Methods in Clinical Urology Research (MCURe) Workshop (2021)

July 25, 2021 to July 27, 2021

Co-sponsored by the AUA and Duke University

The goal of the Methods in Clinical Urology Research (MCURe) Workshop is to help urologists and urologic researchers design, implement and more effectively participate as clinical research sites, providing a key resource for advancing patient care. MCURe consists of pre-meeting online coursework followed by a virtual workshop.

Pre-Workshop Coursework: June-July 2021

Prior to the workshop, participants will have access to online educational content focusing on the fundamentals of clinical biostatistics and clinical research design. Participants will also prepare a study protocol for a proposed research question with guidance provided by a workshop mentor.

Virtual Workshop: July 25-27, 2021

Clinical research and biostatistical experts in urology will cover advanced topics on biostatistics and clinical trial design, as well as patient reported outcomes, pragmatic clinical trials and surgical clinical trials. Best practices for successful clinical research implementation will also be reviewed, such as participant engagement, building effective research teams and integration of mobile technologies into clinical research.

Registration Fees

CategoryAUA MemberNon-Member
MD/Urologist$375$475
PhD Research Scientist$295$295
(plus $191 for one-year AUA membership)
Resident/Fellow$245$245
(plus $115 for one-year AUA membership)
Advanced Practice Provider$325$295
(plus $191 for one-year AUA membership)

No cancellation permitted without prior written permission from the AUA Office of Research. Please contact Julia Gumminger, Research Education and Events Manager at jgumminger@auanet.org with any questions.

Steering Committee

  • Claus Roerhborn, MD (Chair) - University of Texas Southwestern
  • David Albala, MD - Associated Medical Professionals of NY
  • Jennifer Anger, MD, MPH - Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  • Marc Bjurlin, DO, MSc - University of North Carolina
  • Luis Braga, MD, PhD - McMaster University
  • David Jarrard, MD - Chair, AUA Research Education, Conferences, & Communications Committee and University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Steven Kaplan, MD - Chair, AUA Research Council and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Henry Lai, MD - Washington University School of Medicine
  • Brian Matlaga, MD, MPH - Johns Hopkins University
  • John Mulhall, MD - Memorial Sloan Kettering
  • Curtis Nickel, MD - Kingston General Hospital
  • Aria Olumi, MD - Past Chair, AUA Research Council and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS - Fox Chase Cancer Center
  • Sarah Psutka, MD, MS - University of Washington
  • Aruna Sarma, PhD - University of Michigan
  • Daniel Spratt, MD - University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University
  • Willie Underwood, III, MD, MSc, MPH - Buffalo Center for Health Equity

Target Audience

  • Urologists
  • Residents
  • Advanced Practice Providers (Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants)
  • Non-Urologists (MD or DO)
  • Researchers
  • Practice Managers

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe/identify common clinical research study designs and inherent risks of bias for each design
  2. Identify sources of potential bias in clinical research
  3. Describe/identify clinical trial design features to minimize the risk of bias in trial results
  4. Apply the hypothesis testing framework to construct a testable hypothesis question
  5. Identify different types of data used for clinical trial endpoints (continuous, categorical, special categorical cases, e.g., ordinal, time to event)
  6. Assess appropriate approaches to planning & reporting clinical research results

This educational activity is supported by independent educational grants from:

AstraZeneca
Merck
Urovant Sciences, Inc.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 17.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 17.50 Non-Physician Participation
Course opens: 
06/23/2021
Course expires: 
07/27/2024
Event starts: 
07/25/2021 - 11:00am EDT
Event ends: 
07/27/2021 - 6:00pm EDT
List Price:
$475.00
Rating: 
0

Sunday, July 25, 2021 (All Times in ET)

11:00 a.m.Welcome and Opening Remarks

Carolyn J.M. Best, PhD
American Urological Association

 

Steven Kaplan, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

 

Steven Grambow, PhD
Duke University Medical Center

 

Charles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
Department of Urology, Duke University Medical Center

11:10 a.m.The Urology Clinical Trials LandscapeClaus Roerhborn, MD
University of Texas Southwestern
11:30 a.m.Session One: Clinical Trial Design - Moderator’s IntroductionDavid Jarrard, MD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
11:35 a.m.Developing the Study Question for a Randomized TrialIan M. Thompson, Jr., MD
University of Texas
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System
Texas Urology Group
12:05 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: David Jarrard, MD
12:15 p.m.Identifying a Study Population for a Clinical TrialHunter Wessells, MD, FACS
University of Washington
12:45 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: David Jarrard, MD
12:55 p.m.Break 
1:10 p.m.Critical Elements of RCT DesignJohn T. Wei, MD, MS
University of Michigan
1:40 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: David Jarrard, MD
1:50 p.m.Elements of Trial Design: Endpoint Selection and Assessment; Surrogate EndpointsTian Zhang, MD, MHS
Duke University
2:20 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: David Jarrard, MD
2:30 p.m.Subgroup Analysis for a Randomized TrialSeth P. Lerner, MD, FACS
Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center
3:00 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: David Jarrard, MD
3:10 p.m.Break and Transition to Breakout Groups 
3:30 p.m.Breakout Session One: Identifying Key Questions in Clinical ResearchSmall Group Meetings with Mentors
4:30 p.m.Transition to General Session 
4:40 p.m.Closing Discussion, Q&A, What to Expect for TomorrowSteven Grambow, PhD
5:00 p.m.Adjourn for the Day 

 

Monday, July 26, 2021 (All Times in ET)

