Eila Skinner named as new chair of urology.

Skinner named as new chair of urology

Eila Skinner, MD, professor of clinical urology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, will become the new chair of the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department of Urology. She will assume the post on May 1.

“Dr. Skinner is an active surgeon with a national reputation for her expertise in urology and bladder cancer,” said Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. “In my discussions with leaders around the country about her candidacy, I heard over and over again that she was one of the very best and most highly respected urologic surgeons in the nation. She has been equally committed to the education and training of future surgeons and leaders at USC and nationally. I am very pleased that Dr. Skinner has agreed to accept this important role at Stanford University Medical Center.”

Skinner succeeds Linda Shortliffe, MD, who stepped down last March after 15 years as chair.

“We are excited to have Dr. Skinner bring to Stanford her great passion and drive to leading-edge patient care, education and research,” said Amir Dan Rubin, president and CEO of Stanford Hospital & Clinics.

A six-time recipient of Keck’s “outstanding teacher award,” Skinner has been vice chair of USC’s Department of Urology since 2009. Her primary research interests are in the area of cancer prevention, bladder cancer and urinary tract reconstruction. She has authored or co-authored more than 60 original articles and reviews (more than a half-dozen in 2011 alone) and has contributed to 20 book chapters. At USC, Skinner, who has focused on complex open urologic oncology surgeries, helped build a major center of excellence for the treatment of bladder cancer. In recent years, she designed and completed a large, prospective, randomized clinical trial, enrolling more than 450 patients, to address issues associated with ileal bladder replacement.

As medical director of the “Real Men Cook” Foundation since 2003, she has coordinated education and screening for prostate cancer for more than 1,000 Los Angeles-area African-American and Latino men annually.

“Stanford has been a second ‘home’ for me since my undergraduate years,” said Skinner, who majored in human biology at Stanford and graduated with distinction, and election to Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976. She received her MD from USC in 1983, completed her internship and fellowship training there, and joined the USC medical school faculty in 1990 as an assistant professor of urology. In 2008, she was accorded a full professorship. She is married to attorney Thomas Sadler, and they have three children.

Stanford’s Urology Department is nationally recognized, as indicated by its ranking in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” honor roll.

“Along with expanding our clinical-research infrastructure and our already strong basic-research efforts, my first priority will be to build our clinical program through a combination of early recruitments and continued outreach to the urologic community,” Skinner said.

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* Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions – Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

**  The above story is adapted from materials provided by Stanford University School of Medicine

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