Urology Research
Our mission is to innovate, cultivate and heal as we strive to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic options across the entire spectrum of urologic diseases.
The research conducted within the Department of Urology is always with the aim to prevent, treat and cure urological diseases. For example, our basic scientists are working on projects that will help us find more effective cancer drugs and understand prostate cancer’s impact on mortality in Mexican American men. Our physician-scientists bring clinical trials to the community, giving patients in the region access to tomorrow’s treatments for cancers of the prostate, kidney, bladder and other endourologic regions.
Research Areas
Cancers of the urinary and male reproductive systems are among the most common cancers in the United States. The key to successful treatment involves early diagnosis and access to the most modern and comprehensive treatment options. Our basic science and clinical researchers strive to find individualized treatments for prostate, kidney, bladder and testicular cancer and to learn what drives health disparities in these areas.
Kidney stone disease affects 10% of the population and most commonly presents with severe pain from stone passage. Patients with a history of stones have a 50% risk of forming another stone, making prevention a key component of effective kidney stone treatment. We are actively involved in research into the prevention of stone disease.
Our clinical researchers have developed minimally invasive surgical techniques to harvest a patient’s own tissue from the thigh muscles (autologous fascia) to perform repair of vaginal prolapse either through the vagina or robotically through the abdomen to avoid using foreign material such as synthetic mesh.
