to developing the heart simulation models that we may not have had before,” she says. “Ultimately, the timing for this gift is perfect. As the heart community moves toward another major allocation change with continuous distribution on the horizon, the heart simulation models will be an invaluable tool and will enable us to improve and better understand a very complicated system.” The GAAMF gift will support the first year of heart simulation model development, which is set to begin this month.
Saving lives together
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