Past Award Recipients

Table of Contents

Meritorious Achievement Awards

Presented annually at the fall meeting, this award is to recognize a researcher (can be a clinician researcher) who has made significant contributions in the field of urological research. Accomplishments of note should include publications, participation on distinguished panels, advisory roles, and overall contributions to the field of urology research.

2023 — Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD
2022 — Dolores Lamb, PhD, HCLB (ABB)
2021
— Scott Dehm, PhD
2020 — Massimo Loda, M.D.
2019 — Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD
2018 — Peter Nelson, MD
2017
 — Ralph de Vere White, MD
2016 — Ralph Buttyan, PhD
2015 — Natasha Kyprianou, MD, PhD
2014 — Michael R. Freeman, PhD
2013 — Leland W.K. Chung, PhD
2012 — Chung M. Lee, PhD
2011 — Nicholas Bruchovsky, MD, PhD
2010 — Robert Vessella, PhD
2009 — Donald Tindall, PhD
2008 — John Isaacs, PhD
2007 — Robert J. Matusik, PhD
2006 — Gerald Cuhna, PhD
2005 — Tim Ratliff, PhD

Distinguished Service

Presented annually at the spring meeting, this award recognizes an SBUR member who has helped the SBURS significantly over time with his./her services and/or influences. The recipient does not necessarily have to be a prominent researcher.

2022 — Haojie Huang, PhD
2022
— Susan Kasper, PhD
2021
— Rosalyn Adam, PhD
2020
 —
Rosalyn Adam, PhD 
2020 — Aria F. Olumi, M.D.
2019 — Gail S. Prins, PhD
2018 — Vinata B. Lokeshwar, PhD
2017
 — Zhou Wang, PhD
2016 — Timothy L. Ratliff, PhD
2015 — Natasha Kyprianou, MD, PhD
2014 — David F. Jarrard, MD
2013 — William J. Catalona, MD
2012 — Jim Mohler, MD
2011 — Fray Marshall, MD
2010 — Robert Flanigan, MD
2009 — Anthony J. Schaeffer, MD
2008 — Fritz H. Schroeder, MD
2007 — Patrick C. Walsh, MD
2006 — John T. Grayhack, MD
2005 — Carl A. Olsson, MD
2004 — E. Darracott Vaughn, Jr., MD
2003 — Richard Williams, MD
1995 — C. Eugene Carlton, Jr, MD
1987–1994 — Betty Mobbs, PhD
1987–1994 — Gregor R Reid, PhD

Young Investigator Awards

The SBUR Young Investigator Awards are given to SBUR members who are under the age of 45, within 5 years of their first faculty position, and have made significant contributions to Urologic Research.  This award is presented annually at the fall meeting.  The SBUR Awards Committee reviews the applications, which are submitted after an email is sent out to membership, and then determines the awardees on the basis of their academic accomplishments. The winners receive a monetary award and plaque along with recognition of their accomplishment. All applicants receive notification regarding their application via email.

Travel Awards

A primary goal of SBUR is to provide travel grants/stipends to researcher trainees. These grants are in the form of $500 payments to support travel to/from the annual meeting each fall. Award recipients must be SBUR members and a recipient is not allowed to receive the award two consecutive years.

SWIU/SBUR Awards

SWIU and SBUR have a common interest in recognizing female scientists with an accomplished background of basic science urological research. This award represents the collaborative efforts of these two societies toward their common goals.   Appropriate candidates for this award are members of SBUR who hold an M.D., a Ph.D. or both and who have a distinguished track record of urological research.  Candidates do not have to be members of SWIU.

The winner is presented with a plaque & check for $1,000 at the Annual Breakfast Meeting.  SWIU contributes $500 and SBUR contributes $500 as well.  The winner also receives one free year of membership to SWIU.  The winner is expected to present a brief summary (5 minutes) of their accomplishments at the Annual SWIU Breakfast Meeting.  The winner is also invited to the Women Leaders in Urology Forum and the Networking Reception.

2023 Amina Zoubeidi, PhD
2022
— Margot S. Damaser, PhD
2021 — Vinata B. Lokeshwar, PhD
2020 — Carolyn J.M. Best, PhD
2019 — Kerry L. Burnstein, PhD
2018 — Cathy Mendelsohn, PhD
2017 — Susan Kasper, PhD
2016 — Donna Peehl, PhD
2015 — Karen Knudsen, PhD
2014 — Diane M. Robins, PhD
2013 — Nancy Weigel, PhD
2012 — Jill Macoska, PhD
2011 — Linda Baker, MD
2010 — Marianne Sadar, PhD
2009 — Gail S. Prins, PhD
2008 — Dolores Lamb, PhD
2007 — Shuk–Mei Ho, PhD
2006 —  Natasha Kyprianou, PhD

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 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.

