34th Annual International Prostate Cancer Update

Researcher-physician E. David Crawford, MD, has devoted his career in medicine to educating the public about men’s health issues and finding effective techniques and procedures to address prostate cancer, the most common malignancy affecting men in the United States. He is currently a Professor of Urology and Jack A. Vickers Director of Prostate Research at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Crawford received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and his postgraduate training included an internship and residency in urology at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. He subsequently completed a genitourinary cancer fellowship at the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Crawford is an internationally recognized expert in benign prostate hypertrophy, urologic cancers, and in particular, prostate cancer. He has conducted research in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and other areas of urological infections and malignancies. He has authored or coauthored over 810 scientific articles, has published seven textbooks, authored over 60 book chapters, and provided more than 2,200 educational talks for patients and physicians. In an effort to raise public awareness about prostate health, Crawford in 1989 founded the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC). The non-profit organization is comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists, and men’s health advocates. PCEC’s advocacy for free or low-cost prostate screening has affected the lives of millions of American men. He currently chairs the PCEC. Crawford is an active member of many national and international organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Urological Association (AUA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Within the AUA, he has been a member of the Committee to Study Urologic Research Funding and the prostate cancer clinical trials subcommittee. Crawford served on the board of governors, the scientific advisory board of the Southwest Oncology Group, and was chairman of the Genitourinary Cancer Committee for 27 years. This group is the largest clinical trials group in the world. Crawford’s involvement in the national prostate cancer arena has been widely recognized. He has received many honors and awards, including the CAP Cure Annual Award for Scientific Presentation in 1999 In 1997, he was presented with a ‘Freddie Award” at the AMA International Health and Medical Film Competition for the program, ITV: The Cutting Edge Medical Report (Prostate Cancer: Understanding, Diagnosing, and Defeating), which Crawford hosted with special guest, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf. Crawford again won a prestigious ‘Freddie Award” five years ago. He is a member of Best Doctors of America and was named Healthcare Provider of the Year in the Denver Metro area by the Denver Business Journal. He has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors of America for the past two decades and is recognized as one of the top 20 urologists in the country, for men, by Men’s Health Magazine. In 2018 he received the honor of being named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. In May of 2019, he received the Presidential citation from the American Urological Association recognizing for his “tireless role in genitourinary cancer research that has benefited countless urologic cancer patients.” He accepted the position of Editor in Chief of Grand Rounds in Urology in June of 2019. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Merle Stringer, M.D. annual award for excellence in medicine by the Florida State Medical Association.

John Elway, the iconic former American football quarterback, is best known for his illustrious 16-year career in the NFL. Before rising to NFL prominence, Elway showcased exceptional talent in both football and baseball at Stanford University, ultimately becoming the #1 pick in the 1983 pro football draft. Elway’s enduring impact on the NFL was most evident during his tenure with the Denver Broncos. Serving as the team’s quarterback and later as the Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager, he played a pivotal role in the Broncos’ success, winning a combined three Super Bowl Championships. As a player, his exceptional skills, marked by a powerful arm and unwavering composure, propelled the Broncos to five Super Bowl appearances, clinching victories in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII. He captured Super Bowl 50 as the General Manager.

Off the field, Elway has been equally successful, as an entrepreneur. He has been in the automotive business for nearly 40 years, currently owning six different Elway dealerships, as well as several successful motorsports stores. He currently has four restaurants in Colorado which bear his name. And for good measure, he owns 7Cellars, a rapidly growing wine company.  He has made significant philanthropic contributions, particularly in supporting prostate cancer research and awareness programs. His legacy as a versatile athlete, strategic football executive, entrepreneur, and compassionate humanitarian continues to inspire generations.

David M. Albala, MD, graduated with a geology degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He completed his medical school training at Michigan State University and went on to complete his surgical residency at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Following this, Dr. Albala was an endourology fellow at Washington University Medical Center under the direction of Ralph V. Clayman. He practiced at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago and rose from the ranks of Instructor toProfessor in Urology and Radiology in eight years. Ten years later, he became a tenured Professor at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. At Duke, he was Co-Director of the Endourology Fellowship and Director for the Center of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urological Surgery. He has over 247 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has authored three textbooks in endourology and seven in general urology. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Robotic Surgery. Dr. Albala serves on the editorial board for Medical Reviews in Urology, Current Opinions in Urology, and Urology Index and Reviews. He serves as a reviewer for eight surgical journals. He is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Urology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. In addition, he was ranked among the top 2% of urologists in the world by a Stanford University study done in May 2021.

