What is the Vanguard Urologic
Research Foundation?

The Vanguard Urologic Research Foundation is a not-for-profit research organization that provides support for clinical and translational research, with primary focus on prostate cancer, benign prostatic diseases, urinary incontinence, and urinary reconstruction using engineered tissue components, under the direction of the physicians and researchers in the Vanguard Urologic Institute.

We improve patient care by integrating clinical research

Using our state-of-the-art information technology platform, the Vanguard Urologic Institute has integrated clinical research into the daily care of our patients, while taking great care to protect sensitive, private information, according to HIPPA guidelines. Thus, after obtaining consent, all patient information is collected in an electronic format that allows seamless integration of relevant clinical information to the translational activities of the Institute.

A large bio-repository of blood, urine, and tissue samples is under continuous expansion; and the comprehensive patient, treatment, and outcome information it holds makes it a uniquely valuable resource for translational research. Our CLIA-certified clinical diagnostic and histopathology lab, located in our Clinical and Laboratory Research Facility in the UT Professional Building, just next door to our main facility in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, provides onsite analysis and timely reporting of test results for research purposes and clinical care.

The experienced personnel in our clinical research unit conduct pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials, as well as those developed by our own investigators. They have a well-demonstrated ability to integrate research into the daily clinical care of our patients so that we are continuously improving the quality of their care and bringing leading-edge treatments and technologies to them as quickly as possible.

President: Kevin M. Slawin, M.D.
Medical Director: David Ornstein, M.D.
Administrative Director: Debra Gamble

The burden of urologic diseases on the health and financial well-being of our nation is immense.

  • Forty-two percent of all cancers in United States men are genitourinary in origin.
  • Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American men.
  • It is estimated that prostate cancer is the primary reason for 3 million outpatient visits per year and more than $900 million in medical care expenditures.
  • Non-cancerous diseases of the prostate have an even greater impact, accounting for over 4 million physician visits and $100 million in Medicare expenditures per year.
  • Urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections are even more common urologic diseases, leading to 1.7 million emergency room visits and over 10 million outpatient physician visits annually.
  • It is estimated that incontinence and urinary tract infections alone cost as much as $1.5 billion/year and that the total annual Medicare expenditure on urologic diseases is more than $11 billion /year.