Dr. Stapleton is a pediatric otolaryngologist and endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeon at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is certified in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery by the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. She is also board-certified in Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Her clinical interests include pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery, pediatric skull base surgery, pediatric chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, and pediatric cystic fibrosis.
Dr. Stapleton has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology, and American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. She is the Committee Chair for the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship Committee.
- University of Pittsburgh, Cranial Base Surgery Fellowship
- University of Pittsburgh, Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship
- University of Pittsburgh, Otolaryngology Residency
- State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, MD
- Duke University, BS in Biology
Education & Training
Effects of social determinants of health in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and allergic rhinitis management: Social determinants on SDB and AR outcomes. Reddy PD, Ocasio-Nieves B, Qian J, McMahan C, Shaffer AD, Rushchak MV, Stapleton AL. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2026 May;204:112822. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2026.112822. Epub 2026 Apr 11. PMID: 41985338
Gender Representation on the National Otolaryngology Stage: Leadership Roles and Moderator-Panelist Trends at Recent Conferences. Grewal MR, Faust C, Eljamri S, Daniels K, Stapleton AL, Simons J, Pulsipher A, Smith KA, Padia R. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2026 Apr;174(4):989-996. doi: 10.1002/ohn.70154. Epub 2026 Feb 6. PMID: 41649224
Opioid Analgesia Following Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Whelan RL, McCoy JL, Mirson L, Maguire RC, Jabbour N, Simons JP, Dohar JE, Kitsko DJ, Stapleton AL, Tobey ABJ, Alper CM, Shaffer AD, Bennett ZR, Chi DH. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Aug;173(2):392-401. doi: 10.1002/ohn.1280. Epub 2025 May 21. PMID: 40396501
Long-Term Incidence and Outcomes of Sinonasal and Otologic Disease in Patients With Pyriform Aperture Stenosis and Choanal Atresia. Godse NR, Lu N, Shaffer AD, Stapleton AL. J Craniofac Surg. 2022 Jul-Aug 01;33(5):1409-1412. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000008604. Epub 2022 Mar 11. PMID: 35275859
Predictors of sinonasal disease onset, progression, and severity in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients. Weinstock MS, Shaffer AD, Stapleton AL. Am J Otolaryngol. 2021 Sep-Oct;42(5):103016. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2021.103016. Epub 2021 Mar 31. PMID: 33836483
Dr. Stapleton's research work is centered on studying the bacteriology of chronic sinusitis in pediatric patients and in cystic fibrosis patients. She conducts translational research studying the microbiome of the pediatric sinonasal cavity. She also studies pediatric skull base disease and clinical outcomes data in the pediatric patients with rhinologic disease.
1. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Grant: Clinical and microbiological assessment of CFTR modulators and Sinus Disease
2. American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) Research Grant: Breastmilk feeding and the middle ear microbiome of children with cleft palate.
3. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Grant: Clinical and microbiological assessment of CFTR modulators and Sinus Disease in Young Children