At the present time, Dr. Albala is Chief of Urology at Crouse Hospital and a member of Associated Medical Professionals in Syracuse, New York. He is considered a national and international authority in laparoscopic and robotic urological surgery and has been an active teacher in this area for over 20 years. His research and clinical interests have focused on robotic urological surgery. His other clinical interests include minimally invasive treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), biomarkers in prostate cancer, and the use of fibrin sealants in surgery. He has been a Visiting Professor at numerous institutions across the United States as well internationally in multiple countries including India, China, Iceland, Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and Singapore. In addition, he has done operative demonstrations in over 32 countries and 23 states. He has trained 19 fellows in endourology and advanced robotic surgery.

In addition, Dr. Albala is a past White House Fellow who acted as a special assistant to Federico Pena, Secretary of Transportation, on classified and unclassified public health related issues.

Wayne G. Brisbane, MD, is an assistant professor of urology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Brisbane received his undergraduate degree from Seattle Pacific University and his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery and residency in urology at the University of Washington. He also served as a research fellow for the Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound. Dr. Brisbane completed his fellowship in urologic oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

His research includes advanced prostate cancer imaging with micro-ultrasound, MRI, and PSMA PET scans. Dr. Brisbane is particularly interested in using advanced imaging to guide prostate cancer focal therapy. He was awarded the prestigious Prostate Cancer Foundation Young-Investigator Award for his work involving micro-ultrasound.

Dr. Brisbane is involved in multiple clinical trials, including new treatment energies for prostate cancer focal therapy including use of the NanoKnife System (irreversible electroporation), HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound), and cryoablation. Dr. Brisbane is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), American Urologic Association (AUA), American College of Surgeons (ACS), Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), and Society of Urologic Oncology Clinical Trials Consortium (SUO-CTC).

Sigrid V. Carlsson, MD, PhD, MPH, is Director of Clinical Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s (MSKCC) Josie Robertson Surgery Center and Assistant Attending Epidemiologist, with dual appointments in MSKCC’s Departments of Surgery (Urology Service) and Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her line of research focuses on screening and early detection of prostate cancer, including multiplex testing and risk-stratified strategies that incorporate clinical information, biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging, as recently funded by an NIH/NCI U01 award (PI: Carlsson).

Dr. Carlsson also serves as Associate Professor of Experimental Urology affiliated with the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, in Sweden, where she is an investigator of two large randomized controlled trials of prostate cancer screening (GOTEBORG-1&2), as recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Hugosson J, et al. N Engl J Med 2022). In addition, Dr. Carlsson is Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Translational Medicine in the Division of Urological Cancers in the Medical Faculty at Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Dr. Carlsson recently completed a K22 career development award from the NIH/NCI to improve shared decision-making for breast and prostate cancer screening. She serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and is a panel member for the American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines for early detection of prostate cancer. Before pursuing postdoctoral studies in urologic oncology at MSKCC, Dr. Carlsson was a physician in Sweden. She earned her MD and PhD from Gothenburg University in Sweden and earned an MPH from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.

Peter K. F. Chiu, MBChB, PhD (Erasmus), FRCSEd (Urol), graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and obtained a fellowship in urology from the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He received post-graduate training in prostate cancer research and andrology in the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and obtained a PhD degree in prostate cancer diagnosis. Dr. Chiu is an Associate Professor in the Division of Urology in CUHK. He is the current President of the Hong Kong Urological Association (HKUA).

Dr. Chiu’s clinical practice and research focus is on prostate cancer, including prostate cancer screening, diagnosis with novel biomarkers (prostate health index, urine spermine), MRI-guided targeted prostate biopsy, and focal therapy. He utilizes HIFU, Cryotherapy, and Targeted microwave ablation (TMA) as focal therapy for prostate cancer. He also has special interest in managing patients with advanced prostate cancer with novel treatment options.

