News Archives | Department of Urology

Dr. Kathryn Gessner has been selected to present her research at the 2026 Early-Career Investigators Showcase (ECIS) during the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Dr. Gessner will present a poster titled “Spatial profiling of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma reveals therapeutic vulnerabilities,” during the ECIS session on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 3:30–5:30 PM ET.

UNC Urology faculty Viprakasit, Schultz, and Pham play key roles in launching a new hands-on AUA training course for Advanced Practice Providers at AUA 2026.

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) office, in partnership with the Raleigh Housing Authority, hosted a Health and Wellness Fair focused on increasing access to cancer education and preventive health services.

From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice – Expanding Bladder Cancer Treatment Options at UNC Urology

UNC Urology continues to expand treatment options for patients with bladder cancer by offering several newly FDA-approved therapies—many of which were previously available through clinical trials conducted at UNC.

UNC Urology’s Dr. David Johnson recently participated in the American Urological Association’s 2026 Advocacy Summit, contributing to a national discussion on the evolving role of value-based care in urology.

Dr. Gessner speaking at the EAU 2026 meeting.

Dr. Kathryn Hacker Gessner recently served as a plenary speaker at the 41st Annual European Association of Urology Congress, one of the largest and most influential gatherings of urologists and researchers in the world.

The UNC Department of Urology has named Dr. David Friedlander as its inaugural Director of Health Services Research. This newly established role reflects a growing recognition across academic medicine that improving how care is delivered is just as critical as the treatments themselves.

We are pleased to share that Dr. Marc Bjurlin has been named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list for the first time.

Drs. Carson and Khera with the 2026 Urology Residents

In February 2026, the Department of Urology proudly hosted the inaugural “UNC Urology Culley C. Carson III, MD Visiting Professorship in Men’s Health,” a new academic tradition created to honor the legacy of one of the department’s most influential leaders while bringing distinguished experts in men’s health to Chapel Hill.

Dr. Minh Nguyen Pham, Assistant Professor of Urology, has been selected to serve as a faculty tutor for the Patient Centered Care (PCC) course within the UNC School of Medicine’s Medical Doctorate curriculum beginning in the Fall 2026 term. Dr. Pham will lead one of these small groups during the Foundation Phase of the medical curriculum, meeting weekly with students as they develop the clinical and professional skills that will shape their future patient care.

UNC Urology is proud to welcome Dr. Renea Sturm, a board-certified pediatric urologist and translational scientist who brings a tradition of working closely with maternal-fetal medicine and pediatric subspecialists to ensure comprehensive, team-based care for infants, children, and adolescents with complex conditions of the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and genital development.

The Department of Urology at the UNC School of Medicine has been designated an official Single-Port (SP) Robotic Surgery Case Observation Site, placing UNC among fewer than 20 programs nationwide to receive this distinction from Intuitive.

Category: News

Dr. Kathryn Gessner Selected for AUA Early-Career Investigators Showcase at 2026 Annual Meeting

UNC Urology Faculty Help Launch New Hands-On AUA Training Course for Advanced Practice Providers at AUA 2026

Raleigh Housing Authority Hosts Health and Wellness Fair with UNC Lineberger COE

Ahead of the Curve: From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice – Expanding Bladder Cancer Treatment Options at UNC Urology

Dr. David Johnson Participates in AUA Advocacy Summit Discussion on Value-Based Care

Dr. Kathryn Hacker Gessner Featured in Plenary Session at the 41st Annual European Association of Urology Congress

Dr. David Friedlander Named Urology’s Inaugural Director of Health Services Research

Dr. Marc Bjurlin Recognized as 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

UNC Urology Launches the Culley C. Carson III, MD Visiting Professorship in Men’s Health

Dr. Minh Pham Selected as Faculty Tutor for UNC School of Medicine’s Patient Centered Care Course

UNC Urology Welcomes Dr. Renea M. Sturm, Pediatric Urologist and Surgeon-Scientist Advancing Reconstructive Innovation

UNC Urology Receives Prestigious Designation as a National “Single-Port Robotic Surgery Observation Site”