At this year’s Combined Sections Meeting, held in Orlando, Fla., January 22-24, the four sections of the Triological Society took the stage to recognize and appreciate otolaryngologists from across the country. The section vice presidents—Natasha Mirza, MD, eastern, Craig A. Buchman, MD, middle, Earl H. Harley, MD, southern, and Dinesh K. Chhetri, MD, western— acknowledged guests of honor and citation winners from their respective sections.
Eastern Section
Guest of Honor Bert W. O’Malley Jr., MD
Dr. O’Malley is the president of the University of Maryland Medical Center, executive vice president for the academic health division of the University of Maryland Medical System, a professor of otorhinolaryngology– head and neck surgery within the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and a practicing head and neck cancer surgeon. He’s an internationally renowned surgeon and innovator in skull base surgery, robotic surgery, and head and neck cancer. Dr. O’Malley co-invented and developed a series of novel robotic surgical procedures called transoral robotic surgery (TORS). He co-founded the first human robotics head and neck surgery program and the first skull base surgery program in the world, and he was co-principal investigator of the first Institutional Review Board-approved clinical trial for robotic surgery in his specialty. He also served as the co-principal investigator of clinical trials that earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for TORS procedures in 2009 and 2014.
Citation Awardees
Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD
Dr. Chandrasekhar is a clinical professor of otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra–Northwell University, clinical associate professor of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, director of neurotology at the JJ Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, and a partner in ENT and Allergy Associates, practicing in New York and New Jersey. She is a consulting editor of the Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, co-author of Temporal Bone Histology and Radiology Atlas (a textbook written with her father), and CEO of KivviMed, Inc. (a pharma startup company based on her thesis work, intranasal surfactant for Eustachian tube dysfunction and otitis media).
Dr. Chandrasekhar has held many leadership positions, including president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, president of the American Otological Society, Eastern section vice president and program chair of the Combined Sections Meeting of the Triological Society, and she has received many accolades, including being named a Living Legend in the Hall of Distinction at AAO–HNS and receiving the Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Prize for Inspiring Women in Surgery from the American College of Surgeons and the Luminary Award from AAPI New Jersey.
Richard L. Doty, PhD
Dr. Doty is a professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology: head and neck surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and a visiting professor at the Johns Hopkins Medical School.
He headed Penn’s Smell and Taste Center for nearly 50 years and founded Sensonics International, the world’s leading manufacturer of chemosensory tests. He is an author or coauthor of more than 500 professional publications (including 12 books and contributions to such publications as Science, Nature, The Lancet, and the Encyclopedia Britannica). Among his books are The Great Pheromone Myth (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010), Neurology of Olfaction (Cambridge University Press, 2009), and Smell and Taste Disorders (Cambridge University Press, 2018). He is editor of the Handbook of Olfaction and Gustation (John Wiley, 3rd edition, 2015), a 2000+ page tome considered to be the bible of the chemical senses field. He invented the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a standardized olfactory test that has been translated into more than 60 languages and heralded as the olfactory equivalent of the eye chart. He recently developed the first waterless empirical taste test (WETT), which, like the UPSIT, can be self-administered and sent to subjects through the mail.
He has received numerous awards, including the James A. Shannon Award from the National Institutes of Health, the Olfactory Research Fund’s Scientific Sense of Smell Award, the William Osler Patient-Oriented Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania, the Society of Cosmetic Chemists’ Service Award, the Association for Chemoreception Science’s Max Mozell Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Chemical Senses, and the 2024 ScholarGPS’s Highly Ranked Scholar award (Olfaction #1, Otolaryngology #4).
Middle Section
Guest of Honor Jacques A. Herzog, MD
Dr. Herzog is a professor and chief of the division of otology/neurotology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., where he leads one of the largest cochlear implant programs in the U.S. and is the assistant dean for community-based medical education. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the American Neurotology Society, the Triological Society, and the American Otologic Society.
Dr. Herzog contributed to the pioneering development of multichannel cochlear implantation in the U.S., establishing a lifelong commitment to advancing hearing restoration. He founded the Center for Hearing and Balance Disorders, a program that achieved national recognition for its leadership in cochlear implantation and comprehensive otologic and neurotologic care.