Dr. Chiu is a member of the prostate cancer working group of the European Association of Urology (EAU) Young Academic Urologists, and a council member of the Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU) Academic Research Council and SIU Scientific Program Committee. He is a board member of the Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and editorial board member of the Asian Journal of Andrology and the International Journal of Urology. Dr. Chiu is also an associate editor for Frontiers in Surgery (Genitourinary Surgery) and Grand Rounds in Urology.

Matthew R. Cooperberg, MD, MPH, is Professor of Urology and Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Helen Diller Family Chair in Urology at the University of California, San Francisco. He earned an undergraduate degree in English from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, before pursuing his MD from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Cooperberg also earned an MPH with a concentration in Health Policy from the Yale School of Epidemiology and Public Health. He joined the faculty at UCSF in 2009, and was named a professor there in 2018.

Dr. Cooperberg’s clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of genitourinary malignancies, as well as minimally-invasive techniques to treat benign and malignant diseases. His research focus is prostate cancer, and in this area he is particularly interested in health services, risk assessment and biomarkers, comparative effectiveness of treatments, and decision support and survivorship. He is also interested in care disparities and in looking at prostate cancer as an international disease.

Dr. Cooperberg has written over 400 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is an investigator on several ongoing federal grants. He has won the Young Investigator Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the American Urological Association Gold Cystoscope Award, and was also named Young Urologist of the Year in 2015. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Urological Association and the Society for Urologic Oncology.

John W. Davis, MD, is a Professor of Urology and Director of the Urosurgical Prostate Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He received his BS in Biology at Davidson College in North Carolina in 1990. He then went on to earn his medical degree at the University of Virginia in 1994 and completed his residency training at Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine in Norfolk. Dr. Davis had fellowship training in prostate cancer research in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and received an American Foundation of Urologic Disease Scholar award for proteomic applications in prostate cancer biomarkers. He completed a Clinical Fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a Fellowship in Laparoscopic Urology at Charité Hospital in Berlin, Germany, under the mentorship of Ingolf Tuerk.

Dr. Davis’ clinical interests include patients with urologic cancers, laparoscopic/robotic surgery, and general urology. His academic interests include quality of life after prostate cancer treatment, outcomes for robotic radical prostatectomy, high-risk prostate cancer trials, active surveillance for prostate cancer, and development of robotic surgical techniques for invasive bladder cancer. He has participated as an investigator in several Southwest Oncology Group and industry-sponsored clinical trials.

Dr. Davis is board-certified by the American Board of Urology and is a member of several professional organizations, including the Society of Urologic Oncology, the Endourology Society, the Society of Robotic Surgeons, the Société Internationale d’Urologie, and the American Urological Association. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. His leadership positions in professional societies have included President of the Young Urologic Oncologists (2003-2005) and President of the Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons (2010-2012). He is the Treasurer for the South Central Section of the AUA, as well as the Online Content Editor for the AUA. His peer-reviewed publication involvement is highlighted by his role as Associate Editor for Urologic Oncology for the British Journal of Urology International.

Evan R. Goldfischer, MD, MBA, FACS, is a urologist and Director of the Research Department at Premier Medical Group in Poughkeepsie, New York. He received his BA from Tufts University and his MD from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his Internship in General Surgery and his Residency in Urology at the University of Chicago. He then completed a Fellowship in Endourology under the direction of Arthur Smith at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Dr. Goldfischer received his MBA from the University of Massachusetts and is a Certified Physician Executive. He is the Founder and Chair of the Board of Premier Cares Foundation, which aims to support and educate individuals who are unable to address significant issues like prostate and colon cancer. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed abstracts and publications and has lectured on six continents. Dr. Goldfischer has served as the Chair of the Advanced Prostate Cancer Expert Panel for the Public Education Council of the Urology Care Foundation, which is the official foundation of the AUA. He was elected to the LUGPA Board of Directors in 2014 and was elected Secretary of LUGPA in November 2018. Dr. Goldfischer was elected President of LUGPA in 2022 and still serves in that role.

