AUA News

The Society for Basic Urologic Research adds Value to the American Urological Association

James L. Mohler, M.D.,

SBUR Immediate Past-President, Chair and Professor, Department of Urologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Professor, Department of Urology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, Adjunct Professor, Department of Surgery (Division of Urology) and Member, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Overview and Mission: The Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR) is a US-based basic urological researcher's society formed in 1986. Members include molecular biologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, andrologists, oncologists, biochemists and clinical urologic scientists from academia, industry and government. SBUR scientists’ expertise includes the study of urologic cancers (prostate, bladder, kidney, testis, penis), the biology of prostate growth, kidney and bladder function, autoimmune urologic diseases, infectious diseases, neurourologic diseases, male reproductive biology, infertility and erectile dysfunction. The 545 active members in the US, Europe and Asia include 269 Ph.D.s, 206 M.D.s, and 70 M.D.-Ph.D.s.

SBUR was organized to:

• Provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of basic scientific topics related to urology
• Develop educational forums concerning scientific advancements related to the field of urology
• Promote collaborative investigations among member scientists with an emphasis on the interchange of expertise among clinical and basic scientists
• Promote the communication and interests of urologic disease investigators with national funding agencies, industry representatives and academic institutions with regards to urology related research
• Serve as a resource for research information and expertise to clinical urologists through the American Urological Association

A Reunion of SBUR Presidents, Atlanta, May 2006. From Left to Right: Donald Coffey (1988-89), Michael Freeman (2002-03), Diane Felsen (2003-04), Shuk-mei Ho (2005-06), Ralph Buttyan (2000-01), Donald Tindall (1992-93), Robert Getzenberg (2006-07), Natasha Kyprianou (2004-05), James Mohler (2007-08), Timothy Ratliff (1987-88), Chung Lee (1994-95).

History and Evolution: In early 1985, Dr. Timothy L. Ratliff, then a young urologic researcher, discussed the idea of the SBUR with Dr. Warren “Skip” Heston and Dr. William Catalona, two senior scientists who offered enthusiastic support. The SBUR-organizing meeting was held in 1986 at the AUA Annual Meeting in New York. A group of about 15 scientists finalized the idea of a new society. Drs. Evelyn Barrack, Ralph Buttyan, Donald Coffey, Warren Heston, Dolores Lamb, Chung Lee, David Lubaroff, Timothy Ratliff, Gregor Reid, and Roy Smith were among the attendees. At the meeting, Dr. Ratliff, the Founding President of the SBUR, assumed the responsibility of organizing the first scientific meeting in 1987. Dr. Chung Lee worked diligently with Dr. Ratliff and was instrumental in modifying the bylaws to conform to the legal requirements for SBUR as a non-profit society in Illinois. Dr. Paul Peters, then Secretary of the AUA, provided space for the first SBUR scientific meeting at the 1987 AUA Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Leaders of urology programs throughout the country were uniformly supportive of organizing SBUR and many provided travel expenses for urologic scientists to attend the first meeting. The first SBUR scientific meeting was attended by about 50 translational researchers, and everyone considered the meeting a success.

SBUR membership has expanded and basic research has been translated to the clinic under the leadership of series of outstanding Presidents (Table 1). When the urological research field grew and SBUR matured as an organization, the formal, independent annual meeting of SBUR was begun in 1992. The first Fall Meeting was held at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and 145 members attended. The most recent SBUR Fall Meeting was held in Phoenix, Arizona, November 20-23, 2008, was attended by 133 and the scientific theme was "Epigenetics and Genitourinary Disorders.” The SBUR Fall meetings grew to welcome an association with our colleagues in the European Society for Urologic Research [ESUR]. Joint meetings were held in Rotterdam in 1995 and Asiloman, CA 1997 before a formal relationship was established. Every other year, the SBUR Fall Meeting is held as an international joint meeting with ESUR and alternates between European and US cities. The 7th World Basic Urological Research Congress was held in September 2007 in Dublin, Ireland. The 8 th meeting, Molecular Targeting for Emerging Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Urology, will be held in New Orleans, LA November 5-7, 2009. The 9 th meeting is planned for Innsbruck, Austria.

Donald S. Coffey Lecture: Members of SBUR who are friends and admirers of Donald S. Coffey established the Donald S. Coffey lectureship in 1991. The intent of the award is to honor outstanding research efforts in all fields of investigation while simultaneously recognizing Dr. Coffey’s contributions to the field of urologic research and his mentorship of many scientists and clinicians who conduct scientific and clinical research in the field of urology. The lectureship provides for a speaker at the annual SBUR Spring Meeting, which occurs coincidental with the Annual Meeting of the AUA. The Coffey Lecturers (Table 2) have been pre-eminent scientists who have lectured upon areas of scientific research outside the field of urology. The lectures should stimulate those in the field of urologic translational research to pursue new ideas and conduct translational research in the area of excellence addressed by the speaker. The Fall Meeting will be enhanced by a second named SBUR lectureship that honors Leland W.K. Chung, Ph.D., Dr. Coffey’s first post doctoral student, a founding member and past-president of SBUR and a leading prostate cancer translational researcher. Dr. Coffey will give the first Leland WK Chung Lecture.

