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Applicants to our residency program enjoyed an excursion organized by our current residents. Left: Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market. Right: the stunning Kerry Park overlook, featuring views of Mount Rainier, the Space Needle, and Puget Sound framing the Seattle skyline.

Dear friends and colleagues,

With the arrival of the new year, it is important to remember all that we are thankful for. As the world around us seems increasingly divided and polarized, we are fortunate to have safety, stability, and access to basic necessities, and it’s important to pause and appreciate these blessings. I find comfort in focusing on what I can directly influence—my relationships with friends, family, and our cherished UW Department of Otolaryngology-HNS.

Neal Futran, MD, DMD

Allison T. Wanamaker Professor and Endowed Chair

Now more than ever I feel a deep commitment to counteracting the broader conflicts by fostering unity and shared purpose within our community. In this edition of our newsletter, I’d like to highlight several aspects of our mission that emphasize collaboration, inclusivity, and the strength of working together for a common goal.

This was particularly evident at our recent department annual retreat where we took an in-depth look across all aspects of our mission. Starting the day with a program on restorative justice brought our community closer and allowed a deep dive into addressing barriers and opportunities to improve well-being for all members in the department.

Focused presentations on the use and influence of artificial intelligence in medicine and our daily activities provided us with an effective foundation, as this tool continues to broaden and develop. 

Having our trainees participate in all these topics was essential and illuminating. Their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the future inspire us all. Of note, Drs. Adidharma, Jaleel, and Dadafarin received 2024 CORE Resident Research Awards. I am profoundly thankful for their contributions and for the entire next generation of leaders. It is their hard work and dedication that will improve health and bring greater happiness to society for years to come. With our expansion to five residents a year and the R25 research training program in place for all, UW Oto-HNS will remain a top choice for applicants we are interviewing for this year’s match.

In this edition, we celebrate growth and connections. We welcome 10 new faculty members to our expanding group: Dr. Alex Chiu, professor; assistant professors Drs. Washington, Christianson, Bloom, Ferrandino, Kim, and Ngodup; and teaching associates Ms. Lagua, Ms. Lorenz, and Ms. Azzaidani. Additionally, we shine a light on one of our own with an inspiring alumni spotlight featuring Dr. Phil Weissbrod.

Wishing you all a season of warmth, reflection, and connection as we look forward to this new year ahead!

Sincerely,

Faculty, fellows, residents, and staff gathered at the World Trade Center on Seattle's waterfront for our annual department retreat on November 1, 2024. Stunning views of Puget Sound set the stage for a day focused on community, innovation, and future-ready tools. "Starting the day with a program on restorative justice brought our community closer," said department chair Neal Futran. "It allowed a deep dive into addressing barriers and opportunities to improve well-being for all members."

The retreat’s agenda emphasized collaboration and forward-thinking strategies. Lynea Koch, UW Oto's digital communications specialist, kicked off the program with an engaging review of the department's social media strategies, exploring their influence on reputation, branding, and recruitment. Resident Kevin Yu, MD, a national social media influencer, followed with a compelling talk on "Demystifying Social Media," sharing practical tips and insights into leveraging digital platforms for professional growth.

Our keynote speaker, Matthew Lungren, MD, MPH, Chief Data Science Officer, Microsoft Health & Life Sciences; Adjunct Professor, Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University; UCSF, discussing how AI will impact healthcare at this year's UW OTO department retreat.

The keynote, "Practical Applications of AI in Healthcare," by Matthew Lungren, MD, MPH, captivated the audience with examples of how AI tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing medical practice. "ChatGPT’s simple interface opened the floodgates to cutting-edge AI," Lungren noted.

He highlighted real-world applications, such as summarizing notes, drafting patient communications, and utilizing collaborative AI agents to simulate virtual care teams. Lungren also emphasized the transformative potential of multimodal AI systems, which promise to analyze imaging, lab results, and patient histories in tandem for context-rich clinical guidance.

Building on this theme, Dr. Aria Jafari delivered an insightful presentation titled "AI in Healthcare: Cutting Through the Hype—A Practical Perspective." He shared real-world examples and actionable strategies for integrating AI into clinical and research settings, underscoring the importance of balancing innovation with practicality to maximize patient care benefits. 

