In an impressive display of its expanding leadership in urology, the USC Institute of Urology hosted three major scientific meetings in four months.

USC welcomed the 92nd meeting of the Clinical Society of Genito-Urinary Surgeons (CSGUS) to the Aresty Conference Center on the USC Health Sciences Campus from Nov. 20-22. CSGUS is one of the most prestigious societies in the field of urology, with active membership limited to 25 of the top academic urologists in the United States.

The annual meeting began at the star-studded “Changing Lives, Creating Cures” gala, continued with a full day of intensive sessions on all aspects of urological surgery and concluded with a literary discussion featuring Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, author of “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize.

On Oct. 23, international thought leaders in urology gathered at USC for the American Urological Association (AUA) Consensus Conference on the Small Renal Mass. The AUA-accredited course included presentations by more than 30 key opinion leaders and hands-on labs hosted simultaneously in two other cities. AUA was founded in 1902 and has 20,000 members worldwide.

USC also hosted the 7th International Symposium on Focal Therapy and Imaging in Prostate & Kidney Cancer on Aug. 21-23. The educational event covered the latest developments in focal therapy, an emerging minimally invasive cancer treatment. Established in 2008, the symposium is held annually, rotating between the United States and Amsterdam.

“By hosting these important scientific meetings, we share expertise among our colleagues to advance the field of urology,” said Inderbir S. Gill, MD, MCh, chairman and professor of the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology and founding executive director, USC Institute of Urology. “Through innovation, we improve life for our patients here in Los Angeles and for others around the world.”

— Tom DeSanto