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Associate Professor
University ofVirginia
I serve in several roles at the University of Virginia (UVA), including Director of Otolaryngology Research, Director of the Voice and Swallowing Center, and Director of the Center for OtoRhinoLaryngology Innovation. These directorships help me fulfill my dual passions of providing cutting edge clinical care and developing novel biomedical solutions. Prior to attending medical school I completed a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology at Georgetown University, which provided a window into innovation and translational research that has remained a passion throughout my career. My clinical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery involved the medical and surgical care of disorders involving the head, face, and neck. I then completed specialized fellowship training for complex voice, airway, and swallowing problems, including a basic science component in Vanderbilt’s respected Laryngeal Biology Laboratory. Following fellowship training, I embraced the opportunity to build a new division within the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (O-HNS) at the University of Virginia. In 2014, I successfully established the Division of Laryngology and Voice Care, which is devoted to providing real-time interdisciplinary care for laryngeal disorders. My current responsibilities now include overseeing a team of clinicians and researchers within the University dedicated to improving the lives of patients with voice, swallowing, and upper airway problems. This role within the institution places me in the optimal position to develop significant translational research and advance our understanding of laryngeal disease. With a well-established division, I am currently focusing on translational science and devoting my 30 percent non-clinical effort towards our NIH-funded biomedical laryngeal research.