Jason M. Hafron, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Clinical Research at Michigan Institute of Urology. He is a professor of urology at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Oakland University in Royal Oak, and is experienced in all areas of adult urology.

Dr. Hafron received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loyola University Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine. He then completed his General Surgery and Urology Residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, and continued his training as a Fellow in Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute.

Dr. Hafron has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on topics related to his expertise and has presented his work at many national and international scientific meetings. He is on the editorial board of the International Urology and Nephrology journal, Urology Times, and Urologists in Cancer Care.

He previously served on the Board of Directors of the United Physicians Organization and currently serves on the Board of Directors for LUGPA.

Richard G. Harris, MD, is a board-certified urologist with expertise in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer and health policy. He obtained his BA cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He then completed a year of graduate work in biological science at the University of Illinois in Chicago, followed by medical school at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. He completed residency training in general surgery and urology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Harris has been involved in clinical drug development and research on over 70 drug trials and has also been on the advisory board for several pharmaceutical companies. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors of LUGPA and is LUGPA’s President. He is a founding member, CEO, and President of UroPartners, LLC, the largest group of urologists in the Midwest.

Dr. Harris is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology at the Loyola University Medical Center. His area of interest is urology and his specialty is advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Harris is also interested in BPH, sexual dysfunction, and kidney stone disease. Dr. Harris is one of the few urologists skilled in cryotherapy for prostate cancer.

Brian T. Helfand, MD, PhD, is Chief of the Division of Urology and the Ronald L. Chez Family and Richard Melman Family Endowed Chair at NorthShore University HealthSystem. He is Director of the Personalized Prostate Program and Director of Clinical Research in the Program for Personalized Cancer Care (PPCC). He is also an active surgical scientist who is involved in the care of patients with prostate cancer. His clinical care and research is focused on the implementation of genetic tests and biomarker studies for prostate cancer.

Dr. Helfand completed his undergraduate degree at Emory University. He received his medical training and PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics from Northwestern University. He is a fellowship-trained urologic oncologist who has focused his research career on prostate cancer. He was recruited in 2011 from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, where he was faculty in the Department of Urology. Dr. Helfand is an internationally-known urologist and genomic translational researcher. He has received multiple grants from the NIH and has published over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals such as Nature Genetics, The Journal of Cell Biology, and Science Translational Medicine.

Dr. Helfand is involved in national and international research collaborations as an active member of the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG), the Prostate Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), the IMPACT) study, and the Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN). His current research goals are focused on germline genetic variations and mutations. He is determined to use this information to assist in personal and informed clinical decision making about prostate cancer screening and treatment for patients and their family members.

Mara R. Holton, MD, is chief executive officer (CEO) and president of AAUrology, a 30-provider urology group in Annapolis, Maryland. As LUGPA’s chair of health policy and a board member, she has been actively engaged in political advocacy and all health policy efforts involving statutory and regulatory issues, from annual commentary regarding CMS fee schedules to Stark reform legislation as well as pharmacy and drug benefit reform.

Dr. Holton is also engaged in state-level advocacy through the Maryland independent physician lobbying arm, the Maryland Patient Care and Access Coalition (MPCAC), where she has been involved in multiple issues, including delivery of radiation services, state Stark reform, and outpatient surgery center provision of care and reimbursement. Recently, Dr. Holton has been engaged in ongoing investigations into the clinical validity and utility of urology-related genetic and NAAT testing in order to establish commentary and recommendations for Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for MACs. Dr. Holton graduated from Temple University School of Medicine in 2001 and received her surgical and urology training at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Stephen B. Howell, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California (UC), San Diego. He previously served as Co-Leader of the Solid Tumor Therapeutics Program of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and Director of the Cancer Therapeutics Training Program. Dr. Howell earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He completed a fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Dr. Howell is a medical oncologist and pharmacologist. His work focuses on the development of novel drugs and drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer, as well as on the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the development of drug resistance. Dr. Howell has authored over 360 peer-reviewed research papers. He conducted much of the early pharmacokinetic information and clinical trials work on intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer. His laboratory has contributed significantly to the current understanding of how tumor cells become resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. His laboratory now focuses on the development of novel non-antibody protein therapeutics that uniquely target stem cells using naturally occurring ligands of stem cell receptors.

Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS, is Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of California (UC), San Diego School of Medicine. He is also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UC San Diego Health Physician Group and Professor of Urology at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Kane is on the Executive Governing Board of UC San Diego Health Sciences and the Executive Committee of UC San Diego’s Clinical Integration Network. In addition, he is the president of the Western Section American Urological Association (AUA) and trustee of the American Board of Urology (ABU).

Dr. Kane is an internationally recognized expert in prostate cancer and kidney cancer epidemiology, risk stratification, and outcomes after treatment. He completed his urology residency at Oakland Naval Hospital and UC San Francisco. Dr. Kane earned his medical degree at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and his BS degree in mechanical engineering at UC Davis. From 2009 to 2016, he was Co-Chair of the Renal Cell Carcinoma Advisory Task Force, National Cancer Institute. Dr. Kane is on the AUA guidelines in prostate cancer committee and was elected to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) in 2014. In 2017 Dr. Kane was elected to the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons (GSGUS). He was selected as a “Top Doctor” in San Diego in 2008-2022. In 2010, he was selected as one of two Physician Healthcare Champions in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal and was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal by UC Davis in 2011. Dr. Kane is a retired Navy Captain and a decorated veteran of Desert Storm. He has authored over 370 publications and book chapters, primarily on prostate cancer risk factors and outcomes, prostate cancer surgery, and minimally invasive surgery for prostate and kidney cancer.

Ronald P. Kaufman, Jr., MD, is Professor of Urology in the department of Urology at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Additionally, he was the interim chair of urology when the division was in a period of transition. He attended Trinity College, followed by medical school at George Washington University. After completing his urology residency at Duke University under the direction of David Paulson, he joined the faculty at Albany Medical College and was promoted from assistant professor to professor of urology. As a result of his extensive oncology training and interest, Dr. Kaufman developed a practice concentrating in general urologic oncology and currently focuses on renal oncology, both open and robotic.

Dr. Kaufman was a member of the inaugural American Urological Association (AUA) Leadership Program in 2004 and became a member of the AUA Coding and Reimbursement Committee in 2005. He then chaired the AUA Coding and Reimbursement Committee for eight years. In addition, he was a consultant to the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel from 2008 to 2017 and the AUA advisor to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel from 2017 to 2021. Dr. Kaufman was an active member of the Public Policy Council for many years and the AUA State Advocacy Committee from 2017 to 2021. He has been a member of the executive committee of the New York State Urological Society since 2003 and served as its president from 2014 to 2016. Additionally, Dr. Kaufman has been active in the Northeastern Section of the AUA, serving as secretary from 2010 to 2014, president from 2015 to 2016, and a board member for many years.

Phillip J. Koo, MD, is the Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to this, he was Chief of Nuclear Medicine and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Koo completed his transitional internship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Presbyterian and his radiology residency at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his fellowship at the Harvard Medical School Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Koo is a diplomate of both the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM). His academic interests have focused on PET imaging in prostate cancer, response to novel therapies using PET, and data-driven motion correction. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to imaging and radiopharmaceutical based therapies in prostate cancer. In 2022, Dr. Koo was the recipient of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Presidential Distinguished Service Award.

Francisco G. La Rosa, MD, FCAP, serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and is a distinguished member of the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology, Dr. La Rosa specializes in genitourinary, renal, and heart pathology, and is recognized as an expert in pathology informatics.

Dr. La Rosa actively engages in clinical practice, research, and education with over 100 publications in refereed journals. His dedication to teaching is evident through the creation of several websites dedicated to the education of pathology.

Dr. La Rosa holds memberships in several national and international organizations, including the College of American Pathologists, American Urological Association, Peruvian American Medical Association, and Catholic Medical Association. His research involvement extends to collaboration on various research grants in genitourinary pathology, and he serves as a member and study coordinator at the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), Genitourinary Committee. Notably, he collaborates closely with Drs. E. David Crawford and Priya N. Werahera on cutting-edge technology for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate and urinary cancers.

