Current Research
Our USF Health Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery faculty and staff work tirelessly to advance the medical practice across many aspects of Otolaryngology.
We are part of the nation’s fastest-rising public urban-research university, USF, which recently celebrated one year of being invited to the prestigious Association of American Universities, placing us among only 71 universities nationwide.
Below, please find some highlights from the research happening in our divisions.
Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials (ARCT) Lab
Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials (ARCT) Lab
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Faculty with active research studies:
- Julia Toman, MD, MPH, FACS: Her research interests include rejuvenation and quality of life following head and neck cancer treatment, global surgery expansion and infrastructure, and hearing healthcare implementation in resource constrained environments.
- Jon Robitschek, MD: His research focus is on FAMM Flap reconstruction following TORS resection
Current Clinical Trials:
RhinAer Procedure for Treatment of Chronic Rhinitis Study (RHINTRAC)
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Faculty with active research studies:
- Yaël Emilie Bensoussan, MD, MSc, FRCSC: Her research focuses on the use of the human voice as a biomarker of health, integrating artificial intelligence, ethically sourced voice datasets, and standardized data collection to enable early disease detection and clinical translation.
- Johnathan Brown, MD: His research interests focus on advancing evidence-based clinical care in laryngology, with a particular emphasis on functional outcomes in voice, airway, and swallowing disorders through multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment.
- Jamie Toghranegar, SLPD, CCC-SLP: Her research focuses on the design and testing of novel simulation and digital health technologies to improve education and patient care for speech, language, and voice disorders.
- Yassmeen Abdel-Aty, MD: Her research interests span voice, airway, and swallowing disorders, with a focus on advancing clinical understanding and patient care. Outside of clinical outcomes research, she is interested in finding methods to improve medical education and access to healthcare.
- Manish Shaha, MD: His research interests include clinical outcomes and surgical approaches in head and neck and laryngeal disorders, with contributions to the literature on membranous vocal fold lesions associated with chronic cough, ulcerative laryngitis, and thyroid cancer.
- Jennifer Larsson, MS, CCC-SLP: Her research is dedicated to advancing innovative evaluation and treatment approaches for swallowing disorders and alternative voice innovation options for head and neck cancer patients. She particularly focuses on improving continuum-of-care pathways and understanding the impact of community and social reintegration for individuals with head and neck cancer, with the goal of enhancing both functional outcomes and overall quality of life for these individuals.
- Stephanie Watts, Ph.D., CCC-SLP: She specializes in swallow and voice research. Her research develops innovative diagnostic tools and rehabilitation protocols based on understanding how swallowing, voice, and airway protection interact, with the goal of helping patients engage meaningfully with the world around them.
Laboratories of the Laryngology Division:
Current Clinical Trials:
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Faculty with active research studies:
- K. Paul Boyev, MD: His research interests include cochlear implants, otoacoustic emissions, and residency education.
- Victoria Sanchez, AuD, PhD: Her research interests include auditory cognitive neuroscience, speech perception, and hearing intervention.
- Morgan Oktela Fuentes, AuD: Her research interests include evidence-based practice, hearing aids, speech perception.
- Haley N. Calloway, AuD: Her research interests include hearing and cognition, clinical trial treatment fidelity, and pediatric assessment and (re)habilitation.
- Marsadi Parliament, AuD: Her research interests include bone conduction hearing, hearing intervention, and cognition.
- Suzannah Boyle, AuD: Her research interests include speech perception and evidence-based practice.
Laboratories of the Otology & Audiology Division:
- Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Laboratory (ARCT)
- Institute for Voice & Hearing Innovation
Current Clinical Trials:
- Cross-sectional and Prospective Study to Characterize Early-onset Presbycusis (SONG)
- ACHIEVE Brain Health Follow-Up Study (ACHIEVE-BHFU)
- Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI)
- ACHIEVE Hearing Intervention Follow-Up Study
- Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation Pilot Study (P-EARLHI)
- Pilot Study to Evaluate the Long-term Chronic Care of Patients Who Could or do Utilize an Osseointegrated Device (OID)
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Faculty with active research studies:
- Abhay Sharma, MD: His research and clinical innovation focus on advancing treatments and surgical solutions for sleep-related airway disorders, including work on interventional sleep surgery and novel approaches to obstructive sleep apnea care.