Our Team
Division Chief
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Sam S. Chang, MD, MBA
ProfessorDepartment of UrologyPatricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Urologic SurgeryChief Surgical OfficerVanderbilt Ingram Cancer CenterChiefDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Clinical Interests: Prostate cancer, Prostatectomy, Bladder cancer, Kidney cancer, Urologic cancerDr. Chang, the Chief Surgical Officer at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center and the Urologic Oncology Division Chief, formerly chaired the American Joint Committee on GU Cancer Staging and the AUA/ASCO Guidelines on Bladder Cancer and was a member of the AUA Guidelines on Renal Cancer and the SUO Guidelines on Advanced Prostate Cancer. He is the past Chair of the American Board of Urology Examination Committee responsible for U.S. board certification and has been selected to serve as a Trustee of the American Board of Urology. His research in urologic oncology and clinical efforts have been recognized with national awards include the Distinguished Service Award of the SUO and the Gold Cystoscope Award and Hugh Hampton Young Award from the AUA.
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Daniel A. Barocas, MD, MPH, FACS
ProfessorDepartment of UrologyExecutive Vice ChairDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Residency: New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Genitourinary Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Laparoscopy and RoboticsDr. Barocas is an accomplished researcher, focusing on quality of life, quality of care, healthcare disparities and comparative effectiveness. He is the principal investigator of a multi-center study on the effectiveness and side effects of different treatments for prostate cancer.
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Sophie Dohnalek
Nurse PractitionerDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyUndergrad: Texas Christian University
NP School: Vanderbilt University
Clinical Interests: BPH, Prostate Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Testis Cancer -
Meredith E. Donahue, APRN-BC
Nurse PractitionerDepartment of UrologyFellowship DirectorUrologic Advanced Practice Provider FellowshipDivision of Urologic OncologyUndergrad: Furman University
Nursing School: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Fellowship: Vanderbilt Urology NP Fellowship
Clinical Interests: Prostate Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Genitourinary Cancer, Testis Cancer -
Daniel D. Joyce, MD, MS
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Mayo Medical School
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Fellowship: Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
Clinical Interests: Kidney Cancer, Testis Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Prostate cancer, Genitourinary cancerDr. Joyce completed a Society of Urologic Oncology fellowship and master’s degree with a concentration in healthcare delivery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where he also attended medical school. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, graduating with honors, from New York University and completed his urology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. He is a member of the AOA honor medical society, currently serves as an editor for The Journal of Urology, and formerly served as the Southeastern Section representative for the American Urological Association residents and fellows committee. Dr. Joyce’s clinical practice includes a broad range of both robotic and open approaches to surgical management of genitourinary malignancies. His research interests include improving value in healthcare and mitigating financial toxicity of cancer treatments through use of cost modeling and patient-reported outcome measures, as well as harnessing new technologies to improve physician-patient interactions.
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Amy N. Luckenbaugh, MD, FACS
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical Degree: State University of New York at Buffalo
Residency: University of Michigan
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Bladder Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Testis Cancer, Urologic CancerDr. Luckenbaugh is a high-volume surgeon whose clinical focus centers around the comprehensive care of patients with urologic malignancies. She currently serves as the chair of Women in Urologic Oncology, and the secretary for the Society of Women in Urology, and through her research aims to mitigate variation in healthcare delivery.
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Kelvin Moses, MD, PhD
Associate ProfessorDepartment of UrologyJoseph A. Smith Directorship in Urologic OncologyFellowship DirectorUrologic Oncology FellowshipDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Residency: Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Clinical Interests: Advanced Prostate Cancer, Advanced Kidney Cancer, Testis Cancer, Penile Cancer, Adrenal CancerDr. Moses is the Director of the Comprehensive Prostate Cancer clinic and Director of the Urologic Oncology Fellowship. He is the Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel on Early Detection of Prostate Cancer. His surgical practice focuses on advanced kidney cancer, including complex IVC thrombectomy and cytoreductive nephrectomy, and advanced testis cancer via retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. He has research interests in health literacy and cancer outcomes, advanced prostate cancer clinical trials, optimal surgical resection for advanced Urologic cancers, and health disparities in Urologic cancers.
