September 30, 2009

U of M Medical School Boasts New Chair of Urologic Surgery, Badrinath Konety

News Summary

• The University of Minnesota Medical School welcomes Badrinath Konety, M.D., M.B.A., as professor and chair of the Department of Urologic Surgery.
• A native of India, Konety attended medical school at Bangalore University before coming to the United States as a research fellow in 1991 at the VA Medical Center, San Fransisco. He completed his residency training and an American Foundation for Urologic Diseases fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also earned an M.B.A. He was a clinical fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Between 2001-2005, he was an Assistant Professor of Urology and Chief, Urology Service at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City and the University of Iowa. Most recently, he has served as Chief of Urology, VA Medical Center, San Francisco and Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of California, San Francisco.
• Konety has an extensive background in cancer and urology. His main research interests surround the screening, treatment, and management of prostate and bladder cancer.

Quotes

• “In being a part of the Medical School, my hope is to foster greater collaboration with basic and translational scientists to deliver cutting edge, innovative patient care in all areas of urology here at the University of Minnesota." - Badrinath Konety, M.D., M.B.A.
• “Dr. Konety’s energy and creative thinking will be an asset to his department and the Medical School as a whole, particularly in the arena of prostate cancer research and care. He will be a vital part of the talented Medical School faculty.” - Frank B. Cerra, M.D.

About the Medical School

Dedicated to excellence, diversity and service, the University of Minnesota Medical School educates the next generation of physicians, advances patient care, and discovers breakthroughs in biomedical research that enhance health in Minnesota and beyond. Its commitment to transform medical education, Rural Physician Associate Program, and success in training Native American physicians are well-known. More than 1,500 Medical School physicians and scientists provide world-class care and carry out nearly $200 million in research, which informs the treatments and care that patients receive. For more information, go to www.med.umn.edu.

Full Text

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (September 30, 2009) — The University of Minnesota Medical School welcomes Badrinath Konety, M.D., M.B.A., as professor and chair of the Department of Urologic Surgery.

Konety looks forward to new opportunities provided by a medical school that is a leader in education, clinical care, and biomedical research breakthroughs. He hopes to continue to develop the Center for Prostate Cancer to better provide patients with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to care to prostate cancer while applying the same approach to other urologic malignancies. His knowledge and expertise will advance the care of urologic cancer patients by developing a customized surgery program to ensure optimal surgical results for each individual patient.

“In being a part of the Medical School, my hope is to foster greater collaboration with basic and translational scientists to deliver cutting edge, innovative patient care in all areas of urology here at the University of Minnesota,” Konety said.

Frank B. Cerra, M.D., dean of the Medical School, is pleased to have Konety join the faculty.

“Dr. Konety’s energy and creative thinking will be an asset to his department and the Medical School as a whole, particularly in the arena of prostate cancer research and care. He will be a vital part of the talented Medical School faculty,” Cerra said.

A native of India, Konety attended medical school at Bangalore University before coming to the United States as a research fellow in 1991 at the VA Medical Center, San Fransisco. He completed his residency training and an American Foundation for Urologic Diseases fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also earned an M.B.A. He was a clinical fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Between 2001-2005, he was an Assistant Professor of Urology and Chief, Urology Service at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City and the University of Iowa. Most recently, he has served as Chief of Urology, VA Medical Center, San Francisco and Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Konety has an extensive background in cancer and urology. His main research interests surround the screening, treatment, and management of prostate and bladder cancer. During his time in Iowa, Konety pioneered a statewide study of prostate cancer, the first of its kind in the country, which sought to develop a consensus guideline for diagnosis and management of prostate cancer in elderly men. His research in bladder and prostate cancer epidemiology and population science, has led to working with a variety of groups and large datasets. He has also been involved in research on gene therapy approaches to prostate cancer as well as developing artificial nerve grafts to correct the effects of prostate surgery. He has received several grants from sources such as the American Cancer Society, Dept. of Defense and the National Cancer Institute.

Konety is the recipient of multiple honors and awards through national organizations such as the AUA and the American Geriatrics Society including the Jahnigen Career Development Award, the AUA-EAU Exchange Scholarship, and being part of the AUA Leadership Program.