ABSTRACT
The Michigan Interdisciplinary Center for Urology Research and Education (MI-CURE) seeks
to develop a world-class interdisciplinary research team comprised of scientists, clinicians, biostatisticians,
and engineers to provide comprehensive and innovative approaches in benign urology. As such, we have
brought together exceptional investigators with diverse expertise from Beaumont Hospital/ Oakland
University William Beaumont School of Medicine and Michigan State University.
The overall purpose of the MI-CURE Exploratory Center is to establish strong research foundations
in bladder physiology, develop an intellectual infrastructure, and expand educational and training
opportunities in benign urology research. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms by which bladder
fullness is sensed are still unknown. A major barrier to developing and testing novel therapies for bladder
dysfunction is our lack of understanding the mechanism of how bladder fullness is sensed. Thus, the overall
goal of this initial project is to understand the basis of pressure sensing and its linkage to afferent nerve
activation during bladder filling, and consequently how bladder remodeling and altered bladder wall
compliance during disease can impact these mechanisms. To address this significant knowledge gap, we
have assembled an interdisciplinary team of experts in physiology, cell biology, fibrosis, neurourology,
statistics, and clinical urology and have recruited a promising new investigator in engineering to benign
genitourinary disease, Dr. Sara Roccabianca. She has unique expertise in soft tissue mechanical
characterization, microstructural quantification, and mathematical modeling of soft tissues movement.
In addition to the strong benign urology research program using innovative and cutting-edge
approaches, MI-CURE has an exciting Educational Enrichment Program to train and mentor all levels of
adult learners, from high school students to medical students, to help expand and enhance benign urology
research. MI-CURE is co-directed by the established physician-scientist team of Drs. Laura Lamb and
Michael Chancellor, with clear communication and coordination plans in place. Together, MI-CURE will
foster successful collaborations, education initiatives, and innovative research.
Funding of MI-CURE as a P20 Exploratory Center will allow us to work with the George M. O'Brien
Urology Cooperative Research Centers Program and the KURe and UroEpi career development programs
through joint meetings and conference calls. Our goal is to leverage our collective resources and results
into well-designed, novel projects suitable for submission as future NIH Investigator-Initiated R01s. We
believe that the Michigan Interdisciplinary Center for Urology Research and Education program as a whole
will be greater than the sum of its parts and will contribute to developing talented researchers in benign
genitourinary disorders.