Alissa Blommestyn-Perez

Supervisor(s): Dr. Istvan Mucsi
Award: KRESCENT Summer Studentship
Institution: University Health Network
Year: 2026
Project Title: Understanding Physical Functioning After Kidney Transplantation

Biography

Alissa is a third-year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University with an interest in youth mental health, community wellness, and peer support. She is involved in several community and youth-focused initiatives, including youth advisory and mentorship roles, where she contributes to projects that support young people navigating mental health, education, and community systems. Alissa is also a returning Residence Don, supporting first-year undergraduate students through peer mentorship and student engagement. She is passionate about promoting more inclusive and supportive approaches within healthcare and community spaces.

Lay Summary

Background: Kidney transplantation can greatly improve the lives of people living with kidney failure. Many people receive a transplant hoping to return to work, spend time with family, and enjoy everyday activities. While kidney transplants often improve health and increase life expectancy, not everyone regains the same level of physical functioning after surgery. Some people continue to struggle with walking, exercising, climbing stairs, or completing daily tasks.

Most research has focused on how long transplanted kidneys last or whether patients survive after transplantation. However, there is much less information about how well people function physically after receiving a kidney transplant compared with other groups, such as people receiving dialysis, liver transplant recipients, or members of the general population. Understanding these differences is important because physical functioning is closely linked to quality of life, independence, and long-term health.

Purpose: Our goal is to better understand physical functioning among kidney transplant recipients and compare it with that of people receiving dialysis and the general population. By identifying similarities and differences between these groups, we hope to better understand the challenges kidney transplant recipients continue to experience after transplantation.

This information can help healthcare teams identify patients who may benefit from additional rehabilitation, exercise programs, or other supportive services to improve their overall well-being.

Method: We will use information collected through Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). These are questionnaires that allow patients to describe their own health, including how easily they can walk, climb stairs, complete daily activities, exercise, and participate in work, school, or social activities.

We will compare the physical functioning scores of kidney transplant recipients with those of people on dialysis, liver transplant recipients, and the general population. We will also examine whether factors such as age, other health conditions, or time since transplantation are linked to differences in physical functioning. By comparing these groups, we hope to better understand where kidney transplant recipients are thriving and where additional support may be needed.

Anticipated Outcomes: We expect kidney transplant recipients to generally have better physical functioning than those receiving dialysis, as transplantation often improves overall health. However, we also expect that many kidney transplant recipients may still experience lower levels of physical functioning than people in the general population.

Our findings may identify areas where patients continue to face challenges and highlight opportunities to improve recovery after transplantation.

Patient Engagement: At this stage of the project, patients are not directly involved in the research process. This study uses existing data to compare physical functioning across different populations. However, the findings are intended to support future research that incorporates patient perspectives and to help design programs that address the needs and priorities identified by kidney transplant recipients.

Relevance to Patients/Community: People living with kidney disease often hope that transplantation will allow them to return to a more active and independent life. Understanding physical functioning after transplantation can help patients set realistic expectations and help healthcare providers identify people who may benefit from additional rehabilitation or supportive care.

The results of this study may also guide healthcare organizations when developing programs and services that focus not only on keeping transplanted kidneys healthy but also on improving patients' ability to participate in daily life. By understanding what affects physical functioning, we can work toward improving long-term health, independence, and quality of life for kidney transplant recipients.

Conclusion: Kidney transplantation is an important treatment for kidney failure, but successful care involves more than keeping the transplanted kidney working. Our study will improve the understanding of how well kidney transplant recipients function in everyday life compared with other populations. The knowledge gained may help healthcare providers develop more patient-centred care strategies that support recovery, independence, and a better quality of life for people living with kidney disease.