News and Events
News, Events and Awards
Demonstrating continued excellence in the field of Head and Neck Surgery, the UCLA Department of Head and Neck Surgery along with its varied Centers of Excellence, is often the subject of stories in newspapers, magazines, and journals. The Department also frequently issues news releases to keep the community informed on the latest developments in Head and Neck Surgery, the treatments available at UCLA, and various milestones within the Department. We include here a collection of recent stories, and an archive of older articles, for your further information.
Dr. St. John: 2025 winner of the Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in HNS Award
On behalf of the Women in Head and Neck Surgery Service of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), we would like to congratulate you on being selected as the 2025 winner of the Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in HNS Award! Named to honor Dr. Butler, the first woman chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the United States, this award recognizes significant impact and measurable outcomes in the mentorship of women head and neck surgeons. Your demonstrated track record in developing women surgeon leaders and sponsoring women in our field embodies the spirit of pioneers like Dr. Butler. Your nominators, Dr. Dewan, Dr. Nathan, Dr. Chhetri, Dr. Suen, Dr. Shnayder, Dr. Deborah Wong, Dr. Sirjani, Dr. Starmer, Dr. Sunwoo and Dr. Kenric Tam describe you as having had a profound impact on their career and have the highest praise for your leadership and mentorship.
Leaders of Influence: LA's Top Doctors 2025
Maie St. John, MD, PhD is a highly renowned surgeon, scientist, and educator. Her clinical expertise is in intraoperative tumor margin delineation in the resection and treatment of head and neck cancers to allow for precision surgery. Dr. St John’s laboratory research is translational with a focus on improving therapies and outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. Her work has led to clinical trials and patent applications and has been consistently funded by the NIH, charitable foundations, and industry. Under her leadership, the head and neck team of specialists has been recognized as national and international leaders in their field. .
Dr. Maie St. John - Exceptional Women in Medicine 2024 Award
April 9, 2024
Congratulations Maie St. John, MD, PhD, recipient of the Exceptional Women in Medicine 2024 Award. The Exceptional Women in Medicine awardees are recognized annually, based on peer nominations and outstanding accomplishments and dedication to the field of medicine. These women have contributed to the advancement of healthcare through clinical care, research, community service, education and/or leadership. Dr. Maie St. John has been Castle Connolly award recipient since 2017. .
Lindsay-Fernandez Otology Research Lectureship Award
July 5, 2021
Our Department is very proud of Dr. Akira Ishiyama, recipient of the prestigious 20th Lindsay-Fernandez Otology Research Lectureship Award from the University of Chicago. We congratulate Dr. Ishiyama and his team on their groundbreaking and transformational work at the NIDCD National Temporal Bone Pathology Laboratory at UCLA.
Children's Tumor Foundation's Friedrich von Recklinghausean Award
June 17, 2021
Congratulations to Dr. Marco Giovannini, recipient of the prestigious Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award, given to individuals in the professional neurofibromatosis community who have made significant contributions to neurofibromatosis research or clinical care.
Serge & Yvette Dadone Clinical Teaching Award in Honor of Saleh Salehmoghaddam, M.D.
May 7, 2021
Our Department is very proud of Dr. Quinton Gopen, the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Serge & Yvette Dadone Clinical Teaching Award in Honor of Saleh Salehmoghaddam, M.D., which was established to recognize outstanding dedication, innovation, and sustained excellence in teaching.
Impact of CFTR Therapy on Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Health Status: Deep Learning CT Analysis and PROs
February 19, 2021
Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Beswick and his team, whose abstract, Impact of CFTR Therapy on Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Health Status: Deep Learning CT Analysis and PROs, won the award for best Clinical/Translational project at the annual National Jewish Health (NJH) research retreat.
Head and Neck Cancer Care in a Pandemic: Prioritizing Safe Care
December 9, 2020
Dr. Maie St. John, professor and chair, is co-editor of this up-to-the-moment , comprehensive reference for addressing the complex problems inherent in delivering optimal cancer treatment during a pandemic. Written in the midst of the crisis, a major motivation for its publication was the simple fact that delaying treatment for cancer is frequently not an option.
