Thomas Lenarz, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the department of Otolaryngology at Hannover Medical School (Germany) provided a stimulating Senturia Lecture to the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine on Oct. 26.
His talk, “Hearing4All: functional restoration of hearing using auditory devices,” highlighted the broad advances in medicine and technology that can provide improved function for those with hearing deficits.
Lenarz studied medicine and biochemistry at universities in Tübingen, Erlangen, Heidelberg and London from 1975 until 1981 when he received his medical degree. He received his doctorate of philosophy in pharmacology of the auditory system in 1987 and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1989.
The Senturia Lectureship was established in 1977 by the St. Louis Otological Foundation and named for Ben Harlan Senturia, a native of St. Louis who obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees from Washington University. Following his internship and residency at McMillan Hospital, he was appointed to the otolaryngology faculty at Washington University School of Medicine.
In addition to the lecture, Lenarz participated in a temporal bone dissection course with otolaryngology residents and offered his medical expertise during a review of select case studies that were presented by residents Andrew Charap, MD, Nneoma Wamkpah, MD, MSCI, Amit Walia, MD, MSCI, and Joseph Roh, MD.
Lindburg Professor and Chair Craig A. Buchman, MD, felt the entire event was a huge success.
“We have a world renowned speaker, a new auditorium, and great participation by ENT faculty, residents and staff,” he said. “It just doesn’t get any better than this.”