The UCLA Department of Urology provides cutting edge diagnosis and treatments, and supports a staff of renowned physicians, surgeons and researchers. Demonstrating continued excellence in the field of Urology, the UCLA Department of Urology along with its varied Centers of Excellence, is often the subject of stories in newspapers, magazines, and journals. The Department also frequently issues news releases to keep the community informed on the latest developments in urology, the treatments available at UCLA, and various milestones within the Department. We include here a collection of recent stories, and an archive of older articles, for your further information.
Consistently Ranked as One of the Top Urology Programs in the Country
UCLA Urology consistently ranks as one of the top urology programs in the nation by U.S.News & World Report for over 20 years. To be included on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll, a medical center must be ranked very high in at least six of the 16 specialties.
Article on health.usnews.com > | Story on uclahealth.org >
January 14, 2021
Robert Reiter, MD -- Cancer researchers awarded grant to study genomic alterations in prostate cancer. Robert Reiter, MD, Professor of UCLA Urology and director of UCLA’s prostate cancer program, Paul Boutros, PhD, UCLA Urology researcher and , director of cancer data science at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Huihui Ye, MD, MS, of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, have received the 2020 Prostate Cancer Foundation Special Challenge Award to help improve the understanding of prostate cancer biology and identify new ways to help prevent, diagnose, prognose and treat lethal prostate cancer. UCLA Health News Release >
January 8, 2021
Jeffrey Veale, MD -- CNN en Español aired a story about Diego Quiroz, a toddler who is UCLA’s youngest patient to receive a kidney transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeffrey Veale, MD, director of the UCLA Kidney Exchange Transplantation Program, performed the transplant and was interviewed.
January 7, 2021
Robert Reiter, MD -- A study led by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, frequently underestimates the size of prostate tumors, potentially leading to undertreatment. The senior author is Dr. Robert Reiter, Professor of UCLA Urology and director of UCLA’s prostate cancer program. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Newsroom >
UCLA gains approval for prostate cancer imaging technique
HealthDay, My News LA, Medscape, Becker’s Hospital Review and six other outlets reported on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a new imaging technique for prostate cancer that locates lesions in the pelvic area and other parts of the body to which the tumors have migrated. The prostate-specific membrane antigen PET imaging, or PSMA PET, was a collaboration between the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. The UCLA research team, led by nuclear medicine faculty, includes UCLA Urology’s Robert Reiter, MD, Professor and Director of the Prostate Cancer Program, and Matthew Rettig, MD, Professor and Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Program. Both were lead investigators for the clinical trials that led to the FDA approval.
November 20, 2020
Dr. Mark Litwin - UCLA Urology has been awarded renewed funding to extend our state-funded IMPACT program providing access and high-quality medical care to low-income, uninsured men with prostate cancer in California. Since the program’s inception in 2001, IMPACT has served thousands of men across all 58 counties of our state and created a model for similar efforts in other states. In addition to providing cancer care for these men and support for their families, numerous academic projects in population science and health services research have been completed, from which medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty members have published and presented scholarly work. The current award extends funding through 2023, allowing for consistent funding for the program’s 22-year existence to date. Dr. Mark S. Litwin, Chair of UCLA Urology, directs the IMPACT program. Learn more >
November 20, 2020
Dr. Leonard S. Marks - Everyday Health covered a UCLA-led study finding the use of hemi-gland cryoablation, or cryotherapy, is an effective primary treatment for men with clinically significant, or grade 2, prostate cancer. Research was led by Leonard Marks, MD, DeKernion Chair in urology, clinical professor and member of the UCLA IUO and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
November 13, 2020
UCLA Urology donors Cam and Peter Starrett will be honored as Outstanding Philanthropists in Los Angeles on the 35th anniversary of National Philanthropy Day. The award is given annually by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals and will be presented virtually this year on November 13, 2020. Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair of UCLA Urology says “Peter and Cam Starrett represent everything that is good and inspiring about humanity. They are generous yet humble in their philanthropy, passionate in supporting education, cancer research, and health care. Peter and Cam are paragons of the cultural north star, to which we adhere at the David Geffen School of Medicine: do what’s right, make things better, and be kind. They are our angels.” View full story >
