WashU Med Otolaryngology welcomes five new interns

The 2026 Match is in! Otolaryngology resident match results were announced March 20, and five outstanding medical school graduates will join WashU Medicine Otolaryngology as our newest residents. This year, 359 applications were received, and 65 interviews were granted. Those applicants were ranked by faculty and submitted to the national matching registry. Each year, WashU […]

Q&A with Staff Scientist Fudong Wang

Staff Scientist Fudong Wang, PhD, shares his memories of childhood in China and the surprising way he continues to celebrate his cultural heritage. What is your current title and how long have you been with WashU? I have been with WashU Medicine Otolaryngology for now six years as a Staff Scientist in the Puram Lab, […]

Skull base surgery course focuses on teamwork

photo of participants at lateral skull base course

Mentored by leading neurotologists and neurosurgeons, WashU Medicine Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery residents explored techniques to remove tumors from the lateral skull base at a specialized multidisciplinary course February 28. Working in WashU Med’s state-of-the art Multidisciplinary Surgical Simulation Lab, residents practiced a variety of surgical approaches used to remove tumors and treat vascular defects from […]

WashU Medicine Otolaryngology Leading with Expertise at 2026 COSM

Physician-scientists from WashU Medicine Otolaryngology will share their expertise and advancements in research and patient care at the upcoming Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM) in Phoenix, April 22-26. The annual meeting brings together the membership of the nine COSM societies, otolaryngology residents and fellows in training, medical students, and allied health professionals for the purpose […]

Imaging technology optimizes cancer removal

WashU Medicine voice and airway surgeon Bharat Panuganti, MD, is adapting a fluorescent imaging technology known as confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) to better view cellular detail and optimize laryngeal cancer removal. One of the consistent challenges during surgical removal of any cancer is delineating tumor from surrounding normal tissue. Conservative approaches suggest that to error […]

WashU Medicine Presence at Annual Meeting for Hearing Science On the Rise

Hearing researchers from WashU Medicine Otolaryngology contributed a broad spectrum of scientific findings at the annual Midwinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, held February 7-11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting is the largest assembly of hearing scientists in the world and features basic and applied science related to hearing, deafness […]

Audiology Students Present at National Meetings

photo of students attending AAA meeting

Several WashU Medicine Audiology students have submitted their research to be presented at national audiology meetings in the coming months. The scientific efforts reflect capstone projects representative of original contributions to the field of audiology and hearing science. Scientific mentors include faculty  from the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at WashU Medicine. […]

Q&A with Administrative Assistant Sydnie Smith

photo of Sydnie Smith paragliding

Adminstrative Assistant Sydnie Smith details her new responsibilities as social media coordinator and shares her love for travel and food. What are your current duties and what do you enjoy most about your work? I am currently an Administrative Assistant III, and I have been with the department for about a year and a half. […]

Residents offer advice on fellowship matches

photo of David Lee during endoscopic dissection

Two of our chief residents have matched for surgical fellowships to continue their training in specialized areas of otolaryngology. We asked them what inspired their specialty choice, their impressions of the process, and what advice they might give their junior colleagues who are considering similar training. Theresa Tharakan, MD, MSCI Fellowship match: Head and Neck […]

WashU Medicine experts hope to educate their profession regarding procedure misuse

Xray of sinuses

Since its approval in 2005, balloon sinus dilation procedures have increased dramatically among certain providers, causing concern for some medical experts, including WashU Medicine rhinologist Nyssa Farrell, MD, and comprehensive otolaryngologist Jay Piccirillo, MD. Together, they and collaborators recently published a series of articles in the prestigious JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery that document the […]