11:00 a.m.Opening Remarks, Recap from Previous Day, and Goal SettingCharles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
Duke University Medical Center
11:10 a.m.Session Two: Clinical Trial Biostatistics – Moderator’s IntroductionSteven Grambow, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
11:15 a.m.Hypothesis Testing FrameworkCharles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
11:45 a.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Steven Grambow, PhD
11:55 a.m.Sample Size/Power Considerations – Impact on Trial DesignSteven Grambow, PhD
12:25 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Steven Grambow, PhD
12:35 p.m.Reporting Effect Size and Precision in Clinical ResearchEmily C. Zabor, DrPH
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
1:05 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Steven Grambow, PhD
1:15 p.m.Break 
1:30 p.m.Session Three: Clinical Trial Reporting – Moderator’s IntroductionHenry Lai, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
1:35 p.m.How to Design a Trial So That it Doesn’t Fail: Practical Considerations You Won’t Find in the TextbooksAndrew Vickers, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2:05 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Henry Lai, MD
2:15 p.m.Guidelines for Reporting Medical Research: Choosing Your ChecklistSarah P. Psutka, MD, MS
University of Washington
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
2:45 p.m.Q&A/DiscussionModerator: Henry Lai, MD
2:55 p.m.Break 
3:05 p.m.Introduction of Keynote SpeakerCharles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
3:10 p.m.Keynote: Ethics in the Design and Conduct of Clinical ResearchJeremy Sugarman, MD, MPH, MA
Berman Institute of Bioethics and School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University
4:00 p.m.Q&A/DiscussionModerator: Charles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
4:20 p.m.Break and Transition to Breakout Groups 
4:35 p.m.Breakout Session Two: Mentor/Mentee MeetingsSmall Group Meetings with Mentors
5:35 p.m.Break and Transition to General Session 
5:55 p.m.Session Four: Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials - Moderator’s IntroductionRalph V. Clayman, MD
University of California, Irvine
6:00 p.m.Surgical Clinical TrialsVivian W. Sung, MD, MPH
Alpert Medical School Brown University
6:20 p.m.Q&A/DiscussionModerator: Ralph V. Clayman, MD
6:30 p.m.Mobile Technologies, EDC in Clinical TrialsGregory E. Tasian, MD, MSc, MSCE
University of Pennsylvania
6:50 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Ralph V. Clayman, MD
7:00 p.m.Closing Discussion, Q&A, What to Expect for TomorrowCharles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
7:10 p.m.Adjourn for the Day 

Tuesday, July 27, 2021 (All Times in ET)

11:00 a.m.Opening Remarks, Recap from Previous Day, and Goal SettingSteven Grambow, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
11:10 a.m.Session Five: Strategies for Success in Urological Clinical Research – Part One – Moderator’s IntroductionWillie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
Buffalo Center for Health Equity
11:15 a.m.Pragmatic/Adaptive TrialsMatthew Roe, MD, MHS
Chief Medical Officer, Verana Health
11:35 a.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Willie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
11:45 a.m.Participant/Stakeholder Engagement in Clinical Research

Angela Smith, MD, MS
University of North Carolina

 

John Gore, MD, MS
University of Washington
Seattle Cancer Care

12:05 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Willie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
12:15 p.m.Patient Reported Outcomes in Clinical TrialsMark S. Litwin, MD, MPH
University of California Los Angeles
12:35 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Willie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
12:45 p.m.Building the Clinical Research TeamWillie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
1:05 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: Willie Underwood, III, MD, FACS, MPH, MSc
1:15 p.m.Break 
1:30 p.m.Session Six: Strategies for Success in Urological Clinical Research – Part Two – Moderator’s IntroductionJohn Gore, MD, MS
University of Washington
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
1:35 p.m.Establishing a Research Program in the Community Setting and Opportunities for CollaborationRaoul S. Concepcion, MD, FACS
Chief Science Officer, U.S. Urology Partners
1:55 p.m.Building a Research Program in Clinical Trials Research

Viraj Master, MD, PhD
Winship Cancer Institute

 

Michael D. Fabrizio, MD, FACS
Urology of Virginia

2:15 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: John Gore, MD, MS
2:30 p.m.Effective Use of Patient Registries for Clinical ResearchMatthew Roe, MD, MHS
2:50 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: John Gore, MD, MS
3:00 p.m.Break 
3:15 p.m.GCP and Regulatory Considerations (How to Stay out of Clinical Trial Jail) (pre-recorded presentation)Scott E. Eggener, MD
University of Chicago Medical Center
3:30 p.m.Translating Trial Results to Guidelines and Clinical PracticePhilipp Dahm, MD, MHSC
University of Minnesota
3:50 p.m.Discussion, Q&AModerator: John Gore, MD, MS
4:00 p.m.Break and Transition to Breakout Groups 
4:15 p.m.Breakout Session Three: Next Steps & Where Do I Go From Here?Small Group Meetings with Mentors
5:15 p.m.Transition Back to General Session 
5:20 p.m.Closing Remarks and DiscussionSteven Grambow, PhD
Charles D. Scales Jr., MD, MSHS
Carolyn J.M. Best, PhD
5:30 p.m.Adjourn Meeting 

Faculty Disclosures


Ralph V. Clayman, MD

Dr. Ralph V. Clayman is a graduate of Grinnell College and the University of California - San Diego, School of Medicine. Following his residency in Urology at the University of Minnesota, he completed an AUA research scholarship at the University of Texas – Southwestern studying cholesterol metabolism in renal cell cancer. He then spent 17 years at Washington University in St. Louis; attaining the rank of Professor of Urology and Radiology. In 1984, he initiated the first fellowship program in Endourology; more than 30 fellows have been trained, many of whom have current leadership positions in academic urology. In 1990, he and his surgical team performed the world’s first laparoscopic removal of a kidney. In January 2002, he accepted the Chair of the newly formed Department of Urology at the University of California – Irvine; within four years, the department was listed among the top 20 programs in the country. In 2009, he accepted the role of Dean of the School of Medicine at UC Irvine, serving a 5-year term and then electing to step down. During his tenure as dean, the school of medicine attained full LCME accreditation, achieved a positive financial balance, opened over 750,000 square feet of new space, and initiated the first totally tablet based medical school curriculum. In 2016, he published a book regarding academic leadership entitled, “The Compleat Dean” which has sold over 1,000 copies.

Dr. Clayman is a co-founder of the Endourology Society and served as co-editor of the Journal of Endourology from 1986-2020. He holds 13 patents and has published over 450 peer reviewed manuscripts. Presently he is a Distinguished Professor of Urology in the Department of Urology at UC Irvine. He has an active clinical practice in urolithiasis and co-directs the endourology research laboratory and endourology fellowship program at UC Irvine.

