WashU Medicine Otolaryngology is bolsteringing its research game. The group has long been a leader in the field in terms of NIH funding and numbers of publications, but they want more.
That “more” is a collaborative and transparent approach that will connect basic science, and translational, applied and outcomes research efforts to drive progress and help get the latest advances to every patient’s bedside as quickly as possible.
According to Lindburg Professor and Chair Sid Puram, MD, PhD, the change in structure allows for better leadership and communication between different types of research.
“The newly minted Research Leadership Team was created to mirror our clinically-focused Otolaryngology Leadership Team,” he said. “This group, consisting of several associate research directors, will have the primary goal of advancing research across the department in diverse areas of specialty. In particular, this group will look for and seize opportunities to advance collaboration, streamline research operations, and improved dissemination of our findings both within the department and beyond.”
The new Research Leadership Team consists of:
- Vice Chair for Research, Jay Piccirillo, MD
- Lavinia Sheets, PhD – Basic/Translational Hearing Research
- Lisa Davidson, PhD – Applied & Clinical Hearing Research
- Paul Zolkind, MD – Head & Neck Research
- Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH – Outcomes Research
Common oversight goals exist for all research divisions, like ensuring proposed studies are rigorously reviewed before they start, ensuring all regulatory/IRB requirements are met and fostering a research environment that is supportive of trainees and junior faculty.
A few of the more specific goals outlined by division leaders includes the following.
Applied & Clinical Hearing Research
- Foster increased collaboration across applied and clinical research teams to drive unified research outcomes
- Improve communication with our clinical staff to both strengthen collaboration in clinical research and enhance patient recruitment efforts
- Expand our footprint in adult and pediatric hearing loss research
Basic/Translational Hearing Research
- To carry forward the legacy of the Central Institute for the Deaf research department — an internationally renowned center for hearing and deafness research since 1931 — and build on that tradition of scientific excellence
- To pursue diverse funding sources that sustain and grow our research enterprise
Head & Neck Research
- Prioritize research questions that leverage tumor genomics, the tumor microenvironment and cutting-edge technologies to inform therapeutic strategies
- Translate molecular and mechanistic discoveries into clinical trials that improve patient care
- Develop a robust infrastructure to support tissue bio-banking, clinical databases and platforms for high-throughput molecular analysis
Outcomes Research
- Strengthen our commitment to rigor, reproducibility and transparency by integrating strong biostatistics and study design
- Prioritize research questions and outcome measures that are clinically meaningful
According to Puram, a formal structure for the research group has not existed previously in the department. Now, with our tremendous recent success, including our standing as #1 in the number of major NIH project grants, adding a layer of coordination and leadership in this critical domain of our tripartite mission is more important than ever.