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Research Projects

Dr. Jill Hamilton-Reeves oversees the EDGE Research Laboratory. The findings coming from her and her team's work have been published and presented around the world. The team is also actively recruiting for two current studies.

Research Project Overview

  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves was invited to be a keynote speaker at the ERAS 2018 World Congress event in Stockholm, Sweden. She presented the State of the Art Lecture: Perioperative nutritional support to cystectomy patients.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves received a $2.8 million R37 grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. Her project aims to assess the effectiveness of specialized immunonutrition intake before and after bladder cancer surgery compared to a control to reduce postoperative complications.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves received a $725,000 Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society. Her project aims to assess the impact of weight loss before, and weight maintenance after, prostate cancer surgery to improve survival and quality of life.
  • Research by Dr. Hamilton-Reeves, received mention in Today's Dietitian. Her program promotes weight loss before prostatectomy for men with localized prostate cancer, followed by weight maintenance after surgery. Participants achieved significant weight loss and improved cardiometabolic markers, and weight was maintained 12 weeks after surgery.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves serves on the scientific advisory board for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves was selected to attend the 2016 AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar in Texas. She is also the recipient of a scholarship from the KU Medical Center Women in Medicine and Science organization in conjunction with the Joy McCann Professorship.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves presented her work "Effects of Oral Immunonutrition on Cytokine Profiles in Bladder Cancer Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial" at Clinical Nutrition Week in Florida in February. Her abstract was selected as an abstract of distinction for the Critical Care session.

Past Research Presentations and Projects

  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves discussed the value of nutrition in bladder cancer and answered questions from participants in "What You Want to Know About Nutrition and Bladder Cancer," a free BCAN patient webinar.
  • In conjunction with Faculty Research Day in 2016, Dr. Hamilton-Reeves was recognized with a KU Faculty Research Investigator Award. One of only three presented across the KU Medical Center campus, the award honors significant accomplishments as evidenced by a substantial, externally funded and actively published and presented research program.
  • The EDGE team and trainees presented six abstracts at the South Central Section of the AUA in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2016.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves attended the 2016 International Protein Summit in Charleston, South Carolina. She helped derive clinical recommendations and identify key research questions at the summit.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves was invited to speak at the Bladder Cancer Think Tank in 2016. She presented "Improving Outcomes: Nutrition and Bladder Cancer" at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network's event.
  • Dr. Hamilton-Reeves attended the 2016 Integrated Translational Science Center Workshop in Bar Harbor, Maine. Only 10 clinical investigators are selected to attend and generate new cancer clinical trials with a strong translational medicine component. The workshop included lectures, small discussion groups and lab visits.
  • Research from the EDGE lab, led by Dr. Hamilton-Reeves, suggests specialized immunonutrition may benefit radical cystectomy patients. "Effects of Immunonutrition for Cystectomy on Immune Response and Infection Rates" was published by the journal European Urology.
School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
Department of Urology
Mail Stop 3016
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-6146