Aua Inside Tract

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, Igniting Discovery, Kevin Eisenfrats, CEO of Contraline and 2025 Innovation Nexus Showcase winner, discusses the development of two novel male contraceptives, a daily hormonal gel (NEST) and a long-lasting, reversible implant (ADAM). He shares insights on clinical progress, regulatory strategy, and advice for innovators navigating the urology startup space through the AUA Innovation Nexus program.

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, Dr. Ray Tan speaks with Dr. Emilie Johnson, pediatric urologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, about her work as an inaugural recipient of the Urology Care Foundation Bridge Award, supported by Dornier MedTech. Dr. Johnson discusses how the award is sustaining her implementation science research on equitable newborn circumcision care during a critical funding gap, and how user-centered design and global health frameworks are helping translate research into real-world clinical impact.

Developed by the AUA Residents and Fellows Committee, each episode of the Training Transformed podcast series features an interview with a urology faculty member and resident physician surrounding an innovative facet of resident education at their institution. Tune in for our fourth episode as moderator, Dr. Kayla Graham, chats with Dr. Casey Kowalik and Dr. Emily Elliott from the University of Kansas Medical Center about their unique rural urology rotation at Cameron Medical Center.

In this episode of AUA News Inside Tract, Dr. Mark Gonzalgo, professor of urology at the University of Miami and Chair of the AUA Office of Education, speaks with Dr. Rigoberto Pallares-Mendez, attending urologist at Hospital General Tijuana and Hospital Ángeles Tijuana, about his experience as an AUA Exchange Scholar. Dr. Pallares-Mendez shares his path into urology, his passion for robotic surgery, and insights gained from training in Miami. Together, they explore differences between U.S. and Mexican healthcare systems, the importance of mentorship and systems-based practice, and how global exchange programs help elevate patient care across borders.

Join Drs. Minhaj Siddiqui, Kristen Scarpato, and Chad Ritch as they discuss an exciting opportunity to participate in a national quality improvement project sponsored by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Cancer Programs to improve timely administration of intravesical chemotherapy post-TURBT (TaPT). Time is limited to engage in this opportunity – the intent to participate in the TaPT Quality Improvement Collaborative is due to the ACS by February 15, 2026. To learn more about the opportunity, visit https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer-programs/cancer-qi-programs/tapt-national-quality-improvement-project/ and consider advocating with your institution to participate.

What does it take to turn a clinical idea into a scalable medical device? In this AUANews Insight Tract episode, Dr. Hugo Davila and Dr. Raul Storey of Arcus Medical reflect on their experience as participants in the AUA Innovation Nexus Boot Camp. They explore how Nexus connects physicians, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to help overcome common startup challenges, including FDA pathways, IP protection, reimbursement, and investor engagement. Discover how this physician-driven accelerator is transforming urology innovation and enabling founders to bring their ideas from concept to care.

Developed by the Society of Academic Urologists in partnership with the American Urological Association, the SAU/AUA Urology Match Insider series provides medical students interested in the field of urology an inside look into the Urology Residency Match process. In this episode, medical student, Lola Lozano, sits down with Dr. Sara Lenherr and Dr. Adam Weiner to discuss the power of mentorship, including best practices for students seeking a mentor, key attributes of a successful mentorship relationship, and lessons learned from past mentee-mentor experiences.

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, UPJ's new Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kathleen Kobashi, and Associate Editor, Dr. Gina Badalato, share their vision for the future of Urology Practice. They discuss the journal's unique role in delivering practical, education-focused research, evolving article types, emerging topics like AI, and how readers can engage as authors and reviewers.

Quality Improvement and Patient Safety In this episode, Dr. Kevin Koo joins Dr. Andrew Harris, Chair of AUA's Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) Committee, for a conversation on opioid prescribing practices and patient-reported pain outcomes following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). They discuss the development and implementation of a tailored opioid prescribing algorithm that reduced unnecessary prescriptions, ensured adequate pain management, and highlighted the importance of multimodal analgesia in postoperative care.

Join Josh Webster and Dr. Mark Edney as they break down the AUA's most significant health policy victories of 2025. From the historic removal of the FDA's black box warning on low-dose estrogen to progress on Medicare payment reform, NIH research funding, prior authorization relief, telehealth expansion, and prostate cancer screening advocacy, 2025 was a big year for the AUA. This special AUANews Inside Tract episode brings listeners inside the halls of Congress, highlights the AUA's growing influence in federal and state policy, outlines what's next, and how members can stay engaged as momentum builds for 2026.

