[SydPhil] Sydney Health Ethics Conversation - Dominique Martin - 4 September

[Kathryn MacKay]

Dominique Martin | 4 September
Sydney Health Ethics Conversation Series
Understanding Normothermic Regional Perfusion and Its Implications for the Dead Donor Rule

Hi everyone,

Please join us for the next SHE Conversation series of semester 2 with Professor Dominique Martin.
Speaker
Professor Dominique Martin
Professor in Health Ethics and Professionalism, Deakin University
Dominique<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/w_Z1CMwGxOtzPyLVLhwfLs8OILk?domain=t.e2ma.net> is Professor of Health Ethics and Professionalism in the School of Medicine at Deakin University, where she leads the Ethics, Law, and Professionalism team. Her research focuses on ethical issues in nephrology, organ and tissue donation and transplantation, and professionalism in healthcare. Dominique led the development of the 2025 National Health and Medical Research Council Ethical guidelines for organ, cell and tissue donation and transplantation in Australia and is a member of the inaugural Lancet Commission for Transplantation. She collaborates regularly with professional organisations such as the international, Australia and New Zealand, and European transplantation societies and the International Society of Nephrology, as well as health authorities such as the World Health Organization and the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority.
Abstract
Understanding Normothermic Regional Perfusion and Its Implications for the Dead Donor Rule

In some countries, the use of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) techniques has expanded opportunities for the successful recovery and transplantation of organs from deceased donors.  In the context of controlled donation following the circulatory determination of death (cDCDD), NRP protocols enable the rapid restoration of circulation to organs within the abdominal or thoraco-abdominal regions of the body while preventing circulation to the brain. Timely reperfusion of organs via NRP reduces the duration of organ ischaemia, which can lead to graft failure, while the prevention of cerebral perfusion arguably ensures that the subsequent recovery of organs does not violate the “dead donor rule” (DDR). This fundamental norm of donation ethics holds that recovery of vital organs must not occur before death and that donation should not be the cause of death.

In this talk I will discuss some of the key questions and controversies surrounding the use of NRP in the context of the DDR. These include whether restoration of circulation via NRP invalidates the lawful declaration of death using circulatory criteria; whether interventions to prevent restoration of cerebral circulation as part of NRP implicate donation in the aetiology of death; and whether the unifying brain-based concept of death can successfully resolve ethical concerns regarding NRP and the DDR.
When
4th September 2025
12:00–1:00 PM
Where
A27, Dean’s Boardroom/Conference Room
Level 2 (Main Entrance from Fisher Road, immediate left after you enter).
Joining online? Register here: Zoom registration link <https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/g30gCNLJyQUjLqQ5QH4hGsyVKdJ?domain=t.e2ma.net>
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Supriya Subramani: supriya.subramani at sydney.edu.au<mailto:supriya.subramani at sydney.edu.au>​.
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