Cores

The operations for recovering, sample processing and distributing and data management of nPOD donor gifts are done through four different cores:

Administrative Core

The Administrative Core, located at the University of Florida, coordinates relationships with Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and screening labs, which are of critical importance to organ recovery. The administrative core also coordinates investigators relations, special projects and day-to-day activities. The current members of the nPOD administrative core are:

  • Mark Atkinson, Ph.D., nPOD Executive Director, Professor
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-8276
    atkinson@ufl.edu
  • Alberto Pugliese, M.D., nPOD Co-Executive Director, Chair, Department of Diabetes Immunology
    City of Hope
    (305) 243-5348
    apugliese@coh.org
  • Carmella Evans-Molina, Ph.D., M.D., nPOD Co-Executive Director, Professor
    Indiana University School of Medicine
    (317) 278-3177
    cevansmo@iu.edu
  • Irina Kusmartseva, Ph.D., nPOD Director
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-9296
    inkusmartseva@ufl.edu
  • Robert O’Flynn, B.A., HDS-C,  nPOD Donor Development and OPO Liaison
    University of Florida
    (352) 294-8773
    robert.oflynn@ufl.edu
  • Lisa Turk, M.S., nPOD Investigator Coordinator
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-9268
    lisaturk@ufl.edu
  • Alice Zhang, nPOD Program Assistant
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-9268
    zhanga@ufl.edu

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Autoantibody Core

The Autoantibody Core, located at the University of Colorado, manages quality control and assurance for nPOD screening laboratories and also tests nPOD tissues for diabetes-related autoantibodies. The current members of the autoantibody core are:

  • Liping Yu, M.D., nPOD Autoantibody Core Director
    University of Colorado Health Science Center
    303-724-6808
    Liping.Yu@uchsc.edu
  • Clive Wasserfall, PhD, nPOD Laboratory Scientist
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-9298
    clive@ufl.edu

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Large Scale Electron Microscopy (EM) Core

The Large Scale Electron Microscopy (EM) Core, within the nPOD program, is located at the University Medical Center in Groningen, The Netherlands. The EM Core serves as the primary site for processing nPOD donors’ tissue samples for high-resolution imaging using electron microscopy. Obtained images and data of complete cross-sections of human islets with nanometer resolution are being shared with nPOD investigators via the portal (www.nanotomy.org) that allows experts in different labs to access and further analyze the data. The current members of the nPOD EM Core are:

  • Ben N. G. Giepmans, PhD, nPOD Nanotomy Core Director
    UMC Groningen, The Netherlands
    (+31-50) 361-6133
    b.n.g.giepmans@umcg.nl
  • Anouk H.G. Wolters, BSc, nPOD Nanotomy Core EM Lead Technician
    UMC Groningen, The Netherlands
    (+31-50) 361-6175
    a.h.g.wolters@umcg.nl
  • Kim Kats, nPOD Nanotomy Core EM Technician
    UMC Groningen, The Netherlands
    (+31-50) 361-6111
    k.kats@umcg.nl

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Data Management Core

The Data Management Core, located at the City of Hope in Duarte, California, handles all data related aspects of the project, serves as the projects interface with the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) and manages nPOD’s autoantibody database. The current member of the data management core is:

  • John Kaddis, Ph.D., nPOD Data Management Core Director
    City of Hope National Medical Center
    (626) 256-4673 ext. 63377
    jkaddis@coh.org

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Organ Processing and Pathology Core

The Organ Processing and Pathology Core (OPPC), located at the University of Florida, receives nPOD donor tissue directly from OPOs, processes the tissue, ships samples directly to investigators and stores case samples and data. The current members of the OPPC are:

  • Helmut Hiller, M.S., nPOD OPPC Manager
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    hhiller@ufl.edu
  • Maria Peterson, M.S., CARE-T1D OPPC Manager
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    marialpeterson@ufl.edu
  • Ellen Verney, B.S., Research Specialist
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    everney@ufl.edu
  • Casey Grubel, B.S., Research Technician
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    caseygrubel@ufl.edu
  • Robin Foss, B.A., B.H.S., P.S. (ASCP), Pathology Assistant
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    fossrm@pathology.ufl.edu
  • Amanda Ramella, B.S.
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    aramella@ufl.edu
  • Kacie Geelhoed, B.S., Research Technician
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    kgeelhoed@ufl.edu
  • Alexis Meier, B.S., Research Technician
    University of Florida
    (352) 273-7737
    alexis.meier@ufl.edu

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