Otolaryngology Research Program

DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

For more than 100 years, groundbreaking research conducted by the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has catalyzed breakthroughs in patient care. Our faculty, scientists, and researchers, who comprise the Otolaryngology Research Program, are continuously pioneering less invasive treatments for the diverse conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat.

The Otolaryngology Research Program has grown exponentially over the past decade. Funded by private donations as well as government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the program’s philosophy is that no investigative question is too bold, and no research goal is too lofty.

Otolaryngology Division Research

Our research aims to advance understanding of disease causes, enhance patient outcomes, and promote new technologies and therapies that minimize or supplant invasive procedures. Faculty members from every division within the Department take part in our investigative efforts. Within the Otolaryngology Research Program, collaboration is constant, and we welcome contributions from researchers near and far with the goal of improving patient care.

For more than 20 years, the Head and Neck Cancer Research Program has been dedicated to expanding treatment options through scientific investigation. Encompassing an expert team of faculty, researchers, scientists, and biologists, the program served as the foundation for the first donor tracheal transplant, the first transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer in New York, and remains one of the leading resources for dormant tumor cell studies and HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer research.

The program’s clinical trials and research areas include:

Sinai Robotic Surgery Trial in HPV-related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SIRS 2.0 Trial). Led by Raymond Chai, MD, the SIRS 2.0 clinical trial builds on the findings of the program’s first SIRS study, which demonstrated that patients with early-stage HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent transoral robotic surgery, followed by reduced-dose radiation, had favorable survival with excellent function.
Environmental Exposures in Thyroid Health. Aiming to elucidate the potential role of environmental exposures in thyroid cancer and thyroid disease, the Head and Neck Cancer Research Program supports several clinical trials in this area. One trial, led by Maaike Van Gerwen, MD, PhD, investigates the distribution of World Trade Center-related pollutants in the tissue of first responders diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Another trial, also led by Dr. Gerwen, studies whether past exposure to Agent Orange is associated with more aggressive thyroid cancer features.
The Role of the Microbiome in Head and Neck Cancers. Recent advances in gene sequencing and metagenomics (the analysis of genetic material from a community of organisms) have enabled investigators to identify unculturable microbes and study the relationship between the microbiome and various diseases. The Head and Neck Cancer Research Program supports research and clinical trials that characterize the microbiome in cancer patients–including non-smokers and non-drinkers—to identify ways to modify it and reduce the risk of cancer.
Optical Imaging Research. Scientists within the Head and Neck Cancer Research Program launched the Optical Imaging Program to explore the use of new optical technologies, such as high-resolution micro-endoscopy, to improve the rate of clear resections in sensitive areas such as the larynx, tongue, throat, and palate, while preserving normal tissue.

Throughout our facial plastic and reconstructive surgery investigative initiatives, prioritizing research about facial nerve palsy and paralysis to better understand which treatments work for specific patients has become a cornerstone of the Division. With the help of video and photographic analysis, we assess outcomes to determine how to personalize each patient’s treatment. We are also investigating improvements to wound care and outcomes in rhinoplasty.

Research at the Division of Laryngology spans the entire field, and includes performance and professional voice disorders, post-COVID tracheal complications, transgender outcomes, chronic cough, custom implants for laryngoplasty, chondrosarcoma surgery, and behavioral therapy in the prevention of reformation of a laryngeal lesion or vocal cord polyp. These investigations embody the mission of the Grabscheid Voice and Swallowing Center, which exists to enhance education and further clinical breakthroughs for this set of disorders.

At the Ear Institute at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, our faculty and researchers focus on innovating technology, surgical approaches, and outcomes that improve patient care. We were the first to perform a mastoidectomy using the “exoscope” (a robotic arm with enhanced surgical visualization) and are one of few otologic teams to offer endoscopic cholesteatoma, acoustic neuroma, and glomus tumor removal. We are also consistently among the first to test new hearing aids and implants.

Ongoing investigations among our pediatric otolaryngologists include tonsillectomy, pain control post-tonsillectomy, airway disorders, and laryngomalacia. A heavy emphasis is placed on better understanding of pediatric head and neck cancers through translational research, as well as improving outcomes in speech delay.

To provide less invasive surgical treatments, the rhinology research team collaborates across disciplines within Mount Sinai Health System—and beyond it with promising startups—to leverage technology in novel ways that improve patient care. Our current rhinology research studies include investigating the impact of fish oil on post-COVID patients with anosmia; 7-tesla MRI for sinonasal malignancies; virtual reality for pain distraction; gabapentin as a remedy to reduce postoperative opioid consumption; and enhanced cancerous cell visualization with 5-Aminolevulinic acid.

At Mount Sinai Health System, our sleep surgeons are known for treating the most difficult cases of obstructive sleep apnea by implementing innovative surgical alternatives. These efforts, backed by our sleep surgery research, include serving as one of the first hospitals in New York to offer the Inspire therapy hypoglossal nerve-stimulating implant, and one of the first hospitals in the country to perform robotic surgery for sleep apnea. Along with our rhinology colleagues, we are additionally investigating gabapentin as a pharmacologic agent to reduce postoperative opioid consumption.