Collage of illustrative images of data from the UNOS Predictive Analytics tool alongside a doctor talking with woman, and a hand resting on a blanket while getting dialysis

Research & Data

UNOS helps power global insights in heart and lung transplantation

As the Data Coordinating Center for the International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry, UNOS helps advance research and patient care.

Established by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in 1983, the International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry is the world’s largest source of thoracic transplant data. UNOS has served as the Registry’s Data Coordinating Center since 1992.

After the European Union implemented its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, Registry data collection was temporarily paused while a new international data-sharing framework was developed. The Registry was later relaunched under a new agreement, and the 2025 and 2026 ISHLT annual reports are based on data collected through this updated framework.

The Registry’s relaunch has re-established an important source of international transplant data and enabled new analyses based on contemporary transplant practices.

UNOS’ role

As the Registry’s Data Coordinating Center, UNOS:

Maintains the system used by Registry participants to submit data
Oversees Registry operations and data quality
Conducts analyses for annual reports, publications and research

Why this matters

UNOS Research helps turn global transplant data into insights that improve patient care and support research. UNOS collaborates closely with clinicians, researchers and Registry leaders worldwide to support participation and strengthen collaboration. Key analyses include:

Tracking long-term survival after heart and lung transplantation
Comparing outcomes across regions and patient populations
Monitoring trends in donor and recipient characteristics
Supporting international research studies and clinical guidelines
Producing the annual ISHLT Registry reports used by transplant professionals around the world

Key takeaway

For more than 30 years, UNOS has managed the world’s largest heart and lung transplant registry. Through global data coordination, quality oversight, and analytics, UNOS helps generate evidence that improves transplant care and advances research.

Since the Registry’s relaunch, UNOS has supported the collection and analysis of the data used in the 2025 and 2026 ISHLT annual reports. The 2025 report includes the Registry’s largest international cohort analyses of donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart and lung transplant recipients, providing important insights into this growing donor population.

Looking ahead

UNOS will continue serving as the Registry’s Data Coordinating Center through 2026 and is expected to provide analytical and publication support for the 2027 ISHLT Registry reports.