UW Otolaryngology-HNS

03/09/2026

Dr. Solomon Johnson, R3-Research, successfully prepared his first single-cell library, a huge milestone and the start of exciting data to come. Experiments like these take patience, precision, and a lot of teamwork behind the scenes. 🧬🔬🧪

Excited to see what insights this dataset will reveal. Congrats, Solomon! 🙌

03/06/2026

Our trainees heading to the 2026 Annual Meeting this weekend!

NASBS Annual Meeting brings together experts from neurosurgery, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, plastic surgery, and related fields to share cutting-edge research, groundbreaking multidisciplinary collaboration, and innovative surgical techniques.

We’re proud to have our trainees attending to learn, present their work, and connect with leaders in the field alongside their mentors, UW OTO faculty Dr. Waleed Abuzeid, Dr. Aria Jafari, and Dr. Kris Moe.

It’s inspiring to see the next generation of surgeons engaging in scholarship, collaboration, and mentorship while advancing the future of skull base surgery. 👏

03/04/2026

We are excited to share that our department is growing and looking to add two APP’s to our team!

💜 Teaching Associate | Advanced Practice Provider - Head and Neck Surgery- UWMC and FHCC

💜Teaching Associate | Advanced Practice Provider - Rhinology - UWMC Montlake

Full job listings here: https://ap.washington.edu/ahr/academic-jobs/?unit_id=19542

03/03/2026

Dr. Jay T. Rubinstein in the NEWS!

In a recent “Healthier Together” interview, Dr. Jay T. Rubinstein, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center Director, discusses how to protect your hearing and prevent hearing loss.

Watch now - link in bio!

03/03/2026

Dr. Jay T. Rubinstein in the NEWS!

In a recent KIRO 7 News “Healthier Together” interview, Dr. Jay T. Rubinstein, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center Director, discusses how to protect your hearing and prevent hearing loss.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/healthier-together-listen-your-ears-prevent-hearing-loss/QD4VI3N54JBOBCPRXTOKWXZCXE/

We often take hearing for granted, but experts say many wait too long to get tested — even as their hearing starts to fade.

03/03/2026

👂🌍 World Hearing Day – March 3 🌍👂

Today we recognize , a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about preventing hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care worldwide.

At the University of Washington Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, our faculty are dedicated to advancing clinical care, education, and innovative research aimed at improving hearing and balance health for our community and beyond.

We proudly partner in mission with the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center (VMBHRC) - one of the nation’s leading centers for research and education in hearing, hearing loss, balance, disequilibrium, and related communication disorders. Together, we work to deepen scientific understanding and translate discoveries into meaningful improvements in hearing care.

Hearing care is essential at every stage of life. Early screening, prevention, and access to treatment can make a life-changing difference. On World Hearing Day, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing research, promoting hearing health, and supporting individuals with hearing and balance disorders.

Learn more about the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center and their impactful work >>> https://sites.uw.edu/hearing/

03/02/2026

We’re excited to share new research led by Dr. Mateo Useche and Dr. Brittany Barber showing that where you receive treatment for early-stage oral cancer can make a real difference.🙌🌟👏

Looking at over 22,000 patients in the National Cancer Database, we found:

✅ Patients treated at hospitals that care for more oral cancer cases each year were more likely to have the cancer completely removed during initial surgery.
✅ These patients also had better survival rates five years after treatment.
✅ Factors like insurance type, income, and how far someone lives from the hospital also affected outcomes.

What this research shows is that experience matters, access matters, equity matters.

Even when oral cancer is caught early, getting care at a center that treats many of these cases can improve results.

We’re proud of our team for helping shine a light on how we can continue improving cancer care for everyone.

02/27/2026

The future of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is bright because YOU .ohns.res 🙌

Today we celebrate the heart of our department, our incredible residents! 💜💛

Your dedication to patient care, commitment to learning, early mornings, long hours, and unwavering teamwork does not go unnoticed! You show up for our patients, for your colleagues and for each other with compassion, resilience and excellence every single day. 👏

Because of your curiosity, dedication to pushing our mission forward and paving the way for new discoveries, the future of medicine is brighter every day. 🌟

We are so proud to work alongside you today and always.

Happy Thank a Resident Day! 🙏

02/17/2026

🎉Congratulations to Dr. Brittany Barber and Dr. Mateo Useche on a recent publication titled: “Heterogeneity in Survival Over Time by Age, S*x, and Subsite in Early-Onset Oral Cavity Cancer”

Oral cavity cancer, especially cancer of the tongue, is being diagnosed more often in adults under 50.

In this study of more than 178,000 patients nationwide, researchers found:

✅ About 1 in 8 oral cavity cancers now occur in people under 50.
✅ Tongue cancer is the most common type in younger adults, and its proportion increasing.
✅ Cases in women are steadily rising.
✅ More patients are being diagnosed at advanced stages.

With this work we are learning survival rates are improving over time. More patients are living longer after diagnosis than in previous years.

This research highlights that oral cancer is not just a disease of older adults. Awareness, early detection, and paying attention to persistent mouth sores, tongue pain, or lumps can truly make a difference. 🔬🥼

01/30/2026

Yesterday .ohns.res participated in an ultrasound sim course at the new at UWMC-ML and it was a great day of hands-on learning! 🩺

Huge thanks to Dr. Emily Marchiano for putting the course together, with help from Dr. Tanya Meyer, Dr. Maya Sardesai, Dr. Scott Manning, Dr. Juli Bonilla-Velez, and Dr. Kaitlyn Zenner.

We also kicked things off with an excellent morning lecture from Dr. Mayumi Endo 👏

Thanks to everyone who made this such a fun and educational experience!

uwmedicine

01/28/2026

Congratulations to Dr. John P. Giliberto, MD, on receiving the 2025 Triological Society Thesis with Distinction Award! 🏆

His award-winning thesis, “Gender and Academic Rank Disparities in Electronic Health Records Burden in Otolaryngologists from 46 Academic Institutions,” analyzed data from 914 otolaryngologists across the United States and sheds light on workload inequities in academic medicine.

📊Key findings:

✅Senior academic rank and male gender were independently associated with less time spent in the EHR.

✅This pattern was consistent across all EHR activities (notes, orders, clinical review, and inbox).

✅Female assistant professors spent 88% more time in the EHR compared with full male professor colleagues

This important work underscores how invisible labor disparities persist in academic medicine and highlights the need for meaningful, systemic change.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Giliberto’s much deserved recognition and meaningful contributions to research, equity, and physician well-being👏

GenderDisparities

01/28/2026

Stephen Leong, MD received a research award at the Sections Meeting in Orlando, FL for his work quantifying aspiration using digital colorimetry in a rat model. Stephen is in his R25 research year studying the neuromuscular changes in voice and swallowing with aging and neurodegenerative disease, under the mentorship of Neel Bhatt, MD and David Perkel, PhD.

Congratulations!