Raoul S. Concepcion, MD, FACS

Raoul S. Concepcion is the newly appointed Chief Science Officer for U.S. Urology Partners in Nashville TN and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine.

Dr. Concepcion was a General Surgery and Urology Resident at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine from 1984 – 1989. He served as Chief Urology Resident from 1989 – 1990 and was also a research fellow in the Light Laboratories at Vanderbilt. He has been in practice since 1990, with his major clinical interest being Urologic Oncology, specializing in advanced prostate and bladder cancer and lower urinary tract reconstruction, as well as the role of genomics and genetic testing in GU tumors. He is Board Certified by the American Urological Association (AUA) and is a member of that organization, as well as the Southeastern Section of the AUA, Society of Urologic Oncology, American College of Surgeons and the Nashville Surgical Society.

From a research perspective, Dr. Concepcion has been actively in involved in basic science and clinical research since his days at Vanderbilt. Dr. Concepcion has been either the principal investigator (PI) or Co-PI on many clinical trials since the 1990’s. The focus as of recent has been in advanced prostate cancer, as well as biomarker development. Along with 2 other urologists, he also started CUSP, a Urology specific clinical trials management company that specializes in site and patient accrual for the pharmaceutical and biolab industries. From an industry perspective, Dr. Concepcion serves as an advisor, consultant or speaker for many companies involved in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. He is currently developing a precision medicine, genomics based prostate cancer program for U.S. Urology Partners and affiliated groups.

Philipp Dahm, MD, MHSc

Philipp Dahm, MD, MHSc is currently Professor of Urology, Vice Chair of Education and Program Director at the University of Minnesota as well as Director of Research and Education for Surgical Services at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Health Care System. Dr. Dahm completed his residency training at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where he subsequently joined the faculty and completed a Master of Health Sciences degree in Clinical Research. From 2006 – 2014 he was Associate and then Full Professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Florida, as well as in the later years, Residency Program Director.

Dr. Dahm is a clinically active urological surgeon who specializes in urologic oncology with a focus on prostate cancer. He is also an active researcher with over 250 publications published in the peer reviewed literature and three books, most notably “50 Studies Every Urologist Should Know” and “Evidence-Based Urology” (2nd edition). He has a longstanding interest in evidence-based clinical practice, which he seeks to promote through education, research and knowledge translation. His research focus lies in systematic reviews and meta-analysis, as well as related methodological research and guideline development and he has published extensively on the methodological reporting quality of urological research.

Dr. Dahm serves as Coordinating Editor for Cochrane Urology (http://urology.cochrane.org/) for the international Cochrane Collaboration that is recognized for the development of high-quality systematic reviews to guide patients, providers and policymakers. He is also a longstanding member of the GRADE Working Group (http://www.gradeworkinggroup.org/) as well as a member of its Executive Steering Committee and a founding member of the US GRADE Network (http://us.gradeworkinggroup.org/), which is an organization that has developed a framework for rating the quality of evidence and moving from evidence to decisions that is used by over 120 organizations worldwide and is finding increasing appeal by guideline developers in urology. Dr. Dahm is also a Steering Group Member of the IDEAL Collaboration (http://www.ideal-collaboration.net/) that strives to improve the evidentiary standards for surgical research.

Scott E. Eggener, MD

Scott Eggener is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago with extensive clinical trial experience in investigator-initiated, industry-sponsored, and cooperative group trials.

Michael D. Fabrizio, MD, FACS

Dr. Fabrizio earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1992 after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the College of William and Mary in 1988. He completed his residencies in surgery and urology at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Fabrizio was awarded a fellowship in endourology and laparoscopic surgery at The Johns Hopkins University, Brady Urological Institute in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Fabrizio was involved in the FDA trials for the Zeus Robotic system and an early adopter of robotic surgery. He has done extensive research in telemedicine and telesurgery.

Dr. Fabrizio specializes in urological laparoscopy for benign and malignant conditions including prostate and kidney cancer, adrenal surgery, kidney donation and complex kidney and ureteral stone surgery. With the support of his partners, he created the laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and robotic assisted prostatectomy program as well as the laparoscopic kidney donor program in Norfolk, VA. He also started a training fellowship in endourology and laparoscopy in 2003 which has received national recognition in Quality of Life Outcomes research for prostate cancer treatments. The fellowship won the Endourology Society’s best paper twice. He has published many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters as well as lectured around the world on topics in endourology and outcomes. Local and National media recognized Dr. Fabrizio among other transplant surgeons for performing a national kidney swap where numerous patients donated kidneys to recipients around the country. Hampton Roads magazine has recognized him as a Top Doc for well over a decade (most recently in 2021), and he is listed among America’s Top Docs in Castle and Connolly Top Docs recognition. Dr. Fabrizio notes that he is "proud to be associated with a urology practice that offers specialty care in all areas of our field. We have assembled one of the best trained faculty in the country, and our practice offers not only outstanding clinical care but access to ground breaking clinical trials and the most up to date surgical techniques.”

He served as the CEO of Urology of Virginia from 2008-2019. As the CEO, the practice has experienced 15% or more growth year to year. In 2017, the Virginia Pilot named Urology of Virginia a “Roaring 20” business, the top 20 businesses by growth in Hampton Roads. Dr. Fabrizio negotiated several real estate transactions for Urology of Virginia including acquiring and building over 100,000 sq. ft. of office space successfully negotiating leases with an independent hospital system and imaging center. He has also been integral in creating several private venture opportunities for his partners. Finally, he is the co-founder of The Atlantic Clinic, which is a medical tourism and healthcare provider in the British Virgin Islands, and serves and several privately held boards.

Dr. Fabrizio is board certified by the American Board of Urology and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of The American Urological Association, Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association, Endourology Society, and the Society of Urologic Oncology. In addition to being the former Chief Executive Officer of the practice and the endourology fellowship director, he is a Past-President of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association and on the board of LUGPA (Large Urology Group Practice Association). He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, traveling, and anything outdoors.

