Richard Formica, MD
Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and Professor of Surgery (Transplant)Cards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Tailoring of Immunosuppression With Belatacept in De Novo and Conversion Settings and Risk Mitigation Strategies.
Formica R, Larsen C, Rostaing L. Tailoring of Immunosuppression With Belatacept in De Novo and Conversion Settings and Risk Mitigation Strategies. Transplantation 2025 PMID: 40898400, DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000005506.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBelatacept-based regimenCNI-based immunosuppressionCalcineurin inhibitorsAR riskMaintenance immunosuppressionIncidence of de novo donor-specific antibodiesClinical trialsRisk of new-onset diabetesConversion to belataceptDonor-specific antibodiesRenal transplant recipientsNew-onset diabetesReal-world studyDe novo settingBelatacept treatmentBelatacept usePatient/graft survivalLong-term useAllograft injuryAcute rejectionTransplant recipientsRenal functionBelataceptPatient subgroupsPosttransplant treatmentAssessing changes in donor-derived cfDNA in post-kidney transplant patients and its correlation with graft survival
Sareen N, Miller M, McGowan K, Frankson G, Asch W, formica R, Bow L. Assessing changes in donor-derived cfDNA in post-kidney transplant patients and its correlation with graft survival. Human Immunology 2025, 86: 111466. DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2025.111466.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe kidneys’ effect on the survival of multi-organ transplant recipients
Formica R. The kidneys’ effect on the survival of multi-organ transplant recipients. The Journal Of Heart And Lung Transplantation 2025 PMID: 40835056, DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2025.07.031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSequential Measurement of Donor Derived cfDNA and Correlation with Patient Outcomes Post Kidney Transplant
Sareen N, Miller M, McGowan K, Asch W, Formica R, Bow L. Sequential Measurement of Donor Derived cfDNA and Correlation with Patient Outcomes Post Kidney Transplant. American Journal Of Transplantation 2025, 25: s928. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2025.07.2207.Peer-Reviewed Original Research38. Long-term Kidney Function in VCA and the Potential Role of Belatacept – A 10-year Follow-up
Stögner V, Aregbe A, Vafa A, Parikh N, Hauc S, Boroumand S, Kauke-Navarro M, Blood A, Formica R, Haykal S, Pomahac B. 38. Long-term Kidney Function in VCA and the Potential Role of Belatacept – A 10-year Follow-up. Transplantation 2025, 109: 23-23. DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0001123900.89474.a1.Peer-Reviewed Original Research2. The Potential Role of Eplet Matching in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Stögner V, Miller M, Bow L, Formica R, Klimitz F, Kauke-Navarro M, Haykal S, Pomahac B. 2. The Potential Role of Eplet Matching in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation. Transplantation 2025, 109: 2-2. DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0001123756.39843.cf.Peer-Reviewed Original Research37. Skin Viscoelasticity: A Potential Surrogate Marker for Facial Allograft Skin Fibrosis – A Case Series
Stögner V, Boroumand S, Vafa A, Huelsboemer L, Kauke-Navarro M, Formica R, Leffell D, Haykal S, Pomahac B. 37. Skin Viscoelasticity: A Potential Surrogate Marker for Facial Allograft Skin Fibrosis – A Case Series. Transplantation 2025, 109: 22-22. DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0001123896.77422.49.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSkin Elasticity: A Potential Surrogate Marker for Facial Allograft Skin Fibrosis—A Case Series
Stögner V, Boroumand S, Vafa A, Huelsboemer L, Kauke‐Navarro M, Formica R, Leffell D, Haykal S, Pomahac B. Skin Elasticity: A Potential Surrogate Marker for Facial Allograft Skin Fibrosis—A Case Series. Clinical Transplantation 2025, 39: e70175. PMID: 40460163, DOI: 10.1111/ctr.70175.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPost-transplant yearVascularized Composite AllotransplantationRecipient/donor ageImmunosuppressive regimensSurrogate markerSmoking statusVascularized composite allotransplantation recipientsPotential surrogate markersBilateral upper armsFace transplant recipientsSkin elasticity measurementsAllograft fibrosisChronic rejectionGraft lossTransplant recipientsBilateral cheeksCase seriesDermal fibrosisSkin changesFacial allograftDegenerative skin changesGraft changesFacial skinNet elasticityRejection burdenThe Economic Value of Volunteers Directing and Managing the US Organ Donation and Transplantation System
