Francisca van der Schyff, MBChB, FCS, MMed, FEBS, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah, specializing in organ transplantation and pediatric hepatobiliary surgery. With advanced training in both adult and pediatric liver and kidney transplantation, Dr. van der Schyff is committed to improving access to life-saving transplants for children and adults with end-stage organ failure.

Clinical Expertise

Dr. van der Schyff provides specialized surgical care in:

Liver and kidney transplantation (adult and pediatric)
Living and deceased donor organ procurement
Pediatric hepatobiliary surgery and transplantation
Critical care in advanced liver and renal failure
Immunosuppression and immunomodulation in transplant patients

Education and Training

Dr. van der Schyff earned her medical degree with honors from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She completed a five-year general surgery residency, graduating cum laude and earning admission as a Fellow of the South African College of Surgeons. She went on to complete two additional years of pediatric surgery training before pursuing a two-year fellowship in transplant surgery, achieving certification through the European Society of Organ Transplantation (FEBS-Transplant) in 2020.

During her five years as an attending transplant surgeon in Johannesburg, South Africa, she also completed a visiting fellowship at Erasmus University in the Netherlands, where she gained advanced expertise in ex-vivo and in-vivo organ perfusion technologies.

Leadership and Service

Dr. van der Schyff has served in multiple international leadership roles. She was elected President-Elect of the South African Transplant Society in 2024, serving as President prior to joining the University of Utah. She also contributes to transplant surgery education as a member of the Vanguard Committee of the European Union Medical Society (EUMS), where she helps organize preparatory courses and conduct exit examinations for European transplant fellows.

Research and Innovation

Dr. van der Schyff has published in several peer-reviewed journals on biliary atresia, necrotizing enterocolitis, renal and liver transplantation in both adults and children. She is currently engaged in research on ex-vivo machine perfusion of solid organ grafts. She served as President of the South African Transplant Society and on the Vanguard committee of the European Society of Organ Transplantation in the education and examination of surgical transplant fellows.

Her research interests focus on advancing outcomes in both pediatric and adult transplantation, including:

Pediatric liver and kidney transplantation
Living donor transplantation
Biliary atresia management and surgical innovation
Critical care and emergent transplantation in advanced organ failure
Immunosuppression strategies and rejection management

Patient-Centered Care

Through her clinical practice, research, and leadership, Dr. van der Schyff is dedicated to ensuring access to transplantation for children with end-stage organ failure, with the goal of prolonging life, improving graft survival, and enhancing quality of life.

Dr. van der Schyff is recognized for her commitment to patient- and family-centered care. She works closely with families to navigate the complexities of transplantation, offering expert guidance and compassionate support throughout the transplant journey.

Personal Interests

Outside of medicine, Dr. van der Schyff enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, two daughters, and dogs.

Specialties

Clinical Expertise

Dr. van der Schyff provides specialized surgical care in:

Liver and kidney transplantation (adult and pediatric)
Living and deceased donor organ procurement
Pediatric hepatobiliary surgery and transplantation
Critical care in advanced liver and renal failure
Immunosuppression and immunomodulation in transplant patients

Education and Training

Leadership and Service

Research and Innovation

Her research interests focus on advancing outcomes in both pediatric and adult transplantation, including:

Pediatric liver and kidney transplantation
Living donor transplantation
Biliary atresia management and surgical innovation
Critical care and emergent transplantation in advanced organ failure
Immunosuppression strategies and rejection management

Patient-Centered Care

Personal Interests

Outside of medicine, Dr. van der Schyff enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, two daughters, and dogs.

