14 June 2010

European Association of Urology (EAU) Crystal Matula Award

Jim Catto, from the University of Sheffield’s Academic Urology Unit and Institute for Cancer Studies, has been awarded the European Association of Urology’s Crystal Matula Award.

The Crystal Matula Award is the top prestigious prize of the Association and is given to the most promising European urologist under the age of 40. Each EU member state selects a candidate for the European Association board to then decide the winner.

Jim received the award due to his consistent and innovative work in the fields of bladder cancer and epigenetic gene regulation. He is the current head of the Academic Urology Unit at the University of Sheffield, and is a member of various university committees and clinical bodies. He was also recently elected as member of the Executive Committee of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, Section of Academic Urology.

The award was presented to Jim during the Leading Lights in Urology Meeting held between 13 and 15 May 2010 in Lago Maggiore, Italy. The award also includes an honorarium of €10,000 to stimulate research work and encourage future potential leaders in academic European urology.

Jim said: “I am honoured by this award. It is recognition of the hard work and excellence in Sheffield. I thank Professors Mark Meuth and Freddie Hamdy for their encouragement, the patients who participated in our studies and my family for their support.”

Professor Tony Weetman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, said: “This is very well deserved recognition of the outstanding work Jim Catto has done. It also reflects the quality and importance of the cancer research being undertaken in the Faculty’s Department of Oncology and Institute for Cancer Studies.”