The retreat provided an invaluable opportunity for participants to exchange ideas, gain fresh perspectives, and deepen their commitment to advancing the department’s mission through collaboration and innovation.

Photo (left): Dr. Aria Jafari discussing practical applications of AI at the WTC at Seattle's Waterfront.

Dr. Aria Jafari and colleagues Dr. Waleed Abuzeid and Dr. Ian Humphreys have transformed rhinology care at UWMC by integrating Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) into a virtual intake system at the UW Sinus Clinic. First started in 2021, with support from the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) and the department, the team developed “CASI”—the Computer-Adaptive Sinus Intake. Now in 2024, it is a robust clinical and research tool, with over 10,000 unique entries to date.

From left: Drs. Aria Jafari, Ian Humphreys, and Waleed Abuzeid

CASI enables patients to share their histories and complete relevant PROMs before visits via text, medical record links, or in-clinic QR codes. Providers receive immediate clinical summaries and calculated PROM scores, streamlining care and emphasizing a patient-centered approach, focused on quality of life.

Results have been impressive: CASI reduces documentation time by 5 minutes per patient, increases flexibility for patients completing forms from home, and achieves completion rates of 70-80%. The computer-adaptive technology minimizes unnecessary questions while eliminating paper waste and has integrated well into the clinical workflow, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

The virtual intake model is expanding to head and neck, otology, and facial plastic surgery divisions. It also underpins UW’s rhinology outcomes research, producing over 10 publications and numerous national presentations. Future goals include multi-institutional collaboration and multilingual support. The large dataset has allowed the rhinology division to utilize and contribute to the understanding of the increasingly valuable tools of machine learning and artificial intelligence in patient care.

Jennifer Stone, PhD,

Research Professor and

Director of Research;

Director of NIH Training Grant for Clinician Scientists in Otolaryngology,

Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center

The Kuni Foundation, which supports innovative cancer research and promotes inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, recognizes the importance of advancing knowledge in this vital area. 

Johnson and Zhou Receive ASPIRE Award

Kaalan Johnson, MD, Peds OTO faculty

Shane Zhou, MD, Peds OTO fellow '24-'25

UW Oto associate professor Kaalan Johnson, MD, and pediatric oto fellow Sheng "Shane" Zhou, MD, received an ASPIRE award for their project titled “Refinement of a Laryngotracheal Cleft Model and the Implications of Simulation Based Surgical Rehearsal on Surgeon Preparation, Performance, and Patient Outcomes.”

ASPIRE is a program within the Seattle Children’s Department of Surgical Services designed to improve the level of quality and expand the services provided to patients. ASPIRE funding provides research support for surgical faculty and education support for residents and fellows, as well as facilitating access to innovative technologies. 

Three UW Oto-HNS R3 residents are recipients of an AAO-HNSF Resident Research Award in the CORE Grant Program. The CORE program (Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts) is a collaboration among several societies and industry partners to support research in the field. These grants, ranging in award size from $5,000 to $150,000, have been essential for increasing the research base for otolaryngology.

Lingga Adidharma, MD

"Investigating Head Movements During Sound Localization Using Virtual Reality"

Dr. Adidharma's project aims to better understand the role of specific head movements during sound localization in individuals with hearing loss using a clinically accessible method, virtual reality (VR). This study will set the stage for a larger study on head movement-based VR therapies to improve sound localization ability in individuals with hearing loss.

Sina Dadafarin, MD, PhD

"Discovery of CD4+ T Cells Specific for HPV-driven OPSCC"

Dr. Dadafarin will be investigating tumor-targeting CD4+ T cells in oropharyngeal cancer under the guidance of Drs. Joshua Veatch (Fred Hutch) and Brittany Barber. In pursuing a surgeon-scientist career, Sina aims to bridge the gap between advances in modern immunology and molecular biology with applications in head and neck surgery. 

Zaroug Jaleel, MD

"Motor and Sensory Changes in Swallow Function in a Rat Alzheimer’s Disease Model"

Under the guidance of Dr. Neel Bhatt and Dr. David Perkel, Dr. Jaleel's project will explore motor and sensory changes in swallow function in a rodent Alzheimer’s disease model, with the goal of exploring mechanisms underlying swallowing dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.

