2025
UROLOGY DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Founded in 1900, Northwestern Medicine Department of Urology at Northwestern Medicine was among the first urology departments in the country. Over the past 125 years, we’ve advanced urologic care through pioneering research, exceptional education and innovative clinical practices.
As we celebrate this historic anniversary, we honor pioneers in the field and reflect on the key milestones and groundbreaking clinical achievements that exemplify our dedication to patient care and medical advancement.
Looking to the Future
As Northwestern Medicine Urology celebrates 125 years, we’re focused not only on honoring this legacy, but on defining the future of urologic care. With a foundation rooted in academic rigor and clinical excellence, we are advancing the field through leading-edge translational research, high-impact clinical trials, and innovations in surgical technology and precision medicine.
At the heart of this vision is the newly established Northwestern Medicine Urologic Institute, a multidisciplinary hub that unites specialized centers — including Polsky Urologic Cancer Institute, the Center for Urinary Stone Disease and the Center for Urologic Innovation. These centers foster collaboration across specialties and accelerate the translation of discovery into practice. Guided by our tripartite mission of research, education and clinical care, we’re poised to lead the next generation of breakthroughs and set national and global standards in urological health.
As we celebrate this historic anniversary, we honor pioneers in the field and reflect on the key milestones and groundbreaking clinical achievements that exemplify our dedication to patient care and medical advancement.
- 1900: The Department of Urology is established with Louis E. Schmidt, MD, appointed as inaugural chair. Dr. Schmidt advocated for accessible treatment of gonorrhea and led the movement to adopt blood tests for syphilis, often challenging established norms in organized medicine.
- 1945: The residency program in urology is launched under the visionary leadership of Vincent J. O'Conor Sr., MD, setting a new standard for education in the field. Today, 12 resident alums serve as current or former department chairs or chiefs at institutions nationwide.
- 1948: Dr. O'Conor is named chair of Urology, continuing his legacy of training the next generation of urologists.
- 1956: John T. Grayhack, MD, establishes and directs a pioneering Urological Research Lab that remains a cornerstone of academic productivity.
- 1961: Dr. Grayhack becomes chair of Urology, enhancing the residency program by incorporating a unique year of research fellowship in his lab.
- 1967: Dr. Grayhack makes history by characterizing the growth-stimulating effect of a protein hormone on the prostate for the first time.
- 1970: The department forms a collaboration with Children's Memorial Hospital and Evanston Hospital, enriching the training experience for residents.
- 1974: The department welcomes Endocrinologist Chung Lee, PhD, who significantly expands the Urology Research Laboratory, leading to seminal advances in understanding urologic conditions.
- 1981: Groundbreaking research led by Anthony J. Schaeffer, MD, uncovers systemic changes in bacteria binding that contribute to UTIs in women.
- 1990: Dr. Schaeffer is appointed chair of Urology, guiding a new era of research and clinical excellence.
- 1996: Dr. Schaeffer receives the MERIT Award for grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for his work on host factors influencing urinary tract infections.
- 2001: Northwestern Medicine is awarded a highly competitive Prostate Cancer SPORE grant by the National Cancer Institute.
- 2006: Robert E. Brannigan, MD, helps establish the fertility preservation program for men diagnosed with cancer at Northwestern Medicine. The program publishes promising outcomes in 2012.
- 2007: Dr. Lee’s research on TGF-beta signaling paves the way for innovative immunotherapy treatments for advanced prostate cancer.
- 2011: The novel curriculum for our four-year urology residency program is published. It goes on to become the national standard for residency training in urology.
- 2014: Research led by Adam B. Murphy, MD, highlights vitamin D deficiency as a potential biomarker for advanced prostate tumor progression.
- 2015: Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, is named chair of Urology. He is renowned for his research on the molecular biology of aggressive prostate cancer and the role of race in disease progression. He also introduced tissue-sparing techniques that significantly improve continence and sexual function post-surgery.
- 2017:
- William J. Catalona, MD, helps develop the Prostate Health Index test, improving detection of aggressive prostate cancer.
- Northwestern Medicine establishes the Uro-Oncology Tumor Board to foster multidisciplinary care for patients across Northwestern Medicine.
- 2019:
- Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD, discovers MYC inhibitors as promising targets for cancer.
- A $10 million gift funds the Polsky Urologic Cancer Institute of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This marks a significant investment in comprehensive urologic cancer care.
- 2021: The department launches the first and only urology clinic for gay and bisexual men in the U.S.
- 2021: To ensure patients have access to high-quality urologic care close to where they live and work, Northwestern Medicine Urology continues rapid expansion throughout the Health Network by emphasizing physician recruitment.
- 2022: We establish the first complex urologic infectious disease clinic in the U.S. is established, further broadening our specialty clinic offerings.
- 2024:
- Amy E. Krambeck, MD, and Ashley E. Ross, MD, PhD, publish significant findings on predictors and management of incidental prostate cancer with holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).
- Dr. Edward Schaeffer leads a groundbreaking study suggesting an alternative approach for prostate biopsy.
- Joshua J. Meeks, MD, PhD, demonstrates improved survival rates for bladder cancers with the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy regimens.
- The department ranks No. 1 in NIH funding nationwide, with Dr. Abdulkadir recognized as the highest NIH-funded urologic PI.
- The Urology Department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital celebrates 27 straight years as the top-ranked urology program in Illinois, ranked 12th out of 1,480 programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, 2024 – 2025.
- 2025:
- Northwestern Medicine Urology wins the gold medal in the inaugural National Residency Abstract Olympics at the AUA 2025 Annual Meeting. The award is given to the residency program with the most resident abstracts accepted for presentation at the annual meeting.
- The Urology Department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is recognized nationally for quality and patient safety by Vizient Inc.
Looking to the Future
As Northwestern Medicine Urology celebrates 125 years, we’re focused not only on honoring this legacy, but on defining the future of urologic care. With a foundation rooted in academic rigor and clinical excellence, we are advancing the field through leading-edge translational research, high-impact clinical trials, and innovations in surgical technology and precision medicine.
At the heart of this vision is the newly established Northwestern Medicine Urologic Institute, a multidisciplinary hub that unites specialized centers — including Polsky Urologic Cancer Institute, the Center for Urinary Stone Disease and the Center for Urologic Innovation. These centers foster collaboration across specialties and accelerate the translation of discovery into practice. Guided by our tripartite mission of research, education and clinical care, we’re poised to lead the next generation of breakthroughs and set national and global standards in urological health.