2023 Lecturer:
Peter Nelson, MD

Presentation title:
On the Giants’ Shoulders: Identifying Prostate Cancer Vulnerabilities Using New Models and Genome-Scale Tools


2021 — Regina Barzilay, PhD 
2020 —  Gabe A. Kwong, PhD
2019 — John K. Lee, MD, PhD
2018 — Lieping Chen, MD, PhD
2017 — Levi Garraway, MD, PhD
2016 — Carlo Croce, PhD
2015 — Philip Beachy, PhD
2014 — Kenneth Pienta, MD
2013 — Ronald DePinho, MD
2012 — William Nelson, MD
2011 — Charles L. Sawyers, MD
2010 — Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS
2009 — Theresa Guise, MD
2008 — Len Neckers, PhD
2007 — Angela Brodie, PhD
2006 — Peter Jones, PhD
2004 — John C. Reed, MD, PhD
2003 — Gerald Cunha, PhD
2000 — Carol Prives, PhD
1999 — William R. Fair, MD
1998 — Webster K Cavennee, PhD
1997 — Jeffrey D. Milbrandt, MD, PhD
1996 — Patricia K Donahoe, MD
1995 — Curtis C. Harris, MD
1994 — Harold L Moses, MD
1993 — Bert W. O’Malley, MD
1992 — Judah Folkman, MD (1st awardee)

Leland W.K. Chung Lecture

Since 2009, the Fall Meeting is enhanced by the named keynote SBUR lectureship that honors Leland W.K. Chung, PhD. Dr. Chung is a leading prostate cancer translational scientist who pioneered the study of tumor-stroma interactions in urologic cancers. Dr. Chung is a founding member and past-president of SBUR and mentored many outstanding scientists and urologic surgeons around the world.

2023 Lecturer:
Owen Witte, MD

Presentation Title:
Immune Targeting Strategies for Prostate Cancer

2022Elaine Fuchs, PhD
2021 — 
Martin Gleave, MD
2020 — Hans Clevers, MD, PhD
2019 — Arul M. Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD
2018 — Jason Carroll, PhD, FMedSci
2016
 — Jeffrey M. Rosen, PhD
2015 — M. Celeste Simon, PhD
2014 — Haifan Lin, PhD
2013 — Lynn Hlatky, PhD
2012 — Martin J. Blaser, MD
2011 — Jeremy Reiter, MD, PhD
2010 — Drew Pardoll, MD, PhD
2009 — Donald S. Coffey, PhD
— Oliver Sartor, MD

Eula and Donald S. Coffey Innovative Research Award

For many in the SBUR, Dr. Donald Coffey’s influence has been immense. Dr. Coffey was one of the founders and the second president of the SBUR. He inspired generations of translational scientists and physician-scientists to think, research and solve scientific problems across many disciplines in medicine.

The Eula and Donald S. Coffey Innovative Research Award will be presented to the most innovative abstract at the SBUR Annual Meeting. 

2023 – Shiqin Liu, MD, PhD
2022 – Kiel Tietz, PhD
2021 – X. Sean Li, PhD 

2020 – Patrick Brooks, MD 
2019 – John K. Lee, PhD

Dr. Leland W.K. Chung Mentorship Award

Dr. Leland W.K. Chung was a distinguished scientist who devoted his entire career to urologic cancer research and his work reshaped knowledge of urologic cancer biology and cancer biology. He was a great mentor to hundreds of young scientists who admired his passion and vision. Most importantly, he created a unique environment for basic scientists and clinicians to work as teams to translate basic research to bedside to combat urologic cancers. He was president of SBUR and provided great leadership to SBUR.

The Leland WK Chung Mentorship Award has been established through an endowment in his honor, and will be given annually at the SBUR Fall Meeting.

2023 Winner:
Michael Freeman, PhD

Presentation Title:
You Only Have to Look Out the Window: Reflections on Mentoring and Being Mentored

SBUR Minority Scholar Award 

The National Institutes of Health reports that the following racial and ethnic groups are underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

Therefore, SBUR has instituted the Minority Scholar Award in strong support of these researchers. The Award will be presented to new to mid-level investigators who have made significant contributions to Urologic Research.

2023 – Omar Franco, MD, PhD
2022
– Alan Lombard, PhD