Two new faculty members join Urology this summer. Sima Porten, MD, MPH will join Urology Oncology as Assistant Professor and Anne Suskind, MD, MS, also Assistant Professor, will join Female Urology.
Porten completed her residency here at UCSF and served her fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Her research interests focus mainly in the diagnosis and management of urothelial carcinoma (bladder and upper tract). In studying the biologic basis of urothelial carcinoma using genomic techniques, Dr. Porten hopes to develop new tests and novel therapeutics to bring personalized medicine to patients with bladder cancer. While at MD Anderson, she worked on translational research elucidating the molecular subtypes of bladder cancer as well as the biologic basis of metastasis. She was awarded the John Quale Travel Fellowship for her research efforts by BCAN (Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network) and presented her work at national meetings Porten’s clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of all genitourinary malignancy, including minimally invasive approaches to cancer treatment. She is an active member of the American Urological Association (AUA), American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society of Women in Urology, and the Society of Urologic Oncology.
Suskind comes to UCSF from University of Michigan, bringing with her an impressive clinical and research background. Dr. Suskind is a current recipient of the UCSF Department of Urology’s multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) Career Development Program Award, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her current research aims to investigate how efficient and effective care is defined and delivered for women with stress urinary incontinence, specifically in the setting of new policies implemented by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Dr. Suskind’s research leverages large national databases and innovative analytical techniques to address these questions. She is also involved in a Urologic Disease in America (UDA) Project assessing national trends and quality associated with the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections in women, and she has done extensive research using similar techniques in topics related to sacral neuromodulation, complications associated with sling surgery, and interstitial cystitis. Dr. Suskind’s long-term research goals are to contribute to the quality and delivery of treatment strategies for patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction. Suskind’s clinical interests include urinary incontinence, vaginal mesh complications, urinary fistulas, interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, neurourology, bladder dysfunction due to neurologic disease, and other forms of lower urinary tract dysfunction. Her clinical approach integrates surgical and nonsurgical management of these conditions, including physical therapy, medications, Botox bladder injections, Macroplastique injections for stress urinary incontinence, sacral neuromodulation, posterior tibial nerve stimulation and complex urinary surgical reconstruction. She also offers non-mesh slings for treatment of female stress urinary incontinence and has extensive experience in urodynamic testing and interpretation.
Both Porten and Suskind will play integral goals in teaching a new generation of world-class urologists.
Says department chair, Peter Carroll, MD, MPH, “These appointments fulfill the department’s continuing promise to offer the highest quality urologic care, innovative research programs, and an outstanding education for future leaders in the field.”