SBUR and AUA: The SBUR has a deep and enduring commitment to the functions and initiatives of the AUA and its members. Indicative of this close relationship, 191 SBUR members are also members of the AUA . The SBUR was founded to serve as a home for researchers dedicated to basic and translational urology research. The SBUR is committed to providing a continuum of scientific research and professional development experiences for all urology researchers at every stage of their careers. SBUR members currently interact with and support the AUA and AUA Foundation by:

• Mentoring and training AUA Foundation Scholars;
• Reviewing AUA Foundation Research Grant Applications;
• Serving on the AUA Education Committee;
• Serving on the five working groups of the AUA Research Council;
• Organizing Sectional Research Forums throughout the year as requested;
• Providing education and research guidance for residents and fellows;
• Collaborating with the AUA Foundation in organizing the Research Forum at the AUA Annual Meeting;
• Co-organizing and participating in the AUA Summer Research Conference;
• Collaborating with the AUA Foundation in developing workshops, e.g. the Leadership Program and the Mentoring Program, for AUA Foundation Research Scholars;
• Providing three SBUR members to serve on the AUA Foundation Research Council;
• Serving on the Program Committee of the AUA Annual Meeting including abstract review;
• Serving on the AUA Curriculum Committee;
• Serving on the Legislative Affairs Committee of the AUA;
• Serving as a specialty editor for the Journal of Urology;
• Serving as regular reviewers for the Journal of Urology;
• Organizing and serving as faculty of the AUA Grantscraft Course;
• Serving as reviewers for abstracts for the AUA Annual Meeting and presenting basic-science summaries at the “take-home messages” sessions at the AUA Annual Meeting;
• Serving on the Infertility Best Practices Committee;
• Serving on NIH Study Sections to provide true peer review for urologic grants;
• Assisting with the scientific rationale for creation, contacts at NIDDK and population of a special study section that is now permanent, the UKGD (Urologic and Kidney Development and Genitourinary Diseases) Study Section; and
• Assisting with the response to HCFA when residency funding was decreased to preserve a research component in the urology residency training experience.

Future: The SBUR is excited to work closely with the AUA Foundation and the rest of the AUA to assist in developing and implementing new and existing initiatives of the AUA Foundation that will advance urology research and foster career development of M.D. and Ph.D. urologic researchers. Perhaps most importantly, the SBUR is committed to providing the scientific training environment and networking between translational researchers and urologists to enable the success of the unprecedented investment that has been made by the AUA to develop the AUA Foundation Scholars Program. This strong partnership between the SBUR and the AUA is ultimately critical for bringing novel improvements to healthcare as it relates to genitourinary diseases.

Table 1. SBUR Presidents

1987 Timothy L. Ratliff, PhD
1988 Donald S. Coffey, PhD
1989 Roy G. Smith, PhD
1990 John T. Isaacs, PhD
1991 Leland W. K. Chung, PhD
1992 Donald J. Tindall, PhD
1993 James P. Karr, PhD
1994 Chung Lee, PhD
1995 William D. Steers, MD
1996 David R. Rowley, PhD
1997 David M. Lubaroff, PhD
1998 Dolores Lamb, PhD
1999 Renty B. Franklin, PhD
2000 Ralph Buttyan, PhD
2001 W. Steven Ward, PhD
2002 Michael Freeman, PhD
2003 Diane Felsen, PhD
2004 Natasha Kyprianou, MD, PhD
2005 Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD
2006 Robert H. Getzenberg, PhD
2007 James L. Mohler, MD
2008 Carrie Rinker-Schaeffer, PhD

Table 2. Donald S. Coffey Lecturers

1992 Judah Folkman, MD
1993 Bert O'Malley, MD
1994 Harold Moses, MD
1995 Curtis Harris, MD
1996 Patricia K. Donahoe, MD
1997 Jeffrey D. Milbrandt, MD, PhD
1998 Webster K. Cavenee, PhD
1999 William Fair, MD
2000 Carol Prives, PhD
2001 Richard Klausner, MD
2002 Mary Hendrix, PhD
2003 Gerald R. Cunha, PhD
2004 John C. Reed, MD, PhD
2005 Richard Caprioli, PhD
2006 Peter Jones, PhD
2007 Angela Brodie, PhD
2008 Len Neckers, PhD