April 6, 2023 – Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was recently elected to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS), an organization of leading academic urologists dedicated to the study of diseases of the genitourinary system.
Career Innovations in Academic Urology
Many exceptional achievements throughout his career contributed to Dr. Parekh’s election to the AAGUS. He is the founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute, one of a handful of free-standing urology institutes in the country adopting a multidisciplinary approach to advance clinical care, research and education for genitourinary diseases. He was also the 2013 recipient of the Gold Cystoscope Award from the American Urology Association.
As director of robotic surgery, Dr. Parekh has performed more than 5,000 robotic urologic procedures to treat prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. Through an NCI-funded RO1 grant, he was the principal investigator of the RAZOR clinical trial, the first randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of the robotic approach in bladder cancer. The RAZOR trial’s results were published in high-impact medical journals including the Lancet and JAMA.
Dr. Parekh conducted the definitive study in evaluating the tolerance of the human kidney to renal ischemia, which has since impacted nephron-sparing surgery for kidney cancer. He also led the national clinical study evaluating the role of 4k score as a biomarker for prostate cancer detection, as well as prospective studies on the role of focal therapy for prostate cancer.
As chief operating officer of the University of Miami Health System, Dr. Parekh has a keen focus on attracting top talent and experts who are national leaders in their fields. His recent recruitment of Nima Sharifi, M.D., as scientific director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute, will drive translational science focused on prostate and other genitourinary cancers. Dr. Sharifi is the latest in a long list of talented physician scientists Dr. Parekh has recruited, along with engineering and reproductive urology specialists.
“Being elected to the AAGUS is truly an honor,” Dr. Parekh said. “I am grateful to my mentors and peers to offer me the opportunity to be a member and look forward to participating and learning from them in the future.”
