2021 Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Awardees Announced

BALTIMORE, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) and the Urology Care Foundation, the official foundation of the AUA, recognized 14 researchers as recipients of the 2021 Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Awards. Research Scholar Awards support future research leaders and ensure they receive the necessary training and guidance for a successful research career. These awards provide $40,000 per year for one- or two-year mentored research training for clinical and postdoctoral fellows or early-career faculty. To date, the program has invested over $25 million to support over 600 Research Scholars, most of whom have remained in committed research career tracks and now serve as leaders in urologic research and clinical practice.

"The Urology Care Foundation is committed to improving urologic health by improving the prevention, detection, and treatment of urologic diseases by supporting research and patient education," said Harris M. Nagler, MD, Urology Care Foundation President. "When we support researchers, we move closer to finding cures for urologic conditions and diseases."

AUA Mid-Atlantic Section William D. Steers, MD Award: Rena Malik, MD will receive this award for a two-year study to identify biomarkers that are predictive of catheter-associated urinary tract infections at the University of Maryland, Baltimore under the mentorship of David Rasko, PhD.

AUA New England Section Wyland F. Leadbetter, MD Award: Keyan Salari, MD, PhD will receive this award for a two-year study on early detection of metastatic prostate cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital under the mentorship of Eliezer Van Allen, MD and Adam Feldman, MD, MPH.

AUA New York Section E. Darracott Vaughan, Jr., MD Award: Juntao Ke, MD, PhD will receive this award for a one-year study on the genetic landscape of congenital obstructive uropathy at Columbia University Medical Center under the mentorship of Simone Sanna-Cherchi, MD and Cathy Mendelsohn, PhD.

AUA South Central Section Award: Janet Kukreja, MD, MPH will receive this award for a two-year study on improving the patient decision making process for urinary diversion following cystectomy at the University of Colorado under the mentorship of Simon Kim, MD, MPH and Daniel Matlock, MD, MPH.

AUA South Central Section Award: Jack Andrews, MD will receive this award for a one-year study on oligometastatic prostate cancer treatment at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center under the mentorship of Michael Curran, PhD and Brian Chapin, MD.

AUA Southeastern Section Award: Raveen Syan, MD will receive this award for a one-year study on identifying and improving barriers to care for minority women with pelvic floor disorders at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine under the mentorship of Erin Kobetz, PhD, Ranjith Ramasamy, MD, and Ekene Enemchukwu, MD.

Bristol Myers Squibb Award: Zeynep Gul, MD will receive this award for a one-year study on the effects of telemedicine on health disparities in patients with urologic cancers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center under the mentorship of Bruce Jacobs, MD, MS; Jonathan Yabes, PhD; and Benjamin Davies, MD.

Bristol Myers Squibb Award: Ashanda Esdaille, MD will receive this award for a one-year study on the impact of racial differences on androgen deprivation therapy response in prostate cancer patients at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the mentorship of David Jarrard, MD, Kyle Richards, MD, and Douglas McNeel, MD, PhD.

Endourological Society Joseph Segura, MD Scholarship in Endourology and Stone Management Award: David Friedlander, MD will receive this award for a two-year study improving the value of care for renal colic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the mentorship of Matthew Nielsen, MD, Charles Scales, MD, and Angela Smith, MD.

Sexual Medicine Society of North America: Scott Lundy, MD, PhD will receive this award for a one-year study investigating the role of the seminal microbiome to help men with symptomatic varicocele at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation under the mentorship of Charis Eng, MD, PhD and Sarah Vij, MD.

Societies for Pediatric Urology Sushil Lacy, MD Award: Katherine Fischer, MD will receive this award for a one-year study on the progression of chronic kidney disease in children born with posterior urethral valves at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia under the mentorship of Gregory Tasian, MD, MSc, MSCE; Stephen Zderic, MD; and Douglas Canning, MD.

Society of Urologic Oncology Award: Deborah Kaye, MD will receive this award for a two-year study aimed at decreasing the financial burden for patients with advanced prostate cancer at Duke University under the mentorship of Peter Ubel, MD; Sharron Docherty, PhD; Kathryn Pollak, PhD; Charles Scales, MD, MPH; and Daniel George, MD.

Society of Urologic Oncology Award: Richard Matulewicz, MD will receive this award for a two-year study evaluating and validating the new AUA microhematuria guidelines for patients with bladder cancer at New York University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Danil Makarov, MD, MHS.

Society of Urologic Oncology Specialized Programs of Research Excellence Award: Udit Singhal, MD will receive this award for a two-year study evaluating the outcomes of a new prostate cancer clinical trial at the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Todd Morgan, MD and Daniel Spratt, MD.

"The Urology Care Foundation offers a portfolio of mentored research training awards intended to recruit outstanding young investigators into urology research and foster their career success," said Aria F. Olumi, MD, chair of the AUA's Research Council. "The goal of these researchers and their work is to have a significant influence on the practice of urology and the lives of those affected by urologic diseases and conditions."

To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Awards visit: https://www.auanet.org/research/research-funding/aua-funding/research-scholar-awards

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Partnering with physicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, families and the public, the Foundation supports and improves urologic clinical care by funding research, developing patient education and pursuing philanthropic support. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org.

Contact: 
Taylor Titus, AUA
443-454-3743
[email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association and Urology Care Foundation