Department Welcomes New Faculty
Since becoming a department the UF Urology faculty has increased from six faculty to its current nineteen. Our most recent additions include community physician Michael Binder, MD, fellowship-trained female urologist M. Louis Moy, MD, renowned researchers Yehia Daaka, PhD and Zhongzhen Nie, PhD, clinical scientist Brian Cleaver, PhD, and healthcare executive Thomas Crawford, MBA, FACHE. Dr. Binder joins us as a Clinical Assistant Professor specializing in neurourology, female urology and interstitial cystitis. Dr. Moy is an Assistant Professor and the new Director of the Female Urology & Reconstructive Surgery Program. Dr. Daaka joins the department as Professor and Vice Chair for Research, as well as Scientific Director of the UF Prostate Disease Center. As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Nie focuses his research on molecular pharmacology and membrane trafficking. Dr. Cleaver has assumed the role of Director of Core Programs for Genitourinary Cancer Immunotherapy. Mr. Crawford will be creating and executing business and strategic opportunities and formulating a sound course for future growth as the new Chief Operating Officer of the Prostate Disease Center.

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UF Urology Establishes UF Prostate Disease Center
The Department recently received approval to establish the University of Florida Prostate Disease Center (UFPDC). The UFPDC is an inter-disciplinary, statewide research and education center that facilitates the development of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and advanced treatment methods for prostate disease. This new Center of Excellence, the only one of its kind in the Southeast, will investigate prostate disease on a preclinical and clinical level, pushing forth new medical knowledge, setting new benchmarks for standards of care and advancing new paradigms for tomorrow’s biomedical training. The Center will bring the expertise of scientists and clinicians in urology, cellular and molecular biology, physics, immunology, pharmacology, socio-behavioral sciences, functional genomics, nursing, radiation oncology, medical oncology, cancer endocrinology, and epidemiology under one roof, all working to improve the lives of those diagnosed with the disease. Establishing the UFPDC is a significant milestone in the Department’s quest to eliminate Genitourinary Cancer, the second leading cause of male cancer deaths in the U.S.

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UF Urology Residency Program Fully Reaccredited and Expanded to 3 Residents per Year
The Department of Urology was recently notified by the Urology Residency Review Committee (RRC) on behalf of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) that its residency program has been given full accreditation for a total of 5 years through 2014. In addition, the RRC approved the Department’s proposal to expand the residency program from 2 to 3 residents per academic year. This favorable outcome of the RRC’s review of the University of Florida (UF) Urology Residency Program represents a significant achievement that builds on a 50 year history of excellence in residency. Under the leadership of Johannes Vieweg, the urology faculty has grown to 12 full-time clinical faculty members, thereby increasing both the breadth and depth of its educational offerings. The UF Urology Residency Program offers exceptional training in genitourinary oncology, minimally invasive surgery, endourology, female urology, sexual dysfunction, prosthetics and infertility, among others areas.  The program is proud of its past and present residents and appears uniquely poised to continue to train the best and brightest urologists in the country.

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Dr. Philipp Dahm Founds the International Evidence Based Urology Working Group
The International Evidence Based Urology (EBU) Working Group is closely affiliated with the University of Florida Evidence-based Medicine and Health Outcomes Research Program. It represents an informal collaboration of individuals with an interest in advancing the evidence based clinical practice of urology through education and research. With members from North America, Europe, India and China, the group strongly encourages international collaboration and exchange. The EBU Working Group is based at the University of Florida, and is working to promote evidence based decision making in urology through research, publications and educational resources such as courses and workshops. To learn more, visit:
http://evidence-based.urology.ufl.edu.

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New Techniques Garner International Recognition for UF Urology Robotic Program 
Dr. Sijo Parekattil, Assistant Professor of Urology, Co-Director of Robotic Surgery and Director of Microsurgery, was invited to present two keynote presentations at the Endourological Congress of Brazil at Ipinema Hospital, San Paolo in early February, 2009. His presentations focused on new techniques of hydrodissection of the neurovascular bundles during robotic prostatectomy, and on clampless robotic partial nephrectomy. Approximately 100 urologists from South America & Europe attended this five-day CME event. Dr. Parekattil was also invited to present five lectures at the International Andrology Congress in Ankara, Turkey in late February, 2009. The lectures covered cutting edge robotic microsurgical & 3D ultrasound imaging technologies in the treatment of male infertility and testicular pain conditions. This two-day CME event was attended by more than 300 urologists from Turkey and Europe.

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Dr. Benjamin Canales Recognized as "High Impact Contributor" by the World Congress of Urology
Dr. Benjamin Canales, Assistant Professor of Urology, has been recognized for his presentation at the 26th World Congress of Endourology in Shanghai, China. His work, “Presence of five biofilm proteins are highly associated with early stent encrustation," was selected as a "highlight.” Highlights, a group comprised of approximately 15 manuscripts chosen from the 500+ that were presented, are selected by the moderators of each session, highlights presenters at the meeting, and by the highlights committee. These manuscripts represent what is believed to be the highest impact contributions to the World Congress of Endourology. This designation is a great honor. In addition, highlight manuscripts will be given particular consideration for publication in a special edition of the Journal of Endourology.