As a Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado, Dr. La Rosa imparts his knowledge to medical students, as well as pathology residents and fellows. His commitment to excellence in teaching has earned him several recognitions.

Beyond national borders, Dr. La Rosa is recognized as an Honorary Professor at the Medical School Hipolito Unanue, National University “Federico Villarreal,” in Lima, Peru. He is also the co-founder and current Administrator of the “Asociación Iberoamericana de Telesalud y Telemedicina (AITT)” and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the international journal “Revista de la AITT (ISSN 2411-3840).” Additionally, he serves on several international scientific committees and editorial boards of scientific journals, further contributing to the global advancement of pathology.

Arturo Mendoza-Valdés, MD, attended medical school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. He completed a residency in urology at the Instituto Nacional de Nutrición “Salvador Zubirán” (INNSZ), also in Mexico City. Dr. Mendoza-Valdés has served as a staff member (1987-2000) and Chief of the Urology Department (1988-1996) at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico. He is currently a Professor in the Urology Residency Program at INNSZ.

Dr. Mendoza-Valdés is a former President of the Mexican Urological Association, as well as a former President of the SCS-AUA. In 1998, he and other Mexican urologists founded the Mexican Urologic Oncology Association, where he served as its President 2001-2003 and has served as Scientific Committee Chairman to this day.

Dr. Mendoza-Valdés has organized 28 International Symposiums of Urologic Oncology in Mexico. He was a member of the scientific committee of the SIU from 1999 to 2013. He is a Co-Founder of the WUOF (World Urologic Oncology Federation) and has been a member of its steering committee since 2004. He has been a member of the Clinical Practice Guidelines of the AUA (2010-2013), and a member of the Urologic Diagnostic and Therapeutic Imaging Committee (2010 to 2016). Dr. Mendoza-Valdés has also been a member of the SUO (Society of Urologic Oncology) since 2013. In 2012, he became Honorary Member of the EAU, and in 2019 Honorary Member of the AUA. He has participated in 3 ICUD panels on prostate cancer and one on penile cancer. He is a member of the editorial board of the CJU. Dr. Mendoza-Valdés has served as faculty at the International Prostate Cancer Update (IPCU) many times.

David S. Morris, MD, FACS, graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University and earned his doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Morris completed his residency training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a special research interest in genetics that predict the aggressiveness of prostate and bladder cancers. He authored and co-authored multiple scientific papers throughout his training and has presented research findings at regional and national meetings. He helps coordinate the genitourinary cancers program at Urology Associates’ Advanced Therapeutics Center as well as the Urology Associates Clinical Trials Program.

Kshitij Pandit, MBBS, is a visiting research scholar in Urology at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Pandit earned his medical degree from the Dr. R.N.Cooper government hospital in Mumbai, India. He aspires to pursue a career in Urology and is passionate about Urologic Oncology and Healthcare Sustainability. Dr. Pandit is excited to share his insights on prostate cancer from the perspective of a doctor who has recently graduated from India.

Dr. Peter F. Orio III, DO, MS, is Vice Chair of Network Operations for the Dana Farber Brigham Cancer Centers in Boston, Massachusetts. He also serves as the Director of Prostate Brachytherapy for the Dana Farber Brigham Cancer Centers and is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Orio earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology/Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross, his Master’s of Science in Public Health from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Orio served in the US Army as Assistant Chief of Radiation Oncology at Brooke Army Medical Center, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Orio is active in the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), focusing his efforts on the advancement of brachytherapy for prostate cancer and the socioeconomics of medicine.

Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA, is the Bing Professor of Urology and Molecular Biology and Director of the Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is currently the Principal Investigator of UCLA’s SPORE (Specialized Program in Research Excellence) program, a $12 million research grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop new diagnostic and treatment options for men with prostate cancer. Dr. Reiter’s clinical interests include robotic surgical management of prostate cancer and the use of both MRI and molecular imaging tools to manage this disease. His research is focused on the development of novel antibodies for both treatment and imaging of prostate cancer, as well as on the role of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in castration and treatment resistance. Dr. Reiter completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University and earned his medical degree at Stanford University Medical School.

