Advisory Council
Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community is fortunate to have support and guidance from many of the world’s experts in the treatment and management of bladder exstrophy.
Paul A. Merguerian, MD, MS
Chair
Dr. Paul Merguerian is the Division Chief of Urology at Seattle Children’s and Professor of Urology at the University of Washington.
Specialty – Dr. Merguerian is an accomplished scholar, a committed teacher and mentor, and surgeon. His area of academic focus has been on complex reconstruction especially bladder exstrophy, and safety, efficiency, and cost within the field of pediatric urology.
Education – Dr. Merguerian received his medical degree from Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem and completed his Residency in Urology at the University of Rochester. He then went on to complete a Fellowship in Pediatric Urology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He received his Masters in Science from the Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and has received Lean Six Sigma training at the Dartmouth School of Engineering.
Other – Dr. Merguerian has held appointments at Stanford, the University of Toronto, and Dartmouth where he was the director of the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. Currently he is the Division Chief of Urology at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Urology at the University of Washington. In addition to his extensive work in process improvement and quality assurance, Dr. Merguerian serves as a key faculty mentor for Pediatric Urology Fellows at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington; as a clinic teacher and preceptor for Urology residents. Pediatric Urology, Bladder Exstrophy, Hypospadias Neurogenic bladder and reconstructive pelvic medicine.
Joseph Borer, MD
Director, Bladder Exstrophy Program
Dr. Joseph Borer is Director, Bladder Exstrophy Program; Co-Director, Neurourology and Urodynamics, Reconstructive Urologic Surgery Chair at Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery (Urology) at Harvard Medical School.
Specialty – Dr. Borer has specialized in a variety of medical services and programs, including transplantation, advanced fetal care, andrology, bladder exstrophy, pediatric urology, robotic surgery, kidney transplant, myelodysplastic syndrome, perinatal urology, urodynamics, vesicoureteral reflux, and voiding improvement.
Education – Dr. Borer received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Syracuse. He interned at the State University of New York at Brooklyn and completed residencies in Surgery and Urology at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He has also been a Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Borer is board-certified from the American Board of Urology in Urology and Pediatric Urology.
Other – Dr. Borer has focused on research in many areas, including pediatric urology, robotic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, epispadias, bladder exstrophy, cloacal exstrophy, neurourology, and renal transplantation.
Douglas Canning, MD
Chief of the Division of Urology
Dr. Douglas Canning is Chief of the Division of Urology and Professor of Urology in Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Specialty – Dr. Canning focuses on work with chronic, complex urological conditions in children, including hypospadias, exstrophy, epispadias, complex reconstruction, kidney transplantation, and posterior urethral valves.
Education – Dr. Canning received his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire. He was an intern and a resident at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as a fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Brady Urological Institute. He has received additional training from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Hs is board-certified in Urology and Pediatric Urology.
Other – Dr. Canning is author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, three textbooks, and more than 500 editorials in urology. His focus has been in all areas of pediatric reconstructive urology, with a particular interest in the care of children with complex urological conditions such as bladder and cloacal exstrophy, hypospadias, posterior urethral valves, and genital anomalies in both sexes.
Heather DiCarlo, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatric Urology
Dr. Di Carlo is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Urology and Co-Director of Pediatric Urology Research at the Charlotte Bloomberg Children’s Center at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute.
Specialty – Dr. Di Carlo treats all pediatric urological disorders in young males and females, while specializing in renal sparing surgery and complex reconstruction of the genitourinary tract in patients with the exstrophy-epispadias complex, disorders of sexual development (DSD) and other congenital anomalies.
Dr. Di Carlo has special clinical and basic science interests in the exstrophy-epispadias complex, spina bifida, and renal transplantation.
Education – Dr. Di Carlo received her medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine and completed her general surgery, urologic surgery residency at Stony Brook University Medical Center. She was a pediatric urology fellow at James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute / The Johns Hopkins Children Center.
A native of New York, Dr. Di Carlo graduated from Emory University with a B.S. in neuroscience and music, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine. Following general surgery and urology residency training at Stony Brook Medical Center, she completed a pediatric urology fellowship at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute.