John L. Gore, MD, MS, FACS

Dr. Gore is a urologic oncologist and health services researcher. Dr. Gore received his MD from Baylor College of Medicine following which he completed his urology training at UCLA. He then received his health services research training as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at UCLA. Dr. Gore is currently a Professor in Urology, Adjunct Professor in Surgery at the University of Washington, and Affiliate Investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. He is the Program Director of the UW SUO Fellowship in Urologic Oncology and has served as the primary mentor on 13 extramural mentored research awards including from the Urology Care Foundation, DOD, ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, and NIH. He is pursuing a translational health services and patient-centered outcomes research program toward improving access to care, quality of life, and quality of care for urologic cancers. He has active funding from PCORI, NIH, American Cancer Society, and DOD.

Steve Grambow, PhD

Dr. Grambow is an academic statistician with a focus on educational leadership and administration, teaching, mentoring, and collaborative clinical research. He is Director of the Duke Clinical Research Training program, Duke’s premier degree training program for clinical fellows and junior faculty preparing for careers as clinical and translational scientists. He is the Associate Chair for Education in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in the Duke University School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute Education and Workforce Development Core. His collaborative clinical research work spans a broad range of clinical disciplines and he has experience designing and analyzing observational studies, survey research studies, epidemiology investigations, and randomized clinical trials, including those utilizing web, mobile, and telemedicine-based health behavior interventions. He has served on over 80 clinical trial data monitoring committees for the NIH and pharmaceutical industry across multiple therapeutic areas. His current work is focused on the development of tailored education and training programs for clinical research audiences in the U.S. and China.

David F. Jarrard, MD

David F. Jarrard is a tenured Professor of Urology and Molecular and Environmental Toxicology, and holds the John Livesey Chair in Urologic Oncology at the University of Wisconsin. He obtained his medical doctorate from the University of Virginia followed by a Urology residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals. He completed a Urologic Oncology/American Foundation for Urologic Disease fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health he serves as Vice Chair for the Department of Urology, Associate Director for the UW Carbone Cancer Center and leads the Section of Urologic Oncology. He is a member of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Epigenetics program.

Dr Jarrard serves on a number of national committees including the guidelines panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Urological Association. He serves as co-Chair of the Research, Education and Conferences Committee for the AUA and is President of the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU). He is a past-President of the AUA North Central Section and the Society for Basic Urologic Research. Dr. Jarrard has served on the integration panel of the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program and on the Board of Directors for the Society for Urologic Oncology (SUO). Awards include the SBUR Young Investigator and Distinguished Service Awards, Madison Magazine’s ‘Best Physicians in Wisconsin’, Castle Connolly ‘Top Doctors’, ‘Best Doctor in America™’ and the Society for Urologic Oncology Distinguished Service Award.

Dr Jarrard’s clinical work concentrates on advanced Urologic Oncology and research on improving cancer detection and outcomes. He runs a research laboratory funded through the NIH and DOD examining epigenetic factors underlying prostate cancer progression and novel approaches toward treating advanced disease. Their work identified altered genomic imprinting with aging increases the risk of prostate cancer development and this field effect serves as a diagnostic marker. Recent studies include the recognition that androgen removal, a common treatment in advanced prostate cancer, when combined with agents targeting unique epigenetic and metabolic changes can improve cancer outcomes. Dr. Jarrard has published numerous chapters, articles and abstracts in the field of prostate cancer.

Steven Kaplan, MD

Dr. Kaplan graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1982 and was elected to the AOA Honor Society. Dr. Kaplan’s postgraduate training included an internship and residency in the Department of Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital as well as a residency in Urology at the Squier Urologic Clinic, Columbia University. He was an American Urologic Association Scholar between 1988 – 1990 that focused on identifying molecular markers and urodynamic parameters that herald bladder and prostate dysfunction.

Dr. Kaplan was the Given Foundation Professor of Urology and Administrator, as well as Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology at Columbia University from 1998 – 2005. And then, the E Darracott Vaughan Jr. Professor of Urology and Chief, Institute for Bladder and Prostate Health at Weill Cornell Medical College and Director, Iris Cantor Men’s Health Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Currently, he is Professor of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of Benign Urologic Diseases and The Men’s Health Program of the Mount Sinai Health System. He is a serial entrepreneur and a founder of Medidata Solutions Inc., a publicly held corporation and one of the premier electronic data capture companies in the world; Medivizor, Inc., a medical informatics enterprise; Eco – Fusion, a novel health care interface platform and InspiReN, a digital interface analyzing and enhancing the patient experience with health care professionals.

Dr. Kaplan is a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a recognized authority on the study of benign diseases of the prostate, the association of metabolic factors and voiding dysfunction and female urology. He has published more than 1200 articles, 170 abstracts, and has made over 340 presentations in more than 35 countries. He is the co - author of five books and is on the Editorial Board of Urology, Journal of Urology, and Urology Times.

Dr. Kaplan has been a member of more than 30 professional organizations, been awarded 5 NIH grants and has received over 13 million dollars in research funding. He was awarded the John K. Lattimer Award for Lifetime Achievement in Urology by the National Kidney Foundation. Most recently, he serves on the AUA BPH Guidelines Committee and is the Chair of the AUA Research Council.

H. Henry Lai, MD

Dr. Lai is Professor of Surgery and Anesthesiology, and Director of Research in the Division of Urologic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He is a clinician-scientist with clinical, translational, and basic research focus on benign lower urinary tract disorders including interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, overactive bladder, and urinary incontinence. He has been continuously funded by the NIH for over a decade. He is the PI of the NIDDK MAPP (Multi-disciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Research Network, investigating the pathophysiology, clinical phenotyping, and natural history of chronic pelvic pain. He is the PI and Chair of the NIDDK LURN (Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network), studying the clinical phenotyping of lower urinary tract disorders such as overactive bladder and urinary incontinence. He is also the PI of Urinary Stone Disease Research Network (USDRN). He has a solid track record of publication and have authored about 130 papers. He was a recipient of the Rising Stars in Urology Research Award from the American Urological Association (AUA), and the Paul Zimskind Award from the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU).