This is Dr. Jaleel's second CORE Grant! He was also a 2023 recipient.

Empower Tomorrow's Otolaryngology Leaders!

Join Us in Supporting Our Trainees

Yes! I want to support the next generation of Otolaryngologists

Bonilla-Velez Recognized with Odessa Brown Ken Feldman Award for Advancing Equity

Juliana Bonilla-Velez, MD

The award, established in 2006, honors those promoting respect, compassion, and advocacy at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Photo (left): The Odessa Brown Children's Clinic in Seattle's Rainier Valley Neighborhood.

Family-Centered Care Honored: Sie Receives Family Choice Award

Kathy Sie, MD

Chang Leads Launch of Veterans Affairs Laryngology Group

Joseph Chang, MD

For many years, Seattle Met and Seattle magazines have celebrated the region’s top doctors, as nominated by their peers for exemplifying standards of excellent patient care. These annual lists honor the best medical professionals in the community, showcasing their dedication and expertise.

We are thrilled to announce that several members of the UW Oto-HNS faculty have been recognized on the 2024 lists! This distinction highlights their exceptional commitment to patient care, innovation, and leadership in the field of otolaryngology. Congratulations to all the honorees!

We are excited to welcome Alexander Chiu, MD, as professor in UW Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (Oto-HNS) and executive vice dean of the UW School of Medicine and senior vice president for Medical Affairs (EVD/SVPMA).

Dr. Chiu is a world-renowned rhinologist and endoscopic skull base surgeon and an accomplished leader. He joins us from the University of Kansas, where he served as chair of Otolaryngology-HNS, and has also held roles at Stanford and Penn Medicine.

In his new role in UW Medicine, Dr. Chiu will oversee vice deans and collaborate with department chairs to advance the school’s classroom, research, and clinical missions. He brings expertise in digital innovation and health equity, having led the Digital Health Co/Lab at KU and a national consortium addressing health inequities in otolaryngology.

Dr. Chiu "brings with him a breadth of clinical, administrative and leadership experience, including a focus on digital innovation and health equity," according to Tim Dellit, MD, CEO of UW Medicine, commenting in the UW Medicine Huddle . 

“I am excited to join the UW Medicine community,” says Chiu. “I have a passion for innovation and try to incorporate that into a leadership style that also aspires to be transparent, accountable and collaborative. It is truly an exciting time at UW Medicine, and I can’t wait to work with the exceptional leadership and creative faculty.”

Introducing New UW Oto Faculty!

Our faculty has been growing! Since the last edition of this newsletter, we have had the great fortune to recruit a new professor, six assistant professors, and three teaching associates, bringing new expertise and enthusiasm to our Oto-HNS community.

Welcome!

Amani Azzaidani, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, joined the faculty as a teaching associate based at our Northwest and Eastside campuses.

Jacob Bloom, MD, joined the faculty as a clinical assistant professor at our Northwest Campus. Fun Fact: Before medical school, Dr. Bloom recorded an album with his band Car Seat Headrest which went on to be ranked #30 in the Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 50 albums of 2015!

Erin Christianson, PhD, MBA, CCC-A, joined the faculty as a clinical assistant professor and chief of Pediatric Audiology at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Rocco Ferrandino, MD, joined our Head & Neck division as an assistant professor.

Theresa Kim, MD, joined our Pediatric Oto division as a clinical assistant professor.

Michelle Lagua, PA-C, MPAP, joined the faculty as a teaching associate with a focus on Head & Neck.

Maria Lorenz, PA-C, joined the faculty as a teaching associate with a focus on Head & Neck. 

Tenzin Ngodup, PhD, joined the faculty as an assistant professor at the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center.

Shanece Washington, AUD, MPH, joined the faculty as a clinical assistant professor in Audiology.

For the first time since the pandemic, UW Oto-HNS hosted in-person residency interviews, and the excitement was palpable. The event brought together a remarkably strong and enthusiastic cohort of applicants, creating a festive atmosphere that highlighted the program’s welcoming culture.

Under the leadership of Dr. Tanya Meyer, residency program director, and Domonique Calhoun, residency program manager, UW Oto-HNS faculty, residents, and staff came together to deliver a well-organized yet relaxed and engaging experience over two days. "We had an amazing group of applicants," said Dr. Meyer. "I am looking forward to matching five outstanding new interns!"

