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Research Overview

The major areas of basic investigation for our department are cancers of the bladder, kidney, and prostate, interstitial cystitis, infertility, and urinary stone disease. The Department currently has 10 independent National Institutes of Health (NIH) or Department of Defense research grants and works closely with researchers in several other departments on another twelve peer reviewed grants in urology-related areas.

A major focus of our research involves the role of the androgen receptor in malignant and benign diseases of the prostate, but investigative areas range from the origins of metabolic stone disease to molecular carcinogenesis of renal cancer to the origins and clinical care of interstitial cystitis. Projects involve transgenic knockouts and other animal models to study stone disease, interstitial cystitis, infertility, and bladder and prostate cancers.

The Urology research faculty supports numerous peer reviewed extramurally funded research projects with the state-of-the-art technology and facilities to study a wide range of basic, translational and clinical research problems. It has developed far-reaching intramural and extramural collaborations. The residents play a significant role in our research efforts.

Our Research Facilities

Two research laboratories (consisting of 2,800 square feet) provide facilities for cell culture used for carcinogenesis an molecular studies, as well as a microsurgical facility used for animal models of metabolic stone disease and potency. The department has fully equipped molecular biology, radio immunoassay, and immunohistochemical facilities. The Department also has the largest tissue bank in the medical center.

Clinical Research Studies

In addition to basic research, we are also doing several more clinically oriented studies. These studies involve means to prevent, detect, and treat bladder, renal, and prostate cancers; microwave therapy for BPH and interstitial cystitis; testing of new devices and agents for treatment of urinary incontinence and interstitial cystitis. A collaborative effort with Behavioral Medicine and Community and Preventive Medicine involves a variety of studies associated with the physical and psychologic stresses engendered by the diagnosis of prostate and bladder cancer. In collaboration with the Department of Radiation Oncology and researchers at the University of Singapore, a robot is being developed to implant radioactive seeds into the prostate for brachytherapy.

Additionally, the department is actively involved in developing and testing adult and pediatric laparoscopic instruments. Other ongoing pediatric research includes being the central site for testing coaptite injection therapy for vesico-ureteral reflux, defining the most cost effective paradigms in the evaluation of surgically correctable causes of urinary tract infections, and determining expectations of families and primary care physicians for patients with enuresis.

Collaborative Efforts

The research program also works in collaboration with several groups within the University of Rochester, as well as these in Baltimore, MD, Charlottesville, VA, Jackson, MS, Chicago, IL, Lund, Sweden, Madison, WI, San Diego, CA, Quebec City, Canada, and Singapore. Collaboration often is a prerequisite for competitive research efforts.

Our Faculty

The research laboratory has two full-time technicians, a M.D./Ph.D. (Molecular Biology) urologist, as well as PGY-4 residents, three postdoctoral students, and two Ph.D. investigators on the full-time faculty.