Ben Chew

Dr. Chew is a urologist and the Director of Clinical Research at the Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. His main interests lie in the treatment and research of the pathophysiology of kidney stone disease. His research focus includes metabolic stone disease as well as biomaterials used in the urinary tract for ureteral stents. He has worked on various stent designs, stent coatings and drug-eluting ureteral stents to try and improve the quality of life for patients with kidney stone disease. He continues work on a degradable ureteral stent and has completed the first-in-human trials. Current studies include attempting to understand second messenger systems that are activated within the kidney and ureter once a ureteral stent has been placed. These could be exploited as future therapeutic targets for new drug eluting ureteral stents or designs to reduce symptoms.

He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He is a member of the Endourologic Disease Group for Excellence (EDGE) research consortium (www.endoedge.net)and the Wisconsin Quality of Life (WISQoL) research consortium. Dr. Ben Chew is also the Chair of Research for the Endourology Society. The role of the Research Chair is to facilitate and help improve research for the entire society.