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 all

Visit 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 all

Public awareness event: artistic performances and the Premio DONARTE 2026 award ceremony.