Seth P. Lerner, MD

Dr. Lerner is Professor of Urology and holds the Beth and Dave Swalm Chair in Urologic Oncology, and is Vice-chair for Faculty Affairs in the Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine. He is Director of Urologic Oncology and the Multidisciplinary Bladder Cancer Program. He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, completed a surgical internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, and returned to Baylor for his residency training. He completed a two-year fellowship at the University of Southern California in urologic oncology and reconstructive surgery under Peter Jones and Don Skinner before returning to join the full-time Baylor faculty in 1992. His clinical practice, education, and research activities are devoted to urologic oncology and particularly lower and upper tract urothelial cancer. Dr. Lerner is author of over 215 peer-reviewed articles, and co-editor of a comprehensive Textbook of Bladder Cancer. He is the founding co-editor-in-chief of the Bladder Cancer journal. He established and directs the multi-disciplinary Bladder Cancer Research Program at Baylor and his research interests include use of selective estrogen receptor modulators for treatment of bladder cancer, gene therapy, integrated proteogenomic analysis of bladder and upper urinary tract cancers, and outcomes of radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. He has 29 years of experience as a clinical investigator for both NCI and industry funded clinical trials. He is the PI of the ongoing SWOG NCI Phase III trial comparing extended vs. standard pelvic lymphadenectomy at time of radical cystectomy. He is active in the leadership of several national bladder cancer research enterprises including chair of the Local Bladder Cancer committee of SWOG, founding and former co-chair of the NCI Bladder Cancer Task Force and current co-chair of the NCI CTEP Genitourinary Steering Committee, and he co-chaired the Analysis Working Group of The Cancer Genome Atlas Project for muscle invasive bladder cancer for. He was recently appointed to a 4 year term to the NCI Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee. He is very active in the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) as a member of the Board of Directors, past chair of the Bladder Cancer Think Tank and co-chair of the management committee of the Bladder Cancer Research Network. Dr. Lerner is an active member of the prestigious American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and is listed routinely among “America’s Top Doctors” and “Best Doctors in America.

Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH

Dr. Litwin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Duke University, earned his MD from Emory University, and trained in urology at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at RAND and UCLA, where he earned his MPH. He is a translational population scientist who has authored original articles, reports, reviews, and book chapters in urologic oncology and health services research. Dr. Litwin published the first validated quality-of-life instrument to track outcomes in men with prostate cancer and has been an international leader in this area. Dr. Litwin's research includes medical outcomes assessment, quality of care, health-related quality of life, epidemiology, costs and resource utilization, patient preferences, access, and value for malignant and benign diseases in urology. Dr. Litwin’s former fellows hold academic positions at institutions throughout the world.

In 2001 he received the AUA Gold Cystoscope for his foundational work in establishing the discipline of urological health services research. He received the AUA Foundation’s Distinguished Mentor Award in 2010, the AUA Distinguished Service Award in 2011, and the Barringer Medal from the American Association of GU Surgeons in 2016. Dr. Litwin received the 2021 Sherman M. Mellinkoff Award, the highest honor given by the medical faculty at UCLA. His work has been funded by the NIDDK, NCI, Department of Defense, American Cancer Society, California Department of Public Health, and other organizations. He has been continuously NIH-funded since 1997. His current grants include a $115 million state-funded program involving prostate cancer care for low-income uninsured men in California, established in 2001; a T32 training grant in outcomes research in urologic and gynecologic oncology; a DoD grant to optimize the graphical display of outcomes data for patients; an American Cancer Society grant to study the experience of low-income patients enrolling in ACA-based health insurance; and a Movember-funded international registry of prostate cancer outcomes. For 14 years he led Urologic Diseases in America, a $24 million epidemiologic study funded by the NIDDK. He teaches in UCLA’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health and practices urologic oncology at UCLA.

Viraj Master, MD, PhD, FACS

Dr. Master is Professor and Fray Marshall Chair in Urologic Research in the Department of Urology at Emory University, where he is Director of Clinical Research. He is also the founding Director of Integrative Oncology and Survivorship at Emory Winship Cancer Institute. Viraj is the PI/co-I of multiple clinical trials in the Phase I/II/III arenas, spanning device trials, drugs trials, novel technologies, and literacy, which are supported by pharma, NIH, and the DOD.

He directs a clinical unit comprised of 12 people, and manages over 75 IRB protocols. He has co-authored over 300 scientific papers and book chapters, and holds 2 patents. The group has been successful with achieving national or worldwide high accruer status.

Clinically, he is an active urologic oncologist, focusing on advanced renal cancer, penile cancer, testis cancer and adrenal tumors, having performed over 350 IVC tumor thrombectomies, and developed radical minimally invasive groin dissection.

Sarah P. Psutka, MD, MSc

Dr. Psutka is an Associate Professor of Urology in the Department of Urology at the University of Washington. She holds a co-appointment at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and is a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Consortium. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University and urology residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She completed a Society of Urologic Oncology Fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, and concurrently obtained her Masters’ in Clinical and Translational Science. She previously served as the Director of Urologic Oncology at the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County with a co-appointment as an Assistant Professor in Urology at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, prior to joining the faculty of the University of Washington.

Dr. Psutka’s clinical efforts focus on minimally-invasive and complex open urologic oncology, with a particular interest in advanced kidney cancer, particularly venous tumor thrombus, testicular cancer, and bladder cancer. She leads the urologic oncology program at Harborview Medical Center and is the Associate Program Director of the UW Society of Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program.

Dr. Psutka’s research focuses on the study and development of personalized, comprehensive risk stratification measures in patients with advanced urologic malignancies. She leads research funded by the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network to study the integration of comprehensive geriatric assessments, body composition, and psychometric capital assessments in patients with advanced bladder cancer with a focus on patient-reported outcome research and development of prehabilitation interventions. She leads multiple clinical trials and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Urologic Oncology Clinical Trials Consortium and the SWOG Clinical Trials Survivorship Committee. She is the Senior Editor for the Urologic Oncology Section of the AUA Core Curriculum, is on the the Editorial Board of Bladder Cancer and is an Associate Editor for European Urology. She was a founder of the Society of Women in Urologic Oncology of which she is the current President.

