Thomas E. Starzi

Dr. Thomas E. Starzi, MD, PhD is a pioneer in transplant surgery, performing the first successful liver transplant in 1967.

Starzi earned his M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School in 1952. Throughout his career, he has contributed to research to improve the long-term health of transplant recipients including the use of prednisone as a supplement to cyclosporine to prevent organ rejection. This transformed transplantation from an "experimental" procedure to an accepted form of treatment for patients with end-stage liver, kidney, and heart disease.