Incoming, outgoing residents and fellows 2020
The Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery is excited to welcome a new group of otolaryngology residents and fellows while saying goodbye to three chiefs and three fellows.
UAB Voice Center serving patients through telemedicine clinic
Voice specialized speech language pathologist Edie Hapner, PhD CC-SLP shares how she and laryngologist Blake Simpson, MD are effective in serving UAB Voice Center patients through an interprofessional voice telemedicine clinic during the COVID-19 crisis.
Read moreResidents, faculty highlight response to head and neck oncologic surgery during pandemic
PGY-4 residents Daniel Morrison, MD and Christopher Gentile, MD, Professor Susan McCammon, MD, and Assistant Professor Erin Buczek, MD published "Head and neck oncologic surgery in the "COVID‐19 pandemic: Our experience in a deep south tertiary care center" in Head & Neck Journal of the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck.
Read moreRhinology specialists publish "Phenotypes in Chronic Rhinosinusitis"
Chief resident Justin McCormick, MD, Harrison M. Thompson, MD, Associate Professor Do-Yeon Cho, MD, Professor Bradford Woodworth, MD and Assistant Professor Jessica Grayson, MD published "Phenotypes in Chronic Rhinosinusitis" in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.
Read moreResident, faculty published in Head & Neck
PGY-2 resident Hunter Skoog, M.D., Associate Professor Kirk Withrow, M.D., Assistant Professor Harishanker Jeyarajan, M.D., Assistant Professor Benjamin Greene, M.D., Assistant Professor Jessica Grayson, M.D., and Department Chair and Professor William Carroll, M.D. published "Tracheotomy in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic" in Head & Neck Journal of the Sciences of the Head and Neck
Read moreSimpson's research among top 10% most downloaded papers
Professor and UAB Voice Center Co-Director C. Blake Simpson, M.D., published his research "Treatment of chronic neurogenic cough with in-office superior laryngeal nerve block" in The Laryngoscope in April 2018.
Read more2024 Residents' Research Day
The Department of Otolaryngology will be hosting the 19th Annual Ann B. & Julius N. Hicks Lectureship in Otolaryngology and Residents’ Research Day on April 27, 2024. The lecture will be held at the UAB Hilton in Downtown Birmingham and is open to our alumni, faculty, residents, fellows, healthcare professionals, and outside otolaryngologists in the southeastern region.
Featured Guest Speaker
Amber Luong, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
McGovern Medical School of the University of Texas Health Science Center- Houston
Attendee Registration
Read moreFour applicants match into residency program
The Department of Otolaryngology received 358 residency applications, held 64 interviews, and matched with four new residents. The department is excited to welcome our incoming PGY-1 residents.
Read moreDepartment of Otolaryngology faculty and staff to receive UAB Service Awards
In 2019, UAB had more than 1,100 employees eligible for service award recognition. Eight of those recipients include faculty and staff from the Department of Otolaryngology.
Read moreAlumnus David Alexander receives VA Five Star Service Award
David Alexander, M.D., is being honored for his outstanding patient care during his last year of residency with the UAB Department of Otolaryngology.
Read moreUAB opens Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Clinic
UAB Department of Otolaryngology Assistant Professor, Erin Buczek, M.D., is one of six specialists leading the new UAB Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Clinic.
Read moreGeorge W. Barber Jr. Lectureship presents "Communication and Complications in Thyroid Surgery 2019"
The 2019 George W. Barber Jr. Lectureship, "Communication and Complications in Thyroid Surgery 2019," was presented by a world-renowned expert in the field of otolaryngology, Gregory W. Randolph, M.D., FACS, FACE. The Claire and John Bertucci Endowed Chair in thyroid surgical oncology at Harvard Medical School is a professor in otolaryngology and surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Dr. Randolph shared the history of thyroid surgery to help frame current practice. He also discussed future advances in thyroid surgery, including the de-escalation of treatment for thyroid cancer, intraoperative nerve monitoring, and molecular testing for thyroid disease.
