SPRING 2021
Chair's Corner
Global impact
During COVID, we have embraced the opportunity to make a global impact. With wide adoption of video conferencing, our faculty have been invited to share their ground-breaking research and clinical innovations to virtual audiences around the world.

At the same time, our investigators have more than doubled their publications, and we rank #6 in funding from the National Institutes of Health. These activities move us forward on our mission to improve patients' lives by advancing the field. I couldn't be prouder of our department.

Yours sincerely,
Craig Buchman MD PACS
Lindburg Professor and Chair
Department of Otolaryngology
Quick Facts
Department of Otolaryngology faculty and resident publications have more than doubled since 2014.
Otolaryngology is #6 in NIH funding in the US
NIH funding for Department of Otolaryngology research approached $8 million in 2020, placing us at #6 in the US.
Patient Care
After surgery, child detects sounds for first time
Anusha Oberg is like most five-year-old children – energy levels through the roof and an unhindered desire to explore the world around her. But Anusha is deaf. At least she was.

Hearing is restored for first acoustic neuroma patients in clinical trial
In a clinical trial available only at Washington University, patients are receiving cochlear implants during the same surgery to remove their acoustic neuromas. Results are very promising — and potentially life changing.

Increasing patient access

11 clinical locations across the St. Louis metropolitan area.

People
Shew receives award, will join Otolaryngology faculty

Neurotology Fellow Matthew Shew, MD, was recently named one of four recipients of the Dean’s Scholars Award. Dr. Shew’s research is focused on optimizing the benefits of cochlear implants by using artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

Dr. Shew joins our faculty in July.

It's a match!

We are thrilled to announce our incoming, outstanding class of residents.

Education
Q&A with Chief Resident Sinha
Parul Sinha, MD, was attracted to otolaryngology because of the complexity of treatments and involvement of many senses.

As she completes her residency, she looks forward to beginning her fellowship in Houston, where she and her toddler will join her husband once again.

Choosing a mentor is key
Physician-scientists in the Department of Otolaryngology's T32 program say choosing a mentor is one of the most important decisions they'll make.

Residents expand skills in rhinology course
Using the department's state-of-the-art simulation lab, residents recently honed their surgical skills as they learned the breadth and depth of rhinology and anterior skull base surgery

Research
Our faculty present research and clinical innovations across US
With virtual presentations the new norm, institutions across the U.S. have invited Otolaryngology faculty to share their ground-breaking research and innovations in clinical care.

News
Piccirillo hits the media circuit on COVID-induced anosmia
Jay Piccirillo, MD, has become a media darling with interviews appearing in USA Today, St. Louis Public Radio, Allure Magazine, KMOV, and even the Bangor Daily News, among others. His interviews have been translated into Polish and Spanish.

Our Under the Scope story featuring his anosmia research is the most visited page on the Department of Otolaryngology website.

Student-athlete who has had more than 100 surgeries provides inspiration

Athlete, author and volunteer Kyleigh Villarreal has RRP, or Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, which causes small tumors to grow around the vocal cords and into the airway passage. Every 30 to 45 days she returns to St. Louis Children's Hospital, where she has outpatient surgery to have them removed.

"My doctor is David Molter… he’s the best!"

Kallogjeri takes on additional role
Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, has been named 
EXPLORE Clinical Research Pathway Lead for Washington University School of Medicine's new curriculum.

She is charged with creating and delivering research curricula and building relationships with clinical research faculty to create and foster student scholarship opportunities.
Facial plastics fellowship receives grant
The AO CMF has awarded a grant to the department's facial plastic surgery fellowship led by John Chi, MD. Funded projects are: Shared decision making, decisional conflict and health disparities in facial trauma patients at tertiary academic medical center; and 3D printed models for rhinoplasty education.
 
Lichtenhan focuses on regenerative medicine

Jeffery T. Lichtenhan, PhD, is embracing a new opportunity to focus on regenerative medicine at Frequency Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotech firm that has collaborated with our department on mouse hearing models.

We will miss him and wish him all the best!
Events
Spector Lectureship
Eben L. Rosenthal MD Stanford Spector Lecturer
Eben Rosenthal, MD, John and Ann Doerr Medical Director of the Stanford Cancer Center, will speak at the Spector Lectureship on April 28.

The title of Dr. Rosenthal’s presentation is The future of margin assessment: Intraoperative molecular imaging.