Established in 2002, the UCSF Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) in Lower Urinary Tract Function in Women focuses the expertise of basic and clinical research scientists on a common health problem in middle-aged and older women.

One of 11 SCOR programs designated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) (Press Releases), the UCSF SCOR is administered as a partnership of the ORWH and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

UCSF was designated one of the original six National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, as nationally and internationally renown scientists studying women’s health are found in every school, department and research groups. The SCOR award further emphasizes the depth of the campus’s commitment to women’s health issues, and has become an integral part of the research and clinical women’s health environment at UCSF.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction, including incontinence, significantly impairs quality of life and accounts for billions of dollars each year in health care expenditures. UCSF SCOR researchers are investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of urinary incontinence, the epidemiology of the disorder, and clinical outcomes of treatment. One of the strengths of the UCSF SCOR is the proximity of nationally recognized clinical researchers and laboratory researchers with similar research interests in lower urinary tract function.

Under the direction of urogynecologist Jeanette S. Brown, MD and urologist Tom F. Lue, MD, the UCSF SCOR encompasses senior clinical and basic researchers within UCSF and beyond. This multidisciplinary group of investigators includes members of the UCSF Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Urology, Family Medicine, Geriatrics, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics; the UCSF Women's Health Clinical Research Center, and the Northern California Kaiser Division of Research. The proximity of nationally recognized clinical and laboratory researchers with similar research interests is one of the unique strengths of the UCSF SCOR. These SCOR Investigators are also collaborating with other nationally and internationally recognized researchers. Each SCOR Collaborator has current projects that broaden the depth of complementary research programs to those of the SCOR investigators. Through our ongoing collaboration we will share data and meet mutual goals in studying lower urinary tract function, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections.

The UCSF SCOR clinical and basic science investigators have initiated synergistic collaborations that have resulted in innovative research hypotheses, study designs and translation to clinical care SCOR Research. The highly productive SCOR team receives substantial NIH grant support and many intra-and extramural awards. The SCOR investigators have also published numerous basic and clinical manuscripts related to female lower urinary function in leading journals and presented at international and national meetings.