Research Program Initiatives
Working to translate results of successful laboratory research to improvements in patient care, the research faculty has worked with clinicians to introduce new diagnostic tools and to develop new treatments, such as gene therapy, for prostate cancer. Other tests resulting from research include the new prostate cancer tumor marker tests designed for use with a treatment nomogram.
In the Laboratory for Male Reproductive Research and Testing, scientists are studying genetic causes of infertility. Our LMRRT is well known for translational and basic research that has quickly provided clinically useful diagnostic tests and treatments. Several of these tests have considerably reduced the time, inconvenience, and discomfort that patients experienced with previously available tests. Many of the new techniques represent the current standard of care used by urologists throughout the world and include the SCI (sperm capacitation index) to more precisely define sperm that are ineffective and an ICSI-SPA test, using a hamster model, to predict the success of human fertilization.
In the neurourology laboratory, scientists are investigating the uses of botulinum toxin in treatment of urinary incontinence.
Researchers are investigating new strategies for the prevention of recurrent bladder cancer and the treatment of invasive and metastatic cancer.
As the search continues for better and safer medical treatment, the need for clinical trials increases. Currently, our faculty are conducting clinical trials in bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, men's health, bladder function, and urology health services research.