“It was a unique and insightful discussion that can broadly be applied to many areas within otolaryngology,” said Dr. Erin Buczek, UAB Otolaryngology Assistant Professor and Associate Residency Program Director.
The lecture highlighted Dr. Randolph’s vast experience in endocrine surgery and practical considerations for thyroid and parathyroid surgery. He explained how to navigate difficult situations and potential complications from surgery.
“The lectureship is an excellent opportunity for our fellows, residents and medical students to learn from experts in otolaryngology,” said Dr. Buczek.
The residents and fellows presented cases to Dr. Randolph. They were able to discuss management and topics directly related to patients cared for at UAB.
UAB Otolaryngology faculty receive promotions
Do-Yeon Cho, M.D., M.S. , has been promoted to associate professor. Dr. Cho graduated from Chungbuk National University School of Medicine, M.D. and Sung Kyun Kwan University School of Medicine, M.S. He completed his otorhinolaryngology residency at Samsung Medical Center, rhinology research fellowship and otolaryngology residency at Sanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Cho specializes in acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal obstruction, hyposmia and anosmia, cystic fibrosis, allergic rhinitis, airway epithelial regeneration and repair, and endoscopic skull base surgery.
Jason Warram, Ph.D., has been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor. Dr. Warram graduated from UAB with a doctorate in molecular and cellular pathology. After completing his fellowship in advanced medical imaging at UAB, he joined our faculty. Dr. Warram specializes in development and clinical translation of novel imaging agents, clinical trials in cancer imaging, image-guided pathology, molecular biology techniques, multi-modality techniques in surgical oncologic imaging, nuclear imaging, combination therapeutic strategies, anti-angiogenic therapy, and antibody-based imaging and therapy.
Four New Faculty Join the Department of Otolaryngology
The UAB Department of Otolaryngology is excited to introduce four new members to the faculty team: Drs. Erika Walsh, Jessica Grayson, Carissa Thomas and Hari Jeyarajan:
Dr. Walsh joins our faculty following a two year fellowship in Otology/Neurotology at the Michigan Ear Institute. She earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency with us here at UAB. Dr. McGrew had the pleasure of training Erika throughout her residency and advocated for her recruitment, recognizing her skill in managing both common and complex conditions of the ear, temporal bone and lateral skull base. Dr. Walsh is currently accepting new patients and her clinic opens mid-August 2019.
Dr. Grayson will be joining us after the completion of her fellowship in Rhinology and Anterior Skull Base Surgery in Sydney, Australia. She also completed her residency with our department and is skilled in the treatment of complex inflammatory and neoplastic disorders of the nose, sinuses and anterior skull base. Dr. Grayson is currently accepting new patients and her clinic opens mid-August 2019.
Dr. Thomas joins our faculty after a fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at the University of Toronto. She received both her medical degree and PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine, and then completed her residency at the University of Colorado. Dr. Thomas specializes in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction. Her research interest includes the interaction between the microbiome and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Thomas is currently accepting new patients and her clinic opens mid-September 2019.
Dr. Jeyarajan joins our faculty from Melbourne, Australia. His background is diverse with fellowship and subspecialty training in several key areas including head and neck oncology (UAB), skull base surgery (London, UK) and airway reconstruction (London, UK). We were fortunate to recruit Dr. Jeyarajan back to UAB as a surgical hospitalist. He will take the lead for difficult airway patients and will be positioned to provide care for patients requiring urgent transfer to UAB, in-house consults and additional head and neck and skull base cases. He has hit the ground running and we believe our referring community will notice a difference in ease of access for complex patients requiring care at UAB.
Golf for the Grads
To celebrate our three 2019 graduates, Drs. David Alexander, Sean Evans and Matthew Fort, the UAB Department of Otolaryngology hosted a golf tournament the morning of Saturday, June 15. The group broke up into teams for a little friendly competition before heading to the Wine Loft that evening for the big celebration.
