Reza Ghavamian, MD

Reza Ghavamian, MD is the System Eastern Region Director of Urology for Northwell Health. He is also the Chairman of the department of Urology at Northwell’s Huntington Hospital. Dr. Ghavamian is a Professor of Urology at the Zucker school of medicine at Northwell / Hofstra. Prior to his appointment at Northwell, Dr. Ghavamian was a Professor of Urology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Dr. Ghavamian completed his undergraduate studies at Boston University and subsequently graduated from the Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his Urological training at UMASS Medical Center. During his residency, he completed a 1-year rotation at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London, UK. He subsequently completed advanced fellowship training in Urologic Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. 

Dr. Ghavamian is an experienced Urologic Oncologist with expertise in major open, laparoscopic and robotic oncologic urologic operations. He is an academic physician with over 100 peer reviewed publications, chapters and editorials. He is on the Editorial Board of Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations, Videourology, Urology Practice and JU Open Plus. He is a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology, the American Urological Association and the Endourologic Society.

Dr. Ghavamian has been nationally active with the American Urologic Association (AUA) being an alumnus of its second leadership program. He has served on several committees at the AUA. He has been an active member of the New York section of the AUA and served on the board of directors of the section for many years. He subsequently served as the President of the New York Section of the AUA in 2019. He most recently served and completed a 4-year term on the Board of Directors of the national AUA as the New York Section representative.

S. Larry Goldenberg, CM, OBC, MD, FRCSC, FACS, FCAHS

Dr Goldenberg received his MD in 1978 at the University of Toronto, and then completed a Urology Residency and a Fellowship in Cancer Endocrinology at UBC. He has contributed academically in the fields of benign and malignant prostate disease, including patient informed medical decision. He has authored 418 peer reviewed papers, 30 book chapters and in 1991 wrote the first layman’s prostate cancer book entitled Prostate Cancer ­ All You Need to Know to Take an Active Part in Your Treatment, which is in its 4^th edition.

He founded the Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC), the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, the VPC Supportive Care program and co-founded the Canadian Uro-Oncology Group. He has served as president of the Canadian Urological Association (CUA), Western Section of the AUA and the Northwest Urological Society.

He has been honored with an AUA Honorary membership, AUA Distinguished Service Award, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, a Queen’s Platinum Medal, the BCMA’s Silver Medal of Distinction, a lifetime achievement award from the BC Urologic Society, the 2016 CUA Award for lifetime achievement, the 2016 Societe Internationale d’Urologie Distinguished Career Award and the prestigious 2017 AUA Hugh Hampton Young Award.

Dr. Goldenberg has been recognized for his contributions by being invested in the Order of British Columbia, and Canada’s highest honor of merit: the Order of Canada.

Chris M. Gonzalez, MD, MBA, FACS

Dr. Chris Gonzalez graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio with a BS degree in 1989. Afterwards he obtained his MD degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa.  Dr. Gonzalez then completed both his general surgical and urologic residency training at the McGaw Medical Center, Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Gonzalez served in the US Army National Guard from January 1991 – January 2001. He joined the Northwestern University Department of Urology in 2000. He served as Chief of Urology for the VA Lakeside from 2003 – 2006 and completed his MBA degree from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management in 2006.  He was the Director of Surgery for the Northwestern Medicine Surgical Services from 2014 - 2015. In 2015 Dr. Gonzalez was named the Lester Persky Professor and Chair of the Urology Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio where he served until 2018. Currently he is the Albert J. Jr. and Claire Speh Professor and Chair of Urology for the Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) and the Stritch School of Medicine. He also serves as the Chief of Surgery for the LUMC. He is the Associate Editor for the Genitourinary Reconstruction Section of Urology, and the Section Editor for Urology Practice. He is a member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and was awarded the Barringer medal by the organization in 2022. He is a trustee of the American board of urology, and chair of its certifying examination committee.

Elizabeth Ann Gormley, MD

E. Ann Gormley, MD is a Professor of Surgery (Urology) at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. She received a BA in English and her MD at the University of Saskatchewan. While completing her residency in Urology at the University of Alberta, she earned an MSc in Experimental Surgery. She then completed a fellowship in Female Urology and Voiding Dysfunction. Dr. Gormley is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is Board Certified by the American Board of Urology (ABU) with sub-certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr. Gormley’s interests are in female urology, voiding dysfunction and resident education. She was the Program Director for the Urology Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock from 2001-2019 and now serves as the Associate Program Director. She is a core faculty member for the Gynecology based fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Gormley was on the ACGME Residency Review Committee. She was awarded the ACGME “Courage to Teach” Award and she is an American College of Surgeons Master Surgeon Educator. She recently completed a term as the chair of the Appointments, Promotions and Titles Committee for the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