Dr. Chhetri to Speak in Esophageal Insights Lecture Series
January 21, 2021
Dr. Dinesh Chhetri has been invited to speak as part of the Esophageal Insights Zoom Series sponsored by the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases:
Time: 5:30 pm, PST
ZOOM: uclahs.zoom.us/j/96628661800
Meeting ID: 966 2866 1800
Password: insights
Dr. Kita Leads Panel on Neuroengineering Therapeutics
December 2, 2020 @ 5PM (PT)
Dr. Ashley Kita will serve as moderator for the second installment of the "Building the Bionic Human" series, exploring new advancements in engineering the nervous system.
UCLA Health Oncologist Explains Throat Cancer and How to Prevent it
Oct 23, 2020
Though the prevalence has climbed steadily in the past decade, long-term prognosis is good. The diagnoses and a death of some high-profile celebrities in recent years have shined a light on oropharyngeal cancer — sometimes generically referred to as throat cancer. Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the oropharynx, which includes the back of the throat, the base of the tongue and the tonsils. Between 70% and 90% of cases are caused by HPV-16, one of the subtypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a disease transmitted primarily through oral sex, says Dr. Maie St. John, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and co-director of UCLA’s Head and Neck Cancer Program. View Full Story
UCLA First to Use Single Port (SP) Robot
Jul 01, 2020
Our Head and Neck Surgeons became first in Southern California to use the Single Port (SP) Robot for Trans Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and performed resection of oropharyngeal cancer. This latest state-of-the-art robotic system is used by our surgeons to perform precise surgical removal of oropharyngeal cancer and other benign and malignant growths in the throat. If you have been diagnosed recently with head and neck cancer, call us to learn if robotic surgery is right for you.
Experts Share Otolaryngology Best Practices
Apr. 08, 2020
Dr. Maie St. John Featured in ENTtoday - A review of the literature tells a story about septoplasty for nasal obstruction that differs from what many otolaryngologists might think: Very young patients can be considered for the procedure, well before facial growth is complete, an expert said here in January at the Triological Society Combined Sections Meeting.
Innovations in Head & Neck
Oct. 10, 2019
Dr. Ashley Kita, Dr. Maie St. John and their collaborators, Dr. Daniel Kamei and Daniel Bradbury, were awarded one of the 2019 UCLA Health Innovation Challenge Awards in Medical Technology in the amount of $50,000.
Letter to the Editor: Vaccinations
Sep 7, 2019
Dr. Nina Shapiro responded to an LA Times article that touched on vaccinations and the anti-vaxx movement.
Dr. Kreiman receives Academic Senate Award
May 16, 2019
Dr. Jody Kreiman recieved the prestigious inaugural 2019 Academic Senate Service Award. The award is to recognize a member of the UCLA Division of the Academic Senate for their outstanding and dedicated service to the campus and/or the larger community.
NF2 & Schwannomatosis Symposium
May 3, 2019
The second annual UCLA NF2 & Schwannomatosis Symposium is set to take place on Saturday, May 18. Dr. Marco Giovannini will be one of this year's symposium directors. He is joined by Dr. Akira Ishiyama who will present on "Auditory Rehabilitation in NF2/SWN".
A Tribute to David Lim
Feb 11, 2019
The Association for Research in Otolaryngology held a symposium focusing on the accomplisments of the late Dr. David Lim. Faculty members Dr. Sung Moon and Dr. Federico Kalinec were among the speakers who paid tribute. Dr. Lim's research on the Inner Ear and Utilization of Audtoriy Cell Lines were some of his contributions discussed at the symposium.
Carole E. Goldberg Award
Mar 18, 2019
Dr. Ronald Canalis, Professor Emeritus of Head and Neck Surgery, was named the recipient of the 2018-19 Carole E. Goldberg Award. The award was created in 2015 to recognize the extraordinary service by an emeritus/emerita professor. Dr. Canalis retired in 2010 after thirty-seven years at UCLA as a surgeon-scientist with extraordinary skill as a teacher and mentor. He is a world-renowned authority on the facial nerve and has offered special anatomy labs to resident physicians who praise his intellectual nimbleness, civility and graciousness. He was, and remains, a beloved figure for his numerous trainees.