Marlo Eldridge, DNP, CPNP
Director of the Voiding Improvement Program
Marlo Eldridge is Director of the Voiding Improvement Program, Robert D. Jeffs Pediatric Urology Service, at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Specialty – Dr. Eldridge developed the only pre-surgical training program in the world for children with bladder exstrophy. She has taught medical students, advanced-practice nursing students, pediatric residents, and pediatric urology fellows in the areas of biofeedback, medical assessment/management, and behavioral management in a pediatric dysfunctional elimination clinic. She has also taught pediatric urology residents and fellows in the preparation of bladder exstrophy and epispadius patients for bladder neck reconstruction or alternative continence procedure. She frequently speaks at international pediatric meetings, reviews and edits articles in urology journals, writes chapters in textbooks, and serves as a program development consultant.
Education – Dr. Eldridge received her masters degree in Nursing and her doctorate of Nursing Practice from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.
Other – Dr. Eldridge speaks at international pediatric meetings, reviews and edits articles in urology journals, writes chapters in textbooks, and serves as a program development consultant.
Misty Blue Foster LVN, BS, MPH
School Nurse
Misty Blue Foster is a foster care alumni with both Cloacal Exstrophy and Spina Bifida. She graduated from nursing school in 2009 from NCP College of Nursing. She has three Associates degrees in Behavioral, Social, and Natural Sciences from Skyline College in 2015 as Magna Cum Laude. In 2015 she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Notre Dame de Namur University with a Bachelors of Science in Human Services. From 2017 through 2018 she completed an extensive Public Health internship for A-BE-C while completing a Master’s of Public Health at San Jose State with honors.
Misty has worked with A-BE-C intermittently since 2009 by speaking at international and local conferences, and creating numerous presentations, videos and articles. She has 14 years of extensive, well-rounded experience in the healthcare industry. Misty worked as a nurse at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System for 7 years before leaving to pursue her educational goals. She is currently working as a school nurse in Menlo Park, CA and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
John P. Gearhart, MD
Professor and the Director of Pediatric Urology
Dr. John P. Gearhart is a Professor and the Director of Pediatric Urology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Specialty – Dr. Gearhart currently focuses on the following issues:
-children born with major congenital birth defects, including the bladder exstrophy-epispadias condition, ambiguous genitalia, and childhood urinary cancers
- the evaluation and treatment of the bladder muscle, nerve supply, and collagen content of the exstrophied bladder
- long-term follow-up studies of patients born with ambiguous genitalia
- new techniques to evaluate the prognosis and long-term outlook for children with childhood kidney tumors
- reconstruction of children who have undergone previous failed bladder exstrophy closures
Dr. Gearhart is also involved in long-term outcome studies with Dr. William Reiner of the Department of Child Psychiatry concerning the bladder exstrophy condition.
Languages – English, Spanish
Education Education – Dr. Gearhart received his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He completed his internship in Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta.
Other – Dr. Gearhart has been on the faculty of The Johns Hopkins Hospital for 25 years and was recently awarded an honorary fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons in Great Britain for his contribution to pediatric surgery in the field of bladder exstrophy. He has authored more than 265 scientific papers and authored or edited two books.
Emily Haddad, LCSW
Director of Patient and Family Support
Specialty – Director of Patient and Family Support in the Department of Pediatric Urology at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. Haddad is a licensed clinical social worker.
Education – Haddad received her bachelor of arts in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Vermont and her master of Social Work at the University of Michigan where she was also an instructor in the Department of Sociology. Haddad trained as a social worker in the NICU at Toledo Children’s Hospital, Toledo, Ohio and in the Department of Urology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario.
Other – Haddad is passionate about providing services to individuals with urogenital defects and their families in collaboration with their medical providers.Emily Haddad is a licensed clinical social worker in pediatric urology.
Rakesh Joshi, MCh, DNB, MNAMS
Professor & Head of the Department of Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Rakesh Joshi is the Professor & Department Head of Pediatric Surgery at B.J. Medical College & Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Specialty – Dr. Joshi is a general pediatric surgeon with focus on pediatric urology & minimally invasive surgery. He specializes on international collaborative work to provide the best possible surgical outcomes for patients with complex urogenital anomalies with a goal of maximizing quality of life.
