Message from the Chair
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Centennial Celebration for the Department of Urology at the University of Michigan. It is indeed an honor and privilege for me to serve as our ninth Chair and newest caretaker. Over the past 100 years, Urology at Michigan has been at the forefront of scientific discovery and medical education. From fundamental science to clinical trials, from process, policy and economic analysis to implementation science—we have made a difference. From training academic and scientific thought leaders, including Nobel Prize winner Charles B. Huggins, MD, to exemplary clinicians in practice—we have made an impact. Few departments of urology around the country share our rich history and tradition of excellence.
When Cabot started his tenure at the University of Michigan in 1919, the invention of the electric lamp by Edison and van Leeuwenhoek’s microscope revolutionized care in urology, enabling visualization of the bladder (cystoscopy) and facilitating direct examination of its contents (microscopic urine analysis). Wappler continued this technical transformation by adding the capability of electrosurgery to the cystoscope. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves in the era of precision medicine, robotic and minimally invasive surgery, telehealth and stone dusting. While we do not know what our field will look like 100 years from now, I am confident that our Department will be involved in its development.
Due to COVID-19, our centennial celebration was delayed. We held this celebation on November 4-6, 2021. Thank you to all who came to help us celebrate our past and launch our future. We thank the alumni who returned to Ann Arbor and shared their stories with each other and the newest generation of U-M Urology residents in training. Go Blue!
Sincerely,
Ganesh S. Palapattu, MD, FACS
Chair
George F. and Sandy G. Valassis Professor of Urology
Department of Urology
