Quoc-Dien Trinh was named chair of Pitt’s Department of Urology

Quoc-Dien Trinh has been named the new chair of the Department of Urology in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and chair of urology at UPMC, effective Dec. 1. A globally recognized urological surgeon-scientist, physician leader and health equity advocate, Trinh will also be recommended for appointment as the Dr. Frederic N. Schwentker Endowed Chair.

“Dr. Trinh’s career has been marked by continual innovation, clinical, research and administrative excellence, and a profound commitment to health equity — all pillars of the UPMC and Pitt School of Medicine missions,” said Robert Friedlander, search committee chair and Dr. Walter E. Dandy Distinguished Professor and chair of neurological surgery. “His dedication to empowering faculty, staff and trainees, driving initiatives that marry groundbreaking research with clinical superiority, and prioritizing the enhancement of outcomes for diverse patient demographics will help take an already premier urology program to even greater heights of achievement.”

Trinh serves as section chief of urology at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Prostate Cancer Program at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In this latter role, he was able to launch several initiatives that have significantly advanced the hospital’s standing as the foremost prostate cancer program in New England.

An impassioned health equity researcher, Trinh focuses his research on disparities and outcomes in cancer care delivery. He serves as a core faculty and advisory board member at the Center for Surgery and Public Health, a joint program of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed articles, editorials and book chapters.

He also established the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic, supported by Mass General Brigham’s United Against Racism initiative. The clinic has significantly improved access to prostate cancer care for vulnerable populations throughout Massachusetts by collaborating closely with communities of color and leveraging technology to identify patients in need.

Trinh’s many honors include the 2021 Outstanding Citizenship Award from Brigham and Women’s Hospital; the 2022 American Urological Association Young Urologist of the Year Award for New England; and recognition as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor.

A native of Montreal, he earned his MD at Université de Montréal, where he also completed his urology residency. He then completed a fellowship in minimally invasive urologic oncology at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, where he was recognized with the Roger F. Smith MD Award for Outstanding Fellow. Trinh also holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris, where he was awarded for the best capstone memoir by the HEC Foundation.

Trinh succeeds Joel B. Nelson, who gave 25 years of exceptional service as chair of urology at Pitt and UPMC. Nelson will continue as executive vice president, chief clinical officer and president of the international division at UPMC and as a professor at Pitt.