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Dr. Johannes Vieweg Invited to Give the Ballenger Memorial Lecture at the 2010 SESAUA Meeting 
Dr. Johannes Vieweg, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology, has been asked to deliver the Ballenger Memorial Lecture at the 74th Annual Southeastern Section of the AUA (SESAUA) Meeting in March of next year. The Ballenger Memorial Lecture is the meeting's keynote scientific presentation given in memory of Dr. Edgar Ballenger. Dr. Ballenger was the Southeast Section President in 1935 and President of the AUA in 1939. The Annual Ballenger Memorial Lectureship was established after his death in 1946. The 2010 SESAUA Annual Meeting will be held March 11-14 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.

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Dr. Sijo Parekattil Awarded Grant from ERBE Surgical Systems
Dr. Sijo Parekattil, Assistant Professor of Urology and Co-Director of Robotic Surgery, received a $75,000 award from ERBE Surgical Systems for his project titled “Animal Safety and Prospective Randomized Control Trial of Hemostatic Hydrodissection for Nerve Preservation during Robotic of Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.” Founded in 1847, ERBE Surgical Systems is a family-owned company that researches, develops and manufactures medical equipment and accessories.


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Dr. Johannes Vieweg to Lead the 2010 SESAUA Montague L. Boyd Essay Competition
Dr. Johannes Vieweg, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology, has been asked to lead the 2010 SESAUA  Montague L. Boyd Essay Competition. Open to residents of urology programs in the SESAUA, as well as urologists who practice within the geographic area of the SESAUA, the competition is meant to encourage, recognize, and support scholarly research within the SESAUA. Finalists in the Essay Competition will be invited to present the results of their investigations at the 2010 SESAUA Annual Meeting.

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Dr. Philipp Dahm Joins the Journal of Urology Editorial Board
Dr. Philipp Dahm, Associate Professor of Urology and Director of Clinical Research, was recently appointed to the Journal of Urology Editorial Board. Dr. Dahm will serve on the Editorial Board for a three year term, through the year 2012. He joins Dr. Raju Thomas (Tulane University) and Dr. Dennis D. Venable (Louisiana State University) as one of three representatives from the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association (AUA). The Journal of Urology is one of the most prestigious urological journals, both widely cited and read. It is also the official journal of the American Urological Association.  Dr. Dahm has previously made major contributions to the Journal of Urology through his publications, most notably, by introducing the Users’ Guide to the Urological Literature. 

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AUA Recognizes UF Resident for Outstanding Presentation
Dr. Charles Vincent, PGY3, was recognized at the 2009 AUA Annual Meeting for his poster, "Symptoms and risk factors associated with first UTI in college-aged women: a prospective cohort study."  His presentation, the result of research conducted in collaboration with his faculty mentor, Benjamin Canales, MD, was selected as an AUA highlight for inflection/inflammation. Dr. Vincent's work received additional attention following an AUA press release and has subsequently been picked up by several on-line and print media outlets. On May 19th, MedPage Today™ ran an article on his research, titled, “AUA 2009: Sex and alcohol may be a recipe for UTI.” Visit the following link for the full article: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AUA/13978

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UF Urology Residents Win at the 2009 SESAUA T. Leon Howard Imaging Conference 
The Department was well represented at this year’s SESAUA T. Leon Howard Imaging Conference held in Mobile, Alabama in March. Two residents placed in this year's competition: Dr. Charles Vincent, PGY3, took 2nd place and Dr. Patrick Villicana, PGY5, came in 3rd. This conference honors one of the charter members of the American Board of Urology who encouraged the review and debate of unusual cases in the section meetings of the AUA. These cases are presented and debated by urologic residents throughout the Southeastern section. We are proud that our residents continue to do well at this conference.

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Dr. Marc Cohen Appointed to AUA Education Council
Dr. Marc Cohen, Professor and Director of the Urology Residency Program, was recently appointed to the American Urological Association Education Council and will serve from 2009 to 2013. The AUA Education Council recommends, reviews, evaluates, and critiques the overall scope and curricula of the AUA educational activities and makes recommendations to the AUA Board of Directors regarding those programs deemed worthy of support. As Director of the Department's Residency Program for the past 14 years, this appointment is very much in line with Dr. Cohen's commitment to furthering urologic education and best practices.

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2010 Resident Match Results
We are very pleased to announce that Katherine Corbyons and Joseph Ellen will be joining the Department as our new PGY1 residents. Dr. Corbyons will receive her MD from the University of Florida College of Medicine. She is also the recipient of the 2009 UF Gold Humanism Award. Dr. Ellen will receive his MD from the University of Virginia, School of Medicine. We welcome them into our program and are confident that they will continue to uphold the excellence of the UroGators tradition!

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UF Medical Education Week's 2008-09 Resident Educator Award: Dr. Richard Natale
Dr. Richard Natale, former Chief Resident of the Department of Urology, was nominated as this year's Outstanding Resident Educator. The award is sponsored by the “Resident as Teacher Program” at the University of Florida College of Medicine and is given during Medical Education Week. It acknowledges outstanding teaching skills in residents who enhance the educational experience of their peers and medical students throughout their clinical training. We congratulate Dr Natale and thank him for his contributions in urology education.

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Archived News

Strong Showing from UF Urology at 2009 AUA Meeting
UF Urology maintained a strong presence at this year's American Urological Association Meeting. With more than 25 presentations, posters, podiums and forums over the course of the meeting, our faculty and residents made the most of their time in Chicago. Close to 100 UF Urology faculty, residents, alumni and friends were in attendance for our annual UroGators reception at the Palmer House Hilton. Planning for our 2010 reception is underway and we hope to see you in San Francisco.

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