Dr. Giovannini awarded DOD-CDMRP Neurofibromatosis Grant
Mar 1, 2019
Dr. Marco Giovannini, Director of the Neural Tumor Research Laboratory, and Dr. Andrea McClatchey, Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, received a collaborative three-year grant on Defining the Role of Macropinocytosis in NF-Mutant Tumors from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. The Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) was established in 1996 when the efforts of NF advocates led to a congressional appropriation to fund research in NF.
Management of the Professional Voice
Feb 28, 2019
Join UCLA otolaryngologist Dr. Gerald Berke from the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts for a conversation about voice management for performing artists. .
Physicians Update - Fall 2018
Nov 2, 2018
The UCLA Head and Neck Surgery Department is thrilled to be featured in the Fall 2018 UCLA Health Physicians update.Learn about the vision of the future from new department chair, Maie St. John, MD, PhD, and the exemplary work of some of our programs. Click on the headline to read the full articles.
featuring Dr. Irene Kim ; featuring Dr. Gerald Berke & Dr. Dinesh Chhetri ; featuring Dr. Marco Giovannini ; featuring Dr. Maie St. John ; featuring Dr. Elliot Abemayor & Dr. St. John ; featuring Dr. Jeffrey Suh ; featuring Dr. Akira Ishiyama & Dr. Quinton Gopen
Dr. Vishad Nabili appointed to the RRC
Oct 3, 2018
Dr. Vishad Nabili has been appointed to the Residency Review Committee. Training programs in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery in the United States are evaluated by the RRC. The committee is made up of representatives of the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons and the ABOHNS, and are accredited by the ACGME.
Chow Down on Gourmet Burgers
Oct 7, 2018
UCLA Head and Neck Surgery will be hosting a casual dinner after day 1 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Join the department at FLIP Burger Boutique at 6 pm on Sunday, October 7. Enjoy locally sourched ingredients and signature cocktails while catching up with colleagues.
ENT Offers Straight Talk on Earwax
Jul 31, 2018
MSN syndicated a Q&A with Dr. Nina Shapiro on what the color and consistency of earwax can reveal about your health. The article was originally published by . Shapiro is a pediatric head and neck surgeon at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths
May 6, 2018
Dr. Nina Shapiro published her newest book titled "Hype: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice - How to Tell What's Real and What's Not". There is a lot of misinformation thrown around these days. Headlines tell us to do this, not that”all in the name of living longer, better, thinner, younger. Dr. Shapiro's jargon-free, balanced book distinguishes between the falsehoods and the evidence-backed truth. She's bringing those lessons to life here with a blend of personal storytelling and science. Hype covers topics as diverse as exercise, nutrition, supplements, alternative medicine, vaccines, and the benefits and drawbacks of medical testing
Dr. Marco Giovannini and Dr. Jeremie Vitte awarded CDMRP NF Grant
Feb 26, 2018
This work will provide the research community with novel model systems and databases of gene expression profiles from each model that can be used to design and perform pre-clinical tests of agents to relieve pain and tumor growth in schwannomatosis. The successful completion of this study will lead to a major leap forward in our understanding of schwannomatosis manifestations and in the availability of tools that can used over the next decade, to develop novel, efficacious therapies to control tumorigenesis and treat this pain.
New Chair - Dr. Maie St. John
Dec 12, 2017
Maie St. John, MD, PhD has been named the Chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. St. John was selected for this position following a national search. She is succeeding Dr. Gerald Berke, who lead the department for 26 years.
Courage to Teach
Sept. 26, 2017
Dr. Vishad Nabili, Program Director of the Head & Neck Residency Program, was awarded the . The honor is presented to program directors who find innovative ways to teach trainees and provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impule to care for others.
Lifetime Achievement Award
May 19, 2016
Dr. Gerald Berke recieved the American Laryngological Association Award for his outstanding contribution to the practice of larynx disorders and upper aerodigestive tract.
Music's Top Throat Doctors
Oct. 22, 2015
Dr. Gerald Berke was named one of the west coast's best throat doctors for musicians. His treatment of multiple singers, including John Mayer, have made him popular as he often opts for out-patient procedures for voice treatment. The article appeared in Billboard magazine.
Dr. Ishiyama recognized for humanatarian work
Sept. 2, 2015
Dr. Akira Ishiyama was awarded the Gold Medal of the Diaspora Ministry in Armenia. Dr. Ishiyama travels to the country annually to perform cochlear implant surgeries with the Armenian International Medical (AIM) Fund.