Alumni, UAB Otolaryngology faculty and staff, residents and their families all joined in celebrating (and roasting) the departing PGY-5s. Check out where our talented residents are headed:
Dr. David Alexander will be moving to Lexington, Kentucky to join a private practice called Kentucky Ear, Nose and Throat. Dr. Alexander's favorite memory of residency is the chief trip to COSM in Austin, Texas. "It was a great weekend and a nice way to celebrate the last five years with my co-chiefs Sean and Matthew," said Alexander.
Dr. Sean Evans will be completing a fellowship with the Department of Otolaryngology at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Matthew Fort will remain in Birmingham! He will begin his career with Southern ENT and Sinus Center.
We wish them all the best in their future endeavors!
Take 5 with Dr. Glenn Peters
Dr. Glenn Peters, Julius N. Hicks Professor of Otolaryngology and Associate Chief Medical Officer for UAB Health System, is a seasoned veteran of the Department of Otolaryngology. His love of science and desire to help others led him to become a physician and keeps him going each day. Take 5 with Dr. Peters:
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What made you want to become a physician?
My love of science and the desire to help others. -
What is the best part of your job?
Interacting with patients and their families and being able to physically treat a patient's illness through surgery. -
Who is a mentor who has had a profound influence on your life?
My grandfather, Dr. WR Eidson, Dr. Juilius N. Hicks and Dr. William Maddox. -
What does the future of medicine look like in your area of interest?
I see nothing but continued advances in science and technology in ENT. The future of American medicine in general is temered by our current political environment. -
How do you like spending your time off?
Playing tennis, riding motorcycles, shooting sports and reading.
UAB Otolaryngology Holds 14th Annual Residents' Research Day
The Department of Otolaryngology held its 14th annual Ann B. and Julius N. Hicks Lectureship in Otolaryngology and Residents’ Research Day on May 11, 2019. The lectureship was established in 2006 to help support resident education in otolaryngology and continues to provide distinguished guest speaking from throughout the country.
Guest speaker Dr. Tom D. Wang, Professor and Director of Otolaryngology – Division of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Oregon Health Sciences University, kicked off the lecture series with a talk titled “Facelift Surgery Evolution.”
Throughout the day, PGY-3's through PGY-5's presented the results of their ongoing research activities. The first place award was presented to PGY-3 resident Dr. Lindsay S. Moore by Dr. Stites Whatley, president of The Alabama Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AlaSOHN). Moore’s research was titled “Panitumumab RDye as an Optical Imaging Agent to Detect Head and Neck Cancer During Surgical Resection Using the daVinci XI System.” Dr. Do-Yeon Cho, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology, presented the second place award to PGY-4 resident Dr. Justin P. McCormick for his research titled “Drug-Eluting Sinus Stent in the Preclinical Model.”
Check out this year's full photo album.
Cho Receives Career Development Award
Dr. Do-Yeon Cho, Assistant Professor and Director of Otolaryngology Research, was awarded a Triological Society Career Development Award in support of his research “The Role of Mucin Degrading Anaerobes in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Pseudomonas”
“I am so honored to receive the Triological Society’s Career Development Award” said Cho. “This is a stepping stone to become an active fellow of the society and a leader in our field.”
To be funded in the amount of $40,000 beginning August 1, 2019, Cho’s research on the microbiome and chronic sinusitis addresses an extremely prevalent clinical problem for which well-controlled experimentation is lacking and sorely needed.
Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Jonathan Lindman
- When did you graduate from UAB?
June, 2005 - What city are you located in?
Augusta, GA - What are your clinical/research interests?
Salivary gland swelling and stone removal, Sleep medicine, business of medicine - How did you choose to practice this area of otolaryngology?
I first became interested in sialoendocopy as a resident when I did a case report on intraparotid stones in a pediatric patient with Dr Audie Woolley in 2004. It was just becoming available in the United States. In 2007, I pursued hands-on training in Erlangen Germany and Geneva Switzerland from the surgeons who designed the sialoendoscopes. I received sleep medicine certification in 2011 and have enjoyed the diversity that this training has brought to my practice. I completed an MBA from the University of Massachusetts at the conclusion of 2018 and this instruction has helped me engage more effectively in the midst of our busy private practice - What aspect of your time at UAB do you believe was most valuable as you started your career?
