Meet Dr. Jason Schwartz

An organ transplant results in a powerful experience for both the patient and the doctor. Jason Schwartz, M.D., understands the impact a transplant can have, and that's why he made it his specialty.

We provide people with a new life."

"Whatever happened in a patient's life to get them to this point, whether it be ravages of innate illness or possibly poor decisions, we have the capacity to change that," says Dr. Schwartz, who specializes in abdominal organ transplantation, including those of the kidney, liver, and pancreas.

"There are not a lot of things we do in medicine that you can say that about."

Dr. Schwartz sees his patients as partners in the transplant process. Getting an organ transplant can be an emotional rollercoaster, as patients who have usually contended with a lifetime of chronic illness suddenly get a new lease on life.

When they finally do have their new organ, it is often a very joyous occasion, and Dr. Schwartz is happy to be a part of that life-changing moment. 

Transplant surgery attracted Dr. Schwartz because it combines his interest in the technical aspects of surgery, the science of medicine, and how the immune system works.

Dr. Schwartz's passion for helping transplant patients extends to his research efforts. He is working on pioneering models and treatments for portal hypertension, a byproduct of end-stage liver disease, and cholangiocarcinoma, a rare biliary cancer. He was also involved in some of the first clinical successes in transplant kidneys across blood group and tissue barriers. 

After training at UT Southwestern, Dr. Schwartz accepted a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and served on the faculty at the University of Utah. When the chance to return to UT Southwestern arose in 2011, he jumped at the opportunity. 

"I had gotten so much out of my mentors and my teachers here, I wanted to come and give back to the community, to the institution, and to the training program – to help train the next generation of surgeons."

Clinical Interests

Transplantation

• Solid organ transplants
• Abdominal organ transplants
• Kidney transplantion
• Liver transplantation
• Pancreas transplantion

Biliary tract disease

Cancer

• Cholangiocarcinoma
• Hepatobiliary cancer

Kidney disease

Liver disease

• Portal hypertension
• Hepatorenal syndrome