Languages – Gujarati, Hindi, English
Education– Dr. Joshi received a MBBS from Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad in 1994, a MS (General Surgery) – Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad in 1998; MCh (Pediatric Surgery) – Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad in 2002; and DNB (Pediatric Surgery)-National Board of Examinations, Delhi in 2002.
Other– Dr. Joshi has received many recognitions, including Gold Medal in MBBS, University Topper in MCh Pediatric Surgery. He has been a teacher for more than 12 years and is a recognized PG teacher in Gujarat University, India. He is a Bladder Exstrophy Institute of India Co-Coordinator.
Antoine Khoury, MD
Chief of Pediatric Urology
Dr. Antoine Khoury is Chief of Pediatric Urology at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and the Walter R. Schmidt Endowed Chair in Pediatric Urology at the University of California-Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Khoury has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and in excess of 60 book chapters. He has done over 160 lectures as a visiting professor at both international and national levels.
Specialty– Dr. Khoury focuses on the medical and surgical management of complex pediatric urology anomalies, including reconstructive surgery for incontinence, genital anomalies, renal transplantation, and oncology. He has formed several multidisciplinary teams at CHOC to provide comprehensive care for children with the following genitor-urinary problems:
perinatal urology
Hypospadias and other Genital anomalies
disorders of sexual differentiation
bladder and cloacal exstrophy care
Colorectal and cloacal anomalies
minimally invasive surgery
pediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction and neurourology
Education – Dr. Khoury received his medical degree from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He completed a residency in Urology at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Other – Dr. Khoury speaks fluent French and Arabic and he serves on the editorial board of several medical journals. He is past president of the Pediatric Urologists of Canada and the Canadian Urological Association Scholarship Foundation. He also served as a member of the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology.
Bradley P. Kropp, MD
Medical Director of Pediatric Urology
Specialty – Dr. Kropp is the Medical Director of Pediatric Urology, OKC Kids Urology, Oklahoma City, OK. His major clinical focus is in the reconstruction of exstrophy and neurogenic bladders.
Education – Dr. Kropp received his M.D. from the University of Toledo. He interned and completed his residency at Indiana University, and he was a fellow at Indiana University’s James Whitcomb Riley Children’s Hospital.
Other – Dr. Kropp went into pediatric urology because he loves working with kids and performing reconstructive surgery that allows them to function normally. He has been practicing pediatric urology for over 22 years. The first 20 years of his practice was in academic medicine and he retired from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center as a tenured Full Professor of Urology. He is happy to return to Oklahoma in private practice after spending two years developing and starting up a new pediatric urology department for a large children’s hospital in Fort Worth. Dr. Kropp has over 120 peer reviewed articles and 12 book chapters related to all aspects of pediatric urology. Dr. Kropp has been a leader in pediatric urology on a national level, having served as past president of the Society of Fetal Urology, Co-Chair of the scientific program for the Society of Pediatric Urology, and past president of the American Association of Pediatric Urology. Dr. Kropp also received the Golden Cystoscope award in 2008 for outstanding contributions to the profession within ten years of completing residency training. His major clinical interest are in the areas of Bladder Exstrophy.
John V. Kryger, MD
Professor of Urology and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Urology
John V. Kryger, MD, is a Professor of Urology and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Urology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Specialty – Dr. Kryger specializes in all aspects of pediatric urology, with a special interest in bladder exstrophy, disorders of sexual development like ambiguous genitalia and complex hypospadias, fetal urology, and neurologic bladder/bowel conditions.
Education – Dr. Kryger earned his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his residency in Urology at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison and a fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Other – He was previous Director of Pediatric Urology at UW. He was past president of the Society for Fetal Urology.
Anjana Kundu, MD
Pediatric Anesthesiologist
Dr. Anjana Kundu is a pediatric anesthesiologist and a consultant at Dayton Children’s Hospital, Ohio. She’s also the President and Founder of Proactive Pain Solutions.
Specialty – Dr. Kundu’s clinical and academic focus involve a holistic and integrative approach to pediatric anesthesia, perioperative care, pain management and with a special attention to wellness, prevention of disease and quality of life issues. Her recent work emphasizes the importance of empowering patients and families in improving the quality of pediatric pain care.
