Research undertaken at the UW-Madison George M. O’Brien Center for Benign Urology Research is dedicated to improving urologic health in aging men. The center is a multi-site research cooperative between the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Massachusetts-Boston, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Our lobster and cheese insignia reflects the Wisconsin-Massachusetts collaboration.
CURRENT PROJECTS
In addition to building research tools and improving technology for benign urology research, the U54 O’Brien Center for Benign Urologic Research also supports basic science and translational research.
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS
The U54 O'Brien Center for Benign Urologic Research provides funding opportunities, technical resources, and protocols for researchers.
SEMINARS AND EVENTS
Visit our Seminars and Events page for a full list of upcoming and past seminars and events hosted by the O'Brien Center.
MISSION
The O’Brien Centers were established by the NIDDK in 1987 as P50 programs and worked independently. They were converted to the U54 mechanism in 2012 to encourage collaboration between funded centers and sharing with the larger research community with the following mission:
- Support the next generation of urologic researchers by providing meaningful education, support, and mentoring
- Cultivate new research tools and ideas by expanding the collaborative network within and outside of the traditional urologic research field
- Enhance knowledge of mechanisms associated with normal development, function, and disease pathology related to the urinary tract, kidney, and prostate
- Translate knowledge and tools generated from our collaborations to the clinical setting to reduce the burden of benign urologic illness by developing and testing therapies to better treat, manage, and prevent these diseases
GOALS
The goals of the O’Brien Center are to:
- Identify factors that cause urinary dysfunction in aging men
- Build consensus around research approaches to model urinary dysfunction in rodents
- Provide opportunities for established investigators to transition into the field of benign urology
- Secure the future of urologic research by promoting development of the next generation of urologic researchers
- Disseminate urologic research knowledge through seminars, workshops and symposia
OTHER U54 O’BRIEN CENTERS FOR BENIGN UROLOGY RESEARCH
Columbia University George M. O’Brien Urology Center
The Columbia University O’Brien Urology Center brings together research programs in Human Genetics and Mouse models to address the causes of congenital urinary tract malformations.
University of Pittsburgh O’Brien Urology Research Center
The University of Pittsburgh O'Brien Urology Research Center's mission is to identify new targets for developing novel preventative & therapeutic treatment approaches for BPH.
Latest News
Drs. Magda Grabowska, Petra Popovics, and Colleagues Describe the Expression Pattern of NFIB in Prostate Cancer
In a new study, Drs. Magda Grabowska (Case Western Reserve University), Petra Popovics (UW-Madison O’Brien Center), and colleagues describe the expression pattern of NFIB in primary and castration-resistant prostate cancer and its positive correlation with …
August 21, 2020Former SPUUR student Brett Mueller awarded a MSSRP fellowship
Brett Mueller, a former UW O’Brien Center SPUUR student and current M.D. candidate at MCW, was awarded a MSSRP fellowship to investigate multimedia education for pain management. Congratulations, Brett! More information on MSSRP fellowships: https://ctsi.mcw.edu/education/degree-programs/sams/funding/
August 21, 2020Former SPUUR student Lucille Anzia has been accepted to the University of Central Florida College of Medicine!
We are proud to congratulate Lucille Anzia, a former O’Brien Center Summer Program for Undergraduate Urology Research (SPUUR) student, on her acceptance to the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Lucille will be starting …
August 21, 2020A Non-canonical Mechanism for TNKS1 Inhibition Functions to Establish Tissue-Specific Control of the Wnt/β-catenin Pathway
Dr. Douglas Strand (UT-Southwestern) and colleagues describe a non-canonical mechanism for TNKS1 inhibition that functions to establish tissue-specific control of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. See full text here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32698014/
August 21, 2020Klotho Mutant Mice Prove to be a Valuable Premature Aging Model
Exciting new research from Drs. Laura Lamb, Dale Bjorling, and colleagues describes the bladder phenotype of klotho mutant mice and their value as a premature aging model. See full text here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7364365/ https://
August 21, 2020- More News