BALTIMORE, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Urological Association (AUA) and the Urology Care Foundation, the official foundation of the AUA, today announced 15 recipients of the 2026 Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Awards. The awardees are rising researchers advancing earlier detection, more personalized therapies and improved outcomes across urologic disease.
The Research Scholar Awards support future research leaders by providing critical funding, mentorship, and protected time to pursue innovative scientific investigation. These awards provide $40,000 annually for one- or two-year mentored research training for clinical and postdoctoral fellows or early-career faculty. The program has invested more than $30 million to support over 700 Research Scholars, many of whom have gone on to become leaders in academic medicine, translational research and clinical care.
“The Urology Care Foundation is proud to support this exceptional group of Research Scholar Awardees, whose work reflects both scientific rigor and bold innovation,” said Harris M. Nagler, MD, FACS, president of the Urology Care Foundation. “From harnessing artificial intelligence to uncovering disease pathways and developing new therapeutic strategies, these scholars are not only advancing urologic science, they are helping redefine how we care for patients.”
This year’s awardees represent a diverse range of research areas—from cancer biology and artificial intelligence to pediatric care and infection prevention:
- AUA Mid-Atlantic Section: Soum Lokeshwar, MD, MBA (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), will lead a two-year project titled “NEPHRO-GLP: Perioperative GLP-1 Therapy to Improve Renal Recovery After Nephrectomy in Obese Patients with RCC.” Primary mentor: Nirmish Singla, MD.
- AUA New England Section: Siyuan Cheng, PhD (Yale University), will conduct a two-year investigation into “Developing an AI-Biopsy to Organoid (AIB-O) Platform for Prostate Cancer Prognosis and Therapeutic Screening.” Primary mentor: Ping Mu, PhD.
- AUA North Central Section: Mindy Graham, PhD (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), is supported for a two-year study titled “Targeting innate immune lectin receptors to disrupt premetastatic niche formation in prostate cancer.” Primary mentor: Sarki Abdulkadir, MD, PhD.
- AUA Northeastern Section: Darius Ashrafi, FRACS (Urology) (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre), will lead a one-year project titled “Identification of Predictive Digital Biomarkers using Artificial Intelligence–Based Pathology Review in a Prospective Active Surveillance Cohort.” Primary mentor: Laurence Klotz, MD.
- AUA South Central Section: Fang Liu, MD (Washington University in St. Louis), is supported for a two-year study titled “Ascending Spinal System in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndromes.” Primary mentor: Vijay Samineni, PhD.
- AUA Southeastern Section: Allyson Shea, MD, PhD (University of South Alabama), is supported for a two-year study titled “Pyridone Metabolites in the Urinary Tract: Drivers of Infection Susceptibility and Pathogen Virulence.” Primary mentor: Lorie Fleck, MD.
- AUA Southeastern Section: Lauren Elizabeth Corona, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center), will lead a two-year project titled “Personalizing Prevention and Optimizing Non-antibiotic Therapies in Children at Risk for Urinary Tract Infection.” Primary mentor: Kerri Cavanaugh, MD.
- Chesapeake Urology Associates Sanford J. Siegel, MD Prostate Cancer Research Scholar Award: Yaru Xu, PhD (Yale University), will conduct a two-year investigation into “Targeting CRNDE Deficiency-Driven Metabolic Reprogramming to Reverse Lineage Plasticity and Overcome Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer.” Primary mentor: Ping Mu, PhD.
- Endourological Society Award: Adithya Balasubramanian, MD (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), will lead a one-year project titled “Defining the Role of Hemostatic Agents in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tract Closure Techniques.” Primary mentor: Mantu Gupta, MD.
- Indian American Urological Association Anupam Ted Kedia Award: Anjali Yadav, PhD (Weill Medical College of Cornell University), is supported for a two-year project titled “The role of SPOP mutation in opposing lineage plasticity in neuroendocrine prostate cancer.” Primary mentor: Christopher Barbieri, MD, PhD.
- Sexual Medicine Society of North America Award: Justin Chan, MD (University of British Columbia), will conduct a two-year investigation into “Regenerative Restoration of Physiologic Testosterone Production via 3D-Bioprinted Leydig Cell Implants.” Primary mentor: Ryan Flannigan, MD.
- Societies for Pediatric Urology Sushil Lacy, MD Award: Betsy Hopson, PhD (University of Alabama at Birmingham), will lead a two-year project titled “SAFE-CIC: Sexual Health, Autonomy, and Family Education for Clean Intermittent Catheterization.” Primary mentor: Stacy Tanaka, MD.
- Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction Hari Badlani Award: Bettega Costa Lopes, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin), will conduct a two-year study titled “Mapping the interoceptive function of bladder cells using fMRI.” Primary mentor: Aaron Mickle, PhD.
- Society of Urologic Oncology Award: Daniel Triner, MD, PhD (Stanford University School of Medicine), will lead a one-year project titled “Investigating Molecular Determinants of Lineage Plasticity in Plasmacytoid Bladder Cancer.” Primary mentor: Philip Beachy, PhD.
- Society of Urologic Oncology Specialized Programs of Research Excellence: Angelica Cruz Lebron, PhD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), will conduct a two-year investigation into “Relationship between gut microbial ß-glucuronidases and androgens as a driver of prostate cancer risk and treatment resistance.” Primary mentor: Karen Sfanos, PhD.
Collectively, this year’s projects explore critical areas such as artificial intelligence–driven cancer diagnostics, novel strategies to prevent urinary tract infections, and emerging approaches to better understand and treat prostate and bladder cancers.
“Each year, I’m inspired by the depth and diversity of research our scholars pursue,” said Henry Lai, MD, chair of the AUA's Research Council. “These awardees are tackling some of the most pressing challenges in urology, and through this program, we’re helping shape the next generation of leaders who will advance the field.”
To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar Awards, visit AUANet.org/research-scholar-awards
Through continued investment in early-career investigators, the Urology Care Foundation remains committed to accelerating innovation and improving urologic care for patients worldwide.
About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 25,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.
About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public, the Foundation supports and improves urologic clinical care by funding research, developing patient education and pursuing philanthropic support. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org.
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- Urology Care Foundation Honors 2026 Research Scholars Driving Innovation in Urologic Care
- Urology Care Foundation Honors 2026 Research Scholars Driving Innovation in Urologic Care
Corey Del Bianco Urology Care Foundation 443-909-4033 cdelbianco@auanet.org