Peter J. Rossi, MD, a certified radiation oncologist, is associated with the Calaway – Young Cancer Center at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Holding a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, he completed his internship and residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Rossi was formerly an associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine and the medical director of oncology at Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He brings over 25 years of clinical experience to his practice. His numerous publications highlight his commitment to improving quality of life outcomes and showcase innovative approaches in brachytherapy, radiation therapy, and multidisciplinary care for prostate cancer. Actively contributing to a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Rossi is devoted to delivering exceptional care to cancer patients.

Jeffrey M. Spier, MD, is the president of Rio Grande Urology (RGU) in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Spier earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, where he also completed general surgery and urology residency training.

Dr. Spier has overseen tremendous growth of RGU, which was founded in 2008 and serves West Texas and Southern New Mexico. RGU is the largest private practice physician group in the region, with 23 providers, five offices, and two radiation centers, employing over 250 staff in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Under Dr. Spier’s leadership, RGU continues to expand with the formation of the Rio Grande Cancer Specialists (RGCS), providing radiation therapy, and the RGCS Advanced Prostate Cancer, a center of excellence for clinical research with ongoing expansion into other genitourinary oncologic conditions. RGU is committed to serving the urologic and oncologic needs of patients, providing state of the art and compassionate care. 

Dr. Spier is board certified by the American Board of Urology and is a member of the American Urological Association (AUA) and South Central Section of the AUA. He currently serves as an officer for the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA) in the position of secretary. He has served on multiple committees for LUGPA and is the current chair of the Membership Committee. Dr. Spier is also the president of the El Paso County Medical Society, board member of the University of Texas at Galveston Alumni Board of Trustees, and has served on the board of the Texas Urological Society.

Nelson N. Stone, MD, is Professor of Urology, Radiation Oncology, and Oncological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and chief medical officer at Viomerse, Inc.

Dr. Stone earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1979. He completed a Residency in General Surgery in 1981 at the University of Maryland, followed by a Residency in Urology at the University of Maryland. He then completed a Fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a Research Fellowship in Biochemical Endocrinology at Rockefeller University in 1986. He was Chief of Urology at Elmhurst Hospital Queens from 1986-1996.

Dr. Stone has founded several medical companies and serves on the editorial board of many scientific journals. He is a member of many professional societies, including the Prostate Conditions Education Council, the Society for Minimally Invasive Therapy, the New York State Urological Society, the American Association of Clinical Urologists, and the American Urologic Association. Dr. Stone has participated in approximately 25 research studies on prostate cancer and has authored more than 500 articles, abstracts, and book chapters, primarily on prostate cancer. He invented the real-time technique for prostate brachytherapy in 1990 and has trained more than 5,000 physicians worldwide through his company ProSeed. His most recent company, Viomerse, creates synthetic body parts (phantoms) for surgical training and has recently released an extended reality remote training platform.

Priya N. Werahera, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor (Retired) in the Departments of Pathology and Bioengineering at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He received his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1994. His main research interests are biomedical imaging, optical spectroscopy, bioinstrumentation, computer modeling, and nanotechnologies for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Dr. Werahera is a renowned leader in clinical translational research in prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy with over 30 years of experience. He developed a novel computer algorithm and methodology to create equivalent 3D computer models of human prostate specimens. One of his major accomplishments is the proof-of-concept work on template-guided transperineal mapping biopsy protocol to identify low-risk prostate cancer patients. Additionally, Dr. Werahera led a team of investigators that measured prostate tumor growth rates in humans to find out whether there is a difference in growth rates of latent versus aggressive prostate cancer, proving that maximum tumor doubling times of latent and prostate tumors are not significantly different, as was previously thought.

Dr. Werahera has prototyped a minimally invasive 16g optical biopsy needle capable of diagnosing prostate cancer with very high sensitivity and specificity by inserting an optical sensor at the tip of a biopsy needle (US patent). Additionally, he is the Chief Science Officer (CSO) and Consultant of PreView Medical Inc., a startup company which has licensed this technology and is working on development of ClariCore Optical Biopsy System™ for real-time diagnosis of prostate cancer. Dr. Werahera has written over 60 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications. He is a Senior Life Member of the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).