Established by the 2012-2013 AUA Young Urologists Committee (YUC) Chair, Dr. Michael C. Ost, the Young Urologist of the Year Award is presented annually to select early-career AUA members in recognition of their efforts and commitment to advancing the development of fellow young urologists.
Dr. Tan, alongside seven others also presented with the award this year, were selected by their colleagues who serve on the Young Urologists Committee and endorsed by their respective AUA Section to receive this special honor. Dr. Tan will receive his award alongside the others at the Young Urologists Forum during the 2024 AUA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas later this May.
Past UNC Urology Faculty who have also been named an AUA Young Urologist of the Year include Drs. Matthew Nielsen (2018) and Angela Smith (2020).
“Dr. Tan is an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of North Carolina, where he serves as Director of Urologic Oncology, Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program Director, and Director for Resident and Student Research in the Department of Urology. He is a prolific surgeon-scientist, amassing over $4 million in grants since 2018, and he has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He leads in numerous intramural and extramural service roles, including the AUA Data Committee and AQUA subcommittee, and he was instrumental in launching the new AUA Data Research Program. While his achievements are many, he considers his 2021 Attending of the Year Award from the UNC Urology residents to be his greatest professional honor.”
Read about the other award winners at auanet.org
– American Urological Association
🕵️♀️🕵️♀️🕵️♂️ we spy 🔥🔥🔥🔥 current faculty member @tanray22 & former @UNC_SOM student @k_dagger among these stars
Congratulations to all awardees!! https://t.co/yAAX0emqsq
— Urology@UNC (@UNCurology) March 19, 2024
“Truly honored to receive this award. Incredibly thankful to my wife and daughter, family, friends, colleagues, partners, mentors, trainees, and patients who have taught me along the way. Excited to pay this forward as we work to lessen the burden of urologic disease though clinical excellence, research, and education.”
Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan, MD, MSHPM
Director of Urologic Oncology
Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program Director
Associate Professor of Urology
More About Dr. Tan
Dr. Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan joined UNC Uology in July of 2016 and was recently promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.
Since joining the faculty, Dr. Tan has built up a busy practice within urologic oncology and an exceptionally productive interdisciplinary research program, all while contributing substantially to education and quality improvement missions.
As a urologic oncologist, Dr. Tan specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the urinary tract, including the prostate, bladder, and kidney, and is renowned for his expertise in robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Tan has been consistently recognized by his patients with the Carolina Care Excellence Award as well as by his peers nationally with Best Doctors and Top Doctors recognition.
In recent years, Dr. Tan’s research has been highlighted by some noteworthy funding opportunities. In 2020, Dr. Tan received a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society to elevate visual designs of health information technology to more effectively communicate data to surgeons. In addition, in 2021, Dr. Tan and a team were awarded an Idea Development Award from the United States’ Department of Defense for the study, “Personalizing kidney cancer communication to support patient-centered decision-making.” In this effort, Dr. Tan is leading a multidisciplinary team of faculty experts from across the university in hopes to clarify how patients perceive risk and to foster a better decision-making experience through tailored communication.
Dr. Tan also serves on multiple UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center committees and programs including the UNC Cancer Care Quality Initiative, the Protocol Review Committee, the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, and the Cancer Outcomes Research Program.
In the course of his clinical care and research, Dr. Tan is an exemplary educator. Reflecting his stature in the eyes of learners, Dr. Tan received Attending of the Year recognition in 2021 from residents, a highly coveted honor with stiff competition. He has coordinated the Department of Urology’s medical student and resident research activities since 2018 and led a successful application to establish a fellowship with the Society of Urologic Oncology, for which he currently serves as the Program’s Director.
About the AUA
The American Urological Association was founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland and is the leading advocate for the specialty of urology. With more than 21,000 members throughout the world, the AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.