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, University of Texas-Southwestern, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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
Diya Binoy Joseph, Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of UW O’Brien Center Project 2 Co-I Dr. Douglas Strand at UTSW, awarded CAIRIBU 2021 Best Poster Award in the Voiding Category
Congratulations to Dr. Diya Binoy Joseph, Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of UW O’Brien Center Project 2 Co-I Dr. Douglas Strand at UTSW for being awarded a Best Poster Award in the Voiding category at …
December 20, 2021Dr. Jill Macoska, UW O’Brien Center Project 3 PI, awarded NCI grant renewal for “The University of Massachusetts, Boston – Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center U54 Comprehensive Partnership for Cancer Disparities Research”
Congratulations to Dr. Jill Macoska, UW O’Brien Center Project 3 PI, Alton J. Brann Endowed Chair, Distinguished University Professor of Science and Mathematics, Director-Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, Professor of Biological Sciences, at the University of …
December 20, 2021Researchers at the UW O’Brien Center demonstrate that osteopontin is induced by inflammation and prolongs the inflammatory state
In a new publication in International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers at the UW O’Brien Center demonstrate that osteopontin (OPN) is induced by inflammation and prolongs the inflammatory state. Genetic blockade of OPN accelerates recovery …
December 20, 2021Researchers at the UW O’Brien Center, in collaboration with UCSF, UMN, Buck Institute, and Loyola University demonstrate that frailty is associated with BPH
In a new publication in JAMA Network Open, UW O’Brien Center researchers and collaborators demonstrate that frailty is independently associated with greater risk of both clinical BPH progression and serious adverse events. See the full …
December 20, 2021Dr. Matthew Grimes, Assistant Professor (CHS) in the UW-Madison Department of Urology, awarded Best Abstract at the CAIRIBU 2021 Annual Meeting
Congratulations to Dr. Matthew Grimes, Assistant Professor (CHS) in the UW-Madison Department of Urology for being awarded the CAIRIBU 2021 Best Abstract for his work “CD44 Expression is Decreased in Lichen Schlerosus”. Great job, Dr. …
December 20, 2021- More News