The in-person format not only provided an opportunity to showcase the program’s strengths but also fostered meaningful interactions between applicants and the UW Oto-HNS community, reinforcing its reputation as a program dedicated to collaboration and excellence.

Oto-HNS resident Jeremy Ruthberg and his wife Kelly welcomed their new baby, Mia Rose, born August 24, 2024.

Congratulations to UW Oto-HNS assistant professor JP Giliberto and family on the arrival of their sweet baby boy, Nicholas (Nico) Jay Giliberto, on November 4, 2024.

Oto-HNS resident Peiran Zhou and his wife Nicolette have a new baby, Benjamin, born July 8, 2024. Big sister Viviana is so excited that her new baby brother is here!

Grayson Lorne Legocki was born March 1, 2024, to Brittany Barber and Alex Legocki. Grayson is a big fan of his big brother, Evander. Dr. Barber is starting their surgical training early - Grayson already has a stellar pincer grasp.

Julia Ruth Lerner was born to Nina Lu and David Lerner in November 2024 just in time for Thanksgiving. Benji is enjoying his promotion to big brother. 

Oto-HNS resident Rishi Modi became engaged to his partner Nanki Kaur, a UW Internal Medicine resident, in October 2024 in the North Cascades!

Jafari: Why did you choose UW for your laryngology training?

Weissbrod: As a senior resident, I had a variety of interests heading into my final years, including both open and endoscopic surgery. The UW program stood out as a place where I could have a strong experience in both at a time when many laryngology programs did not offer open approaches to cricopharyngeal myotomy, Zenkers, laryngeal cancer, or tracheal stenosis.

Jafari: What was your experience like in Seattle?

Weissbrod: I lived in Capitol Hill and loved exploring Seattle’s music and food scene. Coming from New York, Seattle offered new opportunities with its proximity to both the water and mountains. As an avid skier and hiker, I definitely took advantage of the proximity to the Cascades during downtime!

Jafari: Who were your mentors at UW?

Weissbrod: Dr. Merati and Dr. Hillel were phenomenal mentors, each providing unique additions to my training. Dr. Meyer had just arrived as well. Dr. Hillel offered a deep academic perspective and socratic process, while Dr. Merati provided a master class in patient interaction and program building.

Jafari: You’ve built several programs. Can you share your journey?

Weissbrod: Program building has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. As a trainee, I recognized the importance of having a great SLP team to provide non-surgical and post-surgical care. I sought to establish a multidisciplinary program when I started in San Diego and really prioritized that in my early years. I had been fortunate to have exposure to great programs both in New York and Seattle to model my own after. I was able to recruit a number of key people as the core of our program, and, over the years, I have been lucky to have the support of UCSD to realize this vision. Recently, we opened an 8,000 square foot center staffed by 3 laryngologists and 8 SLPs through which we can provide really great care to our community which I am super proud of. 

Jafari: Tell us about your innovation efforts.

Weissbrod: Entrepreneurship offers academic surgeons a creative outlet and the ability to expand their impact. At UCSD, I’ve collaborated with bioengineers on medical device development across a few different spaces including sensors, AI, and robotics. One exciting project is a low-cost robotic platform we’re developing through a company we spun out of the university, Channel Robotics. This platform enables surgeons and endoscopists to use channeled endoscopes to introduce robotic instrumentation into flexible endoscopic procedures. We’re currently in a seed round and excited to see where this goes.

Jafari: What advice do you have for current trainees and fellows?

Weissbrod: Stay focused and committed during your early years of practice. Those formative years are crucial for professional development and can open doors later in your career. If you are going to do research, find topics that you’re excited about - It makes weathering the failures easier!

Jafari: Who do you keep in touch with from UW?

Weissbrod: The group I see most is the UW laryngology family. Of course there is the ever-present Dr. Merati, but I also keep in touch with others who have passed through the residency program and fellowship like David Francis, Stephanie Misono, Nicole Maronian, and some of the more recent fellows like Molly, Tony, Clint, and Ross.

