Mark and his team used TUF’s funding to develop an interactive computer model that could be used to teach surgeons how to perform TURP operations. This was the first attempt to create a technology that has become more commonplace today, with the advanced technologies that are now available.
“My whole career has come as a consequence of that initial funding. Without that funding I might not have gone on to be the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at UCL, where I manage a £170m budget, I might not have received millions in funding for further research, I might not have published over 300 papers or been cited 25,000 times.
“Because I had that initial investment I’ve been able to develop the first change in the prostate cancer pathway in 100 years, I’ve had focal therapy included in prostate cancer treatment guidelines worldwide, and I’ve developed new strategies for men dealing with LUTS to improve their symptoms – these guidelines have now been adopted worldwide. I’ve been very successful and it’s because I had TUF’s initial investment in my career.”
