The Department of Urology at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB) and Beaumont Health has been awarded a four-year, $3.8 million grant from the Department of Defense to study interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a debilitating constellation of symptoms including urinary urgency, frequency and pain related to the bladder, which predominantly affects women.
Although these symptoms appear to be bladder related, there is growing evidence that the bladder may actually be an innocent bystander in a more diffuse syndrome with a complex interplay of various systems and factors. The newly funded study will assess the role of the pelvic floor as a major contributor to IC/BPS. It is anticipated that this trial will establish pelvic floor muscle dysfunction as the dominant cause of IC/BPS when bladder ulcers are not present. It will also develop a standardized pelvic floor physical examination protocol and identify biomarkers associated with pelvic floor dysfunction at baseline and during the response to treatment.
About the investigators
Kenneth M. Peters, M.D., Principal Investigator, is Professor and Chairman of Urology at OUWB and Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Dr. Peters has a longstanding and successful track record with NIH funded research efforts and is internationally known for his work in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), neuromodulation for voiding dysfunction and pain, and female urology.
Larry Sirls, M.D., Investigator, is Director, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, and Professor of Urology, OUWB. He is also an active researcher with experience as principal investigator (PI) or Co-PI on NIH funded as well as commercially sponsored clinical trials.
Laura E. Lamb, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at OUWB and Research Scientist at Beaumont Health’s Research Institute. She has over a decade of experience in urology, oncology, cellular and molecular biology, and immunology with expertise in cell signaling and funded by the Department of Defense, the National Institute of Health, and Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research.
Michael B. Chancellor, M.D., is Professor of Urology at OUWB. A prolific author and researcher, Dr. Chancellor has gained national and international recognition in the areas of stem cell and tissue engineering as well as drug discovery. He was the first urologist to use botulinum toxin to treat lower urinary tract dysfunction. Dr. Chancellor has received funding from the National Institutes of Health for over two decades and has directed Program Project and Physician Scientist Training grants.