About Dr. Philip Weissbrod:

Dr. Phil Weissbrod (UW Laryngology Fellow 2010-11) is a professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UC San Diego, laryngologist, affiliate faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the UCSD Airway, Voice and Swallowing Center. He is also the co-founder of Channel Robotics, where he continues to innovate and lead in the field of laryngology. He lives in Leucadia, California, with his wife, Carolena, and daughters Izzy and Nina (photo, left).

Congratulations to our faculty and trainees for their outstanding contributions to the recent meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-HNS, held this past October in Miami, FL. Presenters included 24 faculty members and 9 trainees.

Faculty from top row left: Drs. Sie, Weaver, Rubinstein, Rizvi, Phillips, Perkel, Parikh, Moe. Middle row: Drs. Merati, Manning, Marchiano, Lu, Kojima, Kohlberg, Johnson, Giliberto. Bottom row: Drs. Horn, Bonilla-Velez, Futran, Bly, Bhatt, Barber, Abuzeid, Jafari. 

UW Oto-HNS associate professor Kaalan Johnson shared the key dos and don’ts for handling challenging airway bronchoscopies.

Eve Champaloux, UW Oto-HNS laryngology fellow, with current residents Nada Ali, Jeremy Ruthberg, and Estephania Candelo-Gomez.

UW medical student Heather Merkouris won Best of Scientific Orals as presenting author of a paper titled "ENoG Correlation With Facial Paralysis Outcomes in Temporal Bone Fracture." Co-authors were Aaron Bunnell from UW Physical Medical and Rehabilitation, UW Oto faculty Jay Rubinstein, Gavi Kohlberg, and senior author Nina Lu.

The annual American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention was hosted here in beautiful Seattle, with over 15,000 attendees from around the country and strong representation from UW Oto-HNS - both our speech-language pathology team and our pediatric oto team at Seattle Children's.

Our SLP team served in core leadership roles: Emily Wilson, a UWMC SLP and co-director of our UW Oto SLP fellowship, was a professional development manager on behalf of the Voice and Upper Airway Issues group. Five SLPs served on planning committees: Jae Bernado, Jess MacKimm, and Alex Schenck for the Voice and

Upper Airway Issues group, and Jeff Edwards and Jan Pryor for the Head and Neck Cancer Issues group. 

Presentations represented collaborations among UW Oto-HNS faculty (Randy Bly, Juliana Bonilla Velez, Joe Chang, Erin Christianson, Kaalan Johnson, Al Merati, Henry Ou, Sanjay Parikh, Kathy Sie), our SLPs (Emily Wilson, Andrew Lee, Jeff Edwards, Abby Duke Eagleson, Wendy Bell, Jan Pryor), and our SLP fellows (Jae Bernado '25, Abbey Carlson '23, Madeline Knutson '24, and Alex Schenck '21).

SLPs Abby Duke Eagleson and Wendy Bell, with Sanjay Parikh, Kaalan Johnson, and others.

Emily Wilson, Jae Bernado, Abbey Carlson, Madeline Knutson, Alex Schenck, and Lisa Zughni.

Andrew Lee, a UWMC SLP and member of our Performing Voice Clinic provider team

Drs. Neal Futran and Brittany Barber from the Head & Neck division co-chaired a recent webinar through Fred Hutch, titled “Oropharyngeal Cancer and the Unknown Primary: An Update on Management.”

This training provided a concise update on the management of oropharyngeal cancer and the unknown primary, featuring insights from a multidisciplinary team. Topics included robotic surgery, proton therapy, new guidelines for unknown primary workup, liquid biopsy, and clinical trial results.

The webinar was well-attended and highlighted key advancements and offered valuable perspectives on modern approaches to care in this complex field.

Drs. Neil Punjwani, Neal Futran, Jay Liao, Upendra Parvathaneni, Emily Marchiano, Brittany Barber, and Cristina Rodriguez. Not pictured is Dr. Rocco Ferrandino.

Inaugural Scott C. Manning Lecture at Pediatric Thyroid Symposium

Scott Manning, MD

Back row L-R: Sheng Zhou (UW Oto-HNS Fellow), 2 attendees, Dr. David Werny, Dr. Kara Prickett (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta), Dr. Mona Gangar (Montefiore Einstein), Dr. Juliana Bonilla-Velez, Dr. Sanjay Parikh, Vanessa Masco, Dr. Matthew Smith (Cincinnati Childrens), Dr. Tyler Ketterl, Dr. Vera Paulson (in front of Dr. Ketterl), Dr. Nya Nelson, attendee. Front row: Drs. Scott Manning and Andrew Bauer (CHOP). 

