Daniel M. Frendl, M.D., Ph.D.
Consultant, Urology
What moment or experience in your life influenced your decision to be a clinician?
I come from a family of many physicians and surgeons and have always been inspired by what it means to be a doctor. It is a great privilege to be entrusted with caring for patients, and such a rewarding experience. I am grateful to walk in the footsteps of generations past who have served as role models and mentors. I am also grateful to practice as a surgeon at Mayo Clinic, where I can deliver the world’s best care to my patients.
What motivated you to become a Kern Health Care Delivery Scholar?
While clinical medicine is a strong passion of mine, I have always been very interested in the intersection of health services research, health policy and leadership. The Kern Health Care Delivery Scholars Program provides an incredible opportunity to delve into these interests and build my skills through outstanding mentorship.
What is your focus and goal as a scholar within the Mayo Clinic Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery?
My work focuses on developing an enterprisewide registry of patients on active surveillance for prostate cancer. This registry will support the creation of risk-adaptive follow-up strategies for patients who do not immediately undergo prostate cancer treatment, helping ensure timely and appropriate care. It also may improve longitudinal access to higher-level Mayo Clinic services for patients showing signs of disease progression.
With expert guidance and the support of the Kern Health Care Delivery Scholars Program, I aim to develop expertise in blending traditional health services research methods with advanced tools such as natural language processing and large language models. This integrated approach will help me achieve the goals of my project and further my research training.
Tell us about your mentoring team.
My clinical mentor is Mitchell R. Humphreys, M.D., professor and chair of urology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in endourology and prostate health, and leads a busy clinical practice focused on minimally invasive surgical techniques. His leadership and clinical insight are instrumental to the success of my project.
My research mentor, Yu-Li Huang, Ph.D., is an expert in healthcare systems engineering and specializes in applying data science for healthcare process improvement and operational decision-making. Dr. Huang’s expertise is invaluable to developing an operational strategy to improve patient access and follow-up adherence.
How will your research improve patient care or impact public health?
My hope is that this research will improve Mayo Clinic's operational efficiency in managing patients who chose to surveil their prostate cancer. By developing a comprehensive registry, Mayo Clinic can better support a growing population of men diagnosed with prostate cancer — ensuring timely follow-up and sustained access to advanced diagnostic tools and treatments in the event of disease progression.
Why did you choose Mayo Clinic to pursue your career?
Michael Blute, M.D., former chair of urology at Mayo Clinic, was a key mentor during my medical school years. He later served as the chair of urology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where I trained during residency. Dr. Blute always spoke fondly of the amazing resources and operational efficiency at Mayo Clinic, which benefited both the patients and doctors. When I was offered the opportunity to join Mayo Clinic in Arizona, enabling our family to be close to my wife's childhood home, it was an obvious choice for us. I had long hoped to apply my doctoral training in clinical and population health through the Mayo Clinic Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, and I’m thrilled to now have that opportunity as a Kern Health Care Delivery Scholar.
Tell us three words that describe you.
Genuine, curious, purpose driven.
Outside of work, what is one thing you like to do?
I love being a dad.