BALTIMORE, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Urological Association (AUA) and the Urology Care Foundation (UCF)—the official foundation of the AUA—today announced Filipe de Carvalho, MD, PhD, as the latest recipient of the Rising Stars in Urology Research Award. Dr. de Carvalho is an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The Rising Stars in Urology Research Award program was established in 2005 to encourage recipients to contribute to urology as surgical specialists and scientists investigating causes, prevention, treatment, and cures that will improve patient’s lives. The research grant program provides up to five years of supplemental salary support to urologists who have successfully competed for career development awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other major funding organizations.
“Dr. de Carvalho’s project exemplifies the kind of translational science that bridges laboratory discovery with clinical impact,” said Henry Lai, MD, chair of the AUA Research Council. “He is laying the groundwork for more precise and effective bladder cancer therapies, and it’s research like this that moves the field forward in meaningful ways.”
Dr. de Carvalho’s research aims to improve treatment outcomes for bladder cancer patients by targeting tumor-associated macrophages, immune cells that can block the effectiveness of immunotherapy. By focusing on these cells, the project seeks to enhance the impact of chemo-immunotherapy and identify which patient subgroups are most likely to benefit from macrophage-directed therapies. The findings will offer valuable insights into overcoming resistance to current treatments, helping clinicians better match patients with therapies that are most likely to succeed.
"Dr. de Carvalho’s research focuses on potentially lethal muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which may not be responsive to combination chemo-immunotherapy," stated Dr. Nagler, president of the Urology Care Foundation. "By focusing on understanding tumor-associated macrophages, immune cells that block the effectiveness of immunologic therapy in bladder cancer, he hopes to be able to better select patients who are likely to respond to combination treatments with macrophage-directed therapies. Dr de Carvalho is one of many outstanding young researchers who will undoubtedly advance our understanding of the treatment of urologic disease, improving urological care globally."
Dr. de Carvalho earned his MD at the University of Porto, Portugal, and his PhD was completed at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed his urology residency at the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital and then a urologic oncology fellowship at Bridgham and Women’s Hospital. He is mentored by Eliezer Van Allen, MD, Kent Mouw, MD, PhD, and Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD.
For more information on the Rising Stars in Urology Research Award, visit: AUAnet.org/RisingStars
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 24,000 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.
About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public through philanthropic efforts, the Foundation supports the improvement of urological care globally by funding research, clinical education, patient education and humanitarian programs. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org.
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Corey Del Bianco Urology Care Foundation 443-689-4033 cdelbianco@auanet.org