Education – Dr. Kundu received her medical degree from Government Medical College & Hospital, in Rohtak, India. She completed her anesthesia residency training both in India at Seth G.S. Medical College & King Edward Memorial Hospital, Bombay and at the Medical College of Wisconsin in United States. Subsequently she got her fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology and pediatric pain medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. She also did her training in acupuncture from Harvard Medical School and subsequently completed training in Integrative Medicine as well as a certification in Medical Education and Leadership from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Other – Dr. Kundu is a founding member and current President for the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine. She is a passionate clinician, accomplished academician, educator and administrator, who is credited with building, growing and leading two successful pediatric pain and palliative care programs in US (Seattle & Columbus). She has been invited as a visiting professor nationally and internationally. She has participated in the complex urological surgical missions to India and Africa since 2009, and has been an integral part of the team of physicians from the United States engaged in improving the lives of exstrophy patients in underprivileged countries.
Ranjiv Mathews, MD, FAAP
Clinical Professor of Surgery(Urology) and Pediatrics
Dr Ranjiv Mathews is Clinical Professor of Surgery(Urology) and Pediatrics at Southern Illinois School of Medicine, and is the Director of Pediatric Urology and Program Director for the Urology Residency.
Education - Dr Mathews completed his Residency in Pediatrics at UMDNJ School of Medicine in New Jersey and completed his Residency in Urology at the SUNY Upstate Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY before going on a Fellowship in Pediatric Urology at the Brady Urological Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr Mathews then joined the faculty at SUNY Health Science Center in 1998. In 2000 he joined the faculty at the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins and was on the faculty for 11 years. He then joined Childrens Urology Associates, in Las Vegas, NV prior to joining the faculty at SIU in 2015.
Specialty- Dr Mathews has over 75 peer reviewed publications in Pediatric Urology, and was a principle investigator on the NIH funded RIVuR study. He has presented at national and international meetings and has been recognized as an expert on the management of exstrophy-epispadias complex. In his role as Board Member of A-BE-C he is leading the effort to bring state of the art surgical management of exstrophy to patients in Uganda.
Other - Dr Mathews is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and is Board Certified in Pediatric Urology. He is also a member of the Society of Pediatric Urology, The American Academy of Pediatrics Urology Section and the European Society of Pediatric Urology.
Michael E. Mitchell, MD
Pediatric Urology Specialist
Dr. Michael E. Mitchell is a specialist in pediatric urology at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Specialty – Dr. Mitchell focuses on issues related to pediatric urology, including urethral valves, bladder dysfunction, bladder exstrophy, and urologic reconstruction.
Languages – English and German
Education – Dr. Mitchell received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and surgical, urology, and research training at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the National Institute of Child Health and Development.
Other – When Dr. Mitchell was Chief of Pediatric Urology at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, he developed a Division of Pediatric Urology and a strong interest in urologic reconstruction, particularly the management of children with urethral valves and bladder exstrophy. He has developed surgical techniques to correct the most complex urologic malformations in children and has pioneered surgical techniques for patients diagnosed with bladder exstrophy and the complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy. Dr. Mitchell has furthered understanding of the pathophysiology of the bladder of children with posterior urethral valves and coined the term “valve bladder.” He emphasized the important role of early bladder cycling and the primary valve ablation approach for almost all patients with valves.
Joao Luiz Pippi Salle, PhD, MD, FRCSC, FAAP
Division Chief of Pediatric Urology
Dr. Joao Luiz Pippi Salle is the Division Chief of Pediatric Urology at Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
Specialty – Dr. Pippi Salle has created new approaches to address difficult areas of pediatric urology such as refractory urinary incontinence, feminizing genitoplasty, hypospadias repair, and other reconstructive procedures for bladder exstrophy and epispadias.
Education – Dr. Pippi Salle received his M.D. from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. He then spent seven years in training in General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, and Pediatric Urology in the United States, South Africa, and Canada.
