About the WIO He for She Award
This award recognizes a male otolaryngologist who serves as a strong mentor, collaborator, and sponsor of women in otolaryngology. It is meant to celebrate our male colleagues who celebrate us, those who show the importance of teamwork, synergy and building our profession together.
2025 WIO He for She Award Recipient
Albert Merati, MD, is the 2025 recipient of the AAO-HNS WIO He for She Award. Following medical school at the University of Washington, Dr. Merati completed his otolaryngology training at the University of California at San Diego, including one year of NIH research training. He then moved to Vanderbilt University to study laryngology before returning to his native Seattle in 2007 to head up the laryngology program at the University of Washington, now widely recognized among the leaders in clinical care, scholarship, and training in the nation.
Among his many positions of leadership within the AAO-HNS, Dr. Merati was President from 2018-2019. During Dr. Merati’s tenure as President, the number of medical students greatly increased owing to his commitment to ensuring women and students from underrepresented backgrounds were given resources to match into residency.
Other colleagues have noted that he intentionally reaches out to other leaders to advocate for the nomination of women and underrepresented minorities to ensure that their voices are not only heard but amplified. They speak of his natural ability to make everyone feel valued, special, and respected—often with a sense of humor. In education, Dr. Merati demonstrated the power of sponsorship when he curated the curriculum for University of Washington trainees, dedicating all lectures to female laryngologists from across the country. He consistently strives to elevate women and underrepresented minorities ensuring that they have opportunities to speak on panels, present at podiums, and assume leadership roles.
Previous Recipients:
- 2024: Mark E. P. Prince, MD, FRCS(C)
- 2023: Daniel Chelius, MD
- 2022: Kourosh Parham, MD, PhD
- 2021: Alexander G. Chiu, MD
