Research

WashU Voice and Airway makes their voices heard

Photo of Voice and Airway team
Members of the Voice and Airway team at the recent Fall Voice Conference, from left: Matthew Rohlfing, MD, Grace Cutchins, Marie Fleming, Nicole Colins, Will Strober, MD, MSPH and Molly Huston, MD.

The Voice and Airway Division of the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University left their mark recently at the Fall Voice Conference held in Phoenix, October 25-27. The event, sponsored by the Alliance for Voice Airway and Swallowing Education is attended by practicing laryngologists and speech-language pathologists as well as all types of trainees.

WashU Division Chief of Laryngology Molly Huston, MD, was a member of this year’s planning committee. She also served as moderator for two panel discussions:

headshot of Molly Huston, MD
Division Chief of Laryngology Molly Huston, MD
  1. Building blocks for your practice
  2. Hot ones: Spicy topics

In the latter, Huston asked expert panelists for their opinions on controversial topics while eating spicier and spicier hot wings.

“This event was a lot of fun,” said Huston. “The hot sauce tends to remove inhibitions, so we get some pretty honest opinions.”

In addition to Huston, Laryngology team members attending the conference included Matt Rohlfing, MD, Randal Paniello, MD, PhD, ENT resident Will Strober, MD, and speech pathologists Nicole Collins, Grace Cutchin, and Marie Fleming.

Another highlight of the event for Huston was watching Strober deliver three podium presentations and one poster.

photo of Will Strober, MD
PGY3 Otolaryngology resident Will Strober, MD

“He professionally and succinctly fielded question after question about his research; it was certainly the most engaging work presented,” she said. “It was clear to everyone in the room that he was a true content expert. Many people expressed how impressed they were with Will’s work, and it did not escape the entire room that his name (Strober) is also quite fitting for laryngology.”

For Strober, the event was a great success. He also received a travel grant from the Laryngology Education Foundation to attend the conference this year.

“This conference is different from others in that there are both laryngologists and SLPs, so you get some very different perspectives,” he said. “It was fun getting so much audience engagement after my talks, and I hope the information will make an impact on how the attendees treat their patients going forward.”

WashU presentations

Tracheostomy incidence and complications: A national database analysis
William Strober, MD, MSCI, Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH, Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, Matthew L. Rohlfing, MD.  

Biofeedback vs respiratory retraining therapy for paradoxical vocal fold motion: A randomized controlled trial
William Strober, MD, MSCI, Matthew L. Rohlfing, MD, Grace Cutchin, CCC-SLP, Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH,  Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, Molly N. Huston, MD

Association between extrapulmonary chronic cough and psychiatric comorbidities
William Strober, MD, MSCI, Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH, Matthew L. Rohlfing, MD, Molly N. Huston, MD, Jay F. Piccirillo, MD

(Poster) Safety of small diameter endotracheal tubes in microlaryngeal surgery
William Strober, MD, MSCI, Kwasi Enin, MD, MBA, Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH, Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, Helga Komen, MD, Matthew L. Rohlfing, MD