The UNC Department of Urology played a significant role again this year, at the 2026 American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting, contributing their expertise, time and talents across a wide range of scientific and educational sessions.
The AUA Annual Meeting is one of the specialty’s premier gatherings, bringing together clinicians, researchers, and educators from across the country to share insights and discuss key factors that are shaping the future of urologic care.
As in previous years, UNC Urology was prominently represented throughout the program, with more than a dozen team members presenting research, teaching courses, and moderating or participating in panel discussions. Their contributions spanned key areas of the field—from surgical innovation to cancer care, health services research, and workforce education—reflecting the depth and breadth of the department’s academic mission.
Providing Insights, and Joining the Discussion
UNC faculty played an especially visible role in shaping educational programming, leading courses and discussions designed to advance clinical decision-making and refine surgical techniques.
These sessions created opportunities for experts from across the country to engage with emerging evidence and practical strategies that inform everyday patient care.
In parallel with their on-site contributions to the robust agenda scheduled for the AUA meeting, UNC Urology faculty also served as national thought leaders through a series of interviews with Urology Times, further amplifying the department’s voice in key clinical conversations surrounding the meeting and affecting the field in general.
Helping to Shape the Dialog Regarding Best Practices in Urology
Leading that visibility was UNC Urology Department Chair Matthew Nielsen, MD, MS, FACS, who was featured in a pre-meeting preview highlighting major themes attendees could expect at AUA 2026.
Additional UNC Urology faculty were also featured in Urology Times coverage examining emerging research, clinical debates, and trends across the specialty. Some examples of these stories include:
- Kathryn H. Gessner, MD, PhD, discussing exciting current developments in bladder cancer.
- Mary Beth Westerman, MD, contributing to a discussion on cystectomy versus bladder-sparing therapy.
- Ray Tan, MD, discussing how community engagement drives UNC’s efforts to close prostate cancer care gaps.
-
Members of the UNC Uro Oncology team at AUA Ray Tan, MD, also contributing to national conversations on workforce trends and access challenges discussed alongside AUA Census findings.
- Additional interviews with UNC Urology faculty will be aired in coming weeks.
Together, these activities and interviews help foster a broader national dialogue on the future of urologic care.
We are proud to celebrate our faculty and trainees whose work continues help shape national dialogue on the future of urologic care as well as continually improve care for all urology patients, across North Carolina, and beyond.
