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Farewell to the Chiefs!
Drs. Jacob Brady, Jo Bellairs, Eve Champaloux, and Sherise Epstein
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Neal Futran, MD, DMD
Allison T. Wanamaker Professor and Endowed Chair
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Dear friends and colleagues,
Summertime is the season for academic graduations, renewals, and new beginnings. We bid farewell to an outstanding group of graduating UW Otolaryngology-HNS residents and fellows, who have been a wonderful part of our community. Our graduates are equipped with exceptional training, are ready to provide exemplary care for patients and their families, perform innovative research to advance all areas of otolaryngology, and become leaders in our field.
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We are also excited to welcome a diverse and exciting group of new trainees who are joining us from all over the country and all over the world. Their energy, enthusiasm, and optimism will refresh our engaged community. With our R25 training grant firmly in place for the next five years under the direction of Drs. Jennifer Stone, David Horn, and Jay Rubinstein, and with the expansion of our resident complement to five individuals per year, spearheaded by our residency program director Tanya Meyer, MD, and residency program manager Domonique Calhoun, the education and research opportunities will be boundless.
At our annual graduation symposium, we were thrilled to welcome Peter Hwang, MD, who presented the 16th Annual Weymuller Endowed Lectureship. Dr. Hwang is professor and vice chair of clinical affairs and director of the Division of Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery in Oto-HNS at Stanford. He provided a unique perspective about otolaryngologists as entrepreneurs and held robust discussions with the residents about academic otolaryngology.
In addition to celebrating our chief residents and fellows that evening, the coveted resident awards were presented to three outstanding individuals: the Trachy Award for outstanding resident research guidance went to David Raible, PhD; the Driftwood Award for outstanding resident clinical education went to Zain Rizvi, MD; and the Resident Recognition Award for staff support went to Jessica Augustine, surgery scheduler at Harborview Medical Center. We also had the opportunity to thank all the parents and other family members who have supported our trainees through this arduous training program. Nobody achieves this level of success without having a strong and loving team with them on this journey.
This summer newsletter also allows us to celebrate the achievements across our vibrant department, which I hope gives you a sense of the incredibly meaningful work being done across the entire spectrum of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery. As I begin my 17th year as chair of UW Oto-HNS, I remain as energized and enthusiastic about our future as I was when I joined the department. We all share a passion to try new things to better care for our patients and to create new knowledge. Even though it requires adapting to never-ending change, we do it because this is how we fulfill our mission to improve the health of our patients and advance the field.
Sincerely,
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Exciting Growth and Advancements in the UW Otolaryngology-HNS Residency Program |  | |
The UW Otolaryngology-HNS residency program is renowned for its excellence in training clinicians with surgical competence, securing top fellowship placements, and developing physician-scientists with rigorous research skills. Our comprehensive approach prepares trainees to deliver exceptional patient care and assume leadership roles in the field.
Due to our department's recent growth and continued strengths, we have been granted an expansion in the number of residents we accept each year. As of July 2024, we have matched five fantastic interns, increasing our residency cohort from 25 to 30 residents.
Our research training program has also evolved. We have transitioned our longstanding (40 years!) NIH-funded resident research training program from the T32 to the R25 mechanism. The program directors are Drs. Jennifer Stone, David Horn, and Jay Rubinstein, with Julianna Duso providing administrative support. The R25 funding mechanism enhances our training with more didactics and workshops focused on academic careers with active research programs. All residents will participate in one year of dedicated research in addition to five years of clinical training, totaling six years of training for every resident.
We are very excited about these positive changes, which will further strengthen our learning environment and training program.
