Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology
The CAIRIBU Collaboration Award supports short-term, novel, high-risk, non- malignant urologic research. The April application deadline saw a record number of applications. Based on reviewers’ comments and NIDDK Program Officers’ review, 3 awards were offered. Each award provides up to $120,000 total costs for one year. The 2026 recipients are: 1) Nicole Gilbert, PhD – …
What began as a conversation between investigators during a CAIRIBU K12 Scholar Seminar evolved into a collaborative center addressing one of benign urology research’s biggest challenges: understanding how different experimental models can better represent benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract dysfunction. Since its inception, the P20 FORWARD Center at Endeavor Health has exemplified …
The Duke K12 Urologic Research Career Development Program hosted its 11th Annual Multidisciplinary Benign Urology Research Symposium on April 17th, 2026. Under the leadership of Drs. Cindy Amundsen, Friederike Jayes, and Rebecca Kameny, the Duke KURe program recruits talented clinical, translational and basic science researchers from diverse disciplines who are interested in building an independent …
Alison Huang, MD, MAS, PI of the University of California San Francisco KUroEpi program, has been appointed Editor in Chief of JAMA+ Trials, a new online platform that highlights the vision, innovation, and resilience of clinical trial research. Dr. Huang shares her vision for the new journal: “JAMA+ Trials celebrates every trial across the JAMA …
Maria Hadjifrangiskou, PhD, PI of the prior P20 Exploratory Center at Vanderbilt University, recently published an exciting new article about uropathogen evolution in spina bifida patients. The article, titled, “Unmasking pathogen traits for chronic colonization in neurogenic bladder,” discusses how small genomic changes over time lead to pathogen persistence and, ultimately, chronic colonization of the …
Kristina Penniston, PhD, RD, PI of the CAIRIBU Interactions Core, is co-directing a symposium for the Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR) to be held at the American Urological Association’s (AUA) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The symposium will take place on Friday, May 15th, 2026, from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. It will highlight foundational and …
Pei Zhong, PhD, PI of the Duke University FORWARD Urology Center, has spent his career researching how to optimize laser lithotripsy treatment. The following excerpt from a recently published article highlights Dr. Zhong’s groundbreaking work. “Zhong first encountered kidney stone treatment, or lithotripsy, while attending graduate school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center …
Seth Reasoner recently completed his MD-PhD at Vanderbilt University. Since then, he has continued his engagement with CAIRIBU and credits his CAIRIBU Community engagement as a transformative experience that strengthened his collaborative network and contributed to his professional development.
A recent article in Knowable Magazine, a nonprofit publisher that synthesizes and integrates scientific news and publications for the general public, featured several CAIRIBU-affiliated investigators, including Indira Mysorekar, PhD (previously at Baylor College of Medicine and now at Penn State College of Medicine), Hanneke Verstegen, PhD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School), and Aaron Mickle, PhD (Medical College …
Christina Bergemann, PhD, was recently appointed as a K12 Scholar in the CAIRIBU Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research Career Development Program (KURe) at Duke University, led by Cindy Amundsen, MD. Duke’s KURe Program is a K12 Institutional Career Development Grant that provides scholars with career development training and support to develop the skills necessary to become …
