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Professor
UC Davis
UC Davis
Sacramento, California, United States
Peter C. Belafsky, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. is Professor and the Director of the Center for Voice and Swallowing at the University of California, Davis. He is the also the Vice-chair of Academic Affairs for the Department of Otolaryngology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
His research interests are focused on the development and application of innovative translational treatments for swallowing disorders. He has dedicated his career to building an internationally recognized Swallowing Center. The trans-disciplinary Center at UC Davis brings together outstanding physicians, speech and language pathologists, veterinarians, nutritionists, engineers, audiology technicians, general surgeons, gastroenterologists, and translational scientists to provide innovative approaches to the diagnosis and management of quaternary swallowing disorders. He has pioneered minimally invasive therapies including unsedated treatment of laryngeal cancer, polyps, leukoplakia, and papilloma; tracheal and esophageal strictures; and office-based esophagoscopy. In October of 2010, he was the lead investigator on the second larynx transplant on a woman who had been unable to speak for over a decade. Dr. Belafsky has a dual appointment at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and has also pioneered numerous treatments for small animals (cats/dogs) with profound swallowing and breathing problems. His team has saved countless dogs and his work has led to innovations in both humans and animals. His trans-disciplinary approach has resulted in 6 first-in-human surgeries and 7 first-in-canine surgeries. He has over 200 publications, 5 textbooks, numerous patents, and has helped initiate 3 start-up companies based on technology he has developed at UC Davis. Dr. Belafsky remains restless with current treatment limitations and has dedicated his career to the development of innovative therapies to help suffering patients with swallowing impairment.