International Faculty
ENT
Richard Irving - United Kingdom
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
of England and is on the specialist register of the General Medical Council. MD FRCS
Specialty: Middle ear surgery, Implantation Otology, Management of skull base tumours and acoustic neuroma.
Biography:
Richard Irving is a Consultant in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery and Honorary Professor in Bioengineering. He works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Children's Hospital in Birmingham UK. He qualified from London University and trained in London, Cambridge and San Francisco. Richard has a broad clinical practice including implantation otology, chronic ear disease, facial nerve, vertigo, lateral skull base and vestibular schwannoma surgery. He is active in research with ongoing projects covering molecular genetics, auditory implant technology and balance. He has over 120 publications and is heavily involved in postgraduate education and training. Richard is the immediate past president of the British Society of Otology and President of the RSM Section of Otology.
Prepageran Narayanan - Malaysia
AM (Mal), FRCS ORL-HNS (Glasg), USMLE (US), DPMP, FRCS (Edin), FAAO HNS (US), F'ship in Neurotology/Otology (Can), MSORL (UM), DPT, MBBS (UM)
Expertise: Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Advanced Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, Otology, Neurotology, Skull Base Surgery and Cochlear Implants.
Biography:
Professor Dr Prepageran Narayanan started his career with MBBS University Malaya in 1993. His area of expertise includes Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Advanced Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, Otology, Neurotology, Skull Base Surgery and Cochlear Implants.
He worked abroad in UK under the sponsorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. (Certificate of Completion of Training) in 98-99 and Clinical Fellowship in Neurotology & Advanced Otology ,Skull Base Surgery ( Nov 2002–Nov 2003) in Toronto General Hospital , University Health Network , University of Toronto.
He is currently Professor and Head of Dept of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya and Chairman of the National Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Specialty Training Board . He is very actively involved in research with numerous research grants.
He is often an invited expert Surgeon for Complex endoscopic sinonasal skull base, Cochlear Implant and Neurotology cases in the Malaysia and the Region. He is currently the visiting professor of Chiang Mai University and is the Mentors of the Skull Base Fellowship program in University Malaya which receives fellows and surgeons from all over the worlds for attachment and training.
He is a member of numerous national and international organizations including the International Consensus of Nasal Polyps Working Group, Asean Rhinology Society, Academy of Medicine: Malaysia, American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Asean Academy of Neurotology and Otology, and International Federation of Skull Base Surgery. He is also a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow. He is also member of Court of examiner in Masters in ENT in Malaysia and has been an external examiner for numerous Masters thesis and currently supervises PhD student. He has been the external examiner of the Singapore Masters ENT Examination in 2011.
He has been awarded numerous local and international awards including the Excellent Service Award and the Certificate of Merit for Distinguished Service, as well as the Distinction in Masters in Otolaryngology, all by the University of Malaya; is a four-time recipient of the Certificate of Merit ( for CME-Malaysian Medical Association) by the Malaysian Medical Association; Medals for innovations at Innovation and Invention Exhibitions and gold medals for international presentations. He has also been named in the prestigious Whos Who in Asia Marquis, as well as the Whos Who in Medicine and Healthcare Marquis Whos Who (6th Edition; 2006-2007). U.S.A.
He is the author of more than 9 textbooks, more than 110 papers published in local and international journals with numerous surgical video demonstrations to his credit. He is currently part of Editorial Board and Reviewer of more than 15 journals (Local & International). He is also a well-sought after speaker and presenter in his area of expertise and has been invited to give lectures more than 200 conferences and workshops locally and internationally.
Vinidh Paleri - United Kingdom
Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon MBBS MS FRCS (CSiG) FRCS(ORL-HNS)
Specialty: Head and neck, Thyroid
Special Interests: Transoral robotic surgery
Biography:
Professor Paleri has both a private and NHS practice in the Head and Neck Unit at The Royal Marsden. Following training in Otolaryngology in India and the UK, he completed fellowship training in Head and Neck Oncology in Adelaide and was appointed as Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals in 2005, and as Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at Newcastle University in 2015.
He is one of the few surgeons in the UK with expertise in Transoral Robotic Surgery and Transoral Laser Microsurgery for head and neck cancers, and has accrued the largest experience in Transoral Robotic Surgery in the UK. He has pioneered a new robotic technique to remove throat cancers that recur following previous treatment and is the first surgeon in the UK to perform robotic free flap reconstructions. He is passionate about researching new minimally invasive techniques to treat head and neck cancers.
His research interests are primarily on the processes of care, decision making and functional outcomes in head and neck oncology. He has published over 170 papers, reviews and book chapters on head and neck oncology. He is the chief investigator for the NIHR funded TUBE trial and contributes as co-investigator and principal investigator for several other national trials.
He currently serves as Chairman of the research council for the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists, and as member of the following national bodies: Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Studies Group of the National Cancer Research Institute, the Interventional Procedures Panel of the National Institute for Health Research, ENT-UK Head & Neck Society and the Guidelines committee for the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on Upper aerodigestive tract cancer.
