People

I have had many great experiences with the faculty, staff, and residents during my T32 predoctoral research year and my away rotation at Washington University. Not only is WashU a distinguished program with excellent operative experience and research opportunities, I always felt personally supported and cared for by the people around me.

Dr. Branham’s clinical interests include rhinoplasty, forehead lifts, eyelid surgery, brow lifts, facelift surgery, facial implants, Mohs reconstructive surgery, scar revision, skin cancer surgery, laser facial surgery, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, botox and collagen therapy, lip augmentation, liposuction, chemical peels, dermabrasion and reconstruction for facial defects and injuries.

“I’m thrilled to be starting my career in otolaryngology surrounded by a group of faculty and residents who are committed to clinical and research excellence, mentorship, and culture of support. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of all the opportunities St. Louis and WashU have to offer!”

Dr. John Chi is a facial plastic surgeon with a practice focused only on the aesthetics and function of the face, head and neck. Dr. Chi’s clinical interests include facial cosmetic procedures (Botox, fillers, peels, lasers) and surgery (rhinoplasty, facelift, browlift, blepharoplasty), rhinoplasty, skin cancer reconstruction, facial trauma and facial nerve.

WashU Otolaryngology offers everything I could want in a training program – a tremendous operative experience, strong representation of all sub-specialties, and research support that is second to none. For me, however, the most important part is the people. The residents and faculty are very welcoming, which makes the program feel like a family.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to learn beside such fantastic faculty and co-residents in an exceptionally supportive and collegial environment.”

Research Interests: The overall goal of our current research project is to specify how perceptual and cognitive abilities interact to determine relative benefits of sensory devices for children with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. 

Dr. Dunsky’s clinical interests include general pediatric otolaryngology conditions: otitis media, obstructive sleep apnea, rhinosinusitis, and pediatric voice, airway and swallowing problems.

Dr. Firszt’s clinical and research interests include bilateral and unilateral cochlear implants in adults and children, asymmetric hearing and unilateral haring loss, speech recognition, behavioral and electrophysiologic measures with electrical stimulation and optimization of speech processor mapping.

“I was thrilled and honored to match at Washington University in St. Louis! It is such a privilege to train in a department that is committed to excellence in clinical and surgical care as well as research. On my interview day, I remember being so impressed by the incredible culture amongst residents and attendings – I feel very lucky to join this team.”

“It is a tremendous honor for me to join the otolaryngology residency and train with this outstanding league of leaders and mentors of our field. I am thrilled to return as a resident physician to partake of strong surgical training, robust research opportunities, and a collaborative learning environment.”

Dr. Hirose’s clinical interests include pediatric hearing loss, cochlear implantation, chronic ear surgery, cholesteatoma, conductive hearing loss, aural atresia, BAHA, ear infections, speech disorders, velopharyngeal insufficiency, cleft palate, craniofacial disorders.

The goal of the Kim Lab is to characterize the properties of sound coding and processing in the cochlea and along the auditory pathway through in vivo real-time monitoring of sound-evoked multicellular activities. Additionally, we aim to identify the transport mechanisms responsible for ototoxic drug entry into the cochlea via in vivo drug tracking and subsequently develop pathway blockers to prevent drug-induced hearing loss.

“Wash U’s combination of clinical training, research opportunities, and program culture is truly special.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to train here.”

Dr. Lieu’s clinical interests include pediatric otitis media, chronic middle ear disease, hearing loss, tonsillitis, snoring and sleep apnea, head and neck masses, voice and airway problems, and nasal and sinus disease. She has research interests in pediatric hearing loss, particularly unilateral hearing loss, and effects on quality of life.

Dr. Lindburg’s clinical interests include hearing and balance loss, sleep disorders, and all masses and disorders of the head and neck.

Identifying the states and roles of T cell subsets and dendritic cells in the suppressive tumor microenvironments using different types of tumor models; dissecting molecular mechanisms responsible for the dysfunctions of T cells and dendritic cells in tumors; and developing novel and effective strategies for tumor vaccines and anti-tumor immunotherapies.

Dr. McClannahan’s research examines the interaction between age-related hearing loss and cognitive aging. She will starting up her Auditory Wellness and Health Aging Lab in the CID at WUSM building.

Dr. Menezes’ clinical interests include pediatric otolaryngology, lymphatic malformations of the head and neck, infantile hemangiomas, airway management, hearing loss in children and cleft and craniofacial concerns.

Dr. Molter’s clinical interests include pediatric otolaryngology, airway evaluation and reconstruction, cleft and craniofacial concerns, pediatric sleep apnea, ear concerns, cholesteatoma, primary ciliary dyskinesia and juvenile laryngeal papilloma.

It is an honor to have the opportunity to train in a program that provides excellent surgical and clinical training as well as endless research opportunities in a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. I am thrilled to be a member of such a collegial residency family and to contribute to the culture of developing world-class surgeons and physician-scientists.

Research Interests: Our research focuses on the role of genetics in the form and progression of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and the role of genetics in the form and severity of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) 

Our lab’s research focuses on understanding the role of different subsets of T cells in suppressive tumor microenvironments and the development of novel tumor therapeutic strategies using metabolic and molecular reprogramming of T cell fate and function for enhanced tumor immunity and immunotherapy.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to start residency at Washington University in my hometown of St. Louis. My draws to the program are the high-volume operative exposure, research opportunities, and awesome people.