UrogynCREST Program - Research

The AUGS/DUKE Urogynecology Clinical Research Educational Scientist Training (UrogynCREST) program is open to junior faculty within approximately 7 years of fellowship who have a passion for research. The UrogynCREST Program (NICHD R25-HD094667) offers participants the opportunity to increase their knowledge of health services research, data science, and analytics, and to develop a project that can be the basis of future research grants. This program provides in-depth hands-on instruction for promising young physician-researchers in the field of pelvic floor disorders through a combination of online course work in data sciences and one-on-one instruction to design an innovative research project and publish the results.

The UrogynCREST program has four components:

Year 1: Coursework
Year 2: Support from Mentors and Biostatisticians
Access to Data
Dissemination and Networking

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Here’s what Cohorts 1 and 2 have said about the UrogynCREST faculty and coursework:

The highlight was definitely being able to work with such dedicated mentors. As my project topic redirected, [my mentors] were incredibly supportive, offering guidance without overdirecting. They have been so responsive throughout, and I have learned so much as we worked through project development, statistical analysis, and manuscript edits.

[Healthcare databases] was a fantastic module - everything from the lectures to discussion to assignment were very relevant for our project. I very much appreciated how the assignment was directly related to our project, and completing this assignment helped move my project in a very productive direction.

Participant Publications

Kameny, Rebecca R. PhD; Amundsen, Cindy L. MD. Design and Implementation of a Career Development Program for Physician-Scientists: Lessons Learned. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery: August 2022 - Volume 28 - Issue 8 - p 479-485 doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001210

Sheyn, David MD∗; Gregory, W. Thomas MD†; Osazuwa-Peters, Oyomoare PhD‡; Jelovsek, J. Eric MD§. Development and Validation of a Model for Predicting Surgical Site Infection After Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery. Female Pelvic Med Reconstructive Surgery. June 29, 2022 - Volume - Issue - 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001222 doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001222

Bretschneider CE, Scales CD Jr, Osazuwa-Peters O, Sheyn D, Sung V. Adverse outcomes after minimally invasive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in women 65 years and older in the United States. International Urogynecology Journal. 2022 Jun. DOI: 10.1007/s00192-022-05238-x. PMID: 35662357.

Cadish LA, Ford CB, Wu JM, Anger JT. Mortality and Reoperation Following Midurethral Sling Versus Urethral Bulking in Older Women. Urology. 2022 Jul2;165:144-149. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2022.03.033. Epub 2022 Apr 20. PMID: 35460678.

Bradley, Megan S. MD∗; Stanger, Michael BS†; Ford, Cassie PhD†; Lowder, Jerry MD, MSc‡; Handa, Victoria L. MD, MHS§. Characteristics Associated With Repeated Evaluations for Urinary Tract Infections in Older Women: A Case-Control Study. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery. 2022 Apr 1;28(4):e133-e136. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001129.

Richter LA, Osazuwa-Peters OL, Routh JC, Handa VL. Vaginal Complications after Cystectomy: Results from a Medicare Sample. J Urol. 2022 Apr;207(4):789-796. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000002336. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PubMed PMID: 34854750; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8916976.

Featured in Practice Update – Urology with expert commentary

Richter LA, Egan J, Alagha EC, Handa VL. Vaginal Complications after Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review. Urology. 2021 Oct;156:e20-e29. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2021.07.001. Epub 2021 Jul 17. PubMed PMID: 34284007; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8914981.

2022-2024 Participants

The UrogynCREST Advisory Committee has selected six enthusiastic and capable individuals from various institutions for the 2022 program year. The Committee had a very challenging task reviewing a very strong group of Junior Faculty applicants interested in pursuing additional education and training to conduct Health Services Research.

Linda Burkett, MD

VCU Health System

Teni Brown, MD

Northwestern University

Olivia Chang, MD, MPH

University of Washington

Nancy Ringel, MD, MS

Yale University

Priyanka Kadam Halani, MD

Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Sara E Jeney, MD

University of New Mexico

2020-2022 Participants

The UrogynCREST Advisory Committee has selected six enthusiastic and capable individuals from various institutions for the 2020 program year. The Committee had a very challenging task reviewing a very strong group of Junior Faculty applicants interested in pursuing additional education and training to conduct Health Services Research.