Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery Research
Montefiore Einstein Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Department leads in the research and treatment of disorders affecting the ear, nose and throat (ENT), with more than 40 years of funding from the National Institutes of Health. Our team’s research efforts span the fields of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.
We have been performing translational research on head and neck cancer since 2002, taking a multi-omics approach to cancer assessment. Understanding how patient-specific factors influence treatment outcomes in head and neck cancer has been a key focus, along with active involvement in clinical trials designed to offer our patients innovative therapies and supportive interventions that improve quality of life after treatment.
We also have a focus on clinical research in thyroid disease, assessing evaluation and surgical outcomes. Additional research includes collaborations with neuroscientists to understand tinnitus and central auditory conditions, such as difficulty hearing and processing in noisy environments.
Our team is involved in studies of pediatric hearing loss, sinusitis and allergic sinus disease, as well as in optimizing patient care for those with tracheotomies through simulation. We are also part of the NY Sleep Surgeon Consortium, working on multi-institutional research. Our team is continually innovating and investigating new treatments and techniques through robust research and comprehensive clinical studies. Translational research enables our patients to access emerging technologies and innovative treatments that are otherwise unavailable.
Current Research
Our Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery physicians published 69 articles in 2024, hold five active grants and are currently involved in multiple clinical trials.
Ahsanuddin S, Jin R, Dhanda AK, Georges K, Baredes S, Eloy JA, Fang CH. Otolaryngologic Side Effects After COVID-19 Vaccination. Laryngoscope. 2024 Mar;134(3):1163-1168. doi: 10.1002/lary.30923. Epub 2023 Aug 4. PMID: 37539984.
Guirguis D, Karanfilian T, Akbar NA, Fang CH, Colley P, Gibber M, Ahmedli NN. Postoperative Antibiotics for Splints Following Septoplasty. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2025 May-Jun;27(3):269-270. doi: 10.1089/fpsam.2024.0199. Epub 2024 Sep 4. PMID: 39230442.
Li D, Lopez A, Shrivastava N, Chan W, Thomas C, Burk R, Segall J, Augustine S, Rosenblatt G, Mehta V, Schiff BA, Smith RV, Prystowsky MB, Schlecht NF, Guha C, Gavathiotis E, Ow TJ. Comprehensive functional evaluation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with BH3-profiling demonstrates apoptotic competency and therapeutic efficacy of BH3-mimetics. Oral Oncol. 2024 Dec;159:107069. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2024.107069. Epub 2024 Oct 17. PMID: 39423550.
Orb QT, Pesch M, Allen CM, Wilkes A, Ahmad I, Alfonso K, Antonio SM, Mithal LB, Brinkmeier JV, Carvalho D, Chan D, Cheng AG, Chi D, Cohen M, Discolo CM, Duran C, Germiller J, Gibson L, Grunstein E, Harrison G, Lee K, Hawley K, Kohlhoff S, Melvin A, MacArthur C, Nassar M, Neff L, Pecha P, Salvatore C, Schoem S, Virgin F, Saunders J, Schleiss M, Smith RJH, Sood S, Park AH. Congenital Cytomegalovirus Testing Outcomes From the ValEAR Trial. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024 May;170(5):1430-1441. doi: 10.1002/ohn.670. Epub 2024 Feb 28. PMID: 38415855; PMCID: PMC11060929.
Ow TJ, Mehta V, Li D, Thomas C, Shrivastava N, Kawachi N, Gersten AJ, Zhu J, Schiff BA, Smith RV, Rosenblatt G, Augustine S, Prystowsky MB, Yin S, Gavathiotis E, Guha C. Characterization of a Diverse Set of Conditionally Reprogrammed Head and Neck Cancer Cell Cultures. Laryngoscope. 2024 Jun;134(6):2748-2756. doi: 10.1002/lary.31236. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38288866.
Hassan B, Tawfik MM, Schiff E, Mosavian R, Kelly Z, Li D, Petti A, Bangar M, Schiff BA, Yang CJ. Harnessing In Situ Simulation to Identify Human Errors and Latent Safety Threats in Adult Tracheostomy Care. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2024 Apr;50(4):279-284. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.11.004. Epub 2023 Nov 23. PMID: 38171951; PMCID: PMC10978288.
Stone A, Liu J, Lin J, Schiff BA, Ow TJ, Mehta V, Smith RV. Value of Adherence to Posttreatment Follow-Up Guidelines for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Laryngoscope. 2024 Feb;134(2):708-716. doi: 10.1002/lary.30909. Epub 2023 Jul 26. PMID: 37493178.
Zhang FG, Sheni R, Zhang C, Viswanathan S, Fiori K, Mehta V. Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Treatment Delay in an Urban Population. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 Dec;20(12):1733-1743. doi: 10.1200/OP.24.00118. Epub 2024 Jul 3. PMID: 38959443.
Wongtangman K, Semczuk P, Freda J, Smith RV, Pushparaj V, Beckham D, Aasman B, Rudolph MI, Salloum E, Kiyatkin M, Anand P, Ganz-Lord FA, Himes C, Fassbender P, Eikermann M. The effect of a bundle intervention for ambulatory otorhinolaryngology procedures on same-day case cancellation rate and associated costs. Anaesthesia. 2024 Jun;79(6):593-602. doi: 10.1111/anae.16247. Epub 2024 Feb 14. PMID: 38353045.
Science at the Heart of Medicine
At Montefiore Einstein Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, we believe in a research-driven, evidence-based approach to ear, nose and throat care.
Our physician-scientists advance care through research and clinical trials, including translational studies on tumor microenvironments and innovative approaches for medically complex patients. Our basic science research team collects and analyzes tumor samples, ensuring we continue to learn more about novel tumor mechanisms and leading-edge diagnostic and therapeutic targets. We have open ENT clinical trials which cover the full gamut of head and neck cancer care, offering trials in all different phases of treatment (neoadjuvant, primary treatment, adjuvant and survivorship). We take great pride in providing patients with access to treatments not yet available to the general public.
