Urology Research Labs

Dr. Clint Bahler's Alexander Christy Prostate Cancer Lab is dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. The team studies advanced imaging technologies, innovative surgical techniques and precision medicine approaches aimed at providing patients with more personalized and effective care. Through clinical trials and collaborative research, the lab works to advance cancer detection, staging and treatment while translating scientific discoveries into improved outcomes for patients.

Research in pediatric urology is driven by a bold goal: to transform care so that every child with a urologic condition can achieve the best possible health and quality of life throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. We partner with patients and families, advocacy organizations and leading investigators around the world to answer the questions that matter most — looking beyond traditional measures of clinical and surgical success to understand the whole patient experience, including urinary and sexual health, independence, emotional well-being and quality of life. Our research examines the lifelong impact of congenital and childhood urologic conditions, improves the transition from pediatric to adult care and develops patient-centered outcomes that define success through the eyes of patients and families. We are also harnessing digital health, smartphones, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to make complex information easier to understand, personalize care and empower families to make informed treatment decisions. By bringing together lifelong outcomes research, patient and family partnership, and innovation, we aim not simply to improve pediatric urologic care today, but to define what the next generation of care should look like.

The endourology program at IU School of Medicine treats the full spectrum of kidney stone disease and benign prostatic hyperplasia, combining high surgical volume with active clinical research. Our work focuses on improving the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive stone surgery and prostate surgery, including new technologies for stone removal and laser enucleation of the prostate. Fellows train in an unusually high-volume environment, performing approximately 150 to 200 percutaneous nephrolithotomy cases, 200 holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) cases and 200 ureteroscopy cases each year. That volume supports research spanning device evaluation, basic science research, surgical outcomes and metabolic stone prevention. The result is a program that trains surgeons who can both perform and study the procedures that define modern endourology.

The men’s health research program focuses on improving men’s sexual and reproductive health throughout their lives. Our research includes erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, testosterone therapy, male infertility, fertility preservation, penile rehabilitation following prostate cancer treatment, and penile implants, with a focus on improving surgical outcomes and quality of care. We also conduct clinical trials evaluating new treatments for erectile dysfunction and testosterone deficiency, as well as investigational male contraceptive devices. We study new technologies and approaches that may improve patient care, access to treatment and quality of life. Ultimately, our goal is to translate research into practical, evidence-based care that helps men live longer and healthier lives.

Cancer cells require nutrients and macromolecules to grow, but rather than expending their own energy to produce these building blocks, they employ a scavenging strategy, extracting nutrients from neighboring cells in a parasitic relationship. The El-Kenawi lab in the Department of Urology aims to understand the mechanisms behind this scavenging behavior to prevent cancer recurrence.

IU School of Medicine is one of the world’s leading centers for the management of testicular germ cell tumors. Patients come to IU from across the United States and around the world for care informed by decades of research. Our urologists work closely with medical oncologists, pathologists and other specialists to answer a question that has guided the program from the beginning: how can we improve the chance of cure while reducing the lasting effects of treatment?

IU School of Medicine helped establish the foundations of modern testicular cancer care. Beginning in the 1960s, John Donohue, MD, pioneered retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), a surgery to remove lymph nodes where testicular cancer commonly spreads. IU surgeons subsequently developed nerve-sparing techniques to help preserve ejaculatory function and refined surgical templates to limit the extent of dissection for appropriately selected patients. In parallel, Lawrence Einhorn, MD, transformed treatment for metastatic disease through platinum-based chemotherapy. Together, these advances made IU a global referral center for germ cell tumors.

Today, research at IU School of Medicine is helping expand treatment options for patients with stage II seminoma, explore emerging blood-based biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA, refine optimal candidates for RPLND surgery, and using cutting-edge AI technology to better predict relapse in partnership with radiology and pathology. That same commitment to studying real patient outcomes continues to guide improvements in surgical technique, recovery and treatment selection. Our goal remains the same: more precise care that preserves excellent cancer outcomes and patients’ quality of life.