Department of Otolaryngology

Ryan J. Soose, MD

  • Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
  • Director, Sleep Division
  • Director, UPMC Mercy ENT

Education & Training

  • August 1994 – May 1998 University of Notre Dame Bachelor of Science Notre Dame, Indiana Summa Cum Laude
  • August 1998 – May 2002 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Pittsburgh, PA Alpha Omega Alpha
  • July 2002 – June 2003 Department of Surgery Intern, General Surgery University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA
  • July 2003 – June 2007 Department of Otolaryngology Resident, Otolaryngology University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA
  • July 2009 – June 2010 Department of Pulmonology Fellow, Sleep Medicine University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA

Representative Publications

Woodson BT, Soose RJ, Gillespie MB, Strohl KP, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Steward DL, Baskin JZ, Badr MS, Lin HS, Padhya TA, Mickelson S, Anderson WM, Vanderveken OM, Strollo PJ Jr, STAR Trial Investigators.  Three-year outcomes of cranial nerve stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: The STAR trial. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2016 Jan;154(1):181-188. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PMID: 26577774

Murphey AW, Baker AB, Soose RJ, Padyha TA, Nguyen SA, Xiao CC, Gillespie MB.  Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: The surgical learning curve. Laryngoscope. 2016 Feb;126(2):501-6. doi: 10.1002/lary.25537. Epub 2015 Aug 8. PMID: 26257041

Soose RJ, Woodson BT, Gillespie MB, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Steward DL, Strohl KP, Baskin JZ, Padhya TA, Badr MS, Lin HS, Vanderveken OM, Mickelson S, Chasens E, Strollo PJ Jr; STAR Trial Investigators.  Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: Self-reported outcomes at 24 months.  J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 Jan 15;12(1):43-8. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.5390. PMID: 26235158

Strollo PJ Jr, Gillespie MB, Soose RJ, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Cornelius J, Hanson RD, Padhya TA, Steward DL, Woodson BT, Verbraecken J, Vanderveken OM, Goetting MG, Feldman N, Chabolle F, Badr MS, Randerath W, Strohl KP; Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction (STAR) Trial Group.   Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: durability of the treatment effect at 18 months. Sleep. 2015 Oct 1;38(10):1593-8. doi: 10.5665/sleep.5054.

Kent DT, Rogers R, Soose RJ.  Drug-induced sedation endoscopy in the evaluation of OSA patients with incomplete oral appliance therapy response. Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2015; Aug;153(2):302-7.

Dedhia RC, Strollo PJ, Soose RJ.  Upper airway stimulation therapy: past, present, and future.  Sleep 2015; Jun;38(6):899-906.

Woodson BT, Gillespie MB, Soose RJ, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Steward DL, Baskin JZ, Padhya TA, Lin HS, Mickelson S, Badr SM, Strohl KP, Strollo PJ Jr; STAR Trial Investigators.  Randomized controlled withdrawal study of upper airway stimulation on OSA: short-term and long-term effect.  Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2014; Nov;151(5):880-7.

Stapleton AL, Chang YF, Soose RJ, Gillman GS. The impact of nasal surgery on sleep quality: a prospective outcomes study.  Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2014; Nov;151(5):868-73.

Strollo PJ, Soose RJ, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Cornelius J, Froymovich O, Hanson RD, Padhya TA, Steward DL, Gillespie MB, Woodson BT, Van de Heyning PH, Goetting MG, Vanderveken OM, Feldman N, Knaack L, Strohl KP; STAR Trial Group.  Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea.  N Engl J Med 2014; Jan;370:139-49.

Dedhia R, Rosen CA, Soose RJ.  What is the role of the larynx in adult obstructive sleep apnea?  Laryngoscope; 2014; Apr;124:1029-34.

View Dr. Soose's most current publications.

Research Interest Summary

Nasal airway obstruction, Sleep quality, Obstructive sleep apnea

Research Interests

Dr. Soose is the Director of the UPMC Division of Sleep Medicine and Upper Airway Surgery and Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and completed medical and surgical training at UPMC. 

Board-certified in both otolaryngology and sleep medicine, Dr. Soose specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  He is an appointed member of the Sleep Disorders Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), and is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the International Surgical Sleep Society (ISSS).  Dr. Soose has a special interest in sedated endoscopy and neurostimulation therapy in the management of patients with sleep apnea. 

Research Grants

Inspire PAS Protocol, 2015-2021, Inspire, PI Soose RJ, Co-investigator: Strollo PJ

Jazz 14-004: Phase 3 multicenter study of the safety and efficacy of JZP-110 in the treatment of excessive sleepiness in subjects with OSA, PI: Givelber R, Co-investigator:Soose RJ, et al

ISSS retrospective cohort study of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) surgery outcomes, 2015 – 2018, Principal Investigator: Kezirian EJ, Co-investigator: Soose RJ, et al  

OSA in head and neck cancer radiation therapy, 2015 – 2016, The Eye & Ear Foundation, Principal investigator: Huyett P, Co-Investigator: Soose RJ, Johnson JT, Kim S

Hypoglossal nerve stimulator for the treatment of obstructive sleep Apnea  (Active site for Inspire STAR Trial), 2012 – 2017, Inspire, Principal Investigator: Soose RJ, Co-Investigators:Strollo PJ, Atwood C, Specific aims:To evaluate the effects of the Inspire implantable hypoglossal nerve stimulator on obstructive sleep apnea  

The effect of CPAP on subjective voice outcome measures, 2013 – 2016, Principal Investigator: Gillespie A, Co-Investigators: Soose RJ, Smith L, Atwood C