Christopher J. Kane, MD, a specialist in prostate cancer and an expert in robotic and other minimally invasive procedures for urologic surgery at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Joseph D. Schmidt, MD, Presidential Chair in Urology in the School of Medicine.
Joseph D. Schmidt, MD, Presidential Chair in Urology
The $3.3 million endowed faculty chair was created in honor of Joseph D. Schmidt, MD, Professor Emeritus, who served UCSD from 1976 through his recent retirement in August 2015. Dr. Schmidt is revered for his excellent patient care and for training 60 urology residents in his time at UCSD. He served as Chief of the Division of Urology at UCSD for 30 years.
The Joseph D. Schmidt, MD, Presidential Chair in Urology was established through charitable donations and matched through the University of California’s Presidential Match for Endowed Chairs. The endowed chair will provide a dedicated source of funds to support the chair holder’s urologic research, teaching, and service activities at UCSD Health.
An Accomplished Urologist
Professor of Surgery at UCSD School of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Urology at UCSD Health, Dr. Kane is internationally recognized for his patient care and research in prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and minimally invasive surgical treatment of urologic diseases and disorders.
Dr. Kane serves on the editorial boards of several major urology journals, as well as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Prostate Cancer Management Guidelines Committee. He also co-chairs the National Cancer Institute’s Renal Cell Carcinoma Advisory Task Force.
Dr. Kane performs more than 200 robotic cancer surgeries each year, and is highly experienced in nerve-sparing robotic prostatectomies, robotic radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, and robotic partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer.
“The funding from the Joseph D. Schmidt, MD, Presidential Chair in Urology allows me to dedicate more time to the urologic cancers research program,” Dr. Kane said. “It also allows me to fund initiatives, like our comprehensive urologic oncology database, that are a research resource for the entire division.”
Dr. Kane received his medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He completed his residency at the Naval Medical Center in Oakland, California. Prior to joining USD Health, Dr. Kane held leadership positions at UC San Francisco and the Naval Medical Center San Diego. A retired Navy Captain and a decorated veteran of Desert Storm, he is Board certified in urology. ■
