Pediatric urologist Dr. Fung dies at 42

Leo C. Fung, MD, chief of pediatric urology at the University of Minnesota's Medical School, died of cancer on Dec. 10 at the age of 42.

Dr. Fung, who pioneered and advanced procedures used today for childhood urologic surgeries, was trained at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston. He was one of the world's leading authorities on the surgical restoration of obstructed urinary passages and was a pioneer in laparoscopic surgical techniques used in the reimplantation of ureters in children.

At the time of his death, Dr. Fung was investigating the use of stem cells in the restoration of genital and urinary tissue damaged by the catastrophic collapse of kidney and bladder function in children.

The Leo C. Fung, MD Memorial Fund is being established at the Minnesota Medical Foundation to further excellence in clinical care, research, and education in pediatric urology.