The Society of Integrative Urology (SIU) is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 dedicated advancing urologic care by incorporating research, education and clinical practice of complementary and integrative therapies for urologic conditions for men and women. Members are a multidisciplinary group of professionals in all areas of practice related to general urology, urologic oncology, urogynecology, pediatric urology, complementary and integrative medicine clinicians and patient advocates.

The purpose of the SIU is to advance research, education and clinical practice in Integrative Urology.

Aaron E. Katz, MD Founder
Aaron E. Katz, MD began his Urology career in 1986 after graduating from New York Medical College. During his time spent as a urology resident he took the initiative in 1988 to take a year of research study in the Molecular Research Laboratory at Columbia University. During that year, Dr. Katz published several basic science papers on the molecular growth of prostate cancer and was awarded First Prize at the Valentine Essay contest at the New York Academy of Medicine. He continued his research efforts throughout his residency, and was again awarded a prize the following year.

Dr. Katz graduated spent six years training at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. This was followed by a two year postgraduate fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Columbia University. He was awarded the Valentine Scholarship two years consecutively which funded his basic scientific research efforts. During that time, Dr. Katz developed a novel blood test using RT-PCR technology to detect micrometastatic circulating tumor cells in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. His molecular staging of prostate cancer methodology was patented, and academic institutions continue to publish on the merits of this approach. His work on this assay led to his first five year NIH R01 award. Following his fellowship, he was recruited by Dr. Carl Olsson, Chairman of Urology at Columbia University to join the full time academic staff in 1994.

Throughout his career, Dr. Katz has demonstrated a commitment to developing non invasive surgical approaches for men with early stage prostate cancer. He has become an international leader in the field of cryotherapy and ablation of small tumors within the prostate and kidney. He has been invited as a guest lecturer and visiting professor at numerous national meetings and universities, and is currently the director of the cryoablation course at the American Urological Association's national meeting. Physicians from around the country and around the globe travel to Columbia University to attend Katz's interesting and instructive courses. Through research and teaching, he has helped develop an on-line cryosurgical data base, where over 4,000 patients have been entered from academic and community based physicians.

Dr. Katz has demonstrated the highest quality of patient care, teaching, and research: the three most valuable tenets of an academic physician. His deep interest in herbal medicine research has led him to develop the Center for Holistic Urology. The Center, which he founded in 1998, has a basic science as well as clinical component. Dr. Katz is well known as a pioneer in the field of Holistic Urology, and his center has recently expanded to included acupuncture and nutritional IRB approved clinical trials. Clearly one of the first in the country, the research generated in the center has been presented and published in several peer-reviewed medical journals. He has been a clinical investigator and has managed several groundbreaking new cancer prevention clinical trials. Most notably he has recently completed the first Phase I clinical trial he designed testing an herbal amalgam called Zylfamend for the prevention of prostate cancer in men with pre-malignant changes on prostate biopsy. He is now the principle investigator of a multi-center Phase II trial which will begin this year. For the past four years he has also been an active co-investigator in the National Institute of Health SELECT trial, studying the effect of anti-oxidants in prostate cancer prevention. His research efforts have been critical contributions to the department of Urology at Columbia. He is currently a co-investigator on an NCI trial studying the use of lycopene for prostate cancer, as well as directing several cryotherapy trials at Columbia. He has been a member of the Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the American Urological Association since 2005. This committee is responsible for monitoring herbal clinical trials and developing protocols that are used by urologists nationwide.

Dr. Katz has demonstrated a unique ability to utilize his own research programs as an educational tool for developing an interest in academic medicine amongst the students he has mentored. He was awarded the John K Lattimer teacher of the year in 1994 and recently established a fellowship program for minimally invasive urologic oncology that will initiate with co-faculty in urology as of July 2008.

In addition, Dr. Katz has served in a series of university and national leadership positions that warrant mention. In 2006 he was named the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology, and in 2009 he was named Professor of Clinical Urology at Columbia Univeristy Medical center. He has served as the member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center's Protocol Committee as well as a member of both the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee within the Department of Urology. He has been the chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee within the Department of Urology since 1994, and was recently appointed to the American Urological Association's National Faculty for Ultrasound. He has published over 100 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and has authored several chapters in urologic text books. In addition, he recently wrote his first book, 'Dr. Katz's Guide to Prostate Health'.

He has appeared on numerous TV shows including Fox News and Good Morning America. Recently he has become a regular on the Don Imus show which appears on national television on Fox Business news as well as a new radio show on WABC in NY called Katz's Corner, which airs live every Sunday morning.

Books by Dr. Katz

Publications by Dr. Katz

 

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Philippa J. Cheetham, MD Founder
Dr. Philippa J. Cheetham, is a Board certified Urological Surgeon from the UK who is currently Clinical Fellow in Robotic Surgery and Prostate Cryosurgery at Columbia University Medical Center, New York.

After graduating with honours from the University of Bristol Medical School, UK and being awarded the gold medal for the most distinguished medical student of the year in 1996, Dr Cheetham completed a 5 year general surgical training program at The John Radcliffe Hospital University teaching hospital, Oxford,UK. She was also appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy for Oxford University Medical School and clinical tutor for Worcester College, Oxford University. Following completion of general surgery residency, she was awarded the MRCS (Eng) surgical degree and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2000.  