This fall, UW Oto-HNS hosted its highly anticipated two-day surgical simulation course, offering residents an invaluable opportunity to refine their skills and learn from leading regional surgeons.

Day one focused on rhinology and skull base surgery, led by Drs. Aria Jafari and Ian Humphreys, while day two highlighted facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, directed by Drs. Amit Bhrany, Kris Moe, G. Nina Lu, and Maya Sardesai.

Residents from UW Oto-HNS, OHSU, and Madigan Army Medical Center participated in lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice with human cadavers, perfecting complex surgical techniques.

A highlight of the academic year, the course continues to exemplify UW Oto-HNS’s dedication to world-class education and training for future otolaryngologists.

On October 30, the UW Oto-HNS Total Laryngectomy Soft Tissue Course provided residents with hands-on practice in essential procedures, including parotidectomy, laryngectomy, neck dissections, submandibular gland removal, tracheotomy, and more. The course was expertly led by Drs. Emily Marchiano and Tanya Meyer and offered invaluable training in critical surgical techniques.

This cadaver-based course was made possible through an incredible partnership with InHealth Technologies and the outstanding support of our course faculty and collaborators at the Harborview Medical Center WISH Lab. We extend our gratitude to all who contributed to the success of this vital educational event.

Empower Tomorrow's Otolaryngology Leaders!

Join Us in Supporting Our Trainees

Yes! I want to support the next generation of Otolaryngologists

Our very own Dr. Aria Jafari joined Dr. Dean Mitchell on The Smartest Doctor in the Room podcast to discuss the complexities of chronic sinusitis, one of the most common yet often misunderstood chronic conditions. Together, they explore the differences between acute and chronic sinusitis, the impact on quality of life, and Jafari's research linking chronic sinusitis to cognitive challenges like "brain fog." The conversation also highlighted practical management strategies and the far-reaching effects of inflammation on the brain.

Waleed Abuzeid, MD

The Politzer Society, an international otology research organization, held a meeting in Rome, Italy. Since 1978, these scientific events, historically scheduled every two or three years, have served as an international platform for researchers, physicians and other renowned experts in otology and neurotology to discuss cutting-edge scientific evidence and practices within these fields. UW Oto professor Jay Rubinstein, MD, PhD, is the current president of the society, which will hold its next meeting in Seattle in Spring 2027. Rubinstein is shown here with the American Otologic Society (AOS) panel on sudden hearing loss.

From left: Sam Selesnick, past president of American Neurotology Society (ANS); Dr. Rubinstein; Larry Lustig, chair at Columbia and editor in chief of the journal Otology & Neurotology; Nancy Young, president-elect of AOS; and Sujana Chandrasekhar, past president of AOS and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-HNS (AAO-HNS).

David Horn, MD, MS, UW Oto-HNS associate professor, joined the Global Foundation for Children With Hearing Loss on a recent trip to Kathmandu, Nepal, to advance its mission of establishing local expertise and services for newborn hearing screening, diagnosis, and habilitation.

During his week in Nepal, Dr. Horn collaborated with local otolaryngologists, audiologists, and therapists, providing education to medical providers and community health workers on addressing pediatric hearing loss. His efforts contributed to empowering the local healthcare community to improve outcomes for babies and young children with hearing loss.

Dr. Horn (right) with Tracy Burger SLP (left) and Paige Stringer, Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss founder and director.

Please visit the Foundation's website to learn more about this amazing organization and how you can support their work.

Aria Jafari, MD

As we step into the new year, this edition of the UW Oto-HNS newsletter reflects the incredible breadth of achievements, collaboration, and innovation within our department. From in-person residency interviews brimming with energy to groundbreaking research, global outreach, and hands-on simulation training, our community continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in otolaryngology.

It’s particularly inspiring to see how our shared commitment to patient care, education, and discovery is matched by the growth of our faculty and the leadership shown by our trainees. I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate these milestones and look forward to the exciting work ahead in 2025.

With gratitude,

-Aria Jafari