Preliminary program
V International Conference DONARTE 2026
A Transplant Renaissance: Ethics, Equity, and Evolution
4–6 October 2026
Sunday 4 October
Family, society, ethics and international collaboration
Aula Magna del Rettorato, Università degli Studi di Messina4 sessions22 talks
09:00–12:00
Preconference students and public awareness event
Open to allVisit to the Regional Museum, free entrance for the whole day on Sunday 4 October.
Canoe Transplant Games with Rowing Club Peloro and UNIME Games (rowing and running for organ donation awareness)
Giovanna Spatari, Rettrice, Università degli Studi di Messina
The Director of the Italian Transplant Centre, the Presidents of AIDO and the associations meet the UNIME students
Giuseppe Feltrin, CNT DirectorGiorgio Battaglia, CRT DirectorFlavia Petrin, AIDO PresidentAssociations, authorities and faculty present
14:30–15:00
Registration
15:00–15:30
Inaugural ceremony
- 15:00–15:05
Welcome message from the Rector of the University of Messina
Giovanna Spatari, Rettrice, Università degli Studi di Messina
- 15:05–15:30
Institutional greetings from the President of the Sicilian Region, Mayor of Messina, Archbishop of Messina, Director AOU G. Martino, Director CRT Sicilia, Medical Director ISMETT, AIDO National and Regional Presidents, associations, and other authorities present
15:30–17:00
Special Lectures
ModeratorsGiuseppe Navarra (Messina) · Pasquale Aragona (Messina) · Deepak Gupta (India) · Anna Teresa Mazzeo (Italy)
- 15:30–15:50
Organ donation and transplantation: landmarks reached and vision for the future
Giuseppe Feltrin, Director CNT, Italy
Nicholas Special Lecture
15:50–16:10
The surgeon's gaze is one that sees more than skin. Sculpting a head
Nadey Hakim, London, UK · President TTS
Rolly Special Lecture
16:10–16:30
Early post liver transplantation changes in immunometabolic profile
Didier Payen, Emeritus Professor, Université Paris Cité Sorbonne, Paris
Iacopo Special Lecture
16:30–16:45
The DCD best practices today
Marti Manyalich, Spain · President DTI
All Donors Special Lecture
16:45–17:00
Art and healing
Richard Woodward, Director, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, USA
17:00–17:15
Testimonials
5 min each
ModeratorsMassimo Cardillo (Dir. NIT, Milano) · Giorgio Battaglia (Dir. CRT)
Testimonial from the mother of a donor: the “La Stanza di Iacopo” project
Fausta Tocchio, Donating mother
Testimonial from the recipient of an emergency gift, two weeks after becoming a mother
Miriam La Spada, Recipient
Testimonial from the girl who became a grandmother, thirty years after receiving the gift
Maria Pia Pedalà, The girl who became a grandmother
17:15–17:30
Coffee break
17:30–19:30
International collaboration among transplant centres: from goodwill to measurable outcomes
12 min each
ModeratorsGiovanni Raimondo (Messina) · Maria Crupi (Messina) · Iolanda Russo Menna (VCU) · Mathew Joseph (India)
From knowledge to impact: how DTI strengthens donation systems, connects communities and expands opportunity
Sergi Padilla, Spain
From death to donation: the physiology of organ donation
Alberto Zanella, Milano
Access to kidney transplantation. Is it fair?
Roberto Cacciola, Messina
Ethical principles of human organ allocation and equity of access
Lucia Craxì, Palermo
New programs to improve transplantation odds for high sensitized kidney recipients
Massimo Cardillo, Milano
Liver transplantation: evolution and outcomes from a Mediterranean center
Salvatore Gruttadauria, ISMETT, Palermo
Integrating artificial intelligence and liquid biopsy for enhanced post-transplant monitoring
Natalia Malara, Catanzaro
Organ donation in Sicily
Antonino Scafidi, Palermo
Health diplomacy and organ donation: building bridges across cultures to save lives
Bassam Darwish, UAE
Organ donation and transplantation in Ghana
Samuel Kaba, Ghana
20:00–21:00
Faculty walking welcome buffet
21:00–23:00
Gran Galà DONARTE 2026
Open to allPublic awareness event: artistic performances and the Premio DONARTE 2026 award ceremony.