Other/strong> – In 2020 Dr. Pippi Salle received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the World Federation of Pediatric Surgery. In 2011 he was named the Herbie Doctor of Year in recognition of his humanitarian contributions to the treatment of under-privileged children from around the world. He has chaired several pediatric urological events and workshops and is the former president of the International Society of Hypospadias and Disorders of Sex Development. Dr. Salle has 85 published papers in peer-reviewed journals and is the author of 34 book chapters. He is currently developing a CD-ROM for teaching pediatric urology to fellows and residents.
Diane Price, LICSW
Clinical Social Worker
Diane Price is a clinical social worker in the Department of Urology at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), where she is a is a member of the Bladder Exstrophy Program’s interdisciplinary team. Previously, Diane worked in Patient Relations and the Center for Families at BCH. She is the former chief social worker at the Floating Hospital for Infants and Children and senior social worker in Child Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center.
Specialty – Ms. Price works with families and their children who are treated for conditions along the epispadias-exstrophy spectrum.
Education – Ms. Price received her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania.
Other – Ms. Price is an advocate for strong patient and family partnerships, careful care coordination, and reducing barriers to optimal health and developmental outcomes. She continues to be inspired by her patients and their families and is grateful for the opportunity to work and learn together with them.
Pramod P. Reddy, MD
Director of the Division of Pediatric Urology
Dr. Pramod P. Reddy is Director of the Division of Pediatric Urology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine.
Specialty – In addition to maintaining a busy clinical practice, Dr. Reddy conducts research into the normal development of the urinary bladder and its innervation, the role of tissue-engineered substitutes for bladder replacement, and bladder dysfunction.
Education – Dr. Reddy received his medical degree from Nagarjuna University in Guntur, India. He completed a residency at Albany, New York’s Albany Medical Center, and a fellowship at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Other – Dr. Reddy has been recognized with numerous awards for his contributions to pediatric urology. He was named both a Pfizer Urological Scholar and an American Urological Association Scholar. As a member of the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati, he is actively involved in managing congenital conditions that involve the genitourinary tract of the fetus; his involvement ranges from diagnosis and counseling to in-utero intervention. Dr. Reddy is committed to advancing the science to improve the outcomes of prenatally diagnosed urological conditions, while at the same time ensuring that the ethical considerations keep pace with the technological and medical advances.
William G. Reiner, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Urology
Dr. William G. Reiner, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Urology, OKC Kids Urology.
Specialty – Dr. Reiner’s research interests span the areas of child development in children and adolescents with classical bladder exstrophy, cloacal exstrophy, hypospadias, absence of female or male genitals, and other major pediatric genital birth defects.
Education – Dr. Reiner received his medical degree from the University of California-Irvine. He completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is board-certified from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; the American Board of Urology; and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Other – Dr. Reiner has focused on research in the following areas:
gender identity
the impact of genital function and appearance on children’s development as well as on their parents
urinary incontinence and function and its impact on the children’s development as well as on their parents
anxiety about peer and social relations, sexual development, and romantic relationships
the effect of genital and urinary tract surgeries on children’s development and parent effectiveness
Aseem R. Shukla, MD
Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Dr. Aseem Shukla is Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Department of Urology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an Associate Professor of Surgery (Urology) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Specialty – Dr. Shukla conducts research into robotic-assisted laparoscopy, bladder exstrophy-epispadias, urinary tract reconstruction, hypospadias, and disorders of sexual differentiation.
Education – Dr. Shukla received his M.D. from the University of South Florida in Tampa. He stayed there to complete a residency in General Surgery and Urology. Dr. Shukla was also a fellow in Pediatric Urology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Other – Dr. Shukla is active in efforts to develop Pediatric Urology as a global discipline. Since 2007, he has co-directed an annual complex pediatric urological surgery teaching course—The Bladder-Exstrophy and Epispadias Workshop—at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, India, that is co-sponsored by International Volunteers in Urology and Hindu American Physicians in Seva. Dr. Shukla is also a volunteer surgeon for the Foundation for the Children of Iran, a not-for-profit organization that helps arrange life-altering medical and surgical treatment for Iranian children.
Martin Situma, MD
Pediatric Surgeon
Martin Situma, MD is a Pediatric Surgeon working with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and Bethanykids.