Matthew Roe, MD, MHS

Dr. Roe is Chief Medical Officer at Verana Health, where he leads the cross therapeutic medical team working to ensure the clinical validity and scientific integrity of the company’s research. Additionally, Dr. Roe leads Verana's regulatory strategy, which focuses on determining how data curated by Verana can inform regulatory decision-making. A cardiologist and clinical researcher, Dr. Roe joined Verana Health in 2020 after spending two decades at the Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), the world’s largest academic research organization. At Duke, he focused on research initiatives leveraging real-world data for observational and prospective studies. Dr. Roe was previously a co-principal investigator for the landmark ADAPTABLE trial and also held leadership positions with several observational registries focusing upon the treatment and outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease. At the DCRI, Dr. Roe was Senior Investigator as well as the Director of the organization’s Clinical Research Fellowship and Think Tank series. Dr. Roe received his MD and MHS degrees from Duke University School of Medicine in 1993 and 2001, respectively. He completed an Internal Medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center in 1996 and a Cardiovascular Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1999.

Claus G. Roehrborn, MD

Dr. Roehrborn was born and raised in West Germany. After attending medical school in Giessen, Germany, he began his residency in surgery and urology at the German Army Hospital in Giessen. In 1984, he came to Dallas, Texas, and continued his urology residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. After finishing his residency in 1989 he won an American Foundation of Urologic Disease Scholarship and worked for 2 years with Dr. Jean Wilson in the field of androgen regulation of prostate development and growth. In 1992, he joined the urology faculty at University of Texas Southwestern, where he currently is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology.

His clinical activities focus on benign and malignant prostate diseases and he has performed over 2,000 robotic prostatectomies and several thousand minimally invasive and surgical/laser treatments for BPH. He recently helped to develop the UTSW MRI TRUS fusion program for the improved detection of prostate cancer and has performed approximately 500 of such procedures.

Dr. Roehrborn’s research interests are in the areas of benign and malignant prostate diseases, including medical and minimally invasive therapies for BPH, and markers for prostate cancer. In addition, he has a background in urological ultrasound and has chaired numerous postgraduate courses and lectured on a variety of topics in ultrasound imaging of the urinary tract. His basic, translational and clinical research has yielded over 450 peer-reviewed publications, more than 30 book chapters, and numerous other contributions to the literature. Aside from being invited to give lectures all over the world, Dr. Roehrborn has chaired or participated in many postgraduate courses and has been visiting professor at leading urological institutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Dr. Roehrborn has been the lead researcher for the 1994 Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) BPH Guidelines and has been involved in the American Urological Association (AUA) Guidelines efforts from their inception. He has chaired committees at the WHO-sponsored Consensus Conferences on BPH from 1994 through 2005, is cochairman of the AUA BPH Guidelines Committee producing an update of the 1994 AHCPR Guidelines in 2003 and will take part in the AUA BPH Guidelines update 2017.

Dr. Roehrborn serves on the editorial board of many peer-reviewed journals, is associate editor of Urology, and coeditor of the comprehensive and authoritative Textbook of BPH. He is a reviewer for nearly all peer-reviewed journals in the field of urology.

Charles D. Scales, Jr., MD, MSHS, FACS

Dr. Scales is Associate Professor of Surgery and Population Health Science in the Division of Urologic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, and Director of the Duke Surgical Center for Outcomes Research & Equity in Surgery (SCORES). He completed medical school and residency training in urology at Duke University Medical Center. After residency, Dr. Scales completed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program at UCLA, where he received advanced training in health services research, health policy, and quality of care.

Dr. Scales has a strong interest in medical education, having previously served on the ACGME Review Committee for Urology and as a member of the ACGME Board of Directors. He currently leads a course in quality improvement and data analytics in the Masters of Management in Clinical Informatics program at the Duke University School of Medicine.

From the research perspective, Dr. Scales has a longstanding interest in the epidemiology of and patient care for urinary stone disease. Recent studies have redefined the epidemiology of urinary stone disease in the United States, compared the effectiveness of dominant stone removal technologies, and identified new opportunities for improving patient-centered and policy-relevant outcomes, such as unplanned care after procedural interventions. His research and perspective on urinary stone disease has been highlighted in U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal, among other media outlets.

Currently, Dr. Scales leads a diverse health services and clinical research program at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, where he is the Principal Investigator for the Scientific Data and Research Center for the NIDDK Urinary Stone Disease Research Network (U01). Within the USDRN, he leads the multicenter Prevention of Urinary Stones with Hydration (PUSH) randomized clinical trial, and the multicenter Study to Enhance Understanding of Stent-Associated Symptoms (STENTS) cohort study.

Angela B. Smith, MD, MS, FACS

Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Urology in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She received her MD and Masters of Science in Clinical Research from the University of North Carolina, where she completed her urology residency. She is Director of Urologic Oncology at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center where she treats GU malignancies, including bladder, prostate and kidney cancer. She has a background in health services research and biostatistics with particular interests in patient-centered outcomes research, patient engagement, and quality of care for bladder cancer. She is the co-PI for a PCORI large pragmatic trial in BCG refractory bladder cancer, has received several PCORI Engagement Awards to engage patients in the research process, and has been funded by an AHRQ K08 grant that integrates patient-reported outcomes into post-cystectomy care through mobile health technology. She has previously served on the PCORI Advisory Panel for the Assessment of Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment Options, representing clinicians. Dr. Smith also serves as the Assistant Secretary of the American Urological Association and is also on the Society of Women in Urology Board of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, AUA Online Content Team, and chair of the Urology Care Foundation Bladder Health Committee.

Jeremy Sugarman, MD, MPH, MA

Dr. Sugarman is the Harvey M. Meyerhoff Professor of Bioethics and Medicine, professor of medicine, professor of Health Policy and Management, and deputy director for medicine of the Berman Institute of Bioethics at the Johns Hopkins University. He is an internationally recognized leader in bioethics with particular expertise in applying empirical methods and evidence-based standards for evaluating and analyzing bioethical issues. His contributions to bioethics and policy include his work on the ethics of informed consent, umbilical cord blood banking, stem cell research, international HIV prevention research, global health and research oversight.