The professional and personal relationships I developed with the faculty and residents at UAB are the most valuable components of my training. - Did you have a particular mentor while at UAB? Why were they a good mentor?
I actually had 4 mentors during my residency. Nobody could run a smoother clinic that Dr Peters. Glen Peters taught me the importance of looking at my clinic schedule days in advance in order to reduce unwanted surprises and make the most of the patient’s visit by ensuring necessary documents were in the chart in advance. Eben Rosenthal taught me there is joy to be found in medical research and that microvascular surgery can be fun. William Carroll modeled patience in the operating room towards me and compassion in the clinic towards suffering patients and their families. Lastly, when I was a PGY-2, Mark Gibbons was my chief resident and demonstrated the importance of thoroughly examining each and every patient regardless of their chief complaint. - What is one of your fondest memories from UAB?
My lasting friendship with Rob Eller, my co-resident, is my fondest memory from UAB. He consistently pushed himself to do better and this pursuit of excellence was contagious among the residents. I am grateful for how well the residents worked together during my tenure at UAB. - Give one piece of advice you’d like to share with the current residents or those recently graduated.
Learn as much as you can during this time in your career. It is short and goes quickly. You’ll never be surrounded by as many smart people as you are today (unless you join the UAB faculty). - Hobbies/Interests: When you’re not working, how do you spend your time?
My hobbies include dance, music, fitness, travel and family. Our family has traveled to several places in the world including Kenya, Belize, Galapagos, Sweden, France, Italy, the Grenadines, Mexico, Trinidad, England, Norway and Denmark.
Take 5 with Dr. Hari Jeyarajan
- What made you want to become a physician?
Honestly, the reasons I choose to be a surgeon today are slightly different to when I decided to become a physician 20 years ago. Both of my parents are physicians, and I remember seeing the influence that my mother (a family practitioner) had on her patients’ lives. Ultimately that is why I chose to become a physician, to have the opportunity to make a profound difference in peoples’ lives. - What is the best part of your job?
There are a number of aspects to my job that I am grateful for. Firstly, the privilege of being able to help and support my patients and their families, through good times, and bad. Secondly, the opportunity to introduce the next generation of surgeons to this constantly evolving and growing specialty and hopefully assist them in achieving even greater accomplishments. And finally, the opportunity to work every day with a team of individuals who both support and inspire me to innovate, challenge myself, and advocate for the best treatments for our patients. - Who is a mentor who has had a profound influence on your life?
My father will always be my greatest role model, a stalwart of absolute integrity, honesty and accountability. But professionally, my two greatest mentors would be Dr Bill Carroll and Dr Brad Woodworth. Ever since my fellowship at UAB they have both constantly encouraged me to ask questions, think laterally and pursue innovative solutions to clinical problems. Even from the other side of the world they have supported my desire to be better and to continually advocate for the best care available for our patients, even if I was the only one, and even when I would forget that I was in a different time zone! - What does the future of medicine look like in your area of interest?
In head and neck mucosal and malignant skin disease we are evolving our understanding of cancer immunotherapy which is showing promise in the management of advanced and recurrent disease. Transoral robotics has also welcomed both a single port robot as well as the latest iteration of the Flex robotic system, one designed specifically for Head and Neck surgery. Both of these advances will really increase our ability to safely provide minimally invasive surgical options for our Head and Neck mucosal patients. And finally, in adult airway surgery, innovative research out of Belgium on tracheal allografts will hopefully soon provide real solutions for patients with extensive airway disease who have already failed standard therapy and struggle to live with tracheostomy tubes. - How do you like spending your time off?
Being from Australia, I love to travel and I love the water. I particularly enjoy travelling through Europe and immersing myself in the local cultures. I’m quite fortunate to have fostered many international friendships over the years so there is always a reason to return for a visit. I recently obtained my open water scuba diving license before coming back to Alabama and managed to meet a lovely couple from Pensacola who have encouraged me to explore wreck diving in the Gulf!