Neurotology Fellowship Program

Overview

The UPMC Neurotology Fellowship is a comprehensive two-year ACGME-accredited program committed to training Neurotology fellows in the delivery of exceptional medical and surgical care to patients with otologic and neurotologic conditions. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of education through hands-on experience, mentorship, and scholarly advancement. Fellows will work closely in the clinic and OR with our three primary Neurotology faculty, in addition to training experience with Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology, Audiology, Radiation Oncology, and Vestibular Neurology. The Fellows' clinical training will be based primarily at the UPMC Eye & Ear Institute and nearby hospitals, including UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Mercy, and UPMC Shadyside. The surgical experience is comprehensive and includes all approaches to the lateral skull base, implantable devices for hearing as well as formal training in stereotactic radiosurgery. Research mentorship and development are supported through protected research time and close collaboration with faculty within the department, including the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and the University of Pittsburgh at large. The fellows will have unique opportunities to engage in innovation activities in the department including the CREATES Lab and various global health activities.

Primary Faculty

	Peter L. Santa Maria, MD, PhD Professor, Division Chief of Otology & Neurotology Vice Chair of Translational and Clinical Research Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Director of Faculty Innovation, Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Co-Director, Pittsburgh CREATES Co-Director, Pitt SPARK and Gorongosa SPARK
	Gregory J. Basura, MD, PhD Professor of Otology/Neurotology, Director of Global Otolaryngology
	Philip Perez, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Fellowship Director
	Paul Gardner, MD  Professor, Neurosurgery Neurosurgical Co-Director, Center for Cranial Base Surgery Director, Surgical Neuroanatomy Lab Co-Director, Neurosurgery Skull Base Fellowship
	Georgios Zenonos, MD  Associate Professor, Neurosurgery Neurosurgical Co-Director, Center for Cranial Base Surgery Director, Cranial Nerve Program Director, Clinical Operations, UPMC Presbyterian Co-Director, Neurosurgery Skull Base Fellowship

Additional Faculty

	Barry Hirsch, MD Emeritus Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
	Joseph Furman, MD, PhD   Professor, Otolaryngology, Neurology, Physical Therapy, and Bioengineering Director, UPMC Division of Balance Disorders
	Catherine V. Palmer, PhD Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Professor and Chair, Department of Communication Science and Disorders Director of Audiology, UPMC
	Thanos Tzounopoulos, PhD Vice Chair of Basic Science Research, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Director, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center UPMC Endowed Professor of Auditory Physiology
	Barton Branstetter, MD  Professor, Radiology, Otolaryngology, and Biomedical Informatics
	Steven A. Burton, MD  Professor, Radiation Oncology

Research Opportunities

Fellows will develop their research skills through close mentorship with our primary faculty, who carry out both clinical and basic research projects, and through collaboration with our faculty in the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, one of the country’s leading consortia of scientists dedicated to basic and translational science in hearing loss disorders, led by Thanos Tzounopoulos. Additional opportunities for research in bioengineering and device development exist through the CREATES (Collaborative Research Education and Technology Enhancement in Surgery) Center, located within the Eye & Ear Institute.

International Opportunities

Fellows will have opportunities to participate in global health initiatives through Dr. Santa Maria’s work with ENT education in Mozambique, including an annual trip to engage in surgical education for local otolaryngologists. Currently serving as Chair of the AAO-HNSF Humanitarian Efforts Committee, Dr. Basura has worked closely with Pitt Otolaryngology alumnus Johan Fagan, Chair of the Division of Otolaryngology at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, to develop Africa’s first dedicated otologic surgical training fellowship.

Previous Fellows

2023-2025 Margaret Engelhardt  
2021-2023 Abhinav Ettyreddy – Pittsburgh Ear Associates
2019-2021 Philip Perez – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center 
2017-2019 Timothy Cooper – University of Alberta 
2015-2017 Doug Hildrew – Yale University 
2013-2015 J. Seth McAfee – Coastal Ear Nose and Throat, New Jersey 
2011-2013 Esther Vivas – Emory University 
2009-2011 George Conley – Northwest Florida Ear, Nose & Throat, Florida 
2007-2009 Noriko Yoshikawa – Kaiser Oakland, California 
2005-2007 Michele St. Martin Hargreaves – ENT Specialists of North Florida, Florida 
2003-2005 Deborah Eaton- Allegheny Health Network, Pennsylvania 
2001-2003 Mark Whitaker – Penn State University 
1999-2001 B. Joseph Touma – Touma Hearing Center, West Virginia  
1997-1999 Scott William Thompson - Carolina Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates 
1996-1997 Johannes Fagan – University of Cape Town 
1995-1996 Robert C. O'Reilly – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 
1994-1995 C.Y. Joseph Chang – Texas ENT Specialists  
1993-1994 Les Garber – University of Manitoba 
1992-1993 Steven R. Gold – Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, South Carolina 
1991-1992 Lorenz Lassen - Sentara Obici Hospital, Virginia 
1990-1991 Sanjay Prasad - Georgetown University 
1989-1990 Bruce C. MacDonald – University of Tennessee  

Contact Information

Fellowship Director: Philip Perez, MD

For more information or to apply, please contact:
Marykay Vallo
Department of Otolaryngology UPMC
203 Lothrop Street, EEI Suite 500
Pittsburgh PA 15213
412-647-2115
vallom@upmc.edu