-Tanya Meyer, MD, Residency Program Director
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We're thrilled to introduce FIVE new members of our UW Oto residency family! | |
Our new trainees joined the R3 research residents and residency program director Tanya Meyer, MD, for a hike in Seattle's beautiful Discovery Park. Back row, from left: Drs. Arun Raghavan (Clinical R3) with our R1s, Drs. Kris Patterson, Luis Cortina, Yashes Srinivasan, and Estephania Candelo-Gomez, and Dr. Kelsey Loy (Clinical R3). Bottom row: Dr. Meyer with daughter Gigi, Drs. Lingga Adidharma (Clinical R3), Sharon Feng (R1) , Jeremy Ruthberg (Clinical R3) - and Rio and Luca bringing a little extra joy. | UW Oto-HNS's Gender-Affirming Voice Program Grows | |
The demand for gender-affirming voice therapy - and our capacity to provide it - has grown exponentially. At the beginning of this year, two new speech language pathologists joined our team offering gender-affirming voice therapy, with Jess MacKimm leading the team. Further, Joseph Chang MD, joined the Laryngology Division, lending his experience and scholarly focus to gender-affirming voice surgery. | |
In the first six months of 2024, we have completed 242 visits, already surpassing our 2023 total of 173 visits and representing a nearly tenfold increase from our 2021 total of 26 visits. | |
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The surgical aspect of gender-affirming voice care has also progressed, thanks to the Gender-Affirming Treatment Act passed by the Washington State Legislature, mandating that state-based insurances cover all forms of gender-affirming medical and surgical care. Despite this, insurance companies still pose challenges that hinder straightforward access to this vital care.
Thanks to the dedication of our financial assistance and clearance team and our laryngology surgery coordinators, we have obtained approval for eight gender-affirming voice care procedures. This allowed us to perform five Wendler glottoplasty pitch elevation surgeries in June 2024—a testament to pride and allyship at UW Oto-HNS.
-JP Giliberto, MD, Laryngologist
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UW Oto alum Graham Strub, MD, PhD, FACS, was recently awarded a prestigious R01 grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “Next-Generation Treatments for Lymphatic Malformations” will study how nanoparticle-delivered microRNAs can reverse abnormal gene expression and growth of lymphatic malformations. | |
UW Oto alum Anthony Law, MD, PhD, presented a TED talk in Fall 2023 titled "What our voice reveals about our health," which garnered over 30,000 views. Law explains how voice is used as a biomarker for early throat cancer detection. See the entire talk and read more about Dr. Law HERE. | |
Alumni Q&A with Dr. Al Merati
Alum: Justin Golub, MD (UW Oto Res '13)
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Merati: Looking back, what drew you to the training program here at UW?
Golub: After I interviewed with Dr. Weymuller, he sent a letter bragging about the department's research. He gave examples of faculty and resident projects. That personal touch set the tone for me.
Merati: What aspects of your residency at UW Otolaryngology made it a unique experience?
Golub: I really enjoyed my residency. UW's program values research highly. The resident research day was a highlight, with everyone keenly interested in the residents' projects. It was a unique and valued aspect of the program.
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Merati: Can you share an experience or mentor that significantly influenced your approach to research?
Golub: Jenny Stone took me seriously and believed in me. She taught me how to give a scientific talk—keep it simple, no distractions, start with the table of contents, and let the data speak for itself. Her advice has stayed with me! I also learned a tremendous amount from Jay Rubinstein.
Merati: Can you reflect on some standout moments from your time in the UW Otolaryngology residency program?
Golub: I remember Kris Moe using the endoscope in innovative ways. We talked about using it in the ear, which was unheard of in the U.S. at the time. Inspired by him, I pursued endoscopic ear surgery, which is now my niche.
Merati: How has your role as vice chair of faculty development at Columbia impacted your approach to academic medicine?
Golub: In my 10th year at Columbia, I enjoy passing down the advice I received. My goal is to make the path to success easier for younger faculty, helping them secure funding and develop their careers. This role keeps me enthusiastic about academic medicine.
Merati: Do you think you'd recognize the UW program and Seattle if you walked around?
Golub: The faculty has grown a lot. Some, like Randy Bly, were my co-residents. I visited Seattle last summer for the first time in a decade. I couldn't resist walking around UWMC-Montlake, trying not to get spotted! It was great to be back!
