W. Kenneth Washburn, MD is the Executive Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He is also the Director of the Division of Transplant Surgery in the Department of Surgery, Chief of Pediatric Abdominal Transplantation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State College of Medicine. In these roles Dr. Washburn is responsible for the integration of clinical and research programs across both institutions as well as setting strategy and overseeing the growth and quality of the abdominal and thoracic transplant enterprise.

Dr. Washburn earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1988. He completed general surgery residency at Tufts Medical Center in 1993 and a transplant fellowship at Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital in 1995. From 1995-98 Dr. Washburn was a transplant surgeon in the US Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center San Antonio, TX. He subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio remaining there from 1998-2016. During his tenure in Texas, Dr. Washburn was the Director Liver Transplantation and led a vibrant, high volume, active adult and pediatric program with excellent outcomes. Dr. Washburn has proven success as a program builder and leader. Dr. Washburn has a robust surgical experience in liver and renal transplantation as well as a keen interest and broad capability in complex liver, pancreatic and biliary surgery.

Dr. Washburn has held numerous leadership roles in the United Network for Organ Sharing as well as the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. He is the past president of the Texas Transplant Society and was the medical director of the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance for 16 years. He has given numerous presentations throughout the US and internationally.

Major areas of research have focused on public policy and transplant outcomes. He has published in a number of other areas and has been the principal investigator on numerous industry and government sponsored research projects.