He co-edited the fourth and fifth editions of the UK National Head and Neck Cancer Multidisciplinary Management Guidelines, and the volume on "Head and Neck Surgery" for the 8th edition of Scott-Brown's Otolaryngology, the leading multi-volume multi-author textbook in the specialty in the world. He is an Associate Editor for Head and Neck, the top ranked journal in the field, Senior Reviews Editor for the Journal of Laryngology and Otology, one of the oldest journals in the field (est. 1887) and serves on the editorial board for several other leading journals in the specialty.
James Palmer - USA
James Palmer, MD is Co-Director of the Cranial Base Center, Director of the Division of Rhinology, a Professor of Neurosurgery and a head and neck surgeon.
Specialty: Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery
Biography:
Dr. Palmer graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1995. Dr. Palmer works in Philadelphia, PA and 2 other locations and specializes in Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Palmer is affiliated with Hospital Of The University Of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Pennsylvania Hospital.
Dr. Palmer also works in the Penn Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) Center, Cranial Base Surgery Program, Pituitary Tumor Center, and Rhinology Services.
Dennis Poe - USA
Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and a full-time faculty member of the Department of Otolaryngology and Communications Enhancement at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Specialty: Eustachian tube disorders. His research activities focus on otitis media and disorders of the Eustachian tube, specifically investigating the inflammatory basis of Eustachian tube dysfunction and conducting research on novel medical and surgical treatments.
Biography:
I have spent my career in Boston, MA practicing Heotology/neurotology and skull base surgery. I’ve worked to develop minimally invasive endoscopic surgical techniques in this field and developed new procedures for Eustachian tube disorders. My research activities focus on otitis media and disorders of the Eustachian tube, specifically investigating the inflammatory basis of Eustachian tube dysfunction and conducting research on novel medical and surgical treatments. I came to Boston Children’s hospital in 2003 after spending nine years in private practice and I previously worked at Tufts Medical Center and Lahey Clinic. In 2011, I completed a PhD at the University of Tampere, Finland in Pathophysiology and Surgical Treatment of the Eustachian tube and did postdoctoral work with the NanoEar European Union consortium on nanotechnology for targeted delivery of inner ear and middle ear therapy. I now work to develop new methods to understand and treat Eustachian tube disorders, offering these techniques to my patients and teaching others internationally in these methods. I run the International Eustachian Tube Study Group and I serve as the principle investigator for two multicenter clinical trials of Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty.
Philosophy of Care
It has been a rewarding privilege to be able to serve my patients over the many years of my career to date. Although I initially trained in Bio-Medical Engineering, I knew that my calling would be in caring for patients. I have devoted my efforts to taking the best possible care of my patients, who are like my family when they are under my responsibility. Additionally, I have always pursued research into finding better ways to improve upon that care. Equally important has been my goal of training other doctors and surgeons to share in my values and to benefit from my experience. Ear and communication disorders are among the most common and disabling problems worldwide and it became my mission to work on the means to try to prevent these problems from occurring or worsening. We have been fortunate enough to make significant advances in these goals, creating new understanding of some of the diseases, developing diagnostic methods and surgical therapy that is making a difference in the outcomes in our patients. Joining Boston Children’s Hospital brought to me the opportunity to increasingly focus my efforts for treating these diseases in the most vulnerable times of our patients’ lives.
Russell Ries - USA
Professor of Otolaryngology. Carol and John S. Odess Professor in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology Program. Director for the Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship
Specialty: Cosmetic and Reconstructive Facial Plastic Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Functional Nasal Surgery, Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat), Plastic Surgery within the Head and Neck and Rhinoplasty
Biography:
Board Certifications:
Otolaryngology - American Board of Otolaryngology, 1985
Education:
Doctor of Medicine - University of Tennessee Memphis, 1978
Internship - City of Memphis Hospital, 1979
Internship - Baptist Memorial Hospital, 1980
Residency - Baptist Memorial Hospital, 1981
Residency - Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 1984
Fellowship - Tulane Medical Center, 1985
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Shakeel Saeed - United Kingdom
Professor of Otology / Neuro-otology University College London, Ear Institute. Consultant ENT and Skullbase Surgeon, Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
Specialty: Ear, nose and throat services (ENT), Brain Tumour Service (Neuro-Oncology)
Research Interests: Outcomes in lateral skullbase surgery and cochlear implantation. Discovery science in cochlear implants, vestibular regeneration. Facial palsy and enhancing outcomes of surgery
Biography:
Professor Saeed graduated from King’s College, London and has been a consultant ENT and skullbase surgeon in Manchester Royal Infirmary and Hope Hospital until his present Professorial appointment in London. He also holds honorary appointments at University College Hospital, King’s College Hospital, Guy’s Hospital as well as St George’s Hospital in London.
He has extensive experience in lateral skullbase surgery as well as implantation otology and has published prolifically on these topics. He undertakes peer review as well as serves on the editorial board for numerous international journals. He is enthusiastically active in otological research and currently holds £1.5 Million in research grants.
As President of the British Society of Academics in Otorhinolaryngology he is on the council of the British Association of Otolaryngologists – Head and Neck Surgeons. He is the treasurer of the British Skullbase Society and the Vice-President of the British Cochlear Implant Group. He is also the current Vice President of the Royal Society of Medicine, Section of Otology, and the President elect designate 2013 to 2014.
He is currently the Divisional Clinical Director for Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital (RNTNEH).