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments	Surgery -Assistant Professor (Clinical)
Academic Divisions	Pediatric Surgery

Education history

Undergraduate	Medicine, Surgery - University of Cape Town	M.B.Ch.B.
Other Training	Community Service - Kalafong Provincial Hospital	Medical Officer
Other Training	General Surgery - Kalafong Provincial Hospital	Senior Medical Officer
Graduate Training	General Surgery - University of Pretoria School of Medicine	MMed
Residency	General Surgery - University of Pretoria School of Medicine	Resident
Residency	Pediatric Surgery - University of Pretoria School of Medicine	Resident
Fellowship	Abdominal Transplant Surgery - Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre	Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Li W, van der Doef HPJ, Wildhaber BE, Marra P, Bravi M, Pinelli D, Minetto J, Dip M, Sierre S, de Santibañes M, Ardiles V, Uno JW, Hardikar W, Bates S, Goh L, Aldrian D, Seisenbacher J, Vogel GF, Neto JS, Antunes da Fonseca E, Magalhães Costa C, Ferreira CT, Nader LS, Farina MA, Dajani KZ, Parente A, Bigam DL, Liang TB, Bai X, Zhang W, Gonsor¿íková L, Fron'k J, Bohu¿ ¿, Franchi-Abella S, Gonzales E, Guérin F, Junge N, Baumann U, Richter N, Hartleif S, Sturm E, Rajakannu M, Palaniappan K, Rela M, Pawaria A, Rajakrishnan H, Surendran S, Kumar M, Agarwal S, Gupta S, Asthana S, Bandewar V, Raichurkar K, Spada M, Monti L, Alterio T, Yanagi Y, Uchida H, Komine R, Evans H, Carr-Boyd P, Duncan D, Stefanowicz M, Latka-Grot J, Kolesnik A, Broering DC, Raptis DA, Ann H Marquez K, Mali V, Aw M, Beretta M, Van der Schyff F, Quintero-Bernabeu J, Mercadal-Hally M, Larrarte K M, Andres AM, Hernandez-Oliveros F, Frauca E, Casswall T, Jorns C, Delle M, Gupte G, Sharif K, McGuirk S, Superina R, Caicedo JC, Jaramillo C, Bitterfeld L, Kastenberg Z, Shah AA, Domenick B, Acord MR, Mazariegos GV, Soltys K, DiNorcia J, Antala S, Florman SS, Buchholz BM, Herden U, Fischer L, Dierckx RAJO, Hartog H, Bokkers RPH (2024). Incidence, management and outcomes in hepatic artery complications after paediatric liver transplantation: protocol of the retrospective, international, multicentre HEPATIC Registry. BMJ Open, 14(6), e081933.
Wessels EU, Kinandu K, Beretta M, Berkenfeld S, Bobat B, Brannigan L, Britz R, Demopoulos D, Doedens L, Gaylard P, Maher H, Mahomed A, Mudau V, Parbhoo D, Rambarran S, Reynders M, Van der Schyff F, Ströbele B, Fabian J, Loveland J (2024). Wits Transplant Unit Annual Report 2022: Adult and paediatric liver transplantation. S Afr Med J, 114(3b), e1365.
Kinandu K, Beeton A, Beretta M, Berkenfeld S, Brannigan L, Britz R, Demopoulos D, Doedens L, Duncan M, Gaylard P, Hajinicolaou C, Lowman W, Maher H, De Maayer T, Mudau V, Rambarran S, Reynders M, van der Schyff F, Ströbele B, Tager S, Wessels E, Fabian J, Loveland J (2024). The paediatric liver transplant experience in Johannesburg, South Africa: A broad overview and update. S Afr Med J, 114(3b), e1190.
Wessels EU, Loveland J, Maher H, Gaylard P, Bobat B, Mahomed AD, Parbhoo D, Beretta MR, Hajinicolaou C, Walabh P, Berkenfeld S, Demopoulos D, Rambarran S, Ströbele B, Van der Schyff F, Fabian J, Brannigan L (2024). ABO-incompatible liver transplantation - exploring utilitarian solutions to restricted access and organ shortages: A single-centre experience from Johannesburg, South Africa. S Afr Med J, 114(3b), e1211.