Dr. Herzog’s research contributions include seminal work examining cognitive outcomes in older adults undergoing cochlear implantation. This work culminated in his 2023 Triological Society thesis, which at the time represented the largest single-center study evaluating long-term cognitive function in this population.
Citation Awardees
Oliver F. Adunka, MD
Dr. Adunka is an academic otologist, neurotologist, and lateral skull base surgeon at The Ohio State University in Columbus, where he serves as vice chair for clinical operations and director of the division of otology, neurotology, and cranial base surgery. He is a tenured professor and the William H. Saunders, MD Endowed Professor, and also directs pediatric otology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Adunka’s clinical practice spans the breadth of adult and pediatric otology, neurotology, and complex skull base surgery, with particular expertise in hearing restoration through cochlear implantation. A central theme of his academic work has been advancing hearing preservation and cochlear physiology. His early research helped shape modern atraumatic cochlear implant techniques and electrode designs, and his leadership in the first U.S. multicenter electric–acoustic stimulation trial contributed to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of hybrid hearing technology. He subsequently developed intraoperative electrocochleography (ECochG) as a real-time physiologic tool to guide cochlear implantation—an innovation that advanced from concept to FDA-approved clinical technology. He currently serves as principal investigator of a multi-center National Institutes of Health U01 trial evaluating the clinical utility of residual hearing in the cochlear implant ear.
Amit Walia, MD, MSCI
Dr. Walia is a neurotology and skull base surgery fellow and instructor in the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. He completed his T32- supported residency training at Washington University, where he worked closely under the mentorship of Craig Buchman, MD. His work with Dr. Buchman has focused on cochlear electrophysiology to better understand cochlear mechanics and improve outcomes for cochlear implant recipients. This body of work has led to multiple patents, foundational publications, and competitively funded research grants, and has helped establish an important and growing area of investigation in the field.
Southern Section
Guest of Honor Kenneth M. Grundfast, MD
After completing a residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Boston University–Tufts University combined otolaryngology residency program, Dr. Grundfast went to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for a one-year fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology. Subsequently, he joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, staying there until he became chair of the department of otolaryngology at the Children’s National Medical Center. He took a one-year sabbatical to study deafness genetics at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, after which he became chair of the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine. He has published extensively in medical literature, held many leadership positions in professional organizations, and he served as an assistant dean at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Citation Awardees
Charles A. Hughes, MD, MBA, MPH
Dr. Hughes has more than 30 years of experience in pediatric otolaryngology and takes care of all pediatric ear, nose, and throat-associated disorders. Dr. Hughes has also served the Department of Defense for more than 20 years, including the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and NASA as a flight surgeon. He also served as the U.S. Navy Reserve Otolaryngology Specialty Leader and Consultant to the Surgeon General and served on advisory boards for Tricare and the Defense Health Board. Most recently, he served as the U.S. 7th Fleet representative and consultant to the COVID Task Force, Kadena AFB, and Task Force Safeguard U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa.
In 2015, he was brought on as the first surgeon for Texas Children’s Hospital–The Woodlands to assist in building a pediatric otolaryngology division, and in 2018, he was recruited to Providence Health to help establish a children’s hospital. In 2021, he returned to Texas as a professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and will continue this journey in 2026 at Orlando Health in Florida to establish a pediatric otolaryngology division for the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Lamont R. Jones, MD, MBA
Dr. Jones is associate chief medical officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group and professor of otolaryngology at Michigan State University and Wayne State University. He is an internationally respected surgeon– scientist who studies the treatment and pathogenesis of keloid disease. His other clinical interests include craniofacial reconstruction, facial cosmetics, and trauma. Dr. Jones has written numerous publications and book chapters and has obtained more than $1.5 million in National Institutes of Health and foundation funding to investigate keloid disease clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets. He is also a translational research advisor specializing in preclinical and clinical trials for keloid drug discovery. Dr. Jones has lectured internationally, has extensive board experience, and volunteers his time locally and on international medical mission trips.
Western Section
Guest of Honor Andrew Allen Erman, MA/CCC-SLP
Andrew Erman is the former director of Speech Pathology Services at UCLA Health System. He is now retired. His clinical focus was the assessment and treatment of head and neck cancer patients with swallowing and communication disorders. Mr. Erman worked closely with Dr. Chhetri of UCLA Head and Neck Surgery to improve patient care, including in-the-chair tracheoesophageal punctures and patient candidacy criteria for partial epiglottiectomy to improve swallowing function. Dr. Chhetri and Mr. Erman collaborated on lectures, journal articles, and textbook chapters.