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Dr. Justin Golub is an otologist / neurotologist and an associate professor at Columbia University's Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in New York, NY. He currently serves as the department's Vice Chair of Faculty Development.
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Meyer Elected to ALA Council | |
Tanya Meyer, MD, has been elected to the Council of the American Laryngological Association (ALA). Founded in 1878, the ALA is known for its prestige and selectivity in otolaryngology.
Dr. Meyer was chosen unanimously for her scholarship in voice, expertise in neurolaryngology, and leadership as director of the UW Oto-HNS residency program.
She will serve a two-year term as councillor-at-large, then take on a named officer role, and eventually become ALA president. Dr. Meyer joins Al Merati, historian, marking a rare occasion of two members from the same program on the active council.
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Parikh In New Leadership Roles | |
Congratulations to UW Oto professor Sanjay Parikh, MD, FACS, on his appointment as UW Oto-HNS Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology. Dr. Parikh emerged as the leading candidate after a national search.
Additionally, Dr. Parikh was recently named president-elect of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO).
We are proud of Dr. Parikh's continued commitment to the mission of Oto-HNS and look forward to his ongoing contributions as an exemplary leader our field.
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Bhatt Inducted Into Triological Society | Congratulations to Neel Bhatt, MD, who was inducted into the Triological Society at the recent meeting in May. Once an applicant is nominated, active fellowship in the Society is achieved upon acceptance of their thesis by a panel of peers. Dr. Bhatt's thesis was titled "Quantification of vocal fold atrophy in an aging rat model." | |
Ikeda Named Sleep Medicine Fellow | UW Oto resident Allison Ikeda, MD (R5/Chief), was recently selected for the American Thoracic Society, Academic Sleep Pulmonary Integrated Research/Clinical (ASPIRE) Fellowship. Dr. Ikeda will join a select cohort of early career leaders who share an interest in sleep research and will receive external mentorship from mentors from UPenn, U Pitt, Harvard, Case Western, and UC San Diego. | |
Allred Wins ASPO Health Equity Research Award | | |
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For the second year in a row, UW MS4 Caleb Allred has won ASPO's Health Equity Research Award - together with mentors Sanjay Parikh, MD, FACS, Juliana Bonilla-Velez, MD, Jake Dahl, MD, PhD, and Xing Wang, a biostatistician with Seattle Children’s Research Institute - for his project titled "The Effect of Race, Ethnicity, and Language on Adenotonsillectomy Outcomes in Pediatric Audiology." Outstanding work, Caleb! | |
Perez Awarded Inaugural ARS Diversity Fellowship | |
Study Shows Tissue Differences in Hispanic/LatinX Patients with Nasal Polyps | |
Aria Jafari, MD, and David "Dax" Cvancara, MD, co-authored a multi-institutional study evaluating tissue differences in Hispanic / LatinX patients with nasal polyps. | |
The unique study, published in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology (IFAR), found that Hispanic-American patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps more commonly have mixed inflammation involving both neutrophils and eosinophils compared to Caucasians. These findings suggest that Hispanic-American patients may have a unique endotype or endotypes that deserve further investigation. | |
David "Dax" Cvancara, MD, research fellow '22-'23, started OTO residency at U Minnesota in July. | |
UW Ranks Among the Best for DEI | |
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All good things must end! But the end is just the beginning for our outstanding graduating chiefs. They are off to build their careers, contribute to their communities, and advance our profession. We are grateful for their contributions to UW Oto-HNS and are so proud of their many accomplishments.
Click the images below for more details and some great snapshots!
