UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Associate Professor Rondi B. Gelbard, M.D., has been selected by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance to serve as Chair of the National Donation Leadership Council (NDLC). Gelbard, a recognized contributor to the National Donation Leadership Council since 2019, began her term at the first of the year and will remain in that role until December 2026.

The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance is dedicated to integrating organ donor management practices throughout the continuum of care, sharing knowledge for improving outcomes and raising awareness about organ donation throughout the community.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chair of this Council,” Gelbard said. “It is a privilege to work alongside dedicated professionals committed to making a difference in patients’ lives.”

Gelbard, an acclaimed figure in her field of study, also serves as the Medical Director for Surgical Critical Care (Trauma/Burn ICU/Surgical ICU/Post‐Anesthesia Care Unit), as well as Chief of the Critical Care Service for the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Gelbard's research projects currently include studies focused on outcomes of traumatic brain injury to large multicenter trials on the management of complex trauma patients.

About the National Donation Leadership Council

The National Donation Leadership Council (NDLC) was founded in 2015 with the goal of developing and providing resources and education to improve and advance the organ donation process. The Chair for the NDLC is chosen through a process where the Alliance leadership and the current NDLC chair propose a nominee.