Marie Chicaud, MD

2025 AUA/AFU Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Marie Chicaud is a clinical urologist at Limoges University Hospital and is pursuing her PhD in the PIMM Laboratory under the guidance of Pr. Traxer, Dr. Panthier and Dr. Dal. Her research is focused on modeling laser interaction with urinary stones. She began her residency in 2019 at Limoges University Hospital and was particularly interested in Urolithiasis and endo-urology.

Dr. Marie Chicaud received her medical degree in 2023 from the University of Limoges working on “Kidney Stone Calculator” efficiency in predicting ureteroscopic lithotripsy duration? A Holmium: YAG and thulium fiber lasers comparative analysis.

Between 2022 and 2023, she spent a year at the PIMM Laboratory (CNRS-UMR 8006, Paris, France), where she worked on the In Vitro Comparison of Pulsed-Thulium: YAG, Holmium: YAG and Thulium Fiber Laser.

Since November 2024, Dr Marie Chicaud has also been a member of FUTUR (urological technical university training referents), an AFU group which brings together young academic urologists wishing to get involved in research.

As part of the AUA/AFU Visiting Scholar Program, Dr. Chicaud will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the conference, Dr. Chicaud will visit the Loyola University Department of Urology of where she will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Joongwon Choi, MD

2025 AUA/KUA Visiting Scholar Program

Dr. Joongwon Choi is a Korean urologist and an assistant professor at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, South Korea. He graduated from Chung-Ang University College of Medicine and obtained his Medical Degree from the same institution. Then he obtained his Ph.D. at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. He completed his urologic residency in the Chung-Ang University Hospital and obtained his board certification in 2015, certified by the Korean Urological Association. During his fellowship at the Samsung Medical Center, he focused on Urologic Oncology, such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer with the latest robotic & laparoscopic technology. He has been an international member of American Urological Association and active member of several organizations, including the Korean Urological Association (KUA) and the Korean Urological Oncology Society (KUOS).

He has been conducting research in the foundational field of kidney cancer (organoid chip) since 2019, serving as the principal investigator for two national research projects. Since 2019, he has received multiple awards, including the Grand Prize for Research Papers and the Excellence Award from the Korean Urological Association and the Korean Urologic Oncology Society, as well as the MDC Research Paper Grand Prize.

As part of the AUA/KUA Visiting Scholar Program, Dr. Choi will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the conference, Dr. Choi will visit the Fox Chase Cancer Center Department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Joseph Crivelli, MD

2025 AUA/SBU Exchange Scholar Program (to Brazil)

Dr. Crivelli’s practice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham focuses on surgical treatment of kidney stones, as well as dietary and medical approaches to prevent kidney stones. He has advanced training in minimally invasive treatment of kidney stones, including endoscopic and percutaneous procedures. Dr. Crivelli also provides urologic care at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he is Residency Site Director. He is committed to advancing the urology and kidney stone fields, both through biomedical research and training the next generation of urologists. His research interests include Dietary interventions for prevention of kidney stone disease, Epidemiology of kidney stone disease, with a focus on social determinants of health and health disparities, Pathophysiology of kidney stone disease, particularly the contributions of dietary oxalate and oxalate precursors, Effectiveness of pharmacological therapy for prevention of kidney stone disease.

As part of the exchange program, Dr. Crivelli will attend the 2025 Congresso Brasileiro de Urologia in Florianópolis, Brazil and conduct his observership at the Clinicas Hospital of the University of São Paulo Medical School.

Mateusz Czajkowski, MD, PhD, FEBU

2025 AUA/EAU Academic Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Mateusz Czajkowski holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology at the Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. He obtained his MD degree in 2015 from the Medical University of Gdańsk and subsequently completed his PhD in 2022 at the same institution. Additionally, in 2023, he earned the title FEBU (Fellow of the European Board of Urology). Dr. Czajkowski is affiliated with the Polish Urological Society and European Association of Urology.

Dr. Czajkowski’s primary area of interest lies in reconstructive urology and penile diseases, with a particular emphasis on penile cancer. He posits that the effective treatment of penile cancer requires comprehensive knowledge of other penile diseases. Specific areas of focus include organ-sparing surgery, improvement of novel surgical techniques, determination of requisite negative margins during resection, postoperative sexual function following partial penectomy with reconstruction, and efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging with artificial erection and dermoscopy in surgical planning. Furthermore, in collaboration with his research team, he established penile cancer cell lines to investigate novel chemotherapeutic agents to improve patient survival rates.