October 2, 2020
Dr. Mark Litwin - Renal & Urology News interviewed Mark Litwin, MD, professor and chair of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor of health policy and management, about human factors in the use of different techniques to treat prostate cancer across the United States. Dr. Litwin also is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
October 01, 2020
Dr. Efe Chantal Ghanney Simons, urology fourth year resident, is the inaugural winner of the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Award, a new honor bestowed jointly by the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) and The Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS). This award is to be given annually for the pursuit of a career in surgery that is in alignment with the missions of AWS and SBAS. Dr. Simons is focusing her residency research year on issues of social justice and health disparities in urology. Congratulations! UCLA Health Newsroom >
September 25, 2020
Dr. Renea Sturm, Assistant Professor of Urology, has been awarded a development grant from the National Science Foundation for her work with Dr. Ali Khademhosseini (CEO, Terasaki Institute) in developing a biodegradable surgical closure device for lower urinary tract reconstruction. This award supports her team’s participation in the national I-Corps program focused on commercialization of innovative technologies from the academic environment. Dr. Sturm’s team includes Dr. George Aninwene II, urology project scientist, Peyton Tebon, a UCLA bioengineering PhD student, and Katerina Lembrikova, a SUNY Downstate medical student. Read more about the NSF I-Corps program >
September 25, 2020
Isla Garraway, MD, PhD -- KABC7 interviewed Isla Garraway, MD, PhD, associate professor of urology and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, about who is most at risk of prostate cancer and what can be done to help lower that risk.
SP Robot for Prolapse: 1st in LA
September 25, 2020
Ja-Hong Kim, MD, Associate Professor in the Division of Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, along with her surgical team at the Center for Women’s Pelvic Health at UCLA, completed the first single-port robotic sacrocolpopexy surgery in September of 2020 for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, an uncomfortable condition that occurs in women when the tissue of the pelvic floor no longer support the pelvic organs (such as the uterus or bladder). These organs drop (prolapse) downward from their normal position and cause several issues. This new surgical approach requires only one incision, offering patients rapid recovery and improved cosmetic benefits. UCLA Urology is the first in Southern California to utilize this innovative technology for female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. FDA approval for this use is pending.
August 28, 2020
Matthew Rettig, MD -- WebMD interviewed Matthew Rettig, MD, professor of urology and medicine and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, on how male hormones may make men more susceptible to COVID-19.
August 28, 2020
Dr. Jesse Mills - Jesse Mills, MD, professor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the Men’s Clinic, was quoted in Men’s Health Spain on common penis injuries.
July 17, 2020
Robert Reiter, MD -- The UCLA Specialized Program of Research Excellence, known as SPORE, has awarded $525,000 to 11 researchers whose projects are at the forefront of developing new therapies for men battling prostate cancer. UCLA Newsroom >
June 12, 2020
Alexandra Drakaki, MD -- OncLive interviewed IUO member Alexandra Drakaki, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, about research advances being made in urothelial cancer, as well as unmet needs and challenges.
June 12, 2020
Matthew Rettig, MD -- The UCLA Health Zone Show with Dr. Phil Cohen featured IUO member Matthew Rettig, MD, professor of medicine and urology and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Rettig talked about his clinical trial to determine if hormone therapy used for men with prostate cancer can help men with COVID-19.
June 12, 2020
Dr. Jesse Mills - The UCLA Health Zone Show with Dr. Phil Cohen featured Jesse Mills, MD, associate clinical professor of urology and director of The Men's Clinic at UCLA, to talk about the most vital health issues for men during June’s “Men’s Health Month.”
May 22, 2020
Matthew Rettig, MD -- CBS News Los Angeles, Telemundo 52, Yahoo News!, The Cancer Letter, NBC Los Angeles, HealthDay, The Santa Monica Daily Press and 12 other outlets reported on a new clinical trial led by Matthew Rettig, MD, professor of medicine and urology and member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, that uses a hormone suppressor commonly used to treat men with prostate cancer to help improve clinical outcomes for men infected with COVID-19. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center news release >
April 10, 2020
Brian Shuch, MD -- The Kidney Cancer Association interviewed Brian Shuch, MD, associate professor of UCLA Urology, as part of an expert panel to answer patients’ questions about how kidney cancer and the novel coronavirus COVID-19 impact each other.
