Meet the Head and Neck Cancer Team - Otolaryngology

Head & Neck Surgeons

R. Alex Harbison, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Phone: 314-362-7509

Ryan S. Jackson, MD

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

Phone: Patient appointments: (314) 362-7509

Patrik Pipkorn, MD

Associate Professor
Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

Phone: Patient appointments: (314) 362-7509

Dr. Pipkorn’s areas of clinical interest include head and neck benign and malignant lesions, thyroid tumors, parathyroid, sinonasal benign and malignant tumors, and reconstruction of head and neck defects.

Sidharth V. Puram, MD, PhD, FACS

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery
Division Chief, Head & Neck Surgery
Director, Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center

Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Phone: Patient appointments: (314) 362-7509

Jason T. Rich, MD, FACS

Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Phone: Patient appointments: (314) 362-7509

Dr. Rich performs surgical removal of head and neck tumors as well as advanced reconstruction of the head and neck. He has expertise and clinical interest in treating advanced skin cancers such as melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. He also has expertise in complex airway surgery and reconstruction as well as treating parotid tumors.

Paul Zolkind, MD

Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery
Chief of Otolaryngology, John Cochran VA Medical Center

Dr. Zolkind is a head and neck specialist that treats benign and malignant head and neck tumors, salivary gland tumors and thyroid and parathyroid disorders. He specializes in transoral robotic surgery and microvascular reconstruction.

Radiation oncology

Wade Thorstad, MD
Hiram A. Gay, MD

Medical oncology

Douglas R. Adkins, MD
Loren S. Michel, MD
Tanya M. Wildes, MD

Physicians Assistants

Melissa Portell, PA

Research Scientists

Xia Liu, MD, PhD
Ben Major, PhD
Guangyong Peng, MD, PhD

Clinical outcomes consultant

Jay Piccirillo, MD

Prosthodontics

Azadeh Afshari, DDS, MSD

Oral Surgery

Rebecca Grammer, DMD, MD
John Monterubio, DDS

Physical therapy

Katie McDonnel, PT, DPT, OCS

Speech and swallow therapy

Kiley Hughes, CCC-SLP
Kelsey Rosenquist, CCC-SLP

Social work

Cindy Woolsey, LCSW

Dietitian

Lenore Riganti, RD, CNSD, LD

Patient welfare coordinator

Claire Keefe, LCSW