Research InterestsI have evolved from a long standing interest in urinary tract infections to interstitial cystitis (IC), which from all available evidence is NOT an infectious disease. This is a disease comprising bladder pain, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and nocturia, 90% of patients are women, and the etiology is unknown. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, my colleagues and I have four objectives in our investigations of interstitial cystitis: 1) To determine risk factors for IC in a nation-wide case control study seeking exposures antecedent to onset of symptoms. In the process of investigating these aspects of IC, we are attempting to understand its relationship with several non-bladder diseases which appear to be epidemiologically associated with IC: systemic lupus erythematosis, panic attacks, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical SpecialityI continue to be excited about the variety of infectious diseases patients encountered at University Hospital and attend, on an inpatient basis, two to three months a year.Publications
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