Children’s Research Institute “Highly Elastic Biomaterial Development for Urethral Application: Multi-Faceted Design for Dynamic Organ Regeneration and Function”

Dr. Renea Sturm is a board-certified pediatric urologist and Associate Professor of Urology. She cares for infants, children, and adolescents with complex conditions of the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and genital development. Her surgical expertise includes hypospadias repair, lower urinary tract reconstruction, and minimally invasive surgery using the latest endoscopic and robotic techniques.

Dr. Sturm has completed fellowships in both pediatric urology and medtech entrepreneurship and has co-founded two startup companies while a faculty member at UCLA. She has recently relocated to UNC, where she is establishing a translational research program focused on bladder and urethral reconstruction. Her laboratory develops highly elastic biomaterials, bioengineered scaffolds, and surgical technologies for dynamic lower urinary tract tissues. By integrating biomechanics, computational modeling, and tissue engineering, her work aims to improve reconstructive outcomes and reduce variability in surgical care.  In addition to generous donor and departmental support, her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Technology Development Group at UCLA, and the American Urological Association.

Event flyer Sturm-Renea-CRI-Flyer-5.12.2026.pptx