Triological Society’s 2025 Honorees and Thesis Award Winners: Celebrating remarkable surgeons at COSM 2025

Fred Telischi, MD, MEE, earned his medical degree from the University of Miami Miller

School of Medicine, completed his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, and completed his clinical neurotology fellowship at the House Ear Institute and Clinic in Los Angeles. Dr. Telischi has practiced academic neurotology for more than 30 years at the University of Miami Ear Institute. He joined the faculty at the University of Miami Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and helped to develop the comprehensive neurotology/lateral skull base/vestibular schwannoma surgery program with Dr. Thomas Balkany and colleagues.

Dr. Telischi has mentored residents, fellows, and Fulbright Scholars in otology/neurotology-related research. He was instrumental in establishing the nationally recognized UHealth Ear Institute’s Children’s Hearing Program. As chairman of the utilization management (UM) department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery for the last dozen years, Dr. Telischi has overseen the development and growth of the UM adult and pediatric auditory implantation program (cochlear and bone conduction), the genetic hearing loss research laboratories, a new U.S. auditory brainstem implantation site, inner ear drug delivery/cochlear preservation/auditory physiology laboratories, a biomedical engineering innovation laboratory, an auditory localization research booth, and the state-of-the-art microsurgical training facility.

He has also served as president of the ANS, chairman of the Implantable Auditory Devices Committee of the AAO-HNSF, board member of the ACIA, co-president of both the ACIA CI 2019 International Cochlear Implant Conference and the Osseo 2019 Biannual International Bone Conduction Scientific Symposium, and vice president of the Triological Society’s Southern Section.

Peter A. Weisskopf, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine and completed an internship and flight surgeon training in the U.S. Navy. After an operational tour as a flight surgeon, he completed his residency in otolaryngology at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. He was then deployed overseas, serving as the department head of otolaryngology at the Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan. Following his tour in Japan, he entered his neurotology fellowship at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. He was in private practice in Phoenix, Ariz., working as the director of the neurotology section of the Barrow Neurological Institute. He recently left as chair of the otology division at Mayo Clinic Arizona and is serving as founder and director of EarVentures, a consulting and educational business focusing on ear and hearing technology as well as wilderness and austere medical care.

2025 Thesis Award Winners

Amal Isaiah, MD, PhD, received the Harris P. Mosher Award for his thesis, “Apolipoprotein E (APOE) Tenotype and Cognitive Outcomes of Sleep Disordered Breathing in a Large Cohort of Adolescents”. The award is given in recognition of the excellence of the candidate’s thesis in clinical research. This honor was created to perpetuate the ideals of the great teacher for whom it was named and to bestow upon a worthy recipient the responsibility of furthering the highest standards of perfection in the study, teaching, and practice of otolaryngology.

Lauren T. Roland, MD, MSCI, received the Edmund Prince Fowler Award for her thesis, “The Role of Proteases in Epithelial Dysregulation in Invasive Fungal Sinusitis.” The award is given in recognition of the excellence of the candidate’s thesis in basic research. This honor was created to perpetuate the ideals of the great teacher for whom it was named and to bestow upon a worthy recipient the responsibility of furthering the highest standards of perfection in the study, teaching, and practice of otolaryngology.

Deepa Shivnani, MD, MBBS, DNB, ENT, received the Maureen Hannley Award for her thesis, “Role of Pediatric Otolaryngologist in Pediatric Tracheostomy Code Blue Cases—A New Safety Initiative.” The award is given in recognition of the excellence of the candidate’s thesis in an alternative science category. This honor was created to honor Dr. Hannley’s contributions to and legacy in the Triological Society. She was the Society’s Thesis and Research Grants consultant from 2006 to 2015. Dr. Hannley worked with young researchers and mentored candidates for the Triological Fellowship, assisting them with the preparation of their theses.

Honorable Mention Clinical Science Research

Stephen R. Chorney, MD, MPH, for his thesis, “Cost-Utility Analysis of Intracapsular and Extracapsular Techniques for Pediatric Tonsillectomy”

Honorable Mention for Basic Science Research

Milan R. Amin, MD, for his thesis, “Chemoradiation Effects on Rat and Human Muscle Related to Swallowing”

With Distinction Awards

Mursalin M. Anis, MD, PhD, for his thesis “RNA Sequencing Provides Insight into Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis”

John Paul Giliberto, MD, for his thesis, “Gender and Academic Rank Disparities in Electronic Health Record Burden in Otolaryngologists from 46 Academic Institutions”

Denis C. Lafreniere, MD, MS, for his thesis, “Development of an Endotracheal Tube to Measure Posterior Laryngeal Pressure Related to Tube Size and Hypopharyngeal-Laryngeal Angle

Mirabelle B. Sajisevi, MD, for her thesis, “Practice Patterns in Management of Low to Intermediate Grade Salivary Gland Carcinoma: A Multi-Institutional, Multi-National Study”

Seckin O. Ulualp, MD, for his thesis, “Assessment of Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children Undergoing Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea”

Thesis applications are due October 1 of each year. Visit Triological.org for information on the path to active fellowship.