John J. Britton Jr., MD

Dr. Britton is in private practice in Charleston, SC and currently serves as chairman of urology at St. Francis Bon Secours Hospital where he also sits on the Medical Executive Committee. In 2003, Dr. Britton attended their yearly Hospital Leadership Seminar where he was re-elected for a second term as chief of urology. He is also president-elect for the South Carolina Urology Association.

Dr. Britton received his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his post-graduate training at the University of North Carolina Hospitals.

Craig Vance Comiter, MD

Dr. Comiter is chief of urology, director of the urology residency program, director of female urology and urodynamics, associate professor of surgery, clinical instructor and OB/GYN at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed his urology residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School and a fellowship in neurourology and incontinence surgery at the University of California-Los Angeles. His clinical interests are in female urology, urodynamics and post-prostatectomy incontinence. His research interests revolve around minimally-invasive surgical techniques, urinary incontinence, IC, OAB, pelvic pain, neurogenic bladder, new urodynamic techniques, and treatments for chronic prostatitis.

AUA Committees: Young Urologists Committee
Course Director: Plenary Session—Female Urology/Incontinence

Daniel Dean Dietrick, MD

Dr. Dietrick received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1987 after graduating as Valedictorian from the University of Maryland College Park in 1983. He completed his residency in surgery and urology at Stanford University Medical Center and remained on the clinical faculty there until 1994 when he returned to his native Maryland.

A diplomate of the American Board of Urology and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, he has particular expertise in cancer treatment, no-scalpel vasectomy, microscopic vasectomy reversal as well as in kidney stone management and prevention.

Dr. Dietrick volunteers for several prostate cancer support programs, is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Wellness Community of Baltimore, and he has served on advisory boards, cancer committees and quality assurance committees at several area hospitals. Dr. Dietrick developed the first American Cancer Society Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Program in Maryland.

AUA Committees: History Committee

Graham F. Greene, MD

Dr. Greene is an associate professor in the department of urology and head of the section of genitourinary oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Services. He also serves as medical director for the urologic oncology clinic at the Arkansas Cancer Research Center. Dr. Greene received his medical degree at Dalhousie University and completed his postgraduate training at Dalhousie University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

His clinical interests revolve around genitourinary oncology. While his research interests include: prostate cancer prevention and control, orthotopic neobladders, testicular cancer and surgical management of metastatic disease, penile cancer and groin mapping of lymph node metastasis.

Liam J. Hurley, MD

Dr. Hurley obtained his medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine after graduating from Harvard University. His postgraduate studies were completed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, St. Elizabeth's Hospital and the Lahey Clinic Medical Center with his area of expertise as brachytherapy. He is trained as an adult and pediatric urologist with expertise in genitourinary oncology. Dr. Hurley is in private practice in Massachusetts where he was instrumental in establishing an additional practice area in New Hampshire for his group. Other accomplishments include: launching The Boston Urologic Society, serving on the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts Association of Practicing Urologists, and presiding as the Eastern Massachusetts representative for the AUA.

AUA Committees: Young Urologists Committee

Steven A. Johnson, MD

Dr. Johnson is in private practice in Texas. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate work at the University of Texas. Dr. Johnson served as president of the Texas Urologic Society and is an active proponent of important socioeconomic issues -medical fraud and abuse prevention, along with coding and patient advocacy.

Dr. Johnson is a strong advocate of malpractice liability insurance reform, and is dedicated to educating local urologists on how to make the case for reform in their communities.

Ronald P. Kaufman Jr., MD

Dr. Kaufman is an associate professor of surgery and assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at Albany Medical College as well as an associate urology program director. He received his medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services. He completed his postgraduate training at Case Western Reserve University, Harvard Medical School and Duke University Medical Center. His medical interests revolve around prostate cancer, ED, BPH and laparoscopic oncology.

Dr. Kaufman has served as the acting head of the urology program and the acting program director for the Albany Medical College. He has been on numerous local and regional committees both for the Albany Medical College and for the AUA.

AUA Committees: Dr. Kaufman has been on numerous local and regional committees both for the Albany Medical College and for the AUA.

Course Director: Plenary Session—BPH

AUA Committees: Young Urologists Committee

Kathleen C. Kobashi, MD

Dr. Kobashi is a practicing urologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center. She received her medical degree at Hahnemann University School of Medicine. She completed her postgraduate studies at the University of California, Irvine and her fellowship at the Tower Urology Institute for Continence in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Kobashi currently serves on the Executive Board of the Washington State Urologic Society, the Nominating Committee for the Western Section American Urological Association, and is the co-director of both the Continence Center at Virginia Mason and the Clinical Fellowship in Voiding Dysfunction and Pelvic Floor Reconstruction.

