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 >
Dec 06, 2019
Dr. Robert Reiter -- 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
Dr. Paul Boutros -- 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.
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 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 >
Sep 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.
Sep 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 >
Sep 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 >
Sep 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
Sep 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.
Exhibit information > | Press Release (PDF) >
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.
Apr 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.
Apr 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 >
Apr 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.
Apr 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 -- Everyday Health interviewed Victor Nitti, MD, division chief of pelvic medicine at UCLA Health, for a story about technologies aimed at helping people with overactive bladder.
Mar 5, 2019
Dr. Jeffrey Veale -- The Doctors featured Jeffrey Veale, MD, director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program and Associate Professor of UCLA Urology, who addressed common misconceptions surrounding organ donation. Watch Video >
July 25, 2019 -- Continued Coverage -- KFXA-TV, Iowa City, Iowa; WBFS-TV, Miami, and 13 other television stations re-aired a segment from The Doctors TV show featuring Jeffrey Veale, MD, director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program, who addressed common misconceptions surrounding organ donation.
KFXA: https://bit.ly/2OkUhHv
WBFS: https://bit.ly/2YkI0T0
Jan 25, 2019
Dr. Mark Litwin, professor of urology and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was quoted in a NBC Nightly News segment about an Olympic athlete who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Jan 14, 2019
Dr. Paul Boutros -- eCancer, News-Medical.net and HealthCanal.com reported on research led by Paul Boutros, a professor of urology and human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of cancer data science at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The researchers found common markers of tumor hypoxia across 19 cancer types that can help inform treatment decisions.
Nov 19, 2018
Dr. Jesse Mills -- The Atlantic featured Dr. Jesse Mills, director of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA, in a story about group vasectomies.
Nov 15, 2018
Dr. Jeffrey Veale -- CNN featured the UCLA Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program in which a person can donate a kidney to a stranger in exchange for a kidney “voucher” that the donor’s family or friend can use in the future. Dr. Jeffrey Veale, director of the UCLA Kidney Exchange Program and UCLA urologist, is featured in the article. Video and article >
Oct 16, 2018
Dr. Jesse Mills -- Popular Science featured Dr. Jesse Mills, director of the Men’s Clinic at UCLA, in a story about erectile dysfunction medications and their potential side effects.
Oct 23, 2018
Dr. Jeffrey Veale -- The Doctors welcome transplant surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Veale, Director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program, to discuss how he’s performing astonishing procedures where he uses transplanted organs more than once in needy patients. Dr. Veale also shares some of the difficulties related to using transplanted organs multiple times, along with the many possible benefits. Watch Videos: Can a Transplanted Organ Be Used More Than Once? | The Hurdles of Transplanting an Organ Multiple Times >
Oct 22, 2018
Dr. Bernard Churchill -- When Alexander Fleming won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of penicillin in 1945, he gave an interview with The New York Times and anticipated a troubling vision for the future: “Excessive use of penicillin could lead to the propagation of mutant forms of bacteria that would resist the drug.”
View Article (PDF) >
Oct 03, 2018
Dr. Mark Litwin - Reporter Lance Orozco chronicles his journey with kidney cancer, for which he was treated in 2012 at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. NPR-affiliate KCLU aired a segment about his five-year checkup with Dr. Mark Litwin, chair of urology at UCLA. Listen to the story >
Sep 21, 2018
Dr. Mark Litwin, UCLA Urology Chair, threw the ceremonial first pitch at a recent Dodgers game, at the request of former Dodger star Steve Garvey. The pitch aimed to raise awareness for prostate cancer. It also served as a reminder of the need to be aware, to be tested if necessary, and to remember that the disease can be beat – often on a man’s own term.
Read Full Story >
Sep 20, 2018
Dr. Jeffrey Veale, director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program, commented in a WINKNews.com story about the kidney shortage and a veteran’s use of an advertisement to find a donor.
Sep 20, 2018
Dr. Christopher Saigal -- Health News Digest featured Dr. Christopher Saigal, vice chair of urology, in a story about three facts patients should know about prostate cancer. Saigal is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Sep 13, 2018
Dr. Jeffrey Veale -- A U.S. News & World Report story on new techniques allowing surgeons to transplant previously unusable livers and kidneys cited UCLA’s kidney “re-gifting” program and Dr. Jeffrey Veale, director of the UCLA Kidney Transplantation Exchange Program.
Aug 23, 2018
Dr. Christopher Saigal, vice chair of urology, commented to Reuters about new research correlating heavy drinking earlier in life with a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer. The story was syndicated by Yahoo! News and Citizen Digital. Saigal is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Aug 20, 2018
Dr. Robert Reiter -- Renal & Urology News covered UCLA research finding a decline in the use of radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer. The study was led by Dr. Robert Reiter, a professor and Bing Chair in Urologic Oncology in the department of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and co-director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program Area at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
August 17, 2018
Dr. Ja-Hong Kim, an assistant clinical professor of urology, was quoted in Allure about recurrent urinary tract infections.
Aug 10, 2018
Dr. Mark Litwin - The Los Angeles Business Journal reported on a three-year grant to Dr. Mark Litwin, a professor in urology and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The grant supports the department’s efforts to improve access, counseling and treatment for uninsured or underinsured men diagnosed with prostate cancer. UCLA Newsroom >
Aug 09, 2018
Drs. Litwin & Saigal - UCLA Urology receives prestigious research funding for prostate cancer. UCLA Urology received two significant grants that directly assist men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The state awarded $9.3 million to support the IMPACT program thatprovides prostate cancer treatment for uninsured and underinsured men in California. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute awarded $1.9 million to fund research on ways to improve the decision-making process for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
UCLA Newsroom > | UCLA Health News Release >
Jul 10, 2018
Dr. Leonard S. Marks -- A MedPage Today story about high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for prostate cancer explored research conducted by Dr. Leonard Marks, a clinical professor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Marks is quoted in the story.
Jul 05, 2018
Dr. Mark Litwin, chair of urology, was quoted in a news report by The Lancet about recent findings on the use of a prostate cancer drug in patients with a rapidly rising PSA level and high risk for metastasis. Litwin is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jul 02, 2018
KQED featured Dr. Mark Litwin, chair of urology at UCLA, in an on-air discussion on KQED Forum, a popular talk show hosted by Michael Krasny, about new developments in prostate cancer screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Litwin is a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jun 12, 2018
Dr. Hans Gritsch -- The Los Angeles Business Journal reported that Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranked first among U.S. hospitals that performed kidney transplants. Dr. H. Albin Gritsch, surgical director of kidney transplantation and a clinical professor of urology, was quoted.
Jun 11, 2018
Drs. Hans Gritsch & Jeffrey Veale -- By Tami Dennis. UCLA Health kidney transplant doctors and the system of organ allocation in the nation are both colorblind — and with good reason. They know the number of people waiting for a lifesaving transplant, and they understand the importance of equity and diversity in organ allocation. In fact, the UCLA Kidney Transplant Program performed a staggering 363 kidney transplants in 2017, more than any other U.S. transplant center, according to the data.