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Jo Bellairs will be working at Surgical Associates Northwest in the ENT division. | Jake Brady has accepted a Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University. | |
Eve Champaloux will be the incoming 2024-25 Laryngology fellow here at UW Oto-HNS. | Sherise Epstein will join the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium/Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, AK. | |
Facial Plastics: Natalie Derise, MD, will be joining the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as an assistant professor. | |
Head and Neck: Rocco Ferrandino, MD, will be joining the UW Oto-HNS faculty as an assistant professor. | |
Laryngology: Rachel Jonas, MD, will be joining the faculty at the University of Kentucky as an assistant professor. | |
Pediatric Oto: Lindsay Boven, MD, will begin private practice with Arizona Laryngology Consultants. | |
Pediatric Oto: Kara Brodie, MD, MPhil, will be joining the faculty at UC San Francisco as an assistant professor. | |
Rhinology: Ion Prohnitchi, MD, will return to Europe as a rhinologist and endoscopic skull base surgeon. | |
Facial Plastics: Nicholas Block-Wheeler, MD, completed residency at Kaiser-Permanente. | |
Laryngology: Eve Champaloux, MD, PhD, completed residency here at UW. | |
Head and Neck: Zahrah Masheeb, MD, completed residency at UC Davis. | |
Pediatric Oto: Jin Yang, MD, completed residency at Loma Linda University Health. | Pediatric Oto: Sheng “Shane” Zhou, MD, completed residency at Keck/USC. | |
Rhinology: Hector Perez, MD, completed residency at Loma Linda University Health. | |
Speech-Language Pathology: Jae Bernado will receive her MS Med-SLP degree from UW in August 2024. | |
Marielle Beaulieu, PhD, with Dave Raible, PhD | |
Beaulieu Successfully Defends PhD | |
Marielle Beaulieu, PhD, a molecular and cellular biology graduate student in the Raible lab, successfully defended her PhD on May 14. Her research focused on the zebrafish inner ear, studying hair cell death and regeneration, a key cause of auditory and vestibular impairment in mammals.
Congratulations to Dr. Beaulieu on her significant contributions to understanding hair cell regeneration.
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NATIONAL AND LOCAL EVENTS | |
UW Oto Shines at COSM 2024! | |
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UW Oto was in full force at COSM again this year, held in Chicago! Faculty, residents, fellows, and alums served as authors, presenters, panelists, and moderators across eight of the nine member societies.
For AHNS, Neal Futran, MD, DMD, moderated "Reconstruction Debates Part I: Virtual Surgical Planning vs Free Hand Reconstruction of Oromandibular Defects," and alum Richard Harbison, MD, moderated Scientific Session #2 on Cancer Biology/TME. For ASPO, Sanjay Parikh, MD, FACS, moderated the "Committee-Sponsored Panel (DEI): Leading Cultural Humility in Clinical and Administrative Pediatric Otolaryngology." Former fellows Madelin Drusin, MD, and Prasanth Pattisapu, MD, each led a panel for ASPO.
Four former fellows served as panelists: Drs. Jeff Teixeira for AAFPRS, Clare Richardson for ABEA, Clint Allen for AHNS, and Reema Padia for ASPO. Seven former residents participated: Drs. David Frances for ABEA, Nicole Schmitt and Greg Farwell for AHNS, Anthony Law for ALA, and John Skirko, Erin Kirkham, and Derek Lam for ASPO. Faculty from Peds Oto turned out en masse for ASPO, with Drs. Kathy Sie, Randall Bly, Jon Perkins, Juli Bonilla-Velez, and former UW Oto faculty, Jake Dahl, MD, PhD, serving on five different ASPO panels. Maya Sardesai, MD, MEd, served on Trio's Collaborative Panel with ALA.
Current residents, Drs. Shaunak Amin (R4/Senior), Zaroug Jaleel (R3/Clinical), Arun Raghavan (R3/Clinical), and Estephania Candelo-Gomez (R1), each presented scientific sessions, as did alums, Drs. Grace Wandell, Anisha Noble, Stephanie Misono, and Clint Allen. Posters were presented by alum Justin Golub, MD, and current residents, Drs. Estephania Candelo-Gomez (R1), Aishwarya Shukla (R4/Senior), and Peiran Zhou (R5/Chief). Former fellows, Drs. Reema Padia and Karthik Balakrishnan, also presented at the podium for ASPO. Alum Derek Lam, MD, created two "Peds VideOTO" videos!