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Wendy Nichols, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Nurse PractitionerDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyUndergrad: Roberts Wesleyan College
Nursing School: University of Rochester
Doctorate NP: Grand Canyon University
Clinical Interests: Benign Prostatic Hyperlasia, Elevated PSA, Female Urology, Male Urology/Men's Health, Urologic Cancer -
Maggie O'Block, WHNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC
Nurse PractitionerDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyUndergrad: Santa Clara University
Nursing School: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Clinical Interests: Genitourinary Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Testis Cancer, Kidney Cancer -
David F. Penson, MD, MPH, MMHC
Professor and ChairDepartment of UrologyHamilton and Howd Chair in Urologic OncologyDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Residency: University of California, Los Angeles
Fellowship: Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University
Clinical Interests: Prostate cancer, Bladder cancer, Prostatectomy, Elevated PSADr Penson serves as Chair of the Department and oversees all Departmental activities. He is also a well-known health services researcher, a urologic oncologist who focuses primarily on clinical prostate cancer care and, most importantly, the father of three great kids (all of whom are die-hard Boston Red Sox fans, like their dad).
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Joseph A. Smith, Jr, MD
ProfessorDepartment of UrologyWilliam L. Bray ProfessorDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: University of Tennessee School of Medicine
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School/University of Utah
Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Clinical Interests: Bladder cancer, Prostate cancer, Prostatectomy, Urologic Cancer, Genitourinary CancerDr Smith's career has been focused on innovative surgical treatment for urologic cancer. He has transitioned from his surgical practice at Vanderbilt and now is Director of Global Surgery for the Department. He oversees and participates in humanitarian surgical efforts throughout the world and coordinates the participation of residents, fellows, and other faculty at Vanderbilt.
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Kristen R. Scarpato, MD, MPH
Associate ProfessorDepartment of UrologyResidency Program DirectorDepartment of UrologyVice Chair of EducationDepartment of UrologyDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical Degree: Tufts University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Connecticut Health Center
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Bladder Cancer, Genitourinary Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Prostatectomy, Ultrasound Fusion Biopsy/Artemis
Dr. Scarpato, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Urology Residency Program and Vice Chair of Education. She has interests in resident and medical student education, surgical simulation, and mentorship. She remains committed to advancing the field of urology through education and maintains a strong interest in both patient and resident education. She enjoys collaborating on educational endeavors with numerous local and national organizations. Dr. Scarpato’s clinical practice focuses on the diagnosis and management of bladder and prostate cancer. She has a particular interest in focal therapy and salvage prostate ablation, as well as advanced prostate cancer.
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Cary (CJ) Stimson, MD, JD
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of UrologySenior Vice President of Value TransformationOffice of Population HealthChief Medical OfficerVUMC and Vanderbilt University Employee Health PlanDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD -
Ruchika Talwar, MD, MMHC
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of UrologyMedical DirectorEpisodes of Care, Population HealthDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
Residency: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDr. Ruchika Talwar is a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Medical Director in the Episodes of Care Office, where she leads and operationalizes VUMC’s specialty value-based care programs, including Medicare models and the innovative MyHealth Bundles program. She is a residency graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, where she was affiliated with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the Wharton School. She completed a Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) fellowship and Masters of Management in Healthcare at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Talwar has served in several national leadership roles within organized medicine, including Chair of the American Urological Association's residents and fellows committee, the Health Policy, Young Urologic Oncologists, and Women in Urologic Oncology Committees of the SUO, and is currently the Fundraising Chair for the AUAPAC. She held the H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellowship in 2022, when she spent time working on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09). Dr. Talwar’s clinical practice includes both robotic and open approaches to urologic cancer surgery, with a focus on patient-centered care. Her academic work in health policy, value transformation, drug pricing, and costs of care has been published in several JAMA journals and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She makes several trips a year to Washington, DC, meeting with Congressional representatives as a passionate advocate for improving the quality of care provided to patients in the US.
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Jeffrey Tosoian, MD, MPH
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of UrologyDirector of Translational Cancer ResearchDivision of Urologic OncologyMedical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Residency: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Fellowship: University of Michigan, Urologic Oncology and Translational Cancer Research
Clinical Interests: Elevated PSA, Prostate Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Testis CancerDr. Tosoian specializes in the early diagnosis and management of urologic cancers. In addition to his role as a clinician and surgeon, he is a recognized leader in clinical and translational prostate cancer research. His early research demonstrated the safety of monitoring lower-risk prostate cancers on active surveillance, allowing appropriately selected patients to delay or avoid treatment altogether. His ongoing research has led to the development of new, non-invasive tools to guide cancer diagnosis and management. Dr. Tosoian leads the Prostate Cancer Risk Clinic, a clinical program for informed early screening in patients with a strong family history or known genetic mutation associated with prostate cancer.