BALTIMORE, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Urological Association (AUA) is excited to announce it has selected seven grant winners to split $1.5 million as part of a collaborative initiative with Pfizer External Research & Grants (ER&G) which is aimed to improve the quality of care for individuals with advanced prostate cancer.

Following a joint Request for Proposals (RFP), 23 grant proposals were received from urology and urologic oncology institutions and organizations nationwide. After a rigorous review process, seven innovative projects were awarded grant funding, totaling $1.5 million on behalf of the Pfizer-Astellas Alliance.

“The AUA is proud to once again collaborate with Pfizer in supporting forward-thinking research and education in advanced prostate cancer,” said Mark Gonzalgo, MD, PhD, MBA, chair of education at the AUA. “This grant initiative continues to foster groundbreaking strategies that address unmet needs in care delivery—from earlier diagnosis to individualized treatment approaches. We commend this year’s grant recipients for their commitment to improving outcomes and elevating the standard of care for patients navigating this challenging disease.”

Congratulations to the following selected applications:

“Addressing Genomic Disparities in Prostate Cancer: A Quality Improvement Initiative for Equitable Access to Germline and Somatic Testing” – Rohan Garje, MD, Miami Cancer Institute

“Advanced Prostate Cancer Collaboration Advances Rural Equity” – Charles Shelton, MD, The Outer Banks Hospital

“AI-Enhanced Quality Improvement to Optimize Genetic Testing in Advanced Prostate Cancer” – Kenneth Nepple, MD, University of Iowa

“Bridging Gaps in Advanced Prostate Cancer Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative in the Bronx” – Christopher Jakubowski, MD, Montefiore Medical Center

 “Boosting Precision: Enhancing Germline and Somatic Testing in Advanced Prostate Cancer” – Guru Sonpavde, MD, AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida

“A Clinical Trial to Address Physician- and Patient-based Barriers to NGS Testing” – Catherine Marshall, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University

“Implementing MyNavigator Platform in a High Volume, Rural Advanced Prostate Cancer Practice to Optimize Performance of Multidisciplinary Care Team, Improve Patient Symptom Monitoring, and Collect Real World Data: A Quality Improvement Initiative” – Timothy Richardson, MD, Avident Health, LLC

*Pending executed agreements

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 26,000 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.

Corey Del Bianco
American Urological Association
443-689-4033
cdelbianco@auanet.org