Biography
- Attending Physician, Urology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Assistant Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
See Lurie Children's Provider Profile
David Chu, MD, MSCE, is a board-certified attending Pediatric Urologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and an Assistant Professor of Urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Chu completed his medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College, residency at Duke University Medical Center, and a fellowship in pediatric urology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His clinical interests include hypospadias, minimally-invasive surgery, spina bifida, chronic kidney disease, and kidney stones. Dr. Chu is supported by several internal and external research grants including serving as Principal Investigator on a National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases–funded K23 grant investigating kidney function in children with spina bifida. Dr. Chu also serves as a dedicated research mentor to urology residents and fellows. Dr. Chu considers his most important role to be a parent to his three young children and husband to his dear wife.
Education and Background
- Fellowship in Pediatric Urology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 2014–2016
- Research Fellowship in Urologic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center 2010–2011
- Residency in Urologic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center 2009–2014
- MD, Weill Cornell Medical College 2008
Research Highlights
PROSPECTIVE RENAL ASSESSMENT IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH MYELOMENINGOCELE (PRAM)
Development of chronic kidney disease can occur in up to 50 percent of spina bifida patients because of poor bladder function. The traditional methods of estimating glomerular filtration rate, which is a measure of kidney function, in patients with spina bifida may not be accurate due to decreased muscle mass and short stature. This study measures the true glomerular filtration rate of children and young adults with spina bifida and compares it to their estimated glomerular filtration rate. Using these comparisons, a spina bifida specific estimating equation for glomerular filtration rate will be created to better monitor for chronic kidney disease in this population. The PRAM study involves a 6-hour visit to the Clinical Research Unit, where Iohexol is administered by Clinical Research Unit nurses through an IV and blood is drawn at five different time points. The mass spectrometry lab processes the blood samples and uses the measure of Iohexol in the blood at each time point to derive the true glomerular filtration rate.
PEDIATRIC KIDNEY STONE CARE IMPROVEMENT NETWORK (PKIDS)
There has been a rapid increase in the prevalence of kidney stones among youth, resulting in a large population of patients for whom little evidence exists to guide clinical care. The first objective of the PKIDS study is to compare medical outcomes of three types of surgeries that are commonly used to treat kidney stones: ureteroscopy (passage of a scope up through the urethra, bladder, and ureter to grasp or break up stones), shockwave lithotripsy (shockwaves are targeted to hit stones and break them into tiny pieces), and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (a scope is passed through a flank incision to extract or break up stones). The second objective of the PKIDS is to compare patient experiences after each of these procedures, including measures of stress, anxiety, pain, urinary symptoms, and missed days of school or work. The PKIDS study enrolls patients aged 8–21 undergoing surgery for kidney or ureteral stones.
Featured Grants
Improving Kidney Health Assessment in Young Patients with Spina Bifida
National Institute of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
07/01/2020 → 03/31/2025