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, Census Trends, Dr. Catherine Nam and Dr. Hannah Glick explore key findings from the AUA Census on burnout among urologists, with nearly half reporting symptoms of stress. They discuss unhealthy coping mechanisms, the stigma around seeking mental health care, and how licensure policies may discourage physicians from getting help. The episode also offers actionable steps for physicians, administrators, and policymakers to support well-being and shift the culture around mental health in medicine.

In this episode of Global Perspectives, Dr. Niels Johnsen and Dr. George Koch share their firsthand experiences as AUA Academic Exchange Scholars in India. From clinical insights to cultural discoveries, they reflect on the lessons learned, the surprises encountered, and the lasting impact of international collaboration on their approach to urology.

Developed by the AUA Residents and Fellows Committee, each episode of the Training Transformed podcast series features an interview with a urology faculty member and resident physician surrounding an innovative facet of resident education at their institution. Tune in for our next episode as moderator, Dr. Samuel Ivan, chats with Drs. Philipp Dahm, Lane Shish and Pooja Srikanth about the University of Minnesota's international partnership and exchange program with the University of Helsinki.

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, we celebrate 50 years of research support in urology. Since 1975, the AUA and the Urology Care Foundation have awarded nearly $40 million to over 1,000 researchers, driving innovation and improving care for millions of patients. Host Dr. Damara Kaplan sits down with Dr. Glenn Preminger, a distinguished AUA Research Scholar alumnus and pioneer in kidney stone management and minimally invasive surgery, to reflect on the legacy of AUA research, explore his groundbreaking career, and look ahead to the future of urologic innovation. Independent support for this podcast provided by AstraZeneca.  

In this AUANews Inside Tract episode, Drs. Rachel Rubin and Una Lee take listeners inside the movement that successfully pushed the FDA to eliminate the outdated black box warning on estrogen therapies. They unpack the origins of the warning, the modern evidence that contradicts it, the impact on GSM care, and the powerful role urology played in driving this change. A forward-looking conversation about implementation, education, and the future of hormone-based care.

In this episode of AUANews Inside Tract, join Dr. Kyle A. Richards and Dr. Kathryn Marchetti as they celebrate Bladder Health Month by talking about innovations in bladder cancer. In this conversation, they explore the rapidly evolving landscape of non–muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) — from FDA-approved advances like ZUSDURI (mitomycin gel) to emerging chemoablation therapies, the BCG shortage, and the promise of gene-based treatments for BCG-unresponsive disease. This episode is supported by Natera.

Quality Improvement and Patient Safety In this episode, Dr. Andrew Harris, Chair of AUA's Quality Improvement & Patient Safety (QIPS) Committee, joins Dr. Gregory Auffenberg, Immediate Past Chair of AUA's QIPS Committee, for a conversation about why health care quality should matter to everyone, how the urology community can take meaningful steps towards driving improvement and what quality looks like in different care settings. They also introduce QIPS Insights, a new podcast series that will highlight real-world patient safety and quality improvement projects through interviews with project leads about how they got started, lessons learned, and what worked well.

Karen Johnson, AUA's Director of Quality and Measurement, speaks with Dr. Matthew Nielsen, Chair of the AUA's Science & Quality Council, and Dr. David Penson, AUA's Secretary, to discuss the AUA's National Quality Agenda and Strategies for Urologic Practice. Together, they provide an overview of the Agenda, explore its significance for both the organization and the field of urology, and explain why it matters to every practicing urologist.

In the fourth and final episode of the Quality Improvement (QI) Project Guide series, Drs. Julia Finkelstein and Robert Marcovich join Dr. Andrew Harris, Chair of AUA's Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) Committee, for a conversation on acting on the results of and sustaining a QI project. They discuss how to interpret your results of an intervention, decide your next step, and create a realistic plan for sustaining and spreading successful QI interventions.

In the third episode of the four-part Quality Improvement (QI) Project Guide series, Dr. Justin Ziemba joins Dr. Andrew Harris, Chair of AUA's Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) Committee, for a conversation on implementing and studying a QI project. They discuss what happens when you test a QI intervention in a real-world setting and what you should look for when monitoring the intervention.