NSF Grant Award

In collaboration with a team from George Mason University, Dr. Monica Gentili was awarded an NSF grant as a Co-PI for a project entitled, Evolution of Global Illicit Kidney Trade Networks: Identification, Reconstruction, and Disruption”. This award is a four-year, multi-university project to understand the complex dynamics of global illicit kidney trade networks. Kidney trafficking is significantly understudied compared to other types of trafficking networks, despite the rising concern about this type of crime in recent years. Prior evidence suggests that combating kidney trafficking in one country will inevitably raise organ trafficking in other countries. Understanding the course of kidney trafficking network evolution is particularly important for effective control of illegal transplants worldwide. The goal of the project is to provide a general framework for modeling the evolution of transnational kidney trade networks, which, in turn, enables the exploration of effective disruption strategies.