Dr. Suh profiled for specialty
Dec. 24, 2014
Dr. Jeffrey Suh was featured in a profile with Korea Times. Dr. Suh's specialty focus is on complex sinus disease.
New technique to treat inoperable cancer
Dec. 15, 2014
In a groundbreaking new study, UCLA researches have advanced a robotic surgical technique to successfully access a previously unreachable area of the head and neck. The procedure was developed by Dr. Abie Mendelsohn.
John Mayer thanks Dr. Berke at Hollywood Bowl Performance
Oct 6, 2013
In a recent sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl, singer-guitarist John Mayer dedicated a song to Dr. Gerald Berke, chair of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA. He thanked Dr. Berke for getting him "singing on the stage again."
UCLA faculty treat extreme Vertigo
Sep 19, 2013
The Agoura Hills Acorn reported Thursday on a woman who underwent a specialized, minimally invasive surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to treat her extreme vertigo, which resulted from an inner-ear disorder known as Meniere's disease. Her surgeons, Dr. John Frazee, UCLA professor of neurosurgery, and Dr. Akira Ishiyama, UCLA professor of head and neck surgery, were quoted.
New swallowing protocol helps cancer patients
Aug 29, 2013
A five-year study led by Dr. Marilene Wang, a professor-in-residence in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, has found that head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation as part of their treatment were less likely to suffer unwanted side effects such as worsening of diet, need for a feeding tube, or narrowing of the throat passage if they complied with a set of prescribed swallowing exercises called a swallow preservation protocol (SPP) during therapy.
Kindergartner undergoes very rare robotic surgery at UCLA
Dec 21, 2012
Under the care of Head and Neck Surgeons Nina Shapiro, MD and Abie Mendelsohn, MD, 5-year old patient, Leonidas Hill recently made history at UCLA when he became the first pediatric patient in the western U.S. to undergo transoral robotic surgery to repair his laryngeal cleft.
UCLA launches first face transplantation program in western U.S.
May 24, 2012
Demand for state-of-the-art face transplant procedures is rising, surgeons say, resulting in part from prolonged U.S. military action overseas. The UCLA program will integrate specialists from throughout the UCLA Health System, including the areas of head and neck surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oral surgery, psychiatry, pathology, anesthesia, internal medicine, radiology, neurology, ethics, and rehabilitation services. Head and Neck Surgeons include Dr. Keith Blackwell, professor of head and neck surgery and Dr. Vishad Nabili, assistant professor of head and neck surgery.
Dr. Quinton Gopen Treats Woman's Mysterious Malady
Mar 9, 2012
Dr. Quinton Gopen, assistant professor of head and neck surgery, was featured in a news report of a patient whom Dr. Gopen discovered had a tiny hole in one of her ear canals, which allowed sounds from inside and outside her body to reverberate inside her brain. After he plugged the hole during surgery, the woman’s symptoms vanished and her hearing returned.
Special Event with Dr. Nina Shapiro
Mar 8, 2012
Dr. Nina Shapiro, M.D., author of Take a Deep Breath, provided information for parents and caregivers about children's breathing issues and the latest research in pediatric breathing issues and airway safety. She also discussed her current research with RAND Corporation that studies and identifies food that lead to high choking incidents in children. Using these findings, she plans to recruit a national panel of pediatric experts, including otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, emergency-room physicians, and intensivists (intensive-care-unit specialists) to create guidelines for food products and submit them to the Food and Drug Administration to create a standard for food labeling similar the current framework in place for toys.
Celine Dion Prescribed Voice-Rest Until the End of April
Feb 28, 2012
The Feb. 28 ran an article after singer Celine Dion was experiencing weakness in her vocal cord. Dr. Gerald Berke prescribed 6-8 weeks of voice rest for Celine to recover from her condition. , and others also covered Celine's visit to the UCLA Department of Head and Neck Surgery.
Study finds race, ethnicity impact access to care for children with frequent ear infections
Oct 25, 2010
A study published in the journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, co-authored by Dr. Nina Shapiro, associate professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA, found that racial and ethnic disparities among children with frequent ear infections can significantly influence access to health care resources.