Congratulations to this distinguished group of physician-scientists for their valuable contributions to the field!
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UW Oto Rocks the Stage at Unofficial COSM Event | |
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At a one-of-a-kind event, UW Oto was represented on stage during an unofficial COSM event on May 17th, 2024, at the Bassline Music Complex in Chicago. Leadership from all parts of the national otolaryngology community attended, led by UW Oto-HNS professor Al Merati, MD. Hundreds of meeting attendees enjoyed a great night of rock and roll.
The band included otolaryngologists Soham Roy from the University of Colorado, Andrew Tritter from UT Houston, Chris Puchi from Northwestern, and Mickey Stewart from Cornell, along with Seattle neurosurgeon Zack Litvack on guitar and Dr. Merati. The magic of this event was that the band members practiced separately in their own cities, had just one group practice in Chicago the day before the gig, and somehow pulled off two hours of high-quality live music. The band called themselves the Nashvegas All-Stars, having first met up in a Nashville studio to play at the AAOHNS Annual Meeting in 2023.
Congratulations to the Nashvegas All-Stars for an unforgettable performance!
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Barber and Sie Lead Dynamic Winter Meeting of Northwest Academy of Otolaryngology in Whistler | |
As program co-chairs, Drs. Brittany Barber and Kathy Sie developed an exciting agenda for the winter meeting of the Northwest Academy of Otolaryngology (NWAO), held in Whistler, BC, in January 2024. | |
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Attendees included otolaryngology providers from Washington and British Columbia, in partnership with the British Columbia Otolaryngology Society. UW Otolaryngology faculty led a dynamic group of panels, talks, and educational content for the NWAO membership in the beautiful setting of Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort. | |
9th Annual Northwest Voice Conference: "The Art and Science of the Performing Voice" | |
The Northwest Voice Conference recently held its 9th annual meeting, "The Art and Science of the Performing Voice," hosted by the UWMC Oto-HNS divisions of Laryngology and Speech Language Pathology in conjunction with UW Speech & Hearing Sciences and esteemed colleagues in vocal pedagogy in the Pacific Northwest. | | | |
From left: Al Merati, MD; Kari Ragan, DMA; John Henny; H. Steven Sims, MD, FACS; Marci Rosenberg, BM, MS CCC-SLP. | |
From left: Incoming UW Oto SLP fellow Jae Bernardo, with Lisa Zughni and former SLP fellow Alex Schenck. | |
The conference focusses on the intersection and integration of both the art and the science of the performing voice, while providing the latest research and updates from the areas of laryngology, speech language pathology, voice science, and vocal pedagogy. Conference organizers and presenters this year included Andrew Lee, MS, CCC-SLP, Juli Rosenzweig, MS, CCC-SLP, and UW Oto faculty Lisa Zughni, MS, CCC-SLP, and Drs. Al Merati, Neel Bhatt, and JP Giliberto. | |
Next year's meeting will be held on April 25-26, with featured presenters including Lucian Sulica, Ingo Titze, Leda Scearce, and Joan Lader! Visit the NW Voice Conference website for more information about this meeting as well as a new series, "Advanced SLP Topics in Voice, Swallowing, and Upper Airway," to be held August 2 & 3. | |
UW Oto-HNS Hosts Successful 9th Annual Northwest Airway Course with Keynote Speaker Dr. Luv Javia | |
In May, UW Oto-HNS had the honor of hosting the 9th annual Northwest Airway Course! The course was founded in 2016 by Kaalan Johnson, MD, after his initial success running a similar course in Cincinnati, with the goal of creating a comprehensive and interactive course to teach critical airway preparedness to trainees. Since its inception in 2016, UW Oto has hosted the course every other year, alternating with OHSU, which has proved to be a fantastic collaboration over the years. Dr. Johnson again served as the course director this year, and Drs. Eve Champaloux and Anna Clements contributed as the resident course directors. We were honored to host Luv Javia, MD, from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as the keynote speaker to discuss pediatric open airway surgery. | |