Feb 10, 2020
Hans A. Gritsch, MD -- Last November, members of the UCLA Department of Urology, philanthropists, friends and family gathered to celebrate Dr. Hans A. Gritsch and the gift from the John Jergens Estate to establish the Jergens Administrative Chair in Kidney Transplantation. U Magazine >
Feb 6, 2020
Dr. Christopher Saigal, professor and vice chair of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted in Men’s Health Latin America on men’s cancer prevention.
Jan 31, 2020
Brian Shuch, MD -- The UCLA Kidney Cancer Program received a generous gift from Driven to Cure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocacy and providing funding for research on rare genetic forms of kidney cancer. The gift will support the work of physician-scientist Brian Shuch, MD, an associate professor of urology and director of the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology Kidney Cancer Program. UCLA Newsroom > | UCLA Health Video >
Dec 06, 2019
Robert Reiter, MD -- Healio/HemOnc Today and The Cancer Letter reported on UCLA’s Prostate SPORE designation, which was given to the prostate cancer program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA Urology and UCLA Health by the National Cancer Institute. The award comes with an $8.7 million grant to help improve prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Dec 06, 2019
Paul Boutros, PhD -- OncLive reported on research from Paul Boutros, PhD, director of cancer data science at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCLA urology researcher, which suggests predicting how a person’s cancer will evolve may lie in their inherited DNA.
November 22, 2019
Joseph Shirk, MD -- Oncology Times featured a question-and-answer article with Joseph Shirk, MD, a clinical instructor in urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, about the surgical benefits of virtual reality.
Nov 08, 2019
Jeffrey Veale, MD, was quoted in a Time article about how kidney swaps are revolutionizing the country’s organ donation system. Dr. Veale is director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program.
Nov 08, 2019
Dr. Robert Reiter -- FOX-TV (San Diego) and other news outlets published a newswire story about an $8.7 million grant given to the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute to improve prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
October 25, 2019
Joseph Shirk, MD -- The Wall Street Journal highlighted research by Joseph Shirk, MD, a clinical instructor in urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, finding that virtual-reality models during presurgical planning led to better outcomes for robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy. Dr. Shirk is a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
October 18, 2019
Dr. Mark Litwin - When the director of the National Institutes for Health announced earlier this year his intention to not sit on panels that did not have an inclusive agenda, several members of the UCLA medical community were motivated to follow suit. One was Dr. Mark Litwin, Chair of UCLA Urology, who sent it to a number of department chairs and urology chairs across the country and joined the pledge as well. Read more >
October 18, 2019
Dr. Jonathan Bergman, Assistant Professor of Urology and Family Medicine at UCLA, is an author on the article “Operating room preparedness for active shooter events” recently published in the journal Surgery.
Oct 15, 2019
Dr. Paul Boutros -- NBC Los Angeles, KNX News Radio, MyNewsLA.com and 10 other outlets covered a study led by Paul Boutros, PhD, director of cancer data science at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, which found 1,178 biomarkers in men’s genomes that predict how an individual person’s prostate cancer will grow. Dr. Boutros is also a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.
October 15, 2019
Mark Litwin, MD, professor of urology at the Geffen School of Medicine and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was quoted in a Los Angeles Times report on a new vaping study conducted on mice finding dramatic increases in cancerous tumors in the lining of the lungs and bladder tissue.
Oct 09, 2019
Carol J. Bennett, MD has been named as the Henry E. Singleton Chair in Urology at UCLA. This endowed Chair provides essential resources to promote the Department’s teaching and research activities, which are integral elements of UCLA Urology’s mission to educate leaders, advance knowledge, and improve patient care. Congratulations, Dr. Bennett!
Oct 07, 2019
Dr. Jeffrey Veale -- The Doctors, on a segment exploring whether U.S. doctors are too quick to throw out kidneys that could save lives, featured Jeffrey Veale, MD, Associate Professor of UCLA Urology and Director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program, who discussed why the organ might be discarded and how doctors determine the suitability of a kidney for transplantation.
