The Scoop Volume 60 November 2026

November 2026 Volume 60

In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Nancy Washington

Eye & Ear Foundation Board Member Nancy Washington, PhD, passed away unexpectedly on October 12, 2026, at the age of 87.

Read about Nancy

Recognition

Congratulations to Marci Lee Nilsen, PhD, RN, CHPN, FAAN, Director, UPMC Head & Neck Survivorship Clinic, Co-lead, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center's Cancer Risk, Outcomes and Prevention Program, and Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, on receiving the 2026 Merrill J. Egorin Excellence in Scientific Leadership Award!

The Merrill J. Egorin Excellence in Scientific Leadership Award honors a UPMC Hillman Cancer Center research faculty member who demonstrates biomedical expertise, scientific passion, and scholarly dedication. The award recognizes Dr. Egorin’s legacy as a clinician, scientist, educator, and internationally recognized leader in pharmacokinetics and anticancer drug development.

Congratulations to Marlene Behrmann, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, and co-author Claire Simmons, a trainee in Pitt's MD-PhD Program, on the publication of "Large-Scale Functional Overlap Between Dorsal and Ventral Object-Responsive Networks" in Communications Biology!

Using functional MRI (fMRI) data, the study reveals that dorsal and ventral object-selective brain regions are connected through overlapping networks, challenging the traditional view that these pathways operate independently. By identifying a broad, integrated circuit for object processing, the research advances our understanding of how the brain recognizes and interprets the world around us.

Read about it in Nature

Congratulations to Ross S. Williamson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Neurobiology, whose work is featured in the Hearing Health Foundation's Fall 2026 issue! He studies how the brain makes sense of what we hear and how sound shapes the way we behave.

Read the article, "Fling Your Head," (go to page 8): https://view.publitas.com/p222-4764/hearing-health-fall-2026-issue/page/1

Congratulations to Gaurav Prakash, MD, FRCS (Glasgow), FICO, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, who was appointed North America Education Lead for the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) International Council! This is one of seven regional lead positions worldwide, with one per region.

The International Council works to build the Society's global presence and foster collaboration among refractive surgeons across regions. ISRS is a leading international organization for cataract and refractive surgery, with members from more than 90 countries. Founded in the late 1970s by pioneers of the field, including José Barraquer, it is now an independent, nonprofit society. ISRS supports surgeon education through international meetings, webinars, an externship program for trainees, and the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Articles

Earlier Survivorship Care Linked to Better Outcomes

Timing matters in survivorship care. A new study published recently in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery found that patients with head and neck cancer who began care in a multidisciplinary survivorship clinic before or early in radiotherapy had a lower risk of recurrence or death than patients who started after treatment.

Petr Baranov Brings Retinal Regenerative Research to Pittsburgh

In Petr Baranov’s words, the Vision Institute is one of the few places in the world where optic nerve regeneration is a genuine institutional priority, not just an individual lab’s quest. The MD, PhD, who joined the Department of Ophthalmology as Associate Professor in February 2026, was drawn to Pittsburgh for this reason.

Mission of Mercy 2026

The Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and UPMC Audiology participated in Mission of Mercy for the fifth consecutive year. The Eye & Ear Foundation, in partnership with Call to Care, hosted the two-day free dental and hearing clinic, held October 16-17, 2026.

ClearView-Jaw Wins Competition

A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine group is the graduate winner of the Collegiate Inventors Competition! Hosted by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the Pitt group was one of five graduate teams nationally to be selected as finalists. They received an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend the event at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

Advancing Care Together

In 2026, the Eye & Ear Foundation and its Community Outreach Committee created the Advancing Care Together (ACT) Program, which secures ongoing funding for community care in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. ACT allows the Eye & Ear Foundation to work directly with companies that want to specifically support delivering essential vision and hearing services to those in need throughout the Pittsburgh region.

Study Finds Optogenetic Therapy Safe

Scientists have taken another important step toward vision restoration in people with certain inherited forms of blindness. In a study published Oct. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and international collaborators showed that an experimental, optogenetics-based treatment was safely administered to 10 patients and improved visual function in some participants when used in combination with a specially designed visual stimulation device.

The Sustainable Surgeon: A Podcast Series

When the American Head & Neck Society Women’s Group was discussing what could be improved and further addressed, Jessica H. Maxwell, MD, MPH, FACS, Associate Professor and Residency Program Director for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, suggested a podcast.

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