Dr. Gormley was the Chairman of the NIDDK’s Urinary Incontinence Network. Dr Gormley is a Past President of the Society for Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU). She is a Past President of the Society of Urology Chairmen and Program Directors. Dr. Gormley is a Past President and former Secretary of the New England Section. As the New England Section representative to the Board of Director of the American Urologic Association (AUA) she was the first woman to serve on the board. She served on the AUA/ABU Exam Committee as a member and consultant and she is an oral board examiner for the ABU. Dr. Gormley previously served on the AUA Stress Incontinence Guidelines Committee and Chaired the AUA Overactive Guidelines Panel. She is a former Assistant Editor for the Journal of Urology and Urology Practice. She is the former Editor for AUA Updates. Dr. Gormley became a trustee of the American Board of Urology in 2021. As chair of the URPS committee she represents the ABU at AGOG’s URPS division meetings. Dr. Gormley is a member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons.

Dr. Gormley is a co-PI on a multi-institutional PCORI grant for the treatment of overactive bladder in older women. She serves on the Urologic Diseases in America Contract Management Board for the NIDDK. 

Jean Volny Joseph, MD, MBA, FACS

Dr. Jean Joseph currently serves as W.W. Scott Professor and Chairman of the department of Urology, and Professor of Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Joseph completed his college education at Boston University. He later attended the University of Rochester School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in 1998. He received fellowship training at the University College London (England) in reconstructive urologic surgery. He completed a master class in laparoscopic prostatectomy at the Institute Mutualiste Montsouris (Paris, France). Dr. Joseph completed a Master’s in Business Administration in 2004 at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Joseph specializes in robotic surgery for urologic diseases, particularly prostate cancer. His research interests have focused on surgical innovation, applications of novel robotic technology, simulation, and patient outcomes. He serves as investigator in several clinical trials and is a member of the executive committee of ConDuc (Consortium on Disparities of Urologic Conditions) an organization committed to developing strategies to address health inequities and improve outcomes.

Dr. Joseph is a pioneer in the field of robotic surgery, and has served as President of the Society of Urologic Robotic Surgery. He has participated as surgeon for several international live robotic surgery demonstrations, including the first live robotic prostatectomy transmission to the American Urological Association in 2010. He has authored numerous medical journal articles on topics related to robotic and minimally invasive surgery. He has served as course director for several courses at the American Urological Association, and World Congress of Endourology annual meetings. Dr. Joseph has edited multiple books, authored numerous book chapters, and scientific publications. He is the founding editor of Doctors Advice.

Dr. Joseph has served in a number of leadership positions. He served on the Board of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the Society of Academic Urologists, the Endourology Society, the Northeastern Section of the American Urological Association as Secretary, and the American Board of Urology as a certifying examiner. Service on non-academic boards included Cerebral Assessment Systems, Camp Good Days, and the Monroe County Sheriff Foundation.

Jennifer Miles-Thomas, MD FPMRS

Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas is a distinguished leader in medicine with a profound commitment to enhancing healthcare through leadership, innovation, and a patient-centered approach. She is the current AUA Treasurer-Elect.  Dr. Miles-Thomas obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, followed by post-doctoral training at The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. During her fellowship, she specialized in Female Urology, further enhancing their expertise in this important area of Urological care. She then completed an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. As the President and CEO of Urology of Virginia from 2020-2023, Dr. Miles-Thomas has pioneered accounting and finance reforms, cultivated change management and created reproducible process driven decision models that have significantly enhanced operational efficiency and patient care delivery. She is currently the Vice Chair of Integration and Innovation at Northwestern Medicine. She is a frequent podcast guest and moderator on topics related to medicine and business and currently sits on multiple not-for-profit boards. Her leadership style is not just about managing and directing but about inspiring, mentoring, and making a tangible difference in the lives of patients and the medical community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband Ivan, three children, Chris, Taylor and Jordan and Labradoodle, Jasper.

Margaret S. Pearle, MD, PhD

Dr. Pearle is Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Urology with a dual appointment in Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and holder of the Ralph C. Smith Distinguished Chair in Urologic Education. She has been involved in numerous academic initiatives in stone disease, including serving as chair of the AUA Medical Management of Kidney Stones Guideline Panel in 2014 and as President of the ROCK Society in 2007. She received the AUA Gold Cystoscope Award in 2003, the Robert C. Flanigan Education Award in 2012, the Hugh Hampton Young Award in 2016, the Barringer Medal from the prestigious American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) in 2018 and the St. Paul’s Medal from the British Association of Urologic Surgeons (BAUS) in 2020. She served on the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Urology, becoming President in 2013-14. She served as Secretary General of the Endourological Society for 6 years, then ascended to President of the Society in 2023. She is an honorary member of both the AUA and the Endourological Society. Finally, she is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow.