American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF)
AAO-HNSF Resident Research Award
Tracy Zong Cheng, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Project Title: Gene Therapy for Hearing Rescue in Tomt Knockout Mice
Tracy Cheng, MD, is a fifth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude with Phi Beta Kappa election. She completed her medical training at Duke University. Under the mentorship of Christopher Cunningham, PhD, Thanos Tzounopoulos, PhD, and David Chi, MD, her project aims to investigate the role of gene therapy in rescuing hearing function in Tomt mutant mice. The project aims to develop a translatable gene therapy which benefits treatment of genetic sensorineural hearing loss.
Chelsea Gelboin-Burkhart, MD
Regents of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Project Title: Effect of N-Acetylcysteine on Wound Healing in an Inhalational Tobacco Model
Chelsea Gelboin-Burkhart, MD, is a fourth year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Minnesota. After graduating from the University of California-Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology, she worked at the University of California-San Diego studying RNA processing. She then obtained her M.D. from Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Anne Lassig and Dr. Frank Ondrey, she is studying the role cellular senescence plays in tobacco induced wound healing impairment and the utility of antioxidants to mitigate these effects.
Claudia N. Gutierrez, MD
University of Virginia
Project Title: Nanoscale Mechanical and Molecular Characterization of Augmented Vocal Folds
Claudia Gutierrez, MD, MS is a PGY-4 otolaryngology resident at the University of Virginia. She obtained her BS/MS degree in biomedical engineering from Drexel University and completed her medical training at Mayo Clinic. During medical school, she combined her passion of traveling and medical innovation and completed a Fulbright Research Scholarship in Switzerland focused on tissue engineering. Her research, under the guidance of Dr. James Daniero, focuses on the development of new assays for preclinical investigation of biomaterials designed to address glottic insufficiency.
Nadine Ibrahim, MD
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Project Title: Impact of Compensatory Head Movement on Acoustical Cues in Single-Sided Deafness
Nadine Ibrahim is a fourth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan. She graduated with Honors from the School of Communication at Northwestern University with a degree in Human Communication Sciences. She then worked in the Middle East as a journalist with a focus on public health prior to pursuing her MD at the University of Michigan Medical School, where she received a Deans Merit scholarship and graduated with Distinction. Under the mentorship of Dr. Renee Banakis Hartl, her research focuses on investigating the impact of Single-Sided Deafness on listening behavior by analyzing compensatory head movements and binaural acoustical cues when compared to individuals with normal hearing.
Zaroug Jaleel, MD
University of Washington Medical Center
Project Title: Effects of Aging on Superior Laryngeal Nerve Sensory and Motor Function in Rats
Zaroug Jaleel is a second-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Tufts University, he completed his medical training at the Boston University School of Medicine. Under the guidance of Dr. Neel Bhatt and Dr. David Perkel his project will explore neurophysiologic characteristics in superior laryngeal nerve function with aging in a rodent laryngeal model, with the goal of exploring mechanisms underlying age-related swallowing dysfunction.
Sarah Kim, MD, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
Project Title: Role for Local Immune Signaling in Modulating Post-viral Olfactory Repair
Sarah Kim is a third year resident at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. She graduated with a BS in Neuroscience from The College of William and Mary. Afterwards, she obtained her MD and PhD in Neuroscience from Virginia Commonwealth University during which time she was awarded an F30 from NIH-NIDA. Her research interest includes neuroimmunology and her research focus under the mentorship of Drs Bradley Goldstein and Ashley Moseman will be in studying the role of immune cells in modulating post-viral olfactory repair.
Michelle Pei, MD
Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami
Project Title: Effects of Radiation on Perineural Invasion in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Michelle Pei, MD, is a first-year resident and R25 Research Scholar in the Department of Otolaryngology at University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital. She graduated with honors from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and obtained her medical degree from Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She aspires to be a surgeon scientist and will be studying the effect of radiation on perineural invasion in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, under the mentorship of Drs. Christine Dinh, Erin Kaye, Zoukaa Sargi, and Donald Weed..
Krish Suresh, MD
Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Project Title: Automated Segmentation of Vestibular Schwannoma MRI for Volumetric Measurement
Krish Suresh, MD is a resident physician in Otolaryngology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary / Harvard Medical School. He is pursuing a career in Otology/Neurotology. His research focus is on applications of artificial intelligence to Otology/Neurotology. Prior work in this domain has spanned predictive modeling for clinical outcomes of hearing aids and vestibular schwannoma surgery, to deep learning involving tympanic membrane images and vestibular schwannoma MRIs. Prior to residency, he completed his undergraduate and medical education at Northwestern University. Outside of work, his hobbies include fingerstyle guitar, running, and Indian cooking.
Solymar Torres Maldonado, MD
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Project Title: Diagnosing Vocal Fold Scarring Using Dynamic Optical Contrast Imaging
Solymar Torres-Maldonado is a fourth-year resident in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA. Soly graduated from the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras summa cum laude with a BSc in Cell & Molecular Biology. She then earned her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research, under the mentorship of Dr. Maie St. John and Dr. Jennifer Long, will focus on the development of an endoscope powered by dynamic optical contrast imaging to more accurately diagnose and delineate vocal fold scarring from confounding pathologies such as dysplasia and early laryngeal cancer.
Douglas J. Totten, MD, MBA
Indiana University
Project Title: Mechanisms of TMPRSS3-Related Hearing Loss
Douglas J. Totten, MD, MBA, is a third-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. After graduating with a BA in Chemistry from Carleton College (MN) he attended Vanderbilt University where he obtained his MD and MBA degrees before returning home to the Hoosier State. He is passionate about hearing loss and cochlear implantation. Under the guidance of Dr. Rick Nelson, his research will focus on TMPRSS3, a gene commonly responsible for hereditary hearing loss, and the cellular mechanisms of TMPRSS3-mediated hair cell death.
Wenda Ye, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Project Title: Characterizing Antigen-Specific T Cell Activation in GPA Airway Scar
Wenda Ye, MD, is a fourth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He studied biology at the University of Pennsylvania before obtaining his medical degree from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Under the mentorship of Dr. Alexander Gelbard, his current research investigates clonal T cell populations and their antigenic targets in the airway scars of patients with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis. He plans to apply for a fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery with the aim of becoming a physician-scientist in his future career.
Phoebe Yu, MD, MPH
Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Project Title: Changes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Measures Following Otolaryngologic Procedures
Phoebe Yu, MD MPH is a fifth-year resident at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard otolaryngology residency program. She graduated from Harvard College with a degree in biology and health policy and went on to medical school at Yale School of Medicine. During residency, she completed a two-year T32 research fellowship and a master’s in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research interests relate to clinical trials in sleep surgery and obstructive sleep apnea.
AAO-HNSF Resident Research Award Sponsored by AHNS
Jaclyn Lee, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Project Title: Antibody-labeled PET for Head and Neck Carcinomas of Unknown Primary
Jaclyn Lee is a rising third-year resident in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Originally born in Shanghai, she moved to Massachusetts during middle school, and later obtained her B.S. in mathematics, biology, and philosophy from Boston College. She spent significant time working in basic science and translational research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Stanford University, as well as in international education with a Fulbright Award. She then completed her M.D. at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her primary research interests currently include tumor molecular biology, immunology, patient outcomes, and social determinants of health.
Bobby R. Alford Endowed Research Grant
Abel P. David, MD
Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Project Title: Characterizing Cellular Changes Associated with Cochlear Synaptopathy
Abel P. David, MD, is a first year Otology & Neurotology fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear – Harvard Medical School and completed residency training in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. David graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS Biochemistry degree before receiving his medical degree from the University of Virginia. Dr. David’s scientific focus combines molecular and computational biology techniques for understanding inner ear development and discovering new therapies for hearing loss.
AAO-HNSF Health Services Research Grant
Nicholas R. Lenze, MD
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Project Title: Quantifying Out-of-Pockets Costs and Surprise Billing within Otolaryngology
Nicholas R. Lenze, MD, MPH is a third-year otolaryngology resident at the University of Michigan. After earning his B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, he completed medical school and obtained his MPH at the University of North Carolina. He is dedicated to improving access to and affordability of surgical care. Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Brenner, his research aims to quantify the out-of-pocket costs and surprise billing faced by patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery and the modifiable factors that drive them.
GSK Research Grant: Social Determinants of Health, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, and the intersection of patient care with workforce culture
Kevin J. Sykes, PhD, MPH
University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc.
Project Title: Consortium to Link Social Determinants of Health to Head and Neck Cancer Outcomes
Kevin Sykes, PhD, MPH is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Kansas. His current research aims to understand how the social determinants of health influence health outcomes in patients receiving multidisciplinary head and neck oncologic care. This work aims to measure and explain gaps in prevention, delays in diagnosis, or treatment completion which prevent patients from achieving ideal outcomes and thriving. The goal is to support data-driven resource prioritization and intervention development. In all, his collaborations in otolaryngology and public health have resulted in more than 90 peer-reviewed publications.
American Head and Neck Society (AHNS)
AHNS Pilot Grant
Farhoud Faraji, MD, PhD
University of California, San Diego
Project Title: Targeting Novel YAP-driven Oncogenic and Immune Evasive Networks in HNSC
Farhoud Faraji, MD PhD has a passion for cancer biology and caring for patients with head and neck malignancies. He is currently an OHNS resident physician and an NIH T32- and SU2C-supported postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Silvio Gutkind at UC San Diego. Dr. Faraji’s research combines genome-wide systems approaches with animal modeling to identify fundamental cancer-driving processes amenable to therapeutic targeting. He is working to become an independent surgeon-scientist who contributes to the advancement of head and neck oncology through laboratory investigation, patient care, and medical education.
AHNS Presidential Award: Understanding Long-Term and Late Toxicities of Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer
David Lee, MD
Washington University in St. Louis
Project Title: Screening Protocol for Late and Long-Term Ototoxicity in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
My name is David Lee and I’m currently a resident at Washington University in St. Louis. My research focuses on cisplatin ototoxicity in patients with head and neck cancer. Before the Midwest, I was at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. I’m a Bay Area native. I enjoy walking my dog, Luna. I also enjoy eating Japanese food and non-Japanese food.
AHNS Presidential Award: Understanding Treatment Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer
Kevin Brown Chandler, PhD
Florida International University
Project Title: Tumor-Derived Immunoglobulin Driven Resistance to Anti-PD1/PDL1 Axis Therapy
Dr. Chandler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Translational Medicine at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. His research interests include understanding how aberrant protein glycosylation contributes to (i) cancer immunology and (ii) EGFR signaling in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. His research has demonstrated a role for β-catenin and CREB-binding protein (CBP) in altering fucosyltransferase activity in oral cancer, with implications for receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. Additionally, his work on the role of sialic acid modifications in VEGFR2 signaling provides a key link between immune and angiogenic signaling.
AHNS Presidential Award: Head and Neck Cancer in Underserved Populations
Samantha H. Tam, MD
Henry Ford Health System
Project Title: Increasing Equity in Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Completion in Cancer
Samantha Tam is a senior staff surgeon in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery with a secondary appointment within the Department of Public Health Sciences at Henry Ford Hospital. She completed medical school at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada and residency training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery in London, Canada. She then pursued further clinical training in advanced head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. During this time, she also completed a research fellowship and a Master of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Sciences at Houston in epidemiology. She currently serves as the Division Head of Head and Neck Surgery and the Director of Health Services Research at Henry Ford Cancer. Her research focuses on the delivery of cancer care with a special interest in health disparities and patient-centered research. She is thankful to the AHNS for this award and looks forward to completing this work to improve equity in delivery of patient-reported outcome measures for patients with head and neck cancer.
AHNS/AAO-HNSF Young Investigator Combined Award
Michael Topf, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Project Title: Mixed Reality Surgery to Guide Head and Neck Cancer Re-Resection
Michael Topf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His clinical interests include the surgical management and reconstruction of head and neck cancer including transoral robotic surgery. The goals of his research program are to improve oncologic and functional outcomes in head and neck cancer patients through enhanced communication between surgeons and pathologists using 3D scanning technology. He is also investigating use of augmented reality to guide oncologic surgery.
Katherine Wai, MD
The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco
Project Title: Deciphering the Immune Response to Checkpoint Inhibitors in Head and Neck Cancer
Dr. Wai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California San Francisco. She completed both medical school and residency training at UCSF, and Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Stanford University. Her research goal is to elucidate the systemic human anti-tumor response to immunotherapy in head and neck cancer, thereby answering fundamental questions that will provide a mechanistic basis for improving treatment strategies for patients.
American Rhinologic Society (ARS)
ARS Sue Ann and John L. Weinberg Foundation Cystic Fibrosis Chronic Rhinosinusitis Grant
Daniel M. Beswick, MD
The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles
Project Title: Sinus Disease in Young Children with Cystic Fibrosis
Daniel Beswick, MD, is an Associate Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also serves as the Associate Residency Program Director and directs an extramurally funded research program. His interests include inflammatory rhinology, cystic fibrosis sinus disease, and skull base pathology. Dr. Beswick serves as the chair of the Membership Committee for the American Rhinologic Society and as a representative for UCLA in the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies of the AAMC. He is an editorial board member for the journal International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology.
ARS Resident Research Grant
Ido Badash, MD
University of Southern California
Project Title: Quantifying Eosinophils in Sinonasal Polyps Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Ido Badash is a fourth-year resident in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Southern California (USC). He completed his medical training at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he spent a year as a Dean’s Research Scholar investigating the use of optical coherence tomography for studying endolymphatic hydrops. Under the mentorship of Kevin Hur, MD and Brian Applegate, PhD, his research will focus on using high-resolution optical coherence tomography to quantify eosinophils in sinonasal polyps and diagnose type 2 mediated chronic rhinosinusitis.
Rory Lubner, MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Project Title: Linking CRS Cytokines with Pollution Using Geospatial Models and Metabolomics
Rory Lubner, MD is a rising fourth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with distinction in Neuroscience and was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Fellow. He worked in healthcare consulting in DC before completing medical school at Brown University. Under the mentorship of Dr. Naweed Chowdhury, he will investigate how airborne particulate matter exposure may be linked to distinct metabolomic signatures in chronic rhinosinusitis patients.
Tom Maxim, MD
The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles
Project Title: Development of a Novel RT-qPCR Assay for Diagnosis of Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis
Tom Maxim is a rising fifth-year resident in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Human Development and Aging from the University of Southern California and received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he completed an additional year as a Dean’s Research Scholar. Now under the mentorship of Dr. Jivianne Lee and Dr. Eri Srivatsan, he aims to develop and test a quantitative PCR assay for the detection of rhinocerebral mucormycosis, with the hope of expediting time to diagnosis and improving clinical outcomes.
Kush Panara, MD
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
Project Title: The Role of Matrix Metalloproteinase-11 in Progression of Inverted Papilloma
Kush Panara is a PGY-4 Otolaryngology resident at the University of Pennsylvania. He went to the University of Miami for undergraduate and gradated Magna cum Laude with honors. He then went on to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Here he received grant funding from the American Urologic Association and the American Cancer Society for his work on studying castrate resistant prostate cancer. He is applying to Rhinology and Skull Base surgery fellowship and plans to continue in his path as a clinician-scientist.
American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO)
ASPO Research Grant
Kelsey Loy, MD
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Project Title: Spatial Heterogeneity in Lymphatic Malformations
Kelsey Loy, MD is a rising fourth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington (UW). She studied Biology, Neuroscience, and Public Health at Williams College, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2015. She then attended medical school at UW and graduated in 2020. She is currently completing a two-year NIH T32 research fellowship as a part of her residency training. With co-mentorship from James Bennett, MD, PhD and Jonathan Perkins, DO, her research aims to elucidate lymphatic malformation pathophysiology using a combination of spatial transcriptomics and in situ single-cell genotyping.
