BALTIMORE, Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the American Urological Association (AUA) and the Urology Care Foundation (UCF) have announced the first two awardees of the UCF Bridge Award Supported by Dornier MedTech.
“The launch of the Bridge Award represents a pivotal moment for the Urology Care Foundation’s support of urology research,” said Dr. Harris M. Nagler, president of the Urology Care Foundation. “By providing timely, flexible funding, we are helping established investigators maintain momentum during critical periods. This initiative ensures that innovative projects can continue to advance, ultimately benefiting patients and the field as a whole.”
Dr. Emilie Johnson of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Dr. Debasish Sundi of The Ohio State University will each receive $60,000 in minimally restricted funding to support their research laboratories as they prepare to re-submit for larger federal grants.
Dr. Johnson will continue the Safe, Feasible, and Equitable Neonatal Circumcision (SaFE-NC) Program initiated with a 2019 Research Scholar Award and continued with a 2022 AHRQ R18 award, that seeks to test a new, more efficient newborn circumcision care pathway at three Chicago-area hospitals. The work aims to provide a free, publicly available toolkit that will provide the necessary information to implement this new program across the country, allowing for greater access to this procedure for more families.
The key question in Dr. Sundi’s project is to validate whether urine derived lymphocytes (UDLs) are a reliable, non-invasive biomarker for predicting bladder cancer. The current standard of care to predict therapeutic response to medical therapies treating bladder cancer involves assessment of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, TIL assessment requires an invasive procedure. The work Dr. Sundi will continue with the Bridge Award funds has the potential to validate UDLs as a reliable, non-invasive predictor for medical therapies in bladder cancer, which will inform future therapeutic clinical trials to better guide treatment paradigms.
“We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Johnson and Dr. Sundi as the inaugural recipients of the Bridge Award. Their projects exemplify the innovative and impactful research that drives our field forward.” said Dr. Henry Lai, chair of the AUA Research Council. “Bridge funding ensures that talented investigators like these can continue their critical work without interruption, ultimately improving patient care and advancing urology.”
The Bridge Award introduces a groundbreaking funding mechanism from AUA and UCF—the first designed to support established urologic researchers. For 50 years, AUA has focused on building the research workforce, starting with the Research Scholar Award in 1975. After engaging with research community stakeholders, they identified a critical need: helping experienced investigators overcome funding gaps. The Bridge Award offers flexible financial support to sustain essential lab operations, from retaining key personnel to preserving unique cell or animal lines. By eliminating barriers like pre-approval for re-budgeting, this award empowers researchers to act quickly, maintain momentum, and accelerate progress toward future grant success.
“Dornier MedTech is honored to partner with the Urology Care Foundation on this groundbreaking award. Supporting researchers during funding gaps is critical to ensuring that promising ideas do not stall. Together, we are investing in the future of urology innovation and improving patient care worldwide,” explained Brock Faulkner, CEO, Dornier MedTech America.
To learn more about the UCF Bridge Award, supported by Dornier MedTech, and the awardees, check out the AUA’s website at auanet.org/BridgeAwardWinners.
About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.
- Dr. Emilie Johnson and Dr. Debasish Sundi