Transplantation Biology
BWH surgeon Joseph Murray, MD performed the first successful transplant between identical twins in 1954, and many other solid organ transplant milestones such as the first fraternal twin transplant in 1959, and the first transplant between unrelated persons in 1962. He developed new approaches for facial reconstruction surgery and made key discoveries about immunosuppressive drugs that have aided transplant recipients in countering organ rejection. In 1990 he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to the field of human organ transplantation. To date, more than 600,000 persons worldwide have received the gift of life through transplantation.