Dr. Kobashi's areas of expertise include male and female voiding dysfunction, urodynamics, and pelvic prolapse and pelvic floor reconstruction.

Raymond J. Leveillee, MD

Dr. Leveillee is an associate professor of clinical urology and serves as chief for the division of endourology and laparoscopy at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He received his medical degree at Brown University. He completed his postgraduate work at Rhode Island Hospital and endourology fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

Leadership roles include: serving as the director of the urology and endourology division; serving as mentor for an endourology fellow; sitting on the University Board of Governors as well as the Executive, Operating Room and Contracts & Negotiations Committees at the University of Miami. Dr. Leveillee has twice served as the scientific chairman for the Florida Urologic Society's Annual Meeting, as well as serving on the executive committee for the Society.

Dr. Leveillee's clinical interests include laparoscopic surgery, endourology, stone treatment and minimally invasive techniques for urologic disease. His research interests revolve around ablation techniques for renal cancer, new technology and instrumentation for stone disease, robotics and laparoscopic reconstruction.

AUA Committees: Practice Guidelines Committee

James Michael McKiernan, MD

Dr. McKiernan is an assistant professor of urology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. McKiernan is the director of the Fourth Year Medical Student Sub-internship Rotation in Urology as well as the residency program advisor to the medical school for career counseling in urology. In the past year, he has served as a vital member of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Faculty Council helping determine policy for the entire medical school faculty. In addition, Dr. McKiernan is currently serving as the chairman of the Herbert Irving NCI Designated Cancer Center Protocol Review Committee, which sets the standard for all ongoing human subjects oncology research within the cancer center, and also serves as a mentor of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Clinical Research Fellowship Program in Urologic Oncology.

AUA Committees: Young Urologists Committee

Ajay Nehra, MD

Dr. Nehra is a professor of urology at the Mayo Medical School. He received his medical degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences and completed his residency at Boston University. Dr. Nehra serves on the board of directors for the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, is an active participant with AFUD's Research Scholars Program and just completed his term as the president of the Minnesota Urological Society.

Dr. Nehra has been involved at the AUA as a moderator, abstract reviewer, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Sexual Medicine Society of North America as early as 2000. He was recently appointed treasurer of the same society under the auspices of the AUA.

His interests revolve around male sexual dysfunction, male infertility, neuro-urology, prosthetics, urologic oncology and BPH.

AUA Committees: Erectile Dysfunction Guidelines Panel

Mark K. Plante, MD, FRCS (C), FACS

Dr. Plante is an assistant professor of surgery and the director of urologic research at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He received his medical degree and completed his residency at McGill University.

His areas of clinical expertise revolve around urologic oncology and BPH.

AUA Committees: Young Urologists Committee

Joph Steckel, MD

Dr. Steckel is a graduate of Harvard University and received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. His postgraduate training was completed at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He has also completed a fellowship in urologic oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Steckel is the chief of urologic oncology, the residency coordinator for the North Shore University Hospital Urology Residency Program and was recently named assistant chairman of the urology department at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset. He is also the clinical assistant professor at Cornell University Medical College.

AUA Committees: Practice Management Ad Hoc Committee, Young Urologists Committee, and Practice Management Committee

Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD

Dr. Theodorescu is the Paul Mellon Professor of Urology and Molecular Physiology and the Director of the Paul Mellon Prostate Cancer Institute at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Queen's University in 1986 and completed his residency and Ph.D at the University of Toronto in 1994. In 1995 he completed a fellowship in urologic oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Dr. Theodorescu has served on peer review study sections for both the American Cancer Society and the Department of Defense Prostate Initiative.

His research interests are molecular biology of prostate and bladder cancer, while his clinical interests revolve around the diagnosis and treatment of the same malignancies.

AUA Committees: Research Council

Course Director: Practical Follow-up of GU Malignancies for the Office Urologist, Screening and Follow-up Genitourinary Malignancies for the Office Urologist, Basic Science Course, and Plenary Session—Bladder Cancer

Philip G. Wise, MD

Dr. Wise is in the private practice of urology and has an interest in male infertility. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate training at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Wise's leadership experience is varied and has included: board and officer positions in the local rotary club; an outreach surgical team; county, state and western section organizations for infertility groups; urological societies and general medical associations.