Citation Awardees
Jennifer L. Long, MD, PhD
Dr. Long is a laryngologist and professor at the University of California–Los Angeles. She also serves as the vice chair of research for the department of head and neck surgery at UCLA, as the founding director of UCLA’s R25 Mentored Research Pathway for residents and medical students in otolaryngology, and as a physician and principal investigator at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System. Dr. Long’s clinical interests include all facets of voice, airway, and swallowing disorders. Her translational research lab studies regenerative medicine approaches to treat these disorders and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Laryngological Association, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. Research mentoring has been an active pursuit, locally at UCLA and nationally through the Triological Society’s Thesis Committee, the Neely Mentoring Network, the ALA’s Research Advancement Committee, and the Laryngology Research Collaborative.
Maie A. St. John, MD, PhD
A highly renowned surgeon, scientist, and educator, Dr. St. John is Andelot Professor, director of the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, and otolaryngologist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. St. John’s laboratory studies the mechanisms of tumor progression and metastasis,
incorporating the results of their laboratory-based research into the development of novel therapeutics. Dr. St. John’s clinical expertise is in intraoperative tumor margin delineation in the resection of head and neck cancers to allow for precision surgery. Her efforts have helped develop strong interdepartmental research programs in head and neck surgery and bioengineering. This work has led to clinical trials and patent applications and has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health, charitable foundations, and industry.
She is a member of several organizations, including the executive council of the American Head and Neck Society, the Triological Society, the American College of Surgeons board of governors advisory council, and the American Laryngological Association. She is a senior examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery and a reviewer for the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery CORE grants, NIH/NIDCR, NCI, and NIBIB study sections. She has received multiple awards for teaching and research. In addition to maintaining a busy surgical practice, Dr. St. John is active in clinical research and is closely involved in training young physician–scientists. She is a prolific author and a sought-after lecturer internationally.
Middle Section George Adams, MD Young Faculty Award
Joseph Zenga, MD
Dr. Zenga is an associate professor and vice-chair of research in head and neck surgery, otolaryngology at Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin. His research interests include basic and translational immunotherapy in head and neck cancer. In particular, his laboratory focuses on the identification and therapeutic use of tumor antigen-specific T cells. This includes multiple innovative single-cell techniques incorporating individual tumor cell-T cell co-culture and single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing. In addition to translational immuno-oncology, he also co-leads multiple novel clinical trials focused on using radiotherapy to improve the immune response in head and neck cancer.
13th Annual Patrick E. Brookhouser, MD Award of Excellence
Mark S. Persky, MD
Dr. Persky is a recognized expert in head and neck surgery with special interest and expertise in the treatment of tumors of the head, neck, skull base, and thyroid gland, as well as congenital vascular malformations and hemangiomas. He has published and lectured extensively on these topics. He was appointed professor emeritus of otolaryngology– head and neck surgery at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in 2023. He is retired from clinical practice. He is a member of the American Laryngological Association, the American Head and Neck Society, the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, and the North American Skull Base Society.
Binderup Prize
Daniel G. Deschler, MD
Dr. Deschler is the vice-chair for academic affairs for the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, co-directs the Michael Dingman Fellowship in Head and Neck/ Microvascular Surgery, and is a professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School, and the inaugural Dr. Eugene N. and Barbara L. Myers Chair in Head and Neck Surgery at the Mass Eye and Ear. He and his wife, Eileen Reynolds, MD, are faculty deans for Leverett House at Harvard University.
He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications, numerous books, book chapters, and educational reviews. He serves on the editorial boards of the Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Head & Neck, and Laryngoscope, is the otolaryngology section editor for UpToDate, chairs the Thesis Committee of Triological Society, and has served multiple leadership roles in the American Head and Neck Society. Dr. Deschler’s clinical interests cover the breadth of head and neck oncologic and reconstructive surgery, including advanced malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract, salivary gland diseases, microvascular reconstruction, and general head and neck reconstruction. His research interests overlap the breadth of these areas, including speech following pharyngeal/laryngeal surgery and reconstruction, as well as management issues in the treatment of advanced head and neck malignancies.
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