Specialty - Dr. Martin is the only full time Pediatric Surgeon in Southwestern Uganda. He is involved in the clinical care of children with different pediatric surgical conditions and teaching both undergraduates and postgraduate students.
Education - Dr. Martin trained at Makerere University Kampala for both undergraduate and postgraduate surgery training. He completed his Pediatric Surgery training at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa and Bethanykids in Kijabe, Kenya.
Other- Dr. Martin is a Fellow of College of East, Central Africa College of Surgeons (COSECSA), and a travel fellow for 2017 for the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA).
Evalynn Vasquez, MD, MBA
Director of Complex Reconstruction and Malformations
Dr. Evalynn Vasquez serves as the Director of Complex Reconstruction and Malformations Program and is an Assistant Professor of Urology working in the Division of Pediatric Urology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Specialty – Dr. Vasquez focuses on the medical and surgical management of complex pediatric urology anomalies, including reconstructive surgery for incontinence and neurogenic bladder, Spina Bifida, bladder exstrophy, colorectal malformations and cloacal malformations.
Education – Dr. Vasquez is originally from South Pasadena, California and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then went to medical school at Saint Louis University where she earned a dual MD-MBA degree. After graduation she started her residency at Saint Louis University, then completed her residency in Urology at Loyola University in Chicago. She went on to complete her Pediatric Urology Fellowship through Harvard University’s program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Vasquez is board-certified from the American Board of Urology in Urology.
Other – Dr. Vasquez has extensive experience in both clinical and basic science. During her fellowship, she studied proteins that control bladder contractility in mice and worked with the Multi-Institutional Bladder Exstrophy Consortium (MIBEC) to produce several papers and videos. Dr. Vasquez now focuses on research on the psychosocial impact on outcomes of complex reconstructive surgery and aims to assess patients’ surgical readiness prior to major surgery.
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Specialty
Richard W. Grady, MD
Founding Chair 2013-2017
Dr. Richard Grady saw medicine as part science, part art. It was the cornerstone of his medical practice and his extensive humanitarian work. He embodied this philosophy.
On April 25, 2017, after a three-year battle with brain cancer, Dr. Grady passed away. With his passing, the bladder exstrophy community lost a tireless champion and a medical visionary.
All of us at Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community (A-BE-C) lost our quiet leader, our mentor, our friend.
Four years ago, seeing the immense need for bladder exstrophy education and care in the US as well as in developing countries, Dr. Grady helped relaunch A-BE-C and was instrumental in helping take it to a new level. An active supporter of A-BE-C for many years, he was directly involved in hosting our International Conference in 2007 and again in 2015. He co-authored Life of a Patient giving A-BE-C publishing rights in honor of bladder exstrophy patients worldwide. He served as board chair of the medical advisory board from 2013 until his passing.
Dr. Grady also served as a visiting professor overseas and participated in educational surgical missions to India, Sub Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, bringing together a world class team of physicians from the United States and globally to better the lives of exstrophy patients in underprivileged countries. A true collaborator, Dr. Grady was always at the core of this team, energizing and engaging his peers with his infectious passion for this work.
During his career, Dr. Grady touched the lives of countless children and their families. His expertise saw them through difficult medical procedures, and his thoughtful, diligent demeanor helped calm their fears. Although he is no longer with us, what Dr. Grady achieved in his lifetime will live on—through the patients whose lives he touched, and through the children born with bladder exstrophy in years to come, whose lives will be enriched thanks to his philosophy and work.
Barbara Neilson, MSW, RES. Dip. S.W., RSW
Board Member 1995 - 2020
Barbara Neilson was a clinical social worker in pediatric urology, providing clinical social work services at Sick Kids in Toronto, Ontario for over 30 years.
Specialty– A pioneer in her field, Barbara raised international awareness to the importance of mental health support for children and adults with complex urological conditions. She touched thousands of lives of patients, families, students and colleagues, with advocacy, education, mentorship, compassion and humor.
Other– In 1997, Ms. Neilson started the original bladder exstrophy online listserve support group that provided the first psychosocial support for many families globally. She was a strong supporter of A-BE-C since its inception, and an advocate for her patients and their families.