Oct 04, 2019
Dr. Paul Boutros -- HemOnc Today did a question-and-answer article with Paul Boutros, PhD, a professor of urology, director of cancer data science for the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and IUO member, on his recent study that identified a novel biomarker in urine that could aid in the detection of aggressive prostate cancer. More coverage on UCLA Newsroom >
September 20, 2019
Leadership in our county system, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC-DHS) developed clinical integration to improve access to and efficiency of specialty care. Clinical integration includes 3 efforts: empanelment, development of expected practices, and eConsult. The effect of this in the second largest public health system in the country was reviewed and found that it improved efficiency, allowed for specialist involvement in care without a face-to-face visit, and was completed in a timely manner. The findings by a UCLA and LAC-DHS team including Stephanie Pannell, MD, MPH, Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology, Sophia Monica Soni from LAC-DHS, Paul Giboney from LAC-DHS, Alvaro Santamaria from UCLA, and Jonathan Bergman, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology and Family Medicine, were published in a research letter, “Access to Urologic Care Through Clinical Integration in a Large, Underserved Population” in the latest JAMA Surgery.
September 18, 2019
Joseph Shirk, MD -- MedicalXpress, Technology.org, ScienceDaily and more than a dozen other outlets covered a new study led by Joseph Shirk, MD, a clinical instructor in urology at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, found that using virtual reality models during presurgical planning for robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy led to reductions in operating time, blood loss and hospital length of stay. UCLA Newsroom >
September 13, 2019
Dr. Leonard S. Marks -- A recent UCLA study shows that MRI-guided biopsy is best for determining future risk of prostate cancer. Many men who are diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer are recommended for "active surveillance" to monitor their slow-growing tumors. Now, a UCLA study led by Dr. Leonard Marks, professor of urology, has shown that the best way to proceed is by starting out with an MRI-guided prostate biopsy. The results of the study were published in JAMA. The work, which began in 2009, has been funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute and private philanthropy. UCLA Health Newsroom >
September 13, 2019
Sriram Eleswarapu, MD, PhD, a urologist at The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, commented in a STAT article on sperm donor anonymity. Additional Coverage: Scientific American
September 04, 2019
Dr. Renea Sturm, Assistant Professor of Urology, is one of ten fellows selected for the inaugural UCLA Biodesign fellowship. This program links UCLA’s medical school community, engineering school community, and business school community to industry partners in order to train the next generation of health care innovators. The Biodesign fellows join a team of four MBA graduates to work together to identify and advance technologies that address unmet patient needs.UCLA Biodesign Hub news release >
Aug 22, 2019
Face The Music at the GRAMMY Museum - Photography and music come together at the GRAMMY Museum’s Face The Music exhibit, featuring the work of Dr. Richard Ehrlich, Professor Emeritus of Urology. This five-year project captures, in portraiture, how 41 legendary musicians feel while listening to music of their choice. The exhibit will open to the public on Sept. 12 and will run through Jan. 6, 2020.
Aug 16, 2019
Dr. Jesse Mills, a urologist and director of The Men's Clinic at UCLA, commented in Mashable on the growing popularity of sperm banking by mail.
Aug 08, 2019
Dr. Andrew Goldstein -- UCLA assistant professor of urology and of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, will be awarded a 2019 Young Investigator Award from the Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR). This award, given to investigators who are within five years of their first faculty position and who have made significant contributions to urologic research, will be presented at the annual SBUR fall meeting.
Aug 06, 2019
Dr. Andrew Goldstein -- The Medical News, Medicine Newsline and other outlets reported on research led by Andrew Goldstein, PhD, that helps explain why the prostate tends to grow as men age. Goldstein is an assistant professor of urology and of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, and also a member of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. UCLA Newsroom > Additional Coverage: Technology Networks | Wiredfocus
Jul 01, 2019
David Fishbein Yao, MD, assistant clinical professor of urology, commented in a Washington Post story about new tests for urinary tract infections. SFGate, Laredo Morning Times and Omaha.com syndicated the story.