In 2000, Dr Cheetham was awarded a prestigious academic research fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. This enabled her to complete two years of full time basic science research with Professor Alison Brading in the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University. Dr Cheetham studied the pacemaker activity and contractility of the human bladder in spinal cord injury and was subsequently awarded a higher research degree for her scientific work and thesis on this subject. She also had an honorary clinical position at the National Center for Spinal Injuries, Stoke Mandeville, UK, during this time.

In 2008, Dr Cheetham completed a further six years of higher surgical training in Urology at Oxford University, UK and was then awarded board certification in Urology by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, after passing the FRCS (Urol) examination.

In September 2008 Dr Cheetham came to Columbia University Medical Center, New York to work with Professor Aaron Katz and Dr Ketan Badani in Urologic Oncology.  In July 2010 Dr Cheetham completed a two year minimally invasive oncology fellowship in Robotic Surgery and Prostate Cryosurgery and now works full time with Professor Aaron Katz in the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia University Medical Center.

She has a strong subspeciality interest in female Urology and bladder conditions associated with neurological disorders, like multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Dr Cheetham also has a keen interest in holistic and natural therapies for urological conditions. Dr Cheetham co-authored two recently published books “Robotic Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer – Is It For You?” and “Living a Better Life After Prostate Cancer - A Survivor’s Guide to Cryotherapy”. She has also written chapters in the textbook “ABC of Urology”, published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented extensively at prestigious international academic meetings all over the world.  Dr. Cheetham can be reached at pcheetham@doctors.org.uk.

Books by Dr. Cheetham

Publication by Dr. Cheetham

 

Jillian L. Capodice, LAC Founding Partner
Jillian L. Capodice is currently the Director of Acupuncture and Integrative Service at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Urology, Center for Holistic Urology where she specializes in acupuncture and traditional Chinese and Oriental medicine.   She received a bachelor of science in biology and chemistry from Towson University in Maryland and graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York. 

Because there currently aren’t any residency programs for specialties in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, and she was interested in specializing in urologic conditions and oncology, Jillian returned to her basic science roots and applied for and completed a 2-year fellowship in the Center for Holistic Urology’s Molecular Urology Laboratory. 

During this time she was dedicated to intense study of herbal and nutraceutical compounds and devising experiments that demonstrated translational analysis of these products; bench to bedside research.  For example, what are the mechanisms of actions of a mixed botanical compound and how might that be useful to treat a potential precancerous condition or help delay a surgical intervention?  She was also able to learn specifically about clinical urologic medicine and she was awarded an early career award for new investigators from the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Cancer Institute, and was Co-Principal Investigator of the first clinical trial of acupuncture at the Center for Holistic Urology which studied the effect of acupuncture treatment in men with chronic prostatitits/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

She has continued her research on both herbal agents and conditions in urology and oncologic supportive care including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, benign prostate disease, pelvic pain and urinary frequency, to name a few and continues to collaborate with various investigators on acupuncture mechanisms, chronic pain and cancer supportive care.

She currently teaches a lecture on complementary and integrative medicine for the 3rd year Columbia University medical students and acts as a preceptor for 4th year students interested in learning more about acupuncture and traditional medicine.  She is also a faculty member at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.  She has published over 30 scientific articles in peer reviewed journals and has lectured throughout the United States, England and Japan and been interviewed for CBS news on a recent study about acupuncture for pain relief in breast cancer patients.

Her leadership includes Co-chairing the Clinical Working Group of the Consortium for Academic Health Centers in medicine, a group of academic medical centers that includes peers from over 40 esteemed medical centers and active work on the Financial Stability Team.  She is also a Board Member of the Society for Integrative Oncology. 

Lois Feldman  Director of Development
Bio Coming Soon

Board Members
Dan Lifton, Quality of Life Labs CEO, Board Member
Dan Lifton is the CEO of Quality of Life Labs, a leading developer of clinically proven bionutraceuticals, and the Head of Clinician Outreach for the AHCC Research Association. Dan is an authority on evidence-based dietary supplements and has been a leading advocate for the adoption of clinically supported natural compounds by the mainstream medical community. He regularly meets with oncologists, urologists, immunologists and general practitioners to increase their awareness of bionutraceutical compounds that can help their patients. He has been a frequent guest on health radio programs throughout the country. Dan holds a Master’s Degree from Columbia University and a B.S. from Georgetown University.

Charlotte Hiller, Certified Holistic Health Coach, Board Member
Charlotte Hiller, Certified Holistic Health Coach, received her certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.  IIN is the largest nutrition school in the world, hosting many world renowned speakers and health/medical experts.  She learned over 100 different dietary theories and how to integrate traditional nutrition philosophies with the most current health concepts…all while guiding her clients toward the healthiest life choices for them.

After attending Southern Connecticut State University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, Charlotte spent a number of years in sales and marketing for various prominent corporations.  While taking a hiatus from the workforce to raise her 2 daughters, she began to expand upon the informal training she had from her father who was an organic farmer and espoused a cutting edge approach to good nutrition.

As a result of her training, Charlotte began experimenting with her diet and noticed dramatic positive shifts in her energy, mood and overall sense of wellbeing.  She developed a special interest in prostate cancer and the crucial role food and lifestyle choices play in the treatment and prevention of this disease after her husband was diagnosed with this cancer in November 2009.

She resides in northern New Jersey with her husband Alan.