(NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.) – Martina Yakoub of New Providence has been named the awardee of the 2026 J. Marilyn MacQueen Rising Star Award, a prestigious national honor presented by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) to recognize an outstanding laboratory technologist who has worked in the field for fewer than 36 months and demonstrates a commitment to pursuing a career in histocompatibility and transplantation. Yakoub will receive her award during the ASHI 52nd Annual Meeting on October 27, 2026, in Montréal.
Yakoub, who joined NJ Sharing Network in 2023 and currently serves as Molecular DNA Lead Technologist in the organization’s Transplant Laboratory, was selected as the sole awardee based on an essay that best exemplified the spirit and dedication of the award.
“I am proud to be part of a team that works every day at NJ Sharing Network to help save and enhance lives,” said Yakoub. “This recognition motivates me to continue learning, growing, and contributing to the field of histocompatibility and transplantation. I am grateful to NJ Sharing Network, my mentors, colleagues, and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.”
Yakoub began her career with NJ Sharing Network as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in September 2023 before being named Molecular DNA Lead Technologist in April 2026. In her role at NJ Sharing Network, Yakoub performs HLA testing to help determine compatibility between organ donors and transplant recipients. This specialized testing is one part of the comprehensive work performed by the organization’s Transplant Laboratory, which also conducts antibody screening and crossmatching to support transplant programs in identifying suitable donor-recipient matches.
Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the NJ Sharing Network Transplant Laboratory in New Providence collaborates with transplant programs throughout New Jersey and provides donor testing for organ and tissue transplantation nationally, supporting both deceased and living donor transplantation as well as patients before and after transplantation.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 100,000 Americans — including nearly 4,000 New Jerseyans — are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. To learn more about organ and tissue donation or to register as a donor, visit NJ Sharing Network at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
PHOTO – (At center) NJ Sharing Network’s Martina Yakoub is congratulated by her colleagues Julien Napoleon, Assistant Director of Laboratory Technical Operations, and Donna King, Director of Laboratory Operations, after being named the recipient of the 2026 J. Marilyn MacQueen Rising Star Award. (Photo Credit – Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)