Jul 01, 2019
Dr. Paul Boutros -- A team of researchers from UCLA and the University of Toronto, and led by Paul Boutros, PhD, a professor of urology, director of cancer data science for the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and IUO member, have identified a new biomarker found in urine that can help detect aggressive prostate cancer, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of men each year from undergoing unnecessary surgeries and radiotherapy treatments. UCLA Newsroom >
Additional coverage: MedicalXpress, Scienmag, Daily Heralds and 20 other outlets reported on research from Paul Boutros, PhD, director of cancer data science for the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer, about a new biomarker that can help detect aggressive prostate cancer.
Jun 25, 2019
Karim Chamie, MD, associate professor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted in a Healio.com article about a promising investigational treatment for unresectable upper tract urothelial cancer.
June 14, 2019
All four UCLA hospitals were recognized for a commitment to LGBTQ-centered care. UCLA Newsroom > News Release >
Jun 12, 2019
Dr. Leonard S. Marks -- CBS Newspath, CBS This Morning, UPI, MedPage Today, The Daily Mirror (London) and other publications reported on findings by a multidisciplinary team of UCLA physicians that demonstrated that combining biopsy strategies allowed for the detection of up to 33 percent more prostate cancers. The CBS story aired 90 times on TV stations across the country. Leonard Marks, MD, who holds the Jean B. deKernion Chair in the department of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, led the study. UCLA Newsroom | CBS News
Jun 7, 2019
Dr. Jacob Rajfer, a professor in residence of urology, was quoted in a Men’s Health story about the latest treatments for erectile dysfunction.
Jun 6, 2019
Dr. Jeffrey Veale's commentary on the manifestations of the national opioid crisis on kidney transplantation published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Since the inception of the United Network for Organ Sharing in 1987, the number of patients awaiting a kidney transplant in the United States has increased greatly. However, there has been a recent decrease in the number of waiting-list candidates. Article in the NEJM (PDF) >
May 24, 2019
UroToday.com reported on various studies presented by UCLA Urology at the American Urological Association’s 2019 annual meeting, including:
On staging for high-risk prostate cancer, featuring Aydin Pooli, MD, urologic oncology fellow and clinical instructor in the department of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
On chemoablation of upper tract urothelial carcinoma, featuring Karim Chamie, MD, an associate professor in the department of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
May 3, 2019
Dr. Jesse Mills -- The Wall Street Journal featured Dr. Jesse Mills, director of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA, in an article on new clinic models that encourage men to seek regular medical care.
April 26, 2019
Dr. Christopher Saigal -- The Tennessean published an op-ed about a shared decision making tool that can be used for prostate cancer called WiserCare, a program developed by Christopher Saigal, MD, that helps patients choose a course of treatment most aligned with their preferences and values. Dr. Saigal is vice chair of urology and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
April 11, 2019
Los Angeles Magazine has published its annual list of “Top Doctors” in Los Angeles, and eight UCLA Urology physicians have been recognized in the 2019 guide as among the city’s best doctors. Congratulations to Drs. Baxter, Leff, Lerman, Litwin, Mills, Raz, Reiter and Singer! Story on UCLA Newsroom >
April 02, 2019
Dr. Christopher Saigal -- Health Data Management published a story on WiserCare, a shared decision-making tool for oncologists and patients with prostate cancer. Christopher Saigal, MD, vice chair of urology and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, created the tool and was quoted.
April 02, 2019
Dr. Brian Shuch -- OncLive interviewed Brian Shuch, MD, in a multimedia story about what to consider when choosing treatment for patients with late-stage kidney cancer. Dr. Shuch is an associate professor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Mar 25, 2019
Dr. Steve Lerman, chief of the UCLA Division of Pediatric Urology, agrees that there is not enough known about the long-term outcomes of complex genital surgeries. Those surgeries were relatively new procedures in the 1970s and ’80s, and now some of those patients have valid complaints about their results, Lerman said. Lerman said doctors, including himself, need to step up and recognize that such surgeries have previously had questionable outcomes and should be further studied.
Full Story on latimes.com >
Mar 18, 2019
Dr. Brian Shuch -- OncLive interviewed Brian Shuch, MD, director of the Kidney Cancer Program and member of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, for an article on the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in the treatment of patients with kidney cancer.
Mar 14, 2019
Dr. Victor Nitti -- 5 New Devices That Can Help You Manage Overactive Bladder. Full Story >