Dr. Czajkowski is involved in developing local and national Penile Cancer clinical pathways in Poland. Furthermore, he is the founder and employee of the first and only Penile Disease Outpatient Clinic at University Clinical Center in Gdańsk. Additionally, he authored numerous articles and books and delivered several lectures on penile cancer and penile diseases.

As a participant in the AUA/EAU Visiting Scholar Program, Dr. Czajkowski will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Subsequently, he will visit MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, where he will have the opportunity to observe urological procedures and techniques, as well as participate in staff activities and clinics.

Igor Duquesne, MD, MSc

2025 AUA/AFU Visiting Scholar Program

Dr. Igor Duquesne is currently a Visiting Researcher in Dr. Amir Horowitz’s laboratory at the Icahn Medical Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City, USA. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor of Urology at Cochin Hospital, Paris Cité University (Chairman: Prof. Peyromaure), in Paris, France. Upon his return to France, he will take up a position as an Associate Professor of Urology at Mondor Paris Est Créteil University Hospital (Chairman: Prof. De la Taille).

Dr. Duquesne earned his MD in 2020 from Université Paris Descartes and completed a Master’s Degree in Science at Université Paris-Saclay. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the Médecine Personnalisée, Pharmacogénomique, Optimisation Thérapeutique (MEPPOT) laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Audenet and Prof. Laurent-Puig at the Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers in Paris, France.

His fundamental research interests focus on urothelial cancer, with a particular emphasis on molecular and immune-based approaches. Clinically, he is dedicated to urothelial cancer care, the surgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and reconstructive urology. In recognition of his commitment to contributing to the field, Dr. Duquesne will serve as a junior member of the Urothelial Cancer Committee of the Association Française d’Urologie (AFU) and as the oncology referent for the FUTUR Committee of the AFU.

Dr. Duquesne has received several grants to support his research and has authored or co-authored over 50 publications to date.

After the conference, Dr. Duquesne will visit Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Department of Urology of where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Rodrigo Garcia-Baquero, MD, PhD

2025 AUA/CAU Visiting Scholar

Dr. Rodrigo Garcia-Baquero is a consultant urologist at Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cadiz, Spain. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Seville in 2006. In 2012, he completed his residency in Urology at the same institution where he currently works.

During his residency, Dr. Garcia-Baquero joined Dr. Sanchez-Carbayo at the National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, Spain (CNIO) and obtained his PhD in 2012. The title of his thesis was "Methylation profiles of tumor suppressor genes in bladder cancer" and he obtained the grade Cum Laude. After his residency period, he changed his field of interest to andrology, reconstructive surgery and kidney transplantation. He began training through several observerships at several hospitals in Spain and England such as UCLH (University Colleage London Hospitals). In 2016, he completed a fellowship in Andrology at Fundació Puigvert in Barcelona under the mentorship of Dr. Ruiz Castañe, Dr. Rajmil and Dr. Krausz.

In 2019, he got trained in robotic surgery and performed the first robotic assisted kidney transplantation outside Catalonia in Spain in July 2021. He joined the ERUS (European Association of Urology - Robotic Urology Section) group and is an Associate Member of the ESTU (European Association of Urology - Transplantation Urology section) since 2024.

He has published numerous articles and book chapters on Andrology, Reconstructive Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, as well as presented several lectures on these topics.

After the conference, Dr. Garcia-Baquero will visit Cleveland Clinic Department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Harshit Garg, MD

2025 AUA/IAUA Chakrobortty Fellowship Program (to US)

Dr. Harshit Garg is a Senior Consultant uro-oncologist and Robotic Surgeon and heads the Urooncology & Robotic Surgery unit at Max Institute of Cancer Care in Delhi. He is a fellowship-trained uro-oncologist and robotic surgeon, trained at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and the University of Texas Health & Mays (MD Anderson) Cancer Centre, San Antonio, Texas.

He received the prestigious National Youth Research Scholarship (Kishore Vaigynaik Protsahan Yojna) from the Government of India. Dr. Harshit completed his surgical and urology residency from AIIMS, Delhi, and was awarded Dr Hira Lal Medal for the Best Postgraduate in surgical residency and Dr JR Chawla Medal for best urology resident.

With over 50 publications, Dr Garg has a deep interest in research academics. He has been nominated as ‘Section Editor’ for ‘The Journal of Minimal Access Surgery’ and ‘Editorial Committee’ member for ‘The Indian Journal of Urology’. He is also a member of SIU academic sub-committee for education and training of residents across the globe.

