Alumni spotlight: Courtney Voelker

Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD, is a Rhodes Scholar and board-certified neurotologist. She is Division Chief of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery and Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Dr. Voelker has conducted cutting-edge research on the physiology […]

Remote testing introduced for cochlear implants

Remote checking is now available for cochlear implants

Cochlear implant patients now have a way to improve their ability to hear without making a trip to the audiologist. Using a simple iPhone app, patients with the Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor can answer a few questions, take a photo of their implants, and share that information instantly with their audiologists who can then […]

Next steps for graduating fellows

Collin L. Chen, MD Plans: I am very excited to start my job at St. Louis University, where I will be an academic Facial Plastic Surgeon for the Department of Otolaryngology. I look forward to returning to the department who introduced me to this wonderful field, back when I was a medical student.  Reflection: I […]

Residents learn how to remove tumors from skull base

In a course taught by some of the country’s leading neurotologists and neurosurgeons, Washington University residents recently learned step-by-step the techniques to remove tumors from  the skull base. Working in Washington University’s state-of-the art multidisciplinary surgical simulation lab, residents from the departments of otolaryngology and neurosurgery practiced surgical approaches to removing an acoustic neuroma, a […]

Faculty advance otolaryngology care across the globe

Drs. Zevallos and Pipkorn with Peru delegation

By training the next generation of leaders in otolaryngology at Washington University, our faculty are helping shape the future of excellence in patient care. But they don’t stop there. They are also visiting professors at universities around the globe, frequently presenting their research to peers at influential forums, and providing surgical training to clinicians and […]

Research administrators’ support key to top 5 rank in NIH funding

An award of support from a federal or non-federal source marks a significant achievement for a researcher. But, in accepting a grant award, grantees agree to comply with the requirements in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants Policy Statement. That’s where our team of research administrators takes charge. That NIH Policy Statement describing the […]

Stem cell implants offer hope for vocal cord paralysis

Vocal cord paralysis occurs when nerve impulses to the larynx are disrupted, causing problems with speech and breathing. Vocal cord closure is crucial for the production of sound, or phonation, and to protect the airway from food and liquids that might enter. The nerve to the vocal cords can be injured in a variety of […]

Dr. Chole and retirement: a special kind of busy

Most folks find a way to slow down during retirement. Not so for our former department chair, Richard A. Chole, MD, PhD. After 17 years, Dr. Chole officially stepped down as chair in October, 2015. He continued to see patients for another several years, while winding down activities in his research lab. Finally, in October […]

Q & A with Jaci Lett

How long have you been at Washington University and what type of work do you do? I started as a research technician at the Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) in 1985. CID at that time was an affiliate program of Washington University. We migrated with the CID group into the Department of Otolaryngology in […]

2019 Holiday Outreach

We want to thank all of you who have generously participated in the Holiday Outreach Program, an annual community outreach initiative coordinated by the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation (WUMCRC). The program gives participating departments of the Washington University School of Medicine, BJC medical campus, and others an opportunity to aid in our mission […]