Q&A: Gabriel Schnickel, M.D., M.P.H.
Gabriel Schnickel, M.D., M.P.H., is a transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon and surgical director of liver transplantation in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego Health. He is also the executive director and co-founder of the Center for Research, Education, Innovation and Transformation in Organ Donation (REIMAGINE), which was created to address the urgent public health crisis caused by the dire organ shortage and ever-increasing need for transplants.
September 25, 2024 | Interview by Brittany Fair, M.S.
Where are you originally from and what inspired you to become a transplant surgeon?
I was born in D.C. but grew up in Colorado Springs. I did not have plans to become a doctor or a surgeon initially because I was training for a career as a professional cyclist. However, when I was racing in Europe, I was hit by a car and the injury derailed my dreams and my cycling career.
I had to seriously reconsider my profession. I wanted to help people and being a surgeon was intellectually stimulating and appealing. However, I was not set on being a transplant surgeon – I originally planned to be a neurosurgeon. I took a neuropathophysiology course in medical school, and I quickly realized it was not for me, so I switched my focus to cardiac surgery. During my residency at UCLA, I spent three years in a lab studying heart and lung transplant and became interested in the science of transplantation and immunology.
Being a transplant surgeon combined my interests in the science with the big and transformative surgery of performing a liver transplant. I was hooked!
Why is liver transplantation challenging?
Performing a liver transplant operation can be physically demanding because it can occur any hour of the day or night based on when the donor liver is received. It’s a long operation for these high-risk patients who are very sick. It can be dramatic and truly life changing.
What drew you to UC San Diego Health and what keeps you here?
I completed my training at UCLA and then went to Michigan, then Florida for my first two jobs as an attending physician. The moment I left California, I knew I wanted to come back. When the opportunity arose to join the transplant program at UC San Diego Health, I couldn’t say no. It was exactly where I was hoping to be. Now, San Diego feels like home, both professionally and personally. It’s a supportive environment, and I enjoy working with the residents and medical students. The people I work with at UC San Diego are incredible, and above all, I’m fortunate to have truly the best partners I could imagine.
UC San Diego Health has one of the best liver transplant programs in the country. Can you tell me more about it and why it is so successful?
When I arrived in 2017, there were some challenges, and the volume was around 35- 40 liver transplants a year. Shortly after I arrived, we had some significant leadership changes. At that time, it was just Kristin Mekeel, M.D., Jennifer Berumen, M.D., and me. We built the program in a way that was focused on quality and collaboration. We added top surgeons and staff who share a common vision of providing the best care for our patients. In 2023, we celebrated completing nearly 150 liver transplants!
Why did you help found the Center for Research, Education, Innovation and Transformation in Organ Donation (REIMAGINE) and what is the goal of the center?
I was frustrated with the current organ donation and allocation system in the United States. I kept noticing opportunities for change and improvement. I wanted to create a center that was focused on the underlying, fundamental need in organ transplantation – make more organs available across all organ systems (heart, liver, kidney, etc.).
Not a single institution was focused on this problem. UC San Diego Health is uniquely positioned to tackle this issue of organ donation and allocation because we can harness the academic power of the entire university and the expertise in clinical medicine. Thus, we founded the Center for Research, Education, Innovation and Transformation in Organ Donation (REIMAGINE).
The overarching goal of the Center is to eventually eliminate the organ waitlist. There isn’t a single solution to the problem, but we can now bring more intellectual and academic power to the problem. For example, we could streamline the allocation process, increase the number of people willing to be donors, push for legislative change in terms of funding, and improve our organ recovery and storage methods.
You recently received an Inaugural UC San Diego Chancellor’s Interdisciplinary Team Catalyst Fund Award with Aleah Brubaker, M.D., Ph.D. Can you tell me about your funded project to catalyze collaborative and transformative change in organ donation?
Transplantation is a true team effort. Thus, this team catalyst award seemed like a natural fit. With this award, we will increase the efforts of the REIMAGINE Center not only through collaboration across the UC San Diego system, but also externally with partners across the country. We also plan to commence monthly conferences where we can share project updates and receive feedback on our ideas, research and education programs related to organ donation and allocation.
Now that you’re a transplant surgeon, director of the UC San Diego Health Liver Transplant Program, and executive director of the REIMAGINE Center, do you still have time for cycling?
I still cycle today, but just for fun. San Diego is such a great place to ride a bike.