Receiving an award that carries the name of the great Dr. John Duckett is especially meaningful to me. The Urology Care Foundation was actually the impetus to my career as a surgeon-scientist when I began my pursuit of translational research under the mentorship of Dr. Josephine Briggs, the former director of the Kidney, Urology, Hematology Division of the NIDDK. Even after becoming a pediatric urology fellow in Boston, I continued this research under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Freeman and Dr. Craig Peters and then kept on with my work as a surgeon-scientist when I returned to Michigan as a young faculty under the unwavering support of Chairmen Dr. James Montie and Dr. David Bloom. All of these blessings started with the first seed stimulus the Foundation granted which launched me into the scientific field. I am extremely humbled and honored to receive this award; however, I would be remiss if I didn’t express how grateful I am to all of my courageous patients who always encouraged me to persevere in finding solutions and to my mentors and countless colleagues who guided me with their lives as an example for me to follow.

The Urology Care Foundation and American Urological Association are delighted to award Dr. Felix Feng the 2024 Richard D. Williams, MD Prostate Cancer Research Excellence Award to acknowledge his life-long commitment to urology research and improving cancer outcomes.

Thank you for the honor of receiving the Urology Care Foundation (UCF) Distinguished Scholar Alumnus Award (2024). I was a scholar during my urologic oncology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine with Timothy Thompson and Peter Scardino as my research and clinical mentors. While many of the laboratory techniques used for my research are now historical, the foundation for critical thinking developed at that time has served me well throughout my career. UCF support for young surgeon-scientists is critical to maintaining the high standards we all have for helping our patients. I am grateful to the AUA and its leaders for supporting the early stage of my career. The UCF is vital to our specialty and our patients.

Receiving this distinguished mentor award is a reminder of the profound impact mentorship can have on both mentor and mentee. I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the personal and professional development of others in my community, my country, and the world.

I am immensely grateful to the Urology Care Foundation for selecting me to receive the Outstanding Graduate Scholar Award and for their support of my project “AIM High: DNA Methyltransferase Inhibition and Immune Stimulation in Bladder Cancer”. My mentors at the University of Washington, Dr. Jonathan Wright and Dr. Ming Lam, have been instrumental in creating and carrying out this project, and I am forever thankful for their guidance. The Research Scholar Award has provided me an incredible opportunity to develop my translational research skills and collaborate with other scientists. This experience directly led to my selection to participate in the Society of Urologic Oncology Young Urologic Oncologists Clinical Trials Development Workshop, which will allow me to continue exploring bench-to-bedside concepts for this project. I sincerely thank the Urology Care Foundation for this formative experience and for supporting me in the pursuit of more effective treatment options for patients with bladder cancer.

I am deeply honored to receive the 2024 2-year Outstanding Graduate Scholar Award. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the AUA and the Urology Care Foundation for recognizing the potential in and supporting my project exploring “The role of toxic xenobiotics in kidney stone formation”. This award has been instrumental in my growth as a young scientist, allowing me to hone my translational research skills, my mentorship abilities, and cultivate collaborations with esteemed colleagues worldwide. I am immensely thankful to my primary mentor at Western University, Dr. Jeremy Burton, whose guidance has been invaluable throughout this journey. Drs. Hassan Razvi, Jennifer Bjazevic, and John Denstedt have also played pivotal roles in my development, for which I am deeply appreciative. Through their expert guidance and this formative experience provided by the AUA and Urology Care Foundation, I am empowered to further pursue my career as a urological-focused basic scientist. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunities afforded to me and look forward to continuing my contributions to the field.