A new urologic science centre will be home to six specialized centres, each dedicated to advancing research and clinical care in its specific area of focus.
The M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences launched within the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, according to a Dec. 10 news release. The institute was part of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation's urologic sciences campaign, which saw hundreds of donors raise $65 million in less than two years, and with $20 million of that coming from Mohammad H. Mohseni.
The institute will be home to six specialized centres: the Vancouver Prostate Centre, the Centre for Kidney Stones and Minimally Invasive Surgery, the Centre for Functional Urology and Reconstructive Surgery, the Centre for Kidney Transplantation and Immunology, the Reproductive and Sexual Medicine Centre and the Centre for Adolescent and Transitional Urology.
Urologic diseases, which affect the urinary tract, kidneys, bladder, prostate and reproductive organs, will impact a majority of British Columbians, according to Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. In Canada, health-care costs of urologic diseases exceed $20 billion annually, and prostate cancer, alone, accounts for nearly $900 million.
"This new research institute for urologic sciences will help people with prostate, kidney, pelvic and sexual health concerns receive state-of-the-art care, informed by the latest in medical research. With this investment, British Columbians will benefit from scientific discoveries made within their own province that can improve their urologic health," Vancouver Coastal president Vivian Eliopoulos said.
The hospital foundation's 2024 urologic institute report stated that in 2023/24, there were 15 new trial, 883 patients enrolled in biomarker or data review studies, 165 patients enrolled in therapeutic trials and 11 new preclinical contract research agreements.
"By running clinical trials here in our hometown, the urologic sciences team ensures that B.C. patients are first to benefit from these innovations and do not have to travel out of province to receive the," the report notes.
