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 Santa Maria, MD, PhD
Professor, Otolaryngology
Division Chief, Otology/Neurotology
Vice Chair of Translational Research, Department of Otolaryngology
Greg Basura, MD, PhD
Professor, Otolaryngology
Philip Perez, MD
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology
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, Otolaryngology
Joseph Furman, MD, PhD
Professor, Otolaryngology, Neurology, Physical Therapy and Bioengineering
Director, UPMC Division of Balance Disorders
Catherine Palmer, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Communication Science and Disorders
Director, Audiology
Thanos Tzounopoulos, PhD
Director, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center
Endowed Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Otolaryngology
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