After the conference, Dr. Garg will visit Mayo Clinic Department of Urology of where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Junya Hata, MD, PhD

2025 AUA/JUA EXCHANGE SCHOLAR PROGRAM

Dr. Hata is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology at Fukushima Medical University in Fukushima, Japan. He received his MD degree in 2010 and his PhD in 2017, both from Fukushima Medical University.

Dr. Hata has a clinical and research focus on robotic surgery and benign prostatic hyperplasia. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including more than 30 papers as a first or co-author. His recent work includes studies on postoperative urinary function after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. He has also received multiple academic awards, including the JUA awards.

As part of the AUA/JUA Exchange Program, Dr. Hata will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. After the conference, he will visit a urology department in the University of Pittsburgh to observe clinical practices, surgical procedures, and engage in academic exchange with local staff and faculty.

Niels Johnsen, MD

2025 AUA/USI Exchange Scholar Program (to India)

Dr. Niels Johnsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). He received his Doctor of Medicine from Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his Urology Residency at Vanderbilt University and his Fellowship in male reconstructive urology and trauma at the University of Washington. He went on to complete a research fellowship at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center at the University of Washington, while also obtaining a master’s in public health with a focus in health services.

Dr. Johnsen’s clinical practice focuses on urethral stricture disease, rectourethral fistulae, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, male urinary incontinence, and all aspects of genitourinary trauma management. His research interests focus primarily on improving health services delivery and utilization in genitourinary trauma patients, as well as prostate cancer survivorship. He is co-chair of the American College of Surgeons Best Practice Guidelines on Genitourinary Injury and director of the Vanderbilt genitourinary reconstruction and trauma fellowship. 

Dr. Niels attended the USICON and conducted his observership with Dr. Kulkarni at the Kulkarni Uro-Surgery Institute in Pune, India.

Kyungtae Ko, MD, PhD

2025 AUA/KUA Visiting Scholar Program (to US)

Kyungtae Ko, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of Urology at Hallym University Gangdong Sacred Heart Hospital in Seoul, Korea. He earned his medical degree from Hallym University in 2004 and later obtained his doctorate from Seoul National University with a dissertation on the prognostic significance of Ki-67 in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. From 2009 to 2012, he served as an army surgeon and chairman of the Department of Urology at Daegu Army Hospital. Expanding his academic and clinical expertise, he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University Hospital from September 2021 to August 2022 and at JiKei University Hospital in February 2023.

Specializing in kidney stone management and minimally invasive surgery, Professor Ko is highly regarded for his expertise in ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP), laparoscopic/Robotic surgery, and metabolic workup for urinary stone disease. He is an active member of the Korean Society of Endourology and Robotics, the Society of Endourology, and the Young Endoluminal Society (YES). A prolific researcher, he has published numerous papers in SCI(E) journals and contributed to several clinical guidelines on urinary stone disease, as well as authoring chapters on bladder cancer for Elsevier.

After the conference, Dr. Ko will visit Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

George E. Koch, MD

2025 AUA/USI Exchange Scholar Program (to India)

Dr. George E. Koch is an Assistant Professor of Urology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center specializing in urologic trauma and reconstruction. He treats patients with urologic injuries from trauma or secondary to cancer therapies as well as those with urologic congenital malformations.

Dr. Koch graduated from New York University with degrees in liberal studies and history prior to embarking on his medical training. He earned his doctorate from the Georgetown University School of Medicine before completing his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He went on to complete the Urologic Trauma and Reconstruction fellowship under Dr. Hunter Wessells at the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Koch’s clinical interests include treating urologic congenitalism, adult-acquired buried penis, urethral stricture disease, devastated urinary outlets, and Fournier’s Gangrene. His research interests include outcomes following Fournier’s Gangrene and urologic trauma as well as the role of academic writing and scholarship in surgical education. He is also an Early Career Editor at the Journal of Urology.

Dr. Koch attended the USICON and conducted his observership with Dr. Kulkarni at the Kulkarni Uro-Surgery Institute in Pune, India.

Rodrigo Lolli Almeida Salles, MD

2025 AUA/SBU Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Lolli is a consultant urologist at CEPON Cancer Center (Centro de Pesquisas Oncológicas) in Florianopolis, Brazil. He obtained his medical degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in 2012. In 2016, he completed his residency in General Surgery and in 2019 he completed his residency in Urology and earned his board certification from the Brazilian Society of Urology. Master in Surgery from the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Dr. Lolli has also completed a 12 months fellowship in Uro-Oncology and Robotic Surgery at Felicio Rocho Hospital, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (2019 - 2020). Certified as Console Surgeon for the DaVinci system by Intuitive Surgery, in Atlanta, USA (2019). Observership in robotic surgery at Clinique Saint Augustin, in Bordeaux, France (2016) and at Groupe Hospitalier Diaconesses Croix Saint Simon, in Paris, France (2017 and 2018). Observership in robotic surgery at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, in Celebration, USA (2019). Observership in pediatric urological surgery at Meyer Hospital for Children and in robotic oncological surgery at Ospedalle Careggi, in Florence, Italy (2024).