Dr. Sugarman is the author of over 350 articles, reviews and book chapters. He has also edited or co-edited four books (Beyond Consent: Seeking Justice in Research; Ethics of Research with Human Subjects: Selected Policies and Resources; Ethics in Primary Care; and Methods in Medical Ethics). Dr. Sugarman is on the editorial boards of several academic journals.

Dr. Sugarman consults and speaks internationally on a range of issues related to bioethics. He served as senior policy and research analyst for the White House Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, consultant to the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, and Senior Advisor to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. He also served on the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission.

He was the founding director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities and History of Medicine at Duke University where he was also a professor of medicine and philosophy. He was appointed as an Academic Icon at the University of Malaya and is a faculty affiliate of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

Dr. Sugarman is currently a member of the Scientific and Research Advisory Board for the Canadian Blood Service and the Ethics and Public Policy Committees of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. He is co-chair of the Johns Hopkins’ Institutional Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee. In addition, he is chair of the Ethics Working Group of the HIV Prevention Trials Network and co-leads the Ethics and Regulatory Core of the NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory.

Dr. Sugarman has been elected as a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians and the Hastings Center. He also received a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from New York Medical College.

Vivian Sung, MD, MPH

Dr. Sung is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Urogynecology Research at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, she completed residency at Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA and then a dual fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (FPMRS) and Epidemiology and Clinical Trials at Brown University.

Dr. Sung has expertise in patient-centered outcomes research, clinical trials, and evidence-based development of clinical guidelines and recommendations for pelvic floor disorders. She has been federally funded since 2009 in patient-centered research. She is currently the Principal Investigator for the NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) for the Brown site and has participated in several landmark clinical trials in the field.

Dr. Sung is Past President of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons and has been directly involved in the development and/or expansion of several programs including the SGS Systematic Review Group, Fellow’s Pelvic Research Network, and Pelvic Anatomy Group and the AUGS Junior Faculty Research Network. She serves as an oral board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, FPMRS subspecialty examinations.

Gregory Tasian MD, MSc, MSCE

I am a tenured Associate Professor of Surgery and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. My research program is based at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where I am a practicing pediatric urologist specializing in the surgical and medical management of children with kidney stone disease. I have a broad background in the clinical investigation of kidney stone disease and patient-centered comparative effectiveness trials. I completed my Urology residency at UCSF and pediatric urology fellowship CHOP. I have Master of Science degrees in neuroscience (Oxford) and clinical epidemiology (Penn), which have informed my research program. I am the Director of the 26-site PCORI-funded Pediatric KIDney Stone (PKIDS) Care Improvement Network, multi-PI in the Urinary Stone Disease Research Network (USDRN), and Director of the NIDDK-funded P20 Center for Machine Learning in Urology. My research group uses a combination of randomized trials, prospective observational studies, and large data analytics to discover determinants of and optimal management strategies for managing kidney stones among individuals across the lifespan. My research program has been continuously supported by the NIH and PCORI since I finished fellowship and we have published over 90 research articles in leading peer-reviewed journals. My research is covered in the press, including The New York Times, ABC News, The Guardian, and CNN.

Ian M. Thompson Jr., MD

Dr. Thompson received his BS from West Point in 1976 and MD from Tulane University in 1980. After a Residency in Urology in San Antonio and a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he served as Chief of Urology and Chair of Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center until retiring from the Army in 2000. He was the founding Chair of the Department of Urology and subsequently Director of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. On his retirement from UT in 2017, he was appointed President of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Medical Center Hospital and Vice President of Oncology for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa. In November, 2021, he was appointed President and Chief Development Officer of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation and the Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation. He currently practices Urology and Urologic Oncology in collaboration with Ian M Thompson, III MD. He led the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Dr. Thompson has published over 700 scientific papers which have been cited over 37,000 times in more than 27,000 peer-reviewed papers. His h-index, a measure of the impact of his scientific contributions is 91. He served as Chair of the Early Detection Research Network of the National Cancer Institute, and Chairs the Genitourinary Cancer Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group. He previously served as Chair of the Urology Residency Review Committee of Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, President of the Society of Urologic Oncology, and President of the American Board of Urology. After serving on Subcommittee A (Cancer Centers) of the National Cancer Institute, he was appointed to the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute in 2016. He serves on Board of the South Texas American Cancer Society. He has served as Principal Investigator of many pivotal, phase 3 clinical trials including SABOR, S8794, SELECT, and PCPT.

He has received many national and international awards including the Distinguished Contribution Award from the American Urological Association, the Legion of Merit from the Department of Defense, Presidential Citation from the American Urological Association, the Charles Huggins Medal from the Society of Urologic Oncology, the Hugh Hampton Young Award from the American Urological Association, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is an Honorary Member of the American Urological Association, the Canadian Urological Association, and the Mexican Urological Association. He has been awarded the American Urological Association’s highest award, the Ramon Guiteras Award for 2021.

Dr. Thompson retired as a Colonel from the U.S. Army, having served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center. He served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a General Surgeon in a Combat Support Hospital during Operation Desert Storm/Shield in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait. He is married to Donna D. Thompson, PhD and they have two children: Laura D. Thompson, DNP and Ian M. Thompson, III, MD, MBA. and two granddaughters: Charlotte and Catherine (Cate).

Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH

Dr. Underwood is a board-certified urologist with nearly 20 years of overall urologic surgery experience, including more than 10 years focused on robotic urologic surgery. An expert in health care disparities and health care policy, Dr. Underwood has served on several national and regional health care policy committees.

Raised in Gary, Ind., Dr. Underwood earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morehouse College, and his Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science in anatomy and cellular biology degrees from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y. He received his general surgery and urologic surgery training at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington.

After his residency, he became the fifth urologist admitted into the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, which he completed in 2002 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. While in Ann Arbor, he also earned a Master of Public Health degree in health management and policy from University of Michigan, School of Public Health in 2004.

In addition to co-authoring more than 120 peer–reviewed publications, book chapters and published abstracts, he has received millions in research funding from the National Institute of Health and holds a U.S. patent for co-developing a biomarker for prostate cancer. He is the co-founder of KAPS Biotechnology LLC, which is currently conducting a larger validation study of its new and novel prostate cancer biomarker.

