Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology

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CAIRIBU AT AUA 2025

Many CAIRIBU-associated investigators and trainees participated in this year's American Urological Association meeting. GO HERE for a list of events featuring CAIRIBU Community investigators.

Additionally, CAIRIBU Community leaders Jill Macoska, PhD (University of Massachusetts Boston and project leader of the UW-Madison U54 George M. O'Brien Urology Center) and Indira Mysorekar, PhD (Baylor College of Medicine and PI of a prior CAIRIBU P20 Urology Center while at Washington University) organized the half-day basic science symposium. The topic was "Inflammaging." Speakers addressed aging-associated processes in systemic inflammation, immune system dysfunction, and hormonal imbalances that adversely affect lower urinary tract health and function.

AUA Presidential Citations were received by William Ricke, PhD, PI of the University of Wisconsin-Madison George M. O'Brien Urology Cooperative Research Center and Kristina Penniston, PhD, RD, PI of the CAIRIBU Interactions Core.

CAIRIBU COMPASS

The CAIRIBU Compass is a quarterly online

journal supporting the broader urology research community and providing visibility to urology research

The inaugural issue is HERE. This issue of the CAIRIBU Compass features full-text abstracts presented at the 2025 winter meeting of the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) by CAIRIBU-associated trainees and early-stage investigators. Abstracts are from:

• Osvaldo Vega Rodriguez and Ashika Goel, Michigan State University (mentor, Nathan Tykocki, PhD)
• Samuel Cornelius, University of Texas at Dallas (mentor, Nicole De Nisco, PhD)
• Giulia Ippolito, MD, MS, University of Michigan, CAIRIBU K12 UroEpi Program (PIs, Aruna Sarma, PhD and Quentin Clemens, MD)
• Jennifer Yarger, PhD, University of California San Francisco CAIRIBU K12 UroEpi Program (PI, Alison Huang, MD)

Other articles in this Compass include:

• Summary of the 2024 CAIRIBU Annual Meeting
• Summary of the 2024 CAIRIBU Summer Collaborative Research Summit
• Synopsis of the January 2025 virtual CAIRIBU Urobiome Research Interest Group knowledge exchange

View online: CAIRIBU Compass, April 2025

YOUR abstract or article could be featured in the next issue, July 2025; contact the CAIRIBU Interactions Core to find out more

CAIRIBU MEETING 2025

The 2025 CAIRIBU meeting is Wednesday-Friday, December 3-5 on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Stay tuned for more info.



MAY CAIRIBU EVENTS

ARCTICS = Advancing the Research Capacity of Trainees

and Investigators at Early Career Stages

CAIRIBU-affiliated trainees and early-stage investigators meet each year to develop ideas for ARCTICS forums, all aimed at building skills, increasing knowledge, and boosting trainees' abilities to plan and develop independent careers in genitourinary research. Forums are every month, 2nd Wednesdays.

Join CAIRIBU trainees and early-stage investigators for an interactive installment of a multi-part ARCTICS Community forum series on data science

The Wednesday, May 14 session, led again by Dr. Finn Kuusisto, Data Scientist in the University of Wisconsin Data Science Institute, will feature interactive group learning activities tailored to different skill levels, with breakout rooms for beginners and more advanced participants. Engaging exercises will introduce key coding concepts in Python and SQL.

The prior three data science CAIRIBU ARCTICS Community forums were recorded and are available on the CAIRIBU YouTube channel HERE.

1:00 PM Eastern (12 PM Central | 10 AM Pacific)

Zoom link to join available HERE

Monthly, 3rd THURSDAYS

5:00 PM Eastern (4 PM Central | 2 PM Pacific)

2025 K12 scholar seminar series schedule available HERE

May 15 - Zoom link HERE

Golena Fernandez Moncaleano, MD

Dr. Fernandez is a urologist, endourologist, and a K12 Scholar in the K12 Multidisciplinary Urology Research (KURe) Career Development Program at the University of Michigan (PIs, Aruna Sarma, PhD and Quentin Clemens, MD)

UROBIOME Research Interest Group (RIG) knowledge exchanges are organized by the CAIRIBU Urobiome RIG, one of several RIGs within the CAIRIBU Community.

Every month, 3rd or 4th FRIDAYS

3:00 PM Eastern (2 PM Central | 12 PM Pacific)

Next up: May 23 (zoom link available here)

Dr. Garcia-Maset is a Research Fellow at the University College London; he is part of Dr. Jennifer Rohn's team and is interested in biofilm and UTIs. Dr. Behringer is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University and employs genomic analysis to study how environmental factors affect the creation of genetic variation (i.e. mutation) and how microbes adapt and diversify in novel complex environments.

Quarterly, 3rd WEDNESDAYS

Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct 2025

1:00 PM Eastern (12 PM Central | 10 AM Pacific)

2025 grad student seminar series schedule available HERE

Next up: July 16 (zoom link available here)

GRAD STUDENT PRESENTERS:

Mariah Jensen-Wachspress and Samantha McGuire, Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University

MENTOR:

Petra Popovics, PhD (prior K12 Scholar, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Dr. Popovics’ research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of inflammation-induced pathological changes in the prostate through the development of animal and cellular models.

Mariah Jensen-Wachspress

Samantha McGuire

Petra Popovics, PhD

AUA WEBINAR

Physician Scientist: Different Paths to Success

Tuesday, May 20 @ 8:00 PT Eastern

(7 PM Central | 5 PM Pacific)

Join Dr. Aria Olumi, chief of urology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and prior research chair of the American Urological Association, is course director for this webinar. Panelists will highlight their diverse experiences and demonstrate the multiple career trajectories available to physician scientists in urology. THE WEBINAR IS FREE. Go HERE for more info and to register.

CAIRIBU YouTube Playlists are "channels" that correspond to specific research interests

CAIRIBU Interactions Core staff recently categorized all CAIRIBU YouTube content by specific area within the lower urinary tract (more than 100 videos!). Now you can quickly find recordings in which you are most interested (e.g., bladder, prostate, infection, etc.). Content related to trainees is also categorized. Look HERE.

Links to websites for current CAIRIBU Centers and Programs are on the CAIRIBU website HERE