Journal of Clinical and Experimental Transplantation
Open Access

Biography

Dr. Punch received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. He then completed a residency in General Surgery at the University of Michigan. During his residency he did a Research Fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Riley Rees at the Ann Arbor Veteran's Hospital studying tissue injury associated with ischemia-reperfusion. Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Punch completed a two year Transplant fellowship in which he was trained to perform kidney, pancreas, and liver transplant procedures at the University of Michigan. He received board certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Upon completion of his training, Dr. Punch began a surgical practice that consists of liver, pancreatic, and kidney transplantation at the University of Michigan. He performs these procedures on both adults and children. He served as the director of the Liver Transplant program from 1999 through 2003, and held the post of Director of the University of Michigan Transplant Center from 2002 to 2014. He was named the Jeremiah and Claire Turcotte Professor of Surgery in 2006.

Dr Punch performed the first ever living donor liver transplant procedure in the state of Michigan in 1996. His research interests include immunosuppression management of liver and kidney transplant recipients and the development of improved methods of organ recover following cardiac death. Dr. Punch has served on the board of directors for the United Network for Organ Sharing and as the President of Gift of Life Michigan, the organ procurement organization for the state of Michigan.

Research Interest

liver transplantation, pancreatic transplantation, and kidney transplantation