Research - TUF's impact

• Predict:Prostate, an NHS-approved tool for the staging of prostate cancer patients
• Prostagram, developing the concept of a rapid MRI scan as a potential mass screening tool for prostate cancer
• The use of Botox worldwide for an overactive bladder and incontinence
• Identification of urinary biomarkers for bladder cancer
• Developing potential new bio-materials for the surgical treatment of urinary incontinence
• Through our focus on training we pioneered the introduction of robotic urological surgery, enabling its safe and swift adoption by the NHS which has changed the face of urology cancer surgery.

Building on these achievements, 2022 saw us award seven new Research and Innovation Projects covering kidney, bladder, penile and prostate cancers, congenital bladder and kidney disease in boys and urinary tract infections. We also awarded Four Small Projects covering kidney, bladder, penile and prostate cancers, urinary tract infections, female reconstructive surgery and recovery after paediatric urology surgery. A further eight Travel Fellowships enabled trainee urologists to further their own development and to undertake teaching opportunities across the globe.

The Urological Trials Unit (TTU) at the University of Aberdeen continues to encourage more research ideas from the urology community and accelerate research that can drive improvements in treatment and care. There are three urological trials being run under the TTU, comparing the efficacy of treatment and surgery techniques in kidney cancer, bladder cancer and evaluating robotic surgery in the NHS. There are a further 11 research trial ideas being nursed through the development process.