Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
  • About
  • Science
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage AnalysisBioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute Biorepository Genomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & Administrative Engagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • About
  • Science
    • Scientific Programs
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • All Cores
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage Analysis BioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering >
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute BiorepositoryGenomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Research Education & Training Center
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & AdministrativeEngagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Search

Research News

❮News Cleveland Clinic research builds a better understanding of racial inequity after lung transplant

04/20/2023

Cleveland Clinic research builds a better understanding of racial inequity after lung transplant

Following a report on racial disparities in organ transplantation, researchers asked whether socioeconomics or geography affects disparity.

The figure above shows post-transplant recipient death rates by donor and recipient state of residence. Maps are presented by donor (A) and recipient (B) race and ethnicity. Deaths represented as rates per 100 person-years (PY). Data are suppressed for states with 10 or fewer donors (A) or recipients (B).

After a national report highlighted racial disparities in organ transplantation, Cleveland Clinic researchers asked whether socioeconomic position or where a person lives played a role in this disparity.

Recent findings published in JAMA Open Network, showed that the answer is much more complicated than a simple yes or no. Researchers did not find evidence that socioeconomic status or region explained the differences in donor and recipient survival rates between race and ethnic groups, using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a tool to measure socioeconomic status in a geographic area.

Likely, location and socioeconomic factors like education and income still play a role in the racial inequities in survival, but the study indicates that one doesn’t explain the other which may be due to the highly selected population who ultimately access transplant in this country, says Carli Lehr, MD, PhD, first author on the study.

These findings are a starting point for broader conversations on these disparities and personalizing care, she says. That could include reviewing what data is collected about organ donors and recipients or examining what types of immunosuppressant drugs are prescribed after transplant.

The study found that non-Hispanic Black recipients experience an 11% higher chance of post-transplant mortality than non-Hispanic white patients, mirroring inequities highlighted in the 2022 national report published by the American Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

“What we wanted to do was to really tackle this important topic, but in an open way that encouraged further dialogue and deeper exploration,” Dr. Lehr says. “Addressing this complicated issue will require us to peel back layers of how these inequities came to be, and this is a start for determining where we should focus to improve outcomes for our patients.”

Dr. Lehr is a staff pulmonologist and physician-scientist whose research focuses on new ways to analyze organ transplantation outcomes. Maryam Valapour, MD, MPP, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Lung Transplant Outcomes at the Respiratory Institute, and Jarrod Dalton, PhD, Director for the Center for Populations Health Research, are co-authors on the study.

What else do researchers and clinicians need to look at?

The study found that ADI may not have a close association with racial inequities because the population that receives organs is pre-selected from a waiting list. Because of factors associated with ADI, like difficulty accessing healthcare or lack of social support, some patients who medically would benefit from a transplant do not make it to the waiting list, Dr. Lehr says.

The findings also show that measures currently used to assess socioeconomic position, like ADI, might not be enough to accurately reflect problems for individual patients.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which manages the national organ transplant system, does not collect socioeconomic data. A recommendation in the American Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report was to update the data collected as part of the network.

“Many of the measures we have for socioeconomic position, are based on either zip code or county-level data which may not provide detailed enough resolution– for example there can be significant variation of income and neighborhoods within these geographic boundaries, for example,” Dr. Lehr says. “We need to also consider the data we are collecting when interpreting findings that inform these important conversations around understanding and eliminating racial disparities to transplant access.”

Featured Experts
Jarrod Dalton Headshot
Jarrod
Dalton, PhD
News Category
news
Related News
Breathing New Life into Lung Transplant Allocation: Policies Require Dynamic Forecast ModelingNew Risk Factors Related to Long-Term Lung Transplant Complications IdentifiedPhysicians and researchers collaborate to improve method prioritizing patients on lung transplant waitlist

Research areas

Quantitative Health Sciences

Want To Support Ground-Breaking Research at Cleveland Clinic?

Discover how you can help Cleveland Clinic save lives and continue to lead the transformation of healthcare.

Give to Cleveland Clinic

Subscribe to get the latest research news in your inbox.

About Lerner

About Us Careers Contact Us Donate People Directory

Science

Clinical & Translational Research Core Services Departments, Centers & Programs Laboratories Research News

Education & Training

Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program RISE Program Undergraduate & High School Programs

Site Information & Policies

Search Site Site Map Privacy Policy Social Media Policy

9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | © 2025 Lerner Research Institute