The course was a huge success, with 30 participants consisting of residents, medical students, and Advanced Practice Providers from three different institutions: UW, OHSU, and Madigan. Participants had the opportunity to rotate through a wide array of educational stations, including laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, and intubation skills sessions; airway foreign body removal; open airway surgery with pig tracheas in the wet lab; and fast-paced airway simulations based on real-life patient scenarios. World-class faculty provided instruction and valuable perspectives from a comprehensive spectrum of medical specialties and institutions. In addition to the undeniable educational impact of this course, it was a fantastic opportunity to have a blast with colleagues and strengthen connections across institutions! | |
Jafari Highlights Benefits of Nasal Irrigation in KIRO7 Interview | |
UW rhinologist Aria Jafari, MD, was interviewed by KIRO7, Seattle's local news station. He mentioned that nasal irrigation is a simple, safe, and effective method for alleviating nasal congestion and clearing out mucus and allergens from the nasal passages. By using a saline solution, Dr. Jafari stated that it helps reduce symptoms of nasal allergies, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infections (URI), improving overall nasal health and breathing. Click the photo to see the interview. | |
New Study Explores Compensatory Eye Movements in Vestibular Impaired Monkeys | |
UW Oto research assistant professor Yoshiko Kojima, PhD, along with co-authors James Phillips, PhD, and Leo Ling, PhD, from UW's National Primate Center, published a paper titled "Compensatory Saccade in the Vestibular Impaired Monkey." The study explores how the loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) affects visual acuity during head movements. The authors suggest that this model could be valuable for studying the neural mechanisms underlying saccades and improving vestibular rehabilitation strategies for patients. | |
Ou Creates TED-Ed Short on Earwax | | |
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Henry Ou, MD, MA, created a charming and practical animated "lesson worth sharing" for TED-Ed. The short film examines earwax and the important role it plays in our health. | |
Jafari Links Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Brain Fog | |
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A recent article in Discover Magazine highlighted new research by Dr. Jafari linking chronic sinusitis with cognitive deficits.
The study, published this month in IFAR, co-authored with Yoshiko Kojima, PhD and James Phillips, PhD, validates the reported experience of people who have chronic sinusitis and brain fog and establishes a framework for further studies of the impact of chronic inflammation on brain function.
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Loy Presents ISSVA World Congress in Madrid | |
UW Oto resident Kelsey Loy, MD (R3 clinical), connected with colleagues and presented her research on the spatial transcriptomics of lymphatic malformations at the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) World Congress in Madrid, Spain, this spring. Dr. Loy is currently in her second research year studying pediatric vascular anomalies, advised by Drs. Jon Perkins and James Bennett. | |
Dr. Loy (center) with Drs. Bennett and Perkins. | |
Additionally, the group enjoyed viewing the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, meeting the Queen of Spain, and eating churros dipped in chocolate. | |
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Seattle Children's Hospital Vascular Anomalies Group at the ISSVA reception.
From left: Drs. Bennett and Perkins, UW Oto alum Kaitlyn Zenner, Dr. Loy, Dr. Whitney Eng from SCH heme/onc, former UW Oto fellow Nate Perkins, Deepti Gupta from dermatology, and Maninder Sethi, our vascular anomalies clinic APP.
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July is a time for reflection as we transition the academic year and welcome a new cohort of trainees. We celebrate our graduates and build our UW Oto community. Our residency expands, and our department meets the moment with ambitious projects and initiatives.
We have achieved so much in research—staying on the cutting edge with our DEI efforts and investigations of AI and machine learning—as well as on the basic science front. Clinically, we lead in gender-concordant care and continuously enhance our practices. Our teaching evolves with advanced simulation and hands-on courses, providing amazing opportunities for our trainees.
This edition highlights our community's achievements regionally, nationally, and internationally, with Seattle as our home base, driving our passion for improving patient care daily.
I'm proud to be part of this team and honored to showcase our accomplishments through this newsletter and through the images and voices of our people.
With gratitude,
-Aria Jafari, MD
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