Dr. Lolli’s area of urologic interest includes uro-oncology. He has published articles as well as presented several lectures on these subjects.

As part of the AUA/SBU Exchange Scholar Program, Dr. Rodrigo Lolli will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the conference, Dr. Lolli will visit the University of Pennsylvania.

Rigoberto Pallares-Mendez, MD

2025 AUA/MEXICAN Visiting Scholar Program

Dr. Rigoberto Pallares-Mendez is an attending urologist at Hospital General Tijuana and Hospital Angeles Tijuana, as well as an Associate Professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California in Tijuana, Mexico.

He earned his MD degree with honors in 2013, followed by a research program in 2014 at the National Institute of Health Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City. He completed his urology residency at the University Hospital of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico. In addition, he holds a master’s degree in public health from the Valencian International University.

In 2023, Dr. Pallares Mendez was awarded the EAU one-year scholarship, allowing him to pursue advanced training in robotic and minimally invasive surgery at the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome, Italy, under the guidance of Dr. Giuseppe Simone and Aldo Brassetti.

As an academic and researcher, Dr. Pallares Mendez has authored and co-authored several publications across various topics. His recent focus has been on urologic oncology, particularly kidney and prostate cancer. His contributions have earned him recognition and awards from prestigious national organizations, including the Mexican Society of Urology, the Pfizer Scientific Institute in Mexico, and the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon.

After the conference, Dr. Mendez will visit the University of Miami Hospital Department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Santhosh Nagasubramanian, MD

2025 AUA/IAUA Chakrobortty Fellowship Program (to US)

Dr. Nagasubramanian is a consultant at the Department of Urology, Christian Medical College Vellore, a unit that pioneered urological education in India, and a 120-year-old currently 3800-bedded hospital that caters to patients from across the country and neighboring countries.

Dr. Nagasubramanian’s primary areas of interest are Uro-oncology and male lower urinary tract symptoms. He did his Robotics and Urooncology fellowship at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, and is presently the head of Urology Unit II which specializes in minimally invasive surgery and Urooncology. We as a team aim to provide safe and compassionate Uro-oncology care through excellence in service, education and research.

Dr. Nagasubramanian will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. After the conference, he will visit Wake Forest University Department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Guilherme Alonso Daud Patavino, MD, MSc

2025 AUA/SBU Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Guilherme Patavino is a Brazilian urologist specializing in kidney transplantation. He earned his medical degree from Universidade de Santo Amaro (UNISA) and completed his general surgery and urology residency at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), where he also pursued a fellowship in kidney transplantation. Dr. Patavino holds a master’s degree in Urology from EPM/UNIFESP and has further specialized in robotic surgery through a postgraduate program at the Albert Einstein Israelite Institute for Teaching and Research. Currently, he serves as the Head of the Kidney Transplant Group at Escola Paulista de Medicina – UNIFESP and is an active member of the transplant teams at Hospital do Rim, Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo, Hospital São Luiz Itaim (Rede D’Or), and Hospital do Coração (HCor). He is a member of the Brazilian Society of Urology (SBU) and the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplantation (ABTO).

Dr. Patavino is particularly interested in advancing surgical techniques in kidney transplanting, innovative technologies, and strengthening the role of urologists in the field. After the conference, Dr. Patavino will visit The Ohio State University department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Soroush Rais-Bahrami, MD, MBA

2025 AUA/JUA EXCHANGE SCHOLAR PROGRAM (TO JAPAN)

Dr. Soroush Rais-Bahrami currently serves as a Professor of Urology and Radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine and a scientist at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.

He completed medical school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, urology residency at the Arthur Smith Institute for Urology at Northwell Health, and urologic oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. He also completed his Masters in Business Administration at the Collat School of Business at UAB.

With numerous professional and academic accolades to his name, Dr. Rais-Bahrami has published over 300 peer-reviewed publications and 20 textbook chapters. His research has been published in prestigious journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Urology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and European Urology as well as serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Urology, Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, and the AUA Core Curriculum. Dr. Rais-Bahrami also serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline panels for prostate cancer and testicular cancer. He is an active member of the AUA, Society of Urologic Oncology, Society of Academic Urologists, Endourological Society, Focal Therapy Society, and Society for Urologic Robotic Surgeons.