Crawford R, Loveland J, Gaylard P, Fabian J, Kinandu K, Bobat B, Mahomed A, Parbhoo D, Beretta M, Berkenfeld S, Rambarran S, Van der Schyff F, Brannigan L, Strobele B (2024). A retrospective analysis of outcomes and complications of living- and deceased-donor split-liver transplantation in Johannesburg, South Africa. S Afr Med J, 114(3b), e1366.
Van der Schyff F, Barnard M, Ströbele B, De Jager M, Britz R, Gaylard P, Loveland J (2024). Renal transplant recipient and deceased-donor risk profiles at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa: A 9-year review. S Afr Med J, 114(3b), e1321.
Calver KD, Terreblanche O, Warnich I, van der Schyff F (2024). Correlation between CT volumetry and actual graft weight in living donor liver transplants in South Africa. SA J Radiol, 28(1), 2917.
Van der Schyff F, Britz RS, Strobele B, Demopoulos D, Beretta MR, Chitagu T, Botha JF (2023). Hyperreduced left lateral living donor liver transplant in a 4.5¿kg child-A first in Africa. Pediatr Transplant, 27(5), e14536.
Masimirembwa C, Ramsay M, Botha J, Ellis E, Etheredge H, Hurrell T, Kanji CR, Kapungu NN, Maher H, Mthembu B, Naidoo J, Scholefield J, Rambarran S, van der Schyff F, Smyth N, Strobele B, Thelingwani RS, Loveland J, Fabian J (2023). The African Liver Tissue Biorepository Consortium: Capacitating Population-Appropriate Drug Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacogenetics Research in Drug Discovery and Development. Drug Metab Dispos, 51(12), 1551-1560.
van der Schyff F, Terblanche AJ, Botha JF (2021). Improving Poor Outcomes of Children With Biliary Atresia in South Africa by Early Referral to Centralized Units. JPGN Rep, 2(2), e073.
van der Schyff F, Becker JHR (2018). Predictive Value of a Persistent Tachycardia to Indicate Impending Perforation in Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Am J Perinatol, 35(8), 774-778.
Li W, Bokkers RPH, Wildhaber BE, Calinescu AM, Ricoeur A, Marra P, Bravi M, Pinelli D, Minetto J, Dip M, Sierre S, de Santibañes M, Ardiles V, Uno JW, Hardikar W, Bates S, Goh L, Aldrian D, Seisenbacher J, Vogel GF, Neto JS, da Fonseca EA, Costa CM, Ferreira CT, Nader LS, Farina MA, Dajani KZ, Parente A, Bigam DL, Liang T, Bai X, Xiang J, Gonsor¿íková L, Fron'k J, Bohu¿ ¿, Franchi-Abella S, Gonzales E, Guérin F, Junge N, Baumann U, Richter N, Hartleif S, Sturm E, Rajakannu M, Palaniappan K, Rela M, Pawaria A, Rajakrishnan H, Surendran S, Kumar M, Agarwal S, Gupta S, Asthana S, Sakpal M, Avalareddy A, Spada M, Monti L, Alterio T, Yanagi Y, Uchida H, Komine R, Evans H, Carr-Boyd P, Duncan D, Stefanowicz M, Latka-Grot J, Kole'nik A, Broering DC, Raptis DA, Marquez KAH, Mali V, Aw M, Beretta M, Van der Schyff F, Quintero J, Mercadal-Hally M, Molino-Gahete JA, Andres AM, Hernandez-Oliveros F, Remacha EF, Casswall T, Jorns C, Delle M, Gupte GL, Sharif K, McGuirk SP, Superina R, Caicedo JC, Jaramillo C, Bitterfeld L, Kastenberg Z, Shah AA, Domenick B, Acord MR, Mazariegos G, Soltys K, DiNorcia J, Patel P, Florman S, Buchholz BM, Herden U, Fischer L, Dierckx RAJO, Hartog H, Van der Doef HP (2025). Management of hepatic artery thrombosis and stenosis after pediatric liver transplantation: Variability and agreement in management practices. Liver transplantation, 31(12), 1533-1544.

Review

Omar Carrim Y, Gaxa L, van der Schyff F, Bida NM, Omar F, Lockhat Z (2017). Does radiotherapy prior to surgery improve long term prognosis in pediatric colorectal cancer in lower- and upper-middle income countries with limited resources? Our experience and literature review. [Review]. J Egypt Natl Canc Inst, 29, (4), 201-206.