Andrew Vickers, PhD

Dr. Vickers’ research falls into three broad areas: randomized trials, surgical outcomes research and molecular marker studies. A particular focus of his work is the detection and initial treatment of prostate cancer. Dr Vickers has analyzed the ’learning curve’ for radical prostatectomy. He is working on a series of studies demonstrating that a single measure of prostate specific antigen (PSA) taken in middle age can predict lethal prostate cancer up to 30 years subsequently. He has also developed a statistical model to predict the result of prostate biopsy, work that has been commercialized and is clinically available through Opko Diagnostics. His work on randomized trials focuses on methods for integrating randomized trials into routine surgical practice to compare different approaches to surgery. As part of this work he has pioneered the use of web-interfaces for obtaining quality of life data from patients recovering from radical prostatectomy. Dr. Vickers’ methodological research centers primarily on novel methods for assessing the clinical value of predictive tools. In particular, he has developed decision-analytic tools that can be directly applied to a data set, without the need for data gathering on patient preferences or utilities. Dr Vickers has a strong interest in teaching statistics. He is course leader for the MSK biostatistics course and is author of the introductory textbook “What is a p-value anyway?” In his capacity as Co-Director of the PRO-CEL Core Facility, Dr. Vickers spearheads a number of innovative informatics initiatives throughout MSK, including the Amplio surgical quality assurance system.

John T. Wei, MD, MS

Dr. Wei, Professor of Urology and the Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs and Communications in the Department of Urology at Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, graduated from the Medical Education 6-year BS-MD Honors Program at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL and completed his urology training at the New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center in New York City in 1997. Dr. Wei received both the Deans Excellence in Mentoring Award and the Deans Clinical and Health Services Research Award from the University of Michigan in 2013. He was inducted into the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons in 2014.

Dr. Wei recently became the Medical Director for the Brighton Center for Specialty Care in 2018. This multi-specialty medical care facility based in Brighton, Michigan is an extension of Michigan Medicine.

Dr. Wei devotes 50% of his time to education/research with the remainder spent involved with clinical patient care. He has led the prostate cancer detection and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) research programs in the University of Michigan Urology Department (UM-Uro).

His clinical focus includes the evaluation and treatment of male BPH, Prostate Cancer Biomarkers, and Quality of Life outcomes. Using the RAND prostate cancer quality indicators, the quality of care for localized prostate cancer was evaluated using a national cohort (the American College of Surgeons national cancer database). To date, the UM-Uro has developed novel measures for early stage prostate cancer (EPIC), urinary incontinence (M-ISI), and adaptation to pelvic floor disorders (ABI).

His primary research focuses on the development and validation of health related quality of life measures, and the evaluation of quality of care for urologic conditions with an overarching goal to improve the delivery of urologic care. His other research interests also include biomarker validation where his research was funded by the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN). Currently, Dr. Wei is the site PI for the Clinical Epidemiology Validation Center and the study chair for the Prostate MRI MPS biomarker Validation trial.

Dr. Wei’s general urology clinical practice continues with a focus on male voiding problems BPH and prostate cancer early detection (i.e., men with elevated PSA).

Hunter Wessells, MD, FACS

Dr. Wessells is Professor and Nelson Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Wessells specializes in genitourinary trauma, reconstructive surgery, and erectile dysfunction. He seeks solutions to urinary stone disease, erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract problems from a number of directions ranging from cell culture systems and mouse models to collaboration with large trials funded by NIH, NASA and other agencies. Current investigations include genetic susceptibility to erectile dysfunction; novel therapies for kidney stone disease; and urological complications of diabetes. He serves as the AUA Guidelines Panel Chair for Male Urethral Stricture, Steering Committee Chair of the NIDDK sponsored Urinary Stone Disease Research Network, member on the NIDDK Strategic Planning Work Group, the Urology representative on the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, and previously as trustee of the American Board of Urology. An avid outdoors sportsman, Dr. Wessells enjoys open water swimming in the Puget Sound, back country skiing, and maintains an organic vegetable garden. Weather permitting, he plays tennis with his wife and swims, bikes or rows with his daughter.

Emily C. Zabor, PhD

Emily earned a MS degree in biostatistics from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN followed by a DrPH degree in biostatistics from Columbia University in New York, NY. She worked as a research biostatistician in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY for 9 years, where she focused on collaborative statistical work in urologic cancers and breast cancer. Emily next joined the faculty at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences and the Taussig Cancer Institute, where she currently works as an Assistant Staff biostatistician and an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Emily’s research interests relate to statistical methods for retrospective data analyses and epidemiologic studies, and clinical trial design. Her dissertation research focused on development of a statistical method to identify biologic subtypes of disease that differ with respect to risk factors for the disease, a concept known as etiologic heterogeneity. This methodology can be used to identify subtypes of disease with particular risk factors, which could then be used in screening efforts, for development of targeted therapies, or to improve power when planning future epidemiologic studies of the disease. She is currently working to develop novel statistical methods for early stage oncology trials, with a focus on trials for treatments that target a common biomarker across a variety of disease histologies, known as basket trials, and for trials of non-cytotoxic treatments such as immunotherapies. Emily has a special interest in the particular challenges of survival analyses applied to data from electronic health records. Finally, Emily is an avid R software user, and has authored or contributed to a number of R packages.

Tian Zhang, MD, MHS

Dr. Zhang received her MD from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) program at Harvard Medical School and completed post-graduate training at Duke University. She is currently Associate Professor within the Division of Medical Oncology and Department of Medicine at Duke, specializing in genitourinary (GU) malignancies. She actively leads both clinical and translational research studies in the GU Oncology, Phase 1, and Center for Cancer Immunotherapy groups. She is the overall study chair for the phase 3 PDIGREE trial for metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the Alliance cooperative group and also serves as PI for several investigator-initiated trials at Duke. Her research focus is in improving novel therapies and biomarkers for patients with prostate, kidney, and urothelial cancers.

ACCREDITATION:

The American Urological Association (AUA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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The American Urological Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 17.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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Available Credit

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  • 17.50 Non-Physician Participation

Price

List Price:
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CategoryAUA MemberNon-Member
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