The Relevance Of Autoimmune Diseases In Transplantation: Exploring The Evidence And How It Relates To Birth Tissue Donation

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand geographic variability in the placental structure as it relates to fetal/maternal components
2. Understand heterogeneity of donor deferrals in the setting of various autoimmune disease
3. Explore the (paucity) of literature of placental histopathology in the setting of Grave's disease, Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus
4. Discussion of amnion graft implications in the selected autoimmune diseases

Anna G. McDonald, MD

Anna McDonald, M.D. - Medical Director Birth Tissue Recovery, LLC Winston-Salem, North Carolina Dr. McDonald completed her medical degree at Duke University Medical School prior to her training at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency), Harvard-affiliated Boston Children's Hospital (Pediatric Pathology fellowship), and the Boston Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Forensic Pathology fellowship). She served as a staff Pediatric Pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital and a Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 2014, she joined the Wake Forest Department of Pathology as an Assistant Professor of Pathology with specialty interests in forensic/autopsy pathology and perinatal/placental pathology. She was appointed as Medical Examiner for the State of North Carolina since 2014. She joined Birth Tissue Recovery, LLC as Medical Director in 2016, allowing her to integrate her expertise in placental/perinatal pathology and tissue and organ donor service experience. She is certified by the American Board of Pathology in Forensic Pathology, Pediatric Pathology, and Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.