Levan M, Flower T, Massie A, Rudow D, Sidoti C, Formica R, Ratner L. The Economic Value of Volunteers Directing and Managing the US Organ Donation and Transplantation System. Transplantation 2025, 109: e184-e185. PMID: 39865535, DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000005293.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe prognostic relevance of donor-specific antibodies in facial transplantation – A retrospective cohort study
Huelsboemer L, Hosseini H, Klimitz F, Diatta F, Boroumand S, O'Brien C, Parikh N, Stögner V, Formica R, Ko C, Azzi J, Draper E, Lian C, Murphy G, Pomahac B, Kauke-Navarro M. The prognostic relevance of donor-specific antibodies in facial transplantation – A retrospective cohort study. Journal Of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2025, 103: 286-296. PMID: 40043533, DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2025.01.028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDe novo donor-specific antibodiesDonor-specific antibodiesDonor-specific antibody positivityChronic rejectionC4d depositionGraft lossPrognostic relevanceRejection gradeGrades of acute cellular rejectionDonor-specific antibody statusOccurrence of chronic rejectionTime pointsFacial Vascularized Composite AllotransplantationAcute rejection gradeAcute cellular rejectionTissue typing laboratoriesAcute rejection eventsRetrospective cohort studyTransplant-related outcomesFace transplant patientsVascularized Composite AllotransplantationCellular rejectionTransplant patientsC4d levelsRetrospective analysis
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Kidney Transplantation in Recipients and Donors with HIV: Long Term Follow up Study
HIC ID2000030204RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date03/31/2031Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ yearsHOPE in Action Prospective Multicenter, Clinical Trial of Deceased HIVD+ Kidney Transplants for HIV+ Recipients
HIC ID2000022391RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date08/01/2021Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ years
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Richard Formica, MD, is a nephrologist and the director of transplant medicine at Yale Medicine. He received his medical education at Boston University School of Medicine before arriving at Yale in 1997.
As the director for transplant medicine, Dr. Formica strives to make his program a medical home for transplant patients. These patients tend to have a complex variety of needs that may be difficult for other physicians to address. Since arriving here, Dr. Formica has expanded Yale Medicine’s transplant program to include support staff, such as dietitians and social workers. “We wanted to be the one place where transplant patients can have all of their primary needs met so they wouldn’t have to move around to different physicians,” Dr. Formica says.
Dr. Formica’s relationships with his patients often span many years—sometimes beginning before the transplantation. He sees this relationship as a whole rather than as individual clinic visits. “I tell them, ‘Instead of thinking of this as 32 clinic visits over the course of a year, think of it as one experience,’” he says.
As a physician, Dr. Formica aims to keep things casual with his patients. He encourages them to use his first name and learns as much as he can about them, including aspects of their lives unrelated to their disease such as their pets, jobs and hobbies. He has a keen interest in how the disease is affecting his patients: “When I was younger, it was the physiology that drew me to nephrology. Now, what interesting to me is how the patient responds to their disease,” he says.
In addition to treating patients, Dr. Formica is involved in public policy work related to kidney transplantation. He helped develop the kidney allocation system for the country that went into effect in 2014 and he’s also involved in clinical trials for drugs that treat hypertension. At the Yale School of Medicine, he is a professor of medicine (nephrology) and surgery (transplant).
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Learn More on Yale MedicineLiving Donor Organ Transplantation
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