UPMC Department of Urology Establishes Endowed Chair in Female Urology to Honor Trailblazer Dr. Elizabeth Sagan
May 2, 2025
This announcement originated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has announced the establishment of an Endowed Chair of Female Urology to elevate this important aspect of women’s health and to honor the memory of Elizabeth R. Sagan, MD, legendary urological surgeon who transformed the profession.
Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, chair of the Department of Urology, made the announcement at the American Urological Assocation annual meeting alongside Dr. Sagan's four children.
Dr. Sagan was instrumental in shaping the fields of female urology and pelvic reconstructive surgery. Throughout her training and career, she challenged many norms, trained the next generation of specialists and transformed women’s health.
Dr. Sagan was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area. During an era when it wasn’t typical for a woman to be a surgeon, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1979 and completed an internship in general surgery at the University of Colorado. When she returned to Pittsburgh for a four-year residency in urology, she was the only woman in a program of 30 residents.
In 1984, when female patients usually had no choice but to see a male urologist who treated mostly male patients, Dr. Sagan became the region’s first female urology specialist.
Subsequently, in 1990, she opened a urology practice that treated women exclusively—the first practice of its kind in the region.
While challenging norms and breaking glass ceilings, Dr. Sagan also pioneered new surgical techniques, and she was repeatedly recognized for exceptional clinical acumen and technical skills. She was a core founding member of the urogynecology program at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
A pillar in her specialty, Dr. Sagan was dedicated to training the next generation of urologists. She mentored hundreds of residents and fellows, not only in urology but also in urogynecology, gynecology, obstetrics and reconstructive pelvic surgery. She won the OB/GYN teaching award twice, even though she was technically a urologist.
Dr. Sagan was a fierce advocate for her patients, women in medicine and women’s health. And she did it all while raising four children. She retired in 2020 and passed away in 2025. Her legendary work continues to inspire women in urology, surgery and beyond.
The Elizabeth R. Sagan, MD, Endowed Chair of Female Urology will honor Dr. Sagan by continuing her legacy of supporting the professional development of urologists and improving women’s health.
The endowed chair will be the first of its kind in western Pennsylvania and one of few in the world. The position will help transform the field by accelerating the development of a comprehensive program in women’s urological health, empowering future generations of urologists who can address women’s unique needs, and advancing the diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions in women, such as:
• Infections of the urinary tract and bladder, particularly chronic infections
• Urinary incontinence, including issues with urgency, frequency and leakage
• Vaginal and pelvic prolapse, when pelvic organs descend into the vaginal canal
• Interstitial cystitis, long-term inflammation of the bladder wall
The Elizabeth R. Sagan, MD, Endowed Chair of Female Urology will address these challenges by supporting the recruitment and retention of a faculty member who is a leader in the field. The chair will focus on building the workforce of urologists, especially among women. Under the chair’s leadership, the program will conduct research efforts to advance the diagnosis and treatment urological conditions, ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life for women in Pittsburgh and beyond.
For more information, please contact Deidre Lesesne at djl78@pitt.edu or 412-482-4334.