His research and clinical interests are focused on novel imaging and biomarker development and use for cancer diagnosis and risk stratification to guide shared decision making for patients with prostate, kidney, bladder, and other genitourinary cancers. Additionally, he has embraced and advanced minimally-invasive surgery and ablative therapies to improve patient experiences and convalescence following treatment for urologic malignancies. 

As part of the AUA/Japanese Urological Association (JUA) Academic Exchange Program, Dr. Rais-Bahrami will attend the 2025 JUA Congress in Fukuoka, Japan. Prior to the Congress, Dr. Rais-Bahrami will visit Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan, where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Severin Rodler, MD

2025 AUA/EAU Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Severin Rodler is an Assistant Professor of Urology at Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. As an attending urologist at the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, he focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in surgery. He completed his residency training at LMU Munich with a research focus on digital technologies and artificial intelligence. He is a member of the Young Academic Urologists YAU group for Urotechnology and Digital Health. He also underwent a fellowship in artificial intelligence at the University of Southern California USC in Los Angeles and has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts.

As a participant in the AUA/EAU Visiting Scholar Program, Dr. Rodler will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Subsequently, he will visit MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, where he will have the opportunity to observe urological procedures and techniques, as well as participate in staff activities and clinics.

Mohummad Minhaj Siddiqui, MD, FACS

2025 AUA/JUA EXCHANGE SCHOLAR PROGRAM (TO JAPAN)

Dr. Siddiqui is a fellowship-trained specialist in urologic oncology and robotic surgery, specializes in surgical management of urologic cancers, such as prostates, bladder, kidney and testicular cancer.   He is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) where he also holds administrative roles of Director of Urologic Oncology and Director of Robotic Surgery for the institution.  He has a joint VA appointment and his Chief of Urology for the Maryland VA Healthcare System.  He maintains an active basic science research lab studying cancer metabolism and manages a clinical-translational research program with a particular interest in improved risk-stratification and targeted therapy for GU malignancies.    He also has a significant interest in Quality Improvement work and has engaged nationally in these endeavors.

Dr. Siddiqui joined UMB in 2014 after completing training at MIT, Harvard, and the NIH. He has held leadership roles within the American Urologic Association, American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer, the Society of Basic Urologic Research and the American College of Radiology.  He also has served as a consultant or grant reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the American Cancer Society, the Movember Foundation and the Department of Defense. He is an assistant editor for the Journal of Urology, and consulting editor for the Nature publication Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.

As part of the AUA/Japanese Urological Association (JUA) Academic Exchange Program, Dr. Siddiqui will attend the 2025 JUA Congress in Fukuoka, Japan. Prior to the Congress, Dr. Siddiqui will visit Jikei University in Japan, where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.

Evalynn Vasquez, MD, MBA

2025 AUA/SBU Exchange Scholar Program (to Brazil)

Evalynn Vasquez, MD, MBA is the Associate Chief of the Division of Urology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Urology at Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.

Dr. Vasquez serves as the Director of the Complex Reconstruction and Malformations Program. She is originally from California and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then went to medical school at Saint Louis University where she earned a dual MD-MBA degree. After graduation she started her residency at Saint Louis University, then completed her residency in Urology at Loyola University in Chicago. She went on to complete her Pediatric Urology Fellowship through Harvard University’s program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

She has a special interest in caring for patients with spina bifida, bladder exstrophy, and cloacal malformations. She established the Center of Excellence in Bladder Exstrophy at CHLA. With her extensive experience in treating patients with complex malformations, she is recognized as a leading authority in these fields and is invited to lecture at prestigious conferences both nationally and globally. She serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Bladder Exstrophy Community. Additionally, she is dedicated to international mission trips to teach future generations and advance global healthcare.

As part of the exchange program, Dr. Vasquez will attend the 2025 Congresso Brasileiro de Urologia in Florianópolis, Brazil and conduct her observership at the Hospital Aliança in Salvador, Brazil.

Shimpei Yamashita, MD

2025 AUA/JUA Exchange Scholar Program

Dr. Yamashita is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at Wakayama Medical University in Wakayama, Japan. He earned his MD degree in 2009 at Wakayama Medical University and his PhD in 2021 at the same institution.

Dr. Yamashita has published about 30 papers as first author and has won a lot of awards and honors in Japan.

As part of the AUA/JUA Exchange Program, Dr. Yamashita will attend the 2025 AUA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. After the conference, Dr. Yamashita will visit the University of Florida department of Urology where he will have the opportunity to observe urologic surgeries and procedures, as well as attend staff activities and clinics.