The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai made a number of exciting achievements in 2025, inspired by our dedication to research and passion for improving the lives of patients. We are proud to share these accomplishments and invite you to read more about them in the Mount Sinai Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 2026 Report.
In the field of head and neck oncology, Mount Sinai’s Scott A. Roof, MD, and Krzysztof J. Misiukiewicz, MD, are leading translational research and clinical trials to reveal how a new combination treatment with chemotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy) can enhance survival and quality of life in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. While the first clinical trial was small, the team is launching a phase 2 study to further explore the benefit of chemoimmunotherapy before surgery.
In the field of laryngology, Ümit Daşdöğen, PhD, CCC-SLP, is using a new virtual reality tool that helps Parkinson’s disease patients overcome hypophonia by engaging in realistic, task-based scenarios in clinical settings and at home; while in the realm of airway science, Ya-Wen Chen, PhD, is leading research into whether giving immunosuppressants to organ donors can reduce rejection in tracheal transplant patients—potentially transforming the field of transplantation. Also in 2025, innovation at our department continued with a collaboration between Alfred-Marc Iloreta Jr., MD, and Mount Sinai BioDesign—Mount Sinai’s hub for medical device innovation—enabling Dr. Iloreta to advance his idea for a novel intrapharynx aspiration catheter.
At the Ear Institute at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, patients with microtia and atresia are finding the comprehensive care they and their families need. Under Mingyang L. Gray, MD, a multidisciplinary team of experts is working collaboratively to restore hearing and reconstruct the ears of these patients, many of them children and teenagers struggling with hearing loss while also often navigating social stigma.
We are also proud to share that Zachary Schwam, MD, a former resident who now works as a physician and faculty member within our Department, has created a unique YouTube series that chronicles, step by step, a wide range of common and rare ear, nose, and throat surgical procedures. Inspired by a desire for such educational videos when Dr. Schwam was doing his neurotology and lateral skull base surgery fellowship and otolaryngology residency at Mount Sinai, the videos have garnered more than 4 million views to date and are helping to educate the next generation of his peers.
On behalf of our faculty, researchers, and trainees, we appreciate you taking time to learn about our latest discoveries and hope you and yours enjoy a healthy and prosperous 2026.
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Eric M. Genden, MD, MHA, FACS
Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery