Biographical Profiles
as of 30 November 2024
Foreign Speakers
Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD
Director, Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health
Professor, Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health and Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health
U.S.A.
Professor Lin completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Brown University and his medical education, residency in otolaryngology, and Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins. He completed further otologic fellowship training in Switzerland. He joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins in 2010 and is a practicing otologist with expertise in the medical and surgical management of hearing loss. His epidemiologic research established the impact of hearing loss on the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and brain aging in older adults and served as the basis of the Lancet Commission on dementia conclusion that hearing loss is one of the largest potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. He currently leads the ACHIEVE study which is a $40M NIH-funded randomized trial that established the effect of hearing intervention on reducing cognitive decline. As the founder and inaugural director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Dr. Lin leads a first-in-kind research center resulting from an academic-industry collaboration that is dedicated to training a generation of clinicians and researchers to understand and address the impact of hearing loss on adults and public health.
He has worked extensively with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to address the need for more accessible and affordable hearing care for adults in the United States. From 2014-2016, he served on sequential NASEM committees (workshop, consensus study) investigating this issue and concurrently advised the White House President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) on their report. Recommendations from these groups led to bipartisan passage of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, which he testified on before Congress and enactment of OTC hearing aid regulations in the U.S. in October 2022. Currently, Dr. Lin is leading the Hearing Number initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health which seeks to transform global public awareness and perceptions of hearing health through directly empowering individuals to test and understand their own hearing. He also serves as a member on both the Board on Health Sciences Policy and Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence at the National Academies.
Sumit Agrawal, MD
Professor and Chair, Dept. of ORL-HNS Western University and London Health Sciences Centre Canada
Professor Agrawal completed his fellowship in Neurotology & Skull Base Surgery and his clinical interests include cochlear implantation, vestibular surgery, and lateral skull base tumours. He is co-director of the Auditory Biophysics Laboratory and his current research involves middle-ear biomechanics, surgical simulation, imaging techniques, and artificial intelligence.
Marco Caversaccio, MD
Professor and Chairman, Dept. of ENT-HNS University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital) Switzerland
Following his studies in human medicine at the University of Geneva, Professor Caversaccio undertook his fellowship at the University Hospital in Bern, Technical University in Munich as well as at the Imperial College in London. Besides his clinical activities and annual course organization of Swiss Ear Courses, he is currently working on various research projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the European Research Foundation. He continues to be the Vice-Director of the ARTORG Research Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, a post he has held since 13 years ago.
He is a well-known technology expert for the development and implementation of novel surgical techniques and systems in the area of Otology, Rhinology and Skull Base. He has conducted First in Man studies like the Robotic Cochlea implantation as well the insertion of the Bone Anchoring Port for Nephrodialysis. He is member of the Swiss, German, French societies for ENT, of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and of the Collegium ORL Amicitiae Sacrum.
Joachim Müller, MD
Professor and Head, Cochlear Implants and Hearing Prosthetics Dept. of ORL-HNS University Clinic Munich Grosshadern Germany
Professor Müller is an internationally-recognized otolaryngologist and cochlear implant surgeon well known for his work in biomaterials in middle ear surgery, middle ear implant and cochlear implant. Together with Professor Jan Helms, they performed the world’s first bilateral cochlear implantation in children.
He has performed surgical case studies on cochlear implants including a pediatric patient with profound bilateral hearing loss who received a SYNCHRONY cochlear implant, and a surgical case study on implanting the BONEBRIDGE Active Bone Conduction implant.
His research includes the effectiveness of cochlear implantation and electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) in various hearing loss etiologies, including genetic factors, and implantation with longer electrodes to stimulate the most apical region of the cochlea.
Brian Kaplan, MD
Senior Vice President, Global Strategy and Innovation, Cochlear Limited, AustraliaChairman, Dept. of Otolaryngology and Director, Cochlear Implant Program, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, U.S.A.
Dr. Kaplan is a distinguished otolaryngologist specializing in head and neck surgery. Since 2011, he has been serving as the Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), USA. His leadership in this program has been instrumental in advancing cochlear implant technology and improving patient outcomes. He is also the Senior Vice President of Clinical Strategy & Innovation at Cochlear Limited where he applies his expertise to the development and implementation of cutting-edge auditory solutions.
Dr. Kaplan’s previous research interests have included cartilage and inner ear hair cell regeneration and he has been a study investigator assessing various ototopical agents, along with hybrid and traditional cochlear implantation. His current practice focuses on medical and surgical treatment of the ear, hearing loss, and implantable hearing technology.
Dr. Kaplan is Board Certified in Otolaryngology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance.
Robert JS Briggs, MD
Clinical Professor, Dept. of Surgery and Otolaryngology, University of MelbourneMedical Director, Cochlear Implant Clinic, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
Australia
Professor Briggs is an otolaryngologist with a clinical practice and research specializing in otology and neurotology. He has extensive experience with acoustic neuroma surgery and with cochlear implantation. His research has focused on cochlear implant electrode development and safety as well as cochlear implant outcomes particularly in young children.
After completing otolaryngology (head and neck) surgery training in Melbourne in 1989, he undertook a further 3-year clinical fellowship training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the U.S.A., the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital in London, and at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles.
In Seok Moon, MD
Professor, Dept. of ORL/ Director, Surgical Anatomy Education Center Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine South Korea
Professor Moon is a world-renowned neuro-otologist specializing in advanced lateral skull base and endoscopic ear surgeries. He has gained global recognition for his innovative and pioneering surgeries, having performed over 800 Vestibular Schwannoma surgeries and more than 150 external auditory canal carcinoma surgeries. His clinical breakthroughs include Korea’s first auditory brainstem implantation in NF2 patients, Asia’s first total transcanal endoscopic acoustic tumor removal, and the world’s first simultaneous endoscopic acoustic tumor removal and cochlear implantation. He is also active in artificial intelligence and precision medicine, developing AI-based studies and programs for diagnosing, treating, and predicting otological diseases. His achievements include developing diagnostic markers through liquid biopsy, personalized drug therapy for tumors, and gene therapy, applying these technologies in both clinical practice and education.
Dató Lokman Saim, MD
Professor Emeritus and Vice Chancellor KPJ Healthcare University Malaysia
Professor Emeritus Saim is an ENT surgeon, with sub-specialization in otology and neurotology. His clinical practice is at KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospistal, Kuala Lumpur. He was formerly Professor of Otorhinolaryngology and Dean Faculty of Medicine and Director of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center.
He is past president of the ASEAN Otorhinolaryngological-Head and Neck Federation (1997 -1998). He is a member of the College of Surgeons and a Fellow of Academy of Medicine of Malaysia since 1995. He was president of the Malaysian Society of ORL-HNS in the year 1995.
He is among the pioneer in cochlear implant surgery in ASEAN and assists in the establishment of new cochlear implant centers in ASEAN and Asia Pacific region. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards for his clinical work and academic leadership, counting among these are the Anugerah Dekan Fakultas Kedokteran, Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Padjajaran, Bandung Indonesia in 2010, International Public Service Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation in 2016, Honorary Fellow, Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeons in 2016, and the National Outstanding Educator Award (University Category) Private Education Excellence Award in 2018 . He was conferred Emeritus Professor by the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia at the university’s 50th Convocation Ceremony in November 2019.
He received his medical degree from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1984 and his Master of Surgery (ORL) from the same university in 1991. He obtained his Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons Edinburgh in 1989 . He undertook a Research Fellowship in otology and neuro-otology at the Harvard Medical School-Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1993-1994. He was appointed Clinical Professor at the School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University Sydney in 2010- 2013.
Regie Lyn Santos-Cortez, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of ORL-HNSSchool of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
U.S.A.
Dr. Santos-Cortez performs basic and translational research in the Dept. of ORL-HNS. Her lab performs genomic analyses to identify common and rare variants that modulates susceptibility to several otolaryngologic diseases, including hearing loss and otitis media. The studies are made possible through close collaboration with scientists and clinicians on campus and in multiple institutions within the US and the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
She graduated from the UP College of Medicine and took her residency in otorhinolaryngology at the UP-Philippine General Hospital. She studied genetic epidemiology in Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and did most of her PhD work on the genetics of non-syndromic hearing impairment at the Leal lab at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
She was a 2012 recipient of the Collette Ramsey Baker Research by the Hearing Health Foundation
Yuen Heng Wai, MD, MMed (ORL), MHPE
Senior Consultant and ENT-HNS Surgeon
Ear Nose Throat, Head & Neck Surgery
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
Singapore
Dr. Yuen is internationally recognized for his expertise in treating ear conditions like hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, and ear infection. He founded and spearheaded the Cochlear Hearing Implant program as well as the lateral skull base service in Changi General Hospital and SingHealth. He is widely recognized for his expertise in working with neurosurgeons on lateral skull base conditions, particularly vestibular schwannoma surgery.
He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the DukeNUS Medical School and the College of Design and Engineering at the NUS.
After completing his basic and advanced ENT specialist training in Singapoe, he won the prestigious Ministry of Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Award for a subspecialty in otology, neurotology, hearing implants, and skull base surgery at the world-famous Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto, Canada. Subsequently, he was given a a second Fellowship training award at the prestigious Ear Science Institute Australia (Perth). He holds a Master in Health Professions Education from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
He is the immediate past Director of the Otology, Neurotology and Hearing Implant Service in the Department of ORL-HNS at the Changi General Hospital. Under his leadership, the service developed into the foremost cochlear implant centre especially for adult patients, with strong research and stellar clinical track record.
He sits in the ENT Residency Advisory Committee and the Specialist Exit Examination Committee. He remains a Visiting Consultant to Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Changi General Hospital.
He has published in widely in peer-reviewed journals and is an editorial member on the prominent Otology & Neurotology journal.
Daniel M. Kaplan, MD, MHA
Professor and Chief, Dept. of ORL-HNS
Soroka University Medical Center Israel
Professor Kaplan is serving for over 5 years as the president of the Israeli Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery Society.
He had his post-residency fellowship in otology-neurotology at the University of Toronto-Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and the Toronto General Hospital. He is the founder and director of the Soroka Cochlear Implant program and devotes his work treating hearing loss, cholesteatoma and vertigo.
His research is mostly clinical and has centered around a series of studies on necrotizing otitis externa, cochlear implant surgery and vestibular disturbances. He has published over 90 articles. He teaches temporal dissection courses around the world and heads an international course on vertigo.
Jose Juan Barajas de Prat, MD, PhD
Clínica Barajas Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Spain
Dr. Barajas spent a number of years working in Madrid at the Clínica del Trabajo. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Auditory Physiology Laboratory at UCLA, USA. His academic and clinical training was further advanced through distinctions awarded by the Spanish and US Commissions, enabling him to continue his studies at the Foundation of Otology in Los Angeles, California, and at the University of Cincinnati, USA. Additionally, he worked at the University Hospital in Odense, Denmark. As a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, he conducted research in the Neurology Department of the University of Ulm, Germany. He has also served as a Professor at the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands, Spain, and as an ENT consultant with the Spanish National Health Service.
A prolific contributor to the fields of audiology and the electrophysiology of the Auditory System, Dr. Barajas has numerous publications in leading international journals and has authored several book chapters. He serves on the editorial boards of various international publications and is a frequent speaker at global conferences, courses, and seminars.
He is the founder and current president of the Canary Island Foundation for the Prevention of Deafness. Dr. Barajas also serves as the Director for Spain of the Special Olympics Healthy Hearing Programme (2003) and has been honored with the Appreciation Award at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan (2005), and the World Summer Games in Athens, Greece (2011). His clinical and training work extends to the Fundación Totaí in Bolivia and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Dr Barajas is a board member and annual speaker at the Hearing International Meeting and an active participant in global humanitarian audiology initiatives. He is also a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Workshop on the Provision of Hearing Aids and Services for Developing Countries in Geneva, Switzerland, and a regular contributor to WHO programmes on the prevention of deafness and hearing loss.
Dr. Barajas has served on the Executive Board of the International Society of Audiology, the European Federation of Audiological Societies, and the Mediterranean Society of Audiology and Otology. He is an honorary member of the Italian and Spanish Societies of Audiology and Phoniatrics and has twice served as president of the Association of Physicians in Audiology. In recognition of his contributions to the field, he was awarded the International Award by the American Academy of Audiology in 2017. He currently serves as an advisor to the Scientific Committee for National Clinical Research in Otolaryngology Diseases in China.
Andrew W. Smith
Professor and Coordinator for Training in Public Health Planning for Hearing Impairment International Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineUnited Kingdom
Mr. Smith is a world-renowned public health expert. He worked at the World Health Organization in Geneva from 1996 to 2008, managing the Programme for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment. His interest is studying, promoting and teaching public health approaches to the prevention and rehabilitation of hearing loss in less developed parts of the world, and in disadvantaged communities in high-income countries.
James W. Hall III, PhD
Professor Salus University and University of HawaiiU.S.A.
Dr. Hall is an internationally recognized audiologist with 40-years of clinical, teaching, research, and administrative experience. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the American International College, his master’s degree in Speech Pathology from the Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. in Audiology from Baylor College of Medicine under the direction of James Jerger. He has held clinical and academic audiology positions at major medical centers and leadership roles in the American Academy of Audiology. He is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications, invited articles, and book chapters, plus 12 textbooks. Dr. Hall now holds academic appointments as Professor (part-time) at Salus University and the University of Hawaii, as Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria South Africa, along with other adjunct and visiting professor positions in the USA and abroad.
Vinaya Manchaiah, AuD, MBA, PhD
Professor, Dept. of ORL-HNS, University of Colorado School of Medicine Director of Audiology, University of Colorado Hospital (UCHealth) U.S.A.
Professor Manchaiah is the Principal Investigator at the Virtual Hearing Lab. He also has a position as an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India.
He has worked in various clinical, research, teaching, and administrative roles, although his current academic appointment centers predominantly on research and research leadership. His research mainly focuses on improving the accessibility, affordability and outcomes of hearing and balance disorders, by promoting self-management and using digital technologies. He has authored over 250 scientific manuscripts and 6 textbooks.
Ing Ping Tang, MD
Professor and Senior Consultant, ORL-HNS Universiti Malaysia Sarawak │Sarawak General Hospital Malaysia
Professor Tang has been actively participating in various fields of research in ORL-HNS. He has published numerous articles in local and international journals, written a few books, monograph and chapters of the book on skull base surgery. He has performed hundreds of ear implants over the past 10 years.
He has completed his clinical and research fellowship in otology, neurotology, lateral skull base surgery, rhinology and advanced endoscopic skull base surgery. He was past president of the Malaysian Society of Otorhinolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons in 2019. He has been the president of the Sarawak ENT Society and president of Sarawak HEAR for the past 6 years. He is also a visiting Consultant at the Borneo Medical Centre and at the Timberland Medical Centre, Kuching, Sarawak.
Karen Lacanilao-Markgraf, AuD
Team Leader, Surgical Product Education MED-EL Austria
Karen has over 15 years of experience in the field of implantable hearing solutions. Prior to her current position, she gained experience in conducting comprehensive hearing assessments, fitting hearing aids and working with rehabilitation specialists and parents to ensure a patient-centered intervention. As a clinical associate, she served hundreds of cochlear implant recipients by providing counselling, intra-operative measurements and post-operative fitting services. Over the past decade, she has developed and implemented training programs and accredited courses for professionals in the field of hearing implants, including overseeing more than 50 TBL courses annually at the Training Lab in MED-EL Headquarters.
Karen holds a doctoral degree in Audiology and completed her Fellowship in Cochlear Implants at the Salus at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. She received her master’s degree in Clinical Audiology from the University of the Philippines Manila.
Joanna Barbara Shepherd, Mag.Phil., PGCertEd
Head of Rehabilitation MED-EL Austria
Joanna leads a team of professionals dedicated to providing rehabilitation support to hearing implant professionals worldwide. Joanna’s research interest and expertise include family-centered intervention, development of auditory behaviors, speech and language development, and multilingual language acquisition.
At MED-EL, Joanna has held significant positions that included managing, monitoring, and publishing data from clinical investigations, and assessing auditory, speech, and language development in pediatric populations with cochlear implants. Additionally, she has been instrumental in mentoring rehabilitation professionals, establishing early intervention and habilitation programs, and creating assessment, rehabilitation, and training resources.
With a deep-seated passion for linguistics and education, Joanna is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary and holistic rehabilitation approaches that promote educational equality and inclusion for children with hearing implants. She strongly advocates for family-centered services and the integration of families in therapeutic and educational settings.
Throughout her career, Joanna has actively collaborated on the development, enhancement, and establishment of numerous hearing implant rehabilitation programs globally. She also plays a pivotal role as a mentor, counselor, and supervisor for professionals and students in the field of hearing implants.
Joanna’s contributions to the field are well-documented through her publications in peer-reviewed journals, and her numerous presentations at international multidisciplinary conferences. She also serves as an external peer reviewer for several scientific journals, further showcasing her expertise and commitment to advancing the field of auditory and speech-language rehabilitation.
Celina Tobias-Grasso, AuD
Head of Education and Training MED-EL Austria
Celina is an Audiologist specializing in hearing implants. She received her doctoral degree in Audiology from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in Audiology from the University of the Philippines Manila. Celina worked as a Research Assistant for the Philippine National Ear Institute and as a Clinical Associate at MED-EL Philippines prior to joining MED-EL’s global headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria in 2010. MED-EL is a global medical technology company that manufactures cochlear implants, middle ear implants, and bone conduction systems.
Shirly Kaplan
Senior Speech Pathologist and Educational Audiologist Ministry of Education Israel
Mrs. Kaplan is the former director of the hard of hearing and deaf preschool toddlers and children in Beer Sheva and Southern district. She counsels and mentors teachers in the special education in the area of autistic spectrum disorders through the Ministry of Education. Mrs. Kaplan continues teaching postgraduate students of teaching and speech therapy in colleges and conducts courses throughout the year to professionals.
She lectures in the field of Autism and hard of hearing. She serves as a counsellor on social skills for patients with communication disorders and their parents. Additionally, Mrs. Kaplan manages a busy private practice in these fields.
Enis Alpin Güneri, MD, MScAud
Professor and Chairman, Dept. of ORL-HNS Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University Türkiye
Professor Güneri is experienced in otology and neurotology, cochlear implants and implantable hearing devices, skull base surgery and laryngology and phoniatrics. Concurrently, he is the head of the otology and neurotology, cochlear implantation and vestibular medicine programs as well as the voice laboratory unit of Dokuz Eylul Medical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
He is a past president of the Turkish Board of ORL-HNS, past president and executive board member of the Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology, and a past board member of the Turkish Society of Otology-Neurotology. He is a board member of the Turkish ORL-HNS Foundation, founder/chairman of Aegean ENT Physicians Association, founder/executive board member of the Vertigo Academy International, board member of ASPCI. He is a member of the International Working Group of Endoscopic Ear Surgery, and also an active member of many professional medical organizations, among these are the European Academy of Otology-Neurotology and the Politzer Society. He is an associate editor in Frontiers in Neurology, an editorial consultant of the International Advanced Otology as well as a reviewer for a number of other scientific journals.
His major interests are cochlear implants, endoscopic ear surgery, diagnosis and treatment of vestibular disorders (especially BPPV and Meniereʼs disease), skull base surgery, phonomicrosurgery, diagnosis, and the treatment of vocal fold paralysis.
Raymond Ngo, MD
Chair, Dept. of ORL-HNS, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital Senior Consultant, Dept. of ORL-HNS, National University Hospital Singapore
A/Professor Ngo has a subspecialty practice in endoscopic ear surgery for infections and hearing loss, cochlear implantation, lateral skull base surgery, facial nerve disorder and vestibular diagnosis and treatment.
As an Associate Professor with the National University of Singapore, he is involved in the teaching of medical undergraduates. He is also the Postgraduate Director for the Department of ORL-HNS, NUHS and supervises the continuous medical education for junior doctors. He also leads the NUHS Graduate Medical Education Committee Faculty Development Subcommittee. He is also a member of the JCST Panel of Site Accreditors and a committee member of the Chapter of Otorhinolaryngology, College of Surgeons.
He graduated in 1995 from the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland with 2nd class honours in Medicine. His internship was done in St. James Hospital, Ireland. After completion of his National Service, he was accepted into the National Specialty Training programme for Otolaryngology. He completed his Fellowship in otology-neurotology at St. Paul’s Hospital and at Vancouver General Hospital, both in Canada, under Dr. Brian Westerberg and Dr. Neil Longridge.
Napas Tanamai, MD
Center of Excellence in ORL-HNS Rajavithi Hospital Thailand
Dr. Tanamai had her start as an ENT physician at the Rajavithi Hospital and taught at the Rangsit University. She undertook observership programs in otology at the University Medical Center of Nijmegen in the Netherlands and at the Saint Augustinus Hospital in Belgium. She is currently the secretary of the Annual Asian Course in Temporal Bone and Ear Surgery of the Rajavithi Hospital, the secretary of the ear subcommittee of The Royal College of Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons of Thailand, and a volunteer for a mobile ear surgery programme that have served patients in remote areas of Thailand and in neighboring countries.
Raymond van de Berg, MD
Professor, Dept. of ORL-HNS Maastricht University Medical Center the Netherlands
Professor van de Berg is an ENT surgeon who specializes in vestibular disorders and cochlear implantation. He holds dual PhDs in medicine and biophysics and leads the Department of Audiology and the Vestibular Department at the Maastricht University Medical Center. His research focuses on vestibular implants and diagnostics, and he chairs the Bárány Society of Educational Committee.
Anita Bhandari, MD, PhD
Neurotologist, Vertigo and Ear Clinic Director, NeuroEquilibrium India
Dr. Bhandari is a renowned neurotologist and ENT surgeon with a specialization in vestibular science and the diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders. With a distinguished academic and professional career spanning several countries, she has become a global leader in her field, particularly in the study and management of vertigo and related conditions.
She earned her M.S. in ENT from SMS Medical College in Jaipur, India, and went on to complete a PhD in Vestibular Science in the Netherlands, where she deepened her expertise in the intricate mechanisms of balance and dizziness. She further honed her clinical and research skills with a training attachment at Singapore General Hospital, a leading institution in medical innovation and patient care.
Currently, she serves as the Director of NeuroEquilibrium, the world’s largest chain of vertigo and balance clinics dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of vertigo and balance disorders. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Jaipur, India, where she contributes to the education and mentorship of the next generation of medical professionals.
A prolific inventor, Dr. Bhandari holds seven patents for diagnostic equipment that advances the field of vestibular science. Her work includes two U.S. patents focused on novel technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of vertigo and balance disorders, underscoring her contributions to both clinical practice and medical innovation.
Suchitra Prasansuk, MD
Professor Emeritus Otological Center, Bangkok Unit Dept. of Otolaryngology, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University Thailand
Professor Emeritus Pransansuk established the Neuro-Oto-Audiology Unit and the Otological Center, Bangkok Unit in 1972 to accelerate neuro-oto-audiological education in Thailand. This became the first WHO Model Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Excellence (cc.108) in ‘Primary Ear and Hearing Care’, transitioning from “Survey to Service.”
She introduced advanced audiological and balance testing technologies in Thailand including the acoustic impedance meter, Bekesy audiometer, otoacoustic emissions (OAE), auditory brainstem response (ABR), electronystagmography (ENG), caloric testing, and posturography. She pioneered the implementation of hearing aids and cochlear implants for patients with hearing impairments and successfully advocated for legislation enabling hearing-handicap registration to provide free hearing aids. Additionally, she initiated the Newborn Hearing Screening Program, ensuring early detection and intervention for hearing impairments.
Her international recognition is evident through her roles as a WHO consultant for ear and hearing protection and prevention projects since 1988 as well as her contributions as the founder of multiple organizations – Hearing International (1992), ASEAN Otorhinolaryngology (ASEAN ORL) (1999), ASEAN Academy of Neuro-Oto-Audiology (AANOA), International Federation of Otorhinolaryngology Societies (IFOS), and the International Society of Audiology (ISA).
Siriporn Limviriyakul, MD
Associate Professor, Otological Center, Bangkok Unit Otology, Neurotology, Audiology and Balance Division Dept. of Otolaryngology, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University Thailand
Dr. Limviriyakul currently holds the position of Secretary of the Otological Center, Bangkok Unit and serves as the Head of the Undergraduate Program within the Department of Otolaryngology. In her academic role, she is actively involved in lecturing medical students, training residents, and supervising fellowship programs.
Her research interests are centered on neuro-oto-audiology where she applies her specialized expertise to advance the education and training of residents and fellows. Clinically, her career has been dedicated to the fields of otology and neurotology, emphasizing the management of auditory and vestibular disorders.
Patorn Piromchai, MD
A/Professor of Otolaryngology Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University Thailand
A/Professor Piromchai is a renowned otolaryngologist specializing in ear, hearing, and balance disorders, with a strong focus on cochlear implantation and hearing rehabilitation. Dr. Piromchai has extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and medical education. His research includes advancements in surgical techniques, hearing aid technologies, and community outreach initiatives to improve ear and hearing care access in underserved populations. An advocate for innovative medical solutions, he actively collaborates with national and international organizations to enhance patient outcomes and medical training in otolaryngology.
Ronny Suwento, MD, PhD
Coordinator, WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital Indonesia
Dr. Suwento completed his medical degree in 1980 and went on to specialize in Otolaryngology at Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia. He holds a PhD in Otolaryngology where his research focused on Total Bilirubin/Albumin Ratio as a predictor of SNHL based on ABR and OAE in Low Birth Neonatal with Hyperbilirubinemia.
He is an ENT specialist and consultant with over 33 years of dedicated experience in both clinical practice and academia at Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia. His work combines comprehensive patient care in ear, nose, and throat disorders with a strong commitment to Pediatric Audiology.
Since 2004, he has been the Coordinator of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment at Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital.
Tri Juda Airlangga Hardjoprawito, MD, PhD
Research Coordinator, Dept. of ENT Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo HospitalIndonesia
Dr. Hardjoprawito is a Consultant in otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery with primary focus on hearing in communicative disorder especially in babies and children. He has been an integral member of the ENT medical staff and a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, and at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. From 2009 to 2012, he coordinated quality improvement initiatives at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.
In addition to his clinical work, he has been the Clinical Director of the Healthy Hearing Program for Special Olympics Indonesia since 2014 and was the Head of the ENT Department at Universitas Indonesia and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital from 2016 to 2021.
He embarked on his medical journey at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia where he earned his medical degree in 1996. His dedication to advancing his expertise led him to become an ENT specialist in 2005 and a consultant for ENT community services in 2013. Most recently, in 2021, he completed his doctoral program.
He is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Indonesian Medical Association, Indonesian Otolaryngology Society, International Society of Audiology, Hearing International, and The Coalition for Global Hearing Health.
Nyilo Purnami, MD
Professor and Senior Consultant, Dept. of ENT Dr. Soetomo Academic General Hospital │Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga Indonesia
Professor Purnami has been involved in clinical work, research, education, and community services for over 25 years. She holds several positions in local and national organizations – as vice chair of the Indonesian ORL-HNS Society and chairperson of the committee in East Java Province on the Management of Hearing Impairment and Deafness Prevention.
She has initiated collaboration between the University and worked with the Ministry of Health to make ear and hearing care guidelines. She has been involved in setting up five easy-access resource centers in east Java such as the Hearing and Communication Centers that was developed in collaboration with East Java and Western Australia, with the support of Hearing Aid for East Java. Currently, she is working with many parties who support the development of the new study program for audiology and speech therapy at Universitas Airlangga.
She has been trained in Japan under the grant of Hearing International Japan for six months and trained in Perth, Western Australia, under POSH, Hearing Aid for East Java and East Java Provincial Government. She has worked with the Rotary Club of Cambridge, Western Australia, and the Rotary Club of Surabaya as well as received a grant from the Rotary Club International for the East Java Hearing Project. She has been recognized by the East Java Governor for supporting the disabled in the community. Grants and awards have been granted to her in the research field. Some of her research papers about the quality of life have been published in medical journals in Indonesia and internationally.
Bu Xingkuan, MD
Director, HI Jiangsu Ear and Hearing Center Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing Medical University People’s Republic of China
Dr. Bu is a Professor and Chief Physician at the Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing Medical University. He is an expert in otology and audiology. He has won multiple awards – four provincial and ministerial science and technology awards, and was honored as an outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker in Jiangsu Province and in Vietnam. He holds positions in Hearing International and the World Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the Working Group on the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing.
In 1989, he went to the University of Toronto as a visiting scholar. At that time, Asia did not pay much attention to audiology. Hearing aid equipment was also not sophisticated in China. With the help of Dr. Peter Alberti, the world’s leading deafness-prevention expert, Professor Bu brought back the first real ear test hearing aid equipment to China.
He actively promotes Hearing International’s mission of “Better Hearing and Balance for All”, the WHO resolution on Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss, and the celebration of World Hearing Day.
Ruoxi Chen, MD
Deputy Director, HI Jiangsu Ear and Hearing Center Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing Medical University People’s Republic of China
Dr. Chen is an Associate Chief Physician specializing in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, with particular expertise in ear surgeries, including endoscopic and microscopic procedures. Her research interests focus on otology and audiology. She has led and participated in multiple National Natural Science Foundation projects and has published 10 research articles.
Qiaoxin Du, MD
Associate Physician and Associate Researcher China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment People’s Republic of China
Dr. Du is engaged in medical and rehabilitation work for children with special needs at the China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment (CRRCHSI). She has been engaged in maternal and child health care and child rehabilitation work for 15 years, and has accumulated a rich experience in promoting the construction of the center’s medical system, actively promoting comprehensive intervention for special needs children and families, and other aspects.
Khin Hla Hla, MD
Honorary Professor University of Medicine 1 Yangon │ University of Medicine Mandalay Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Professor Khin Hla Hla is a former professor of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Medicine 1 Yangon. She has published a number of peer-reviewed research papers on Audiology. She is the current president of the Neuro-Oto-Audiology Special Interest Group Myanmar. She is part of a team tasked by the Myanmar Ministry of Health with developing services for those with deafness in their country. She is a member of Hearing International and the ASEAN Academy of Neurotology, Otology and Audiology (AANOA).
Wan Min
President, Beijing Society of Audiology People’s Republic of China
Ms. Min is a member of the 10th Committee of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology. In June 2007, she founded DeafChina Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., and DeafChina Network. By the close of 2010, collaborating with 50 experts, industry entities, and philanthropists, she played a key role in establishing China’s inaugural hearing industry association, the Beijing Society of Audiology, where she was elected as the founding president. Since 2015, she has taken the lead in organizing the annual Beijing International Audiology Conference and the accompanying exhibition focused on “New Technologies, New Products, and New Services” within the audiology industry.
In 2014, her contributions were acknowledged when she was honored as a model civilian during Beijing’s “Good People, Good Deeds” campaign by the Beijing Social Work Committee. Furthermore, in 2015, Ms. Min received the prestigious “Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Award,” the highest personal honor in the Capital’s spiritual civilization construction.
Goh Bee See, MD
Professor and Senior Consultant Dept. of ORL-HNS, Faculty of Medicine Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Malaysia
Professor Goh is concurrently the Head of the Paediatric ORL-HNS unit at the UKM Specialist Children’s Hospital and the Course Director of the Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric ORL-HNS of the Faculty of Medicine, UKM. She is an active member with leadership roles in several multidisciplinary teams managing children with hearing loss and airway pathologies including the UKM Cochlear Implant, UKM Cleft Palate and Vascular Anomalies teams. Her research and publications in ENT are extensive, providing expert consultative services to fellow professionals and the community at large.
She is an internationally recognized speaker in the field of cochlear implant and paediatric airway and paediatric ORL subspecialty training in Malaysia. She was president of the Malaysian Society of ORL-HNS, board member of the Asia Pacific Paediatric Otolaryngology Group (APOG), and steering committee member of the Cochlear Implant Global Access Network. She is an international member of the CORLAS (Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum). At the moment, she is a Visiting Professor at the University of Hasannudin in Makassar, Indonesia.
She furthered her training in paediatric ORL at the Cincinnati Children Medical Centre in Ohio, USA and in otology training in UKM.
Herman A. Jenkins, MD
Professor Emeritus University of Colorado School of Medicine U.S.A.
Dr. Jenkins has had a long career in academic otolaryngology with faculty positions at UCLA, Baylor College of Medicine and recently stepped down from the Chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery after 21 years at the University of Colorado. His career has centered clinically in the field of otology and neurotology and is a member of most of the prestigious societies in the field and has served as President of the American Otological Society and Vice President of the Collegium Otorhinolaryngologicum Amiticae Sacrum. He serves as Vice President and Treasurer of Hearing International.
Basha Othman, PhD
Habilitation Manager, Asia Growth Market Cochlear Ltd. Malaysia
Dr. Othman’s career spans 23 years of experience and specialization in working with the population with hearing loss, their families and fellow professionals. She is a former academic who switched to being a clinician, before joining Cochlear. Her involvement in various sectors notwithstanding, she never wavered from her strong focus and passion in hearing loss whether in teaching undergraduates and postgraduates, providing clinical services, or working with private and government agencies. In her current role with Cochlear, she provides support for habilitation professionals across the region in the company’s quest for achieving optimal outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.
She graduated from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2001 with First Class Honours with a Bachelor degree in Speech Sciences. She has a doctorate in Deafness Studies from the University of Melbourne.
Didier Portmann, MD
General Secretary Georges Portmann Institute France
Dr. Portmann is an ENT who continues a century-long tradition in his family. His great grandfather was Professor Emile Moure, one of the founders of the discipline in 1880. At that time, Professor Moure started to teach and organize meetings in ENT. His son-in-law (and Didier Portmann’s grandfather), Professor Georges Portmann, has described the surgery of decompression of the endolymphatic sac for Menière’s disease in 1926. Didier Portmann’s father, Professor Michel Portmann, is well-known for his interest in otology and otoneurology.
Since 1993, he has been working in private practice with special focus on otology and neurotology. For many years, the Georges Portmann Institute (www.institut–portmann.org) has been organizing different courses and workshops on all rotorhinolaryngology-related subjects. Presently, three sessions are being held in English yearly. The most sought-after is a course on microsurgery in otology, which is generally organized end of June. This course started in 1958 under the impulse of Professor Michel Portmann. Since 1989, Doctor Didier Portmann has been an active member of the organizing staff, performing diverse surgical demonstrations and lectures, and supervising the temporal laboratory work. Since 2004, he is the Course Director. Each year, a famous practician in the otologic field is invited.
Aside from his activities for the Georges Portmann Institute, Dr. Portmann participated, as a special guest, in numerous training courses, lectures, workshops, round tables and surgical demonstrations in France and abroad. In 1998, together with his father, he published a book on surgical techniques of the middle ear, entitled “Otologic Surgery: Manual of Oto-Surgical Techniques” (Singular Publishing Group).
Barrie Tan, MD
Senior Consultant and ENT Surgeon Barrie Tan ENT Head & Neck Surgery Singapore
Trained at the prestigious Ear Science Institute Australia, Dr. Tan was the Director of the Centre for Hearing and Ear Implants, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) from 2012-2019. Highly regarded for his work in cochlear implantation, he has performed numerous paediatric and adult cochlear implant surgeries locally as well as in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia, on the invitation of hospitals in these countries. He organized the first SGH Cochlear Implant Masterclass course in 2017 and is often an invited speaker.
Dr. Tan is also widely known for his experience with Endoscopic Ear Surgeries, a new technique of minimally invasive ear surgeries. He was the first to perform EES in Singapore General Hospital in 2014 and since then has performed numerous different types of EES ranging from Endoscopic Tympanoplasty, Myringoplasty, Tympanomastoidectomy, Ossiculoplasty, and Stapedotomy. He has been organizing the annual SGH Endoscopic Ear Surgery Course since 2016.
In SGH, he led the largest ENT department in Singapore for over 6 years. He oversaw the expansion of its clinical services and introduced the signature annual SGH ENT Instructional Course Fortnight. He is proficient in the management of the entire range of paediatric and adult ear, nose, throat, sinus, voice, snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, thyroid, and head and neck surgical conditions.
He was past president of the ASEAN Otorhinolaryngological-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation and of the Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Singapore. He currently serves as the secretary of the ASEAN Academy of Neuro-Oto-Audiology.
Olivia Wee, MSc, LSLS Cert. AVT
Founder Hear My Voice Auditory-Verbal Therapy Singapore
Ms. Wee trained as a research psycholinguist at the Master’s degree level at the National University of Singapore and graduated with a second Masters Degree in Deaf Education with a specialization in Early Oral Intervention from the United States.
With two decades of experience as an Auditory-Verbal Therapist, she has worked across both private and public sectors, coaching families and professionals on the Auditory-Verbal Approach, both locally in Singapore and globally. Her practice emphasizes collaboration with all stakeholders supporting children with hearing loss, with a shared goal of helping these children reach their fullest potential.
She advocates strongly for early and appropriate intervention, believing that children with hearing loss, regardless of its degree, can learn to listen, develop spoken language, access mainstream education, and lead fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
Through her private practice, Hear My Voice Auditory-Verbal Therapy, she provides global consultations, mentors the next generation of therapists, and passionately champions the needs of individuals with hearing loss. She also serves on the Certification Committee of the Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language in the USA.
Kamran Barin, PhD
A/Professor Emeritus, Dept. of ORL-HNS and Dept. of Speech & Hearing Science The Ohio State University U.S.A.
A/Professor Barin established and served as the Director of Balance Disorders Clinic at the Ohio State University Medical Center for over 25 years until his retirement in June 2011. He received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Electrical/Biomedical Engineering from the Ohio State University. He has published over 80 articles and book chapters and has taught national and international courses and seminars in different areas of vestibular assessment and rehabilitation.
He served on the Board of Directors of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) in 2017-2021 and is currently a consultant to Interacoustics and Bertec Corp.
William H. Slattery III, MD
Clinical Professor, Otolaryngology, USC School of Medicine Head, Dept. of Clinical Studies, House Clinic U.S.A.
Dr. Slattery is a leading expert in facial nerve and parotid gland disorders. He is board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, with special expertise in otology and neurotology.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, he received further training as an otolaryngology resident at the Shands Hospital, University of Florida. From there, he completed a Fellowship in neurotology and skull base surgery at the House Clinic in Los Angeles.
In addition to his private practice at the House Clinic, he works at the Center for Advanced Parotid and Facial Nerve Surgery and serves as director of the Clinical Studies Department at the House Ear Institute (HEI). He has also maintained a strong presence in the field as a clinical researcher.
The recipient of countless awards, Dr. Slattery currently serves as the otology and skull base section editor for the preeminent Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Journal as well as the histopathology section editor for the peer-reviewed Otology & Neurotology.
Local Speakers
Charlotte M. Chiong, MD, PhD
Professor and Dean, College of Medicine University of the Philippines Manila Philippines
Professor Chiong is an internationally recognized expert in the field of otolaryngology. Her translational research in otology and nuerotology-skull base surgery have been very beneficial to the advancement of knowledge in these fields in the country and abroad. She pioneered cochlear implantation surgery and other implantable hearing devices in the Philippines for the surgical restoration of hearing, especially in deaf children. Her body of work on hearing in children and neonates played a key role in the passage of Republic Act No. 9709 of the Philippines that established a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program for the prevention, early diagnosis and Intervention of hearing loss in newborns in 2009.
As Dean, she led efforts in producing physician scientists. She was also the founding Director of the Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center, former Director of the Philippine National Ear Institute, and was responsible for the modernization of the UP-Philippine General Hospital Ear Unit.
She completed her Research Fellowship in otology at the Harvard Medical School-Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, her Clinical Fellowship in neurotology-skull base surgery at the University of Toronto-Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, and her Doctorate in Medical Sciences at the Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. She is a National Science and Technology (NAST) academician.
Generoso T. Abes, MD, MPH
Professor Emeritus, College of Medicine University of the Philippines Manila Philippines
Professor Emeritus Abes is the first and currently only professor emeritus of otorhinolaryngology in the Philippines. It was a distinction that was given to him by the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines in 2016.
He established the Master of Clinical Audiology Program, a joint offering of the UP College of Medicine Department of Otorhinolaryngology and the UP College of Allied Medical Professions. He established also the Philippine National Ear Institute in 2002 that provides research, training and teaching facilities for students of the Master of Clinical Audiology Program as well as a training facility for UP-Philippine General Hospital ENT residents and students of the UP College of Allied Medical Professions. He was a former Vice-Chancellor for Research of the University of the Philippines Manila.
Research is one of his strong points – he is a two-time UP President’s Awardee in Research and was recognized as a Most Outstanding Alumnus in Research by the UP College of Medicine Alumni Association. Most of his work focus is in the reconstruction of middle ear structures damaged by chronic otitis media.
Norberto V. Martinez, MD
Professor, UST Faculty of Medicine & Surgery Head, Hearing and Balance Disorders Lab, St. Luke’s Medical Center BGC Philippines
He has been teaching at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) since 1989, handling medical students, residents and fellows. He delivers a lecture on the History of Medicine among first years, PE in ENT among the second years, ENT as a semestral subject in third year and finally, clerkship. He mentors ENT residents and Neuro-Otology fellows as well.
This 2024, Dr. Martinez is marking many milestones when he retires after 35 years in the academe. The ENT Department where he became a pioneer resident in the ENT residency training program in 1984 and subsequently became it chairman on multiple terms is celebrating its Ruby Anniversary. The Hearing and Dizziness Center, which he established in 1994, is celebrating its Pearl Anniversary. It was the first center in the Philippines accredited by the IFOS-ISA-HI for the global prevention of deafness and hearing impairment. The first MS in Clinical Audiology program in the Philippines will celebrate its Silver Jubilee, a program he initiated in 1999 when he saw the need to professionalize audiological services after performing the first cochlear implant in the country in 1997.
A compassionate physician, he established an NGO called Better Hearing Philippines Inc. (BHPI) in 2000 that provides free ear examination and hearing tests, including provision for hearing aids, nationally. It also provides training to primary to tertiary level personnel. His work earned him the distinction of being the most outstanding ENT in Community Service given by the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) and the most outstanding Jubilarian in Community Service given by the USTMAAA in Las Vegas.
He was recognized again by the PSO-HNS as the most outstanding ORL-HNS Specialist in Teaching for the various initiatives that he established during the pandemic. Converting his office into a virtual clinic, medical clerks were able to interview patients online and view the PE findings on the TV monitor as seen through an endoscope. He also set-up a skills lab where professional patients were examined by medical clerks to hone their competence in ENT physical examination. New services were likewise offered at the UST Hospital such as point of care ultrasound, ENT Endoscopy and Smell Clinic under his leadership.
Ma. Leah C. Tantoco, MD, MClinAud
Consultant, ENT and Audiology
UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Tantoco graduated with a medical degree from De La Salle University and had her residency training in ear, nose and throat in UP-Philippine General Hospital. After several years of practice and to further her knowledge on the management of hearing loss, she took up a Masters in Clinical Audiology in UP Manila.
She has been handling programming of post cochlear implant patients since 2008. She also supervises audiology students in testing patients in the ear unit. She was part of several programs pertaining to management of the hearing impaired such as the National Cochlear Implant Program 1 and 2 (NCIP) and HALIP.
Nathaniel W. Yang, MD
A/Professor and Chief, Section of Otology. Neurotology, Audiology and Lateral Skull Base Surgery, Dept. of ORL-HNS
UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Yang completed his residency training in ORL-HNS at the Philippine General Hospital in 1996, and then completed a 2-year ACGME-accredited clinical fellowship in otology and neurotology at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital in 2000. For the past 24 years, he has maintained a nearly pure subspecialty otologic and neurotologic clinical practice, which includes surgery for chronic mastoid disease, cochlear implantation, stapes surgery for otosclerosis, lateral skull base approaches for acoustic neuroma and other temporal bone pathology, surgery for intravestibular and semicircular canal pathology, and surgery for congenital and acquired aural atresia. He has trained generations of otolaryngology residents in otologic surgery both in the operating room and in temporal bone dissection courses. He has also disseminated knowledge in temporal bone radiology, through the conduct of regular temporal bone imaging courses and through regular publication of peer-reviewed journal articles on radiologic imaging of temporal bone pathology.
Joel A. Romualdez, MD, MClAud
Chair, Dept. of ORL-HNS, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery
University of Santo Tomas
Philippines
Dr. Romualdez is a fellow and former Board of Trustee member of the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery who trained in otology, neurotology, and lateral skull base surgery at the Inselspital University of Bern in Switzerland. He also served in various capacities as treasurer, secretary, and vice president of the Philippine Academy of Neurotology, Otology, and Related Sciences.
His commitment to the field is unwavering, as evidenced by his active involvement in professional organizations. He also holds a master’s degree in Clinical Audiology from the University of Santo Tomas. He is a founding member and former board member of the Association of Clinical Audiologists of the Philippines. He is also a member of the International Society of Audiology, demonstrating his passion for the field.
He is an associate board examiner for the Philippine Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He is concurrently the secretary of the Better Hearing Philippines, Inc. and a consultant at the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Cristopher Ed C. Gloria, MD
A/Professor, Dept. of ORL-HNS, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery
University of Santo Tomas
Philippines
Dr. Gloria is a skilled ears, nose, throat, head and neck surgeon with a specialization in otology and neurotology. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, he contributes significantly to the field through teaching and research. He also holds the important position of Program Head for the Master in Clinical Audiology program at the same institution.
His clinical expertise is evident in his leadership roles as the Unit Head of the Ears, Nose, Throat, Head, and Neck Surgery Center and as the Assistant Training Officer at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital.
Kimberly Mae C. Ong, MD, MSc
Research Assistant Professor
Philippine National Ear Institute, UP National Institutes of Health
Philippines
Dr. Ong is a dedicated physician-researcher with special interests in hearing and balance health. Her recent projects focus on adult hearing loss, particularly on occupational noise-induced hearing loss among traffic workers, and on determining the hearing and mental health systems for Filipino older adults. With a background in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery as well as a Masteral degree in Clinical Epidemiology, she plays a key role in advancing research at PNEI and translating findings into practical healthcare solutions.
She is committed to improving access to hearing and balance care by actively engaging in community outreach and collaborative projects with national and international partners to ensure that research findings inform health policies and practices, particularly benefiting underserved communities. Her work is dedicated to making evidence-based care more accessible and effective, contributing to PNEI’s mission to enhance hearing and balance health across the Philippines.
Erasmo Gonzalo DV Llanes, MD
Medical Specialist, Quirino Memorial Medical Center
Director, Philippine National Ear Institute, UP National Institutes of Health, UP Manila
Philippines
Dr. Llanes is also a Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine-Philippine General Hospital. He had his residency in ORL-HNS at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, and went further training in otology, neurotology and implant hearing surgery at Inselspital (University Hospital), University of Bern, Switzerland with Professor Rüdolf Häusler and current chairman, Professor Marco Caversaccio.
He is currently the president of the ASEAN Academy of Neurotology, Otology and Audiology, and a member of the Politzer Society. He served in the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as chair of the Research Committee in 2012 onwards, as a Board of Trustee from 2015 to 2018, and as Vice-President in 2019. He is the immediate past chair of the Philippine Academy of Neurotology, Otology and Related Sciences (PANORS) from 2015 to 2021.
He performed the first series of Baha implant and Bonebridge implant surgeries. He also initiated cochlear implant surgery in various DOH hospitals like Rizal Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Southern Philippines Medical Center, Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Rachel Reyes, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT
HearSpeech Auditory Verbal Services
Philippines
Rachel Reyes is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT®) practicing in the Philippines. She has been helping young children with hearing loss to listen and speak for over 20 years. Many of these children have grown up having proficient communication skills, are coping well in mainstream schools, and living active and happy lives in a hearing world.
Rachel’s specialized services are available to families through her private practice at HearSpeech Auditory Verbal Services. Rachel is also a trainer and mentor. She helps aspiring LSL Specialists acquire an adequate knowledge base and, through strengths-based coaching, discover and use their inherent strengths as they develop Auditory Verbal competencies necessary for providing high-quality Auditory Verbal services.
Rachel is motivated and inspired by seeing excellent listening and spoken language outcomes in the lives of the children she has helped and knowing that she is instrumental in the development and growth of the LSL professionals she is training and mentoring.
Leah M. Labrador, MS.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT
Philippines
Ms. Labrador is a Certified Listening and Spoken Language Auditory-Verbal Therapist and has more than 25 years of experience working with children and adults with hearing loss.
Prior to returning to Manila, she was the habilitation manager for Cochlear Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. She has been responsible for developing the professional training programs in Auditory-Verbal Therapy in the region and have assisted in developing AVT centers in Indonesia and Thailand.
She received her certification as an Auditory-Verbal Therapist in 2003. She has an undergraduate degree in Speech Pathology from the University of the Philippines and received her master’s degree on Deaf Education at the University of Southern California. She has also worked as a consultant and as a faculty member in 2 key universities in the Philippines. She has conducted numerous workshops for both professionals and parents around South East Asia.
Rosario R. Ricalde, MD
Director, Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center
Philippines
Dr. Ricalde is an ENT-head and neck surgeon by profession with sub-specialization in diseases of the ear, hearing and balance. She is a clinical professor of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UP-Philippine General Hospital, a tenured research faculty of the Philippine National Institutes of Health and current secretary of the Philippine Academy of Neurotology Otology and Related Sciences.
Teresa Luisa G. Cruz, MD, MHPEd
Director, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine
UP College of Medicine
Philippines
Dr. Cruz is an outstanding graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine who had her specialty residency training for otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the UP-Philippine General Hospital.
She completed a Fellowship in otology at the University of Minnesota with the esteemed Dr Michael Paparella, and holds a Master in Health Professions Education as a World Health Organization scholar at the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions,University of the Philippines Manila.
She is a tenured Professor of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UP College of Medicine. She is also an Attending Otorhinolaryngologist at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, and the UP- Philippine General Hospital.
Aside from her clinical practice, teaching, training and administrative work, she has a prolific research portfolio with advocacy on hearing screening in schoolchildren, among other topics.
She is a Fellow of the Philippine Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a Fellow of the Philippine College of Surgeons.
Maria Rina Reyes-Quintos, MD, MClinAud, PhD
Chair, Dept. of ORL-HNS
UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Reyes-Quintos received her Medical Degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine–Philippine General Hospital. She finished her residency training in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology also in the Philippine General Hospital. She went to Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York and took two years of fellowship training in pediatric otorhinolaryngology. She stayed in Osaka, Japan for three months to observe cochlear implantation at the Osaka University Hospital. She finished her Master of Clinical Audiology degree a few years later under the UP College of Medicine and College of Allied Medical Professions. She also earned her PhD in Clinical Sciences from Radbaud University in the Netherlands. Her research interests include pediatric otolaryngology and audiology.
She is presently a fellow of the Philippine Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, an Attending Physician at the UP-Philippine General Hospital, and one of the Program and Course Coordinators of the Master of Clinical Audiology Program in the UP Manila College of Allied Medical Professions.
She was a former director of the Philippine National Ear Institute, National Institutes of Health, officer-in-charge of the Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center and coordinator of the Newborn Hearing Screening Program in The Medical City.
Veronica F. Magnaye, MD, MHA
Finance Officer
ICOHNS, Inc.
Dr. Magnaye is a practicing otolaryngologist and an active Medical Staff with the Department of Surgery of the San Pedro Hospital of Davao City. She served as the Assistant to the Medical Director of the same hospital from 2015-2022.
Together with Dr. Gil Yarra an Dr. Christine del Monte-Dayanghirang, they founded ICOHNS, Inc., the first and only ENT-HNS ambulatory diagnostic and surgical center in Mindanao.
She is a graduate of the UP College of Medicine and finished her residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at UP-Philippine General Hospital. She has a Fellowship in voice and swallowing from Vanderbilt in Tennessee, USA. She also finished a “Financial Planning Course” from the Registered Financial Planners of the Philippines. She also holds a Master in Healthcare Administration.
Angelo Augusto M. Sumalde, MD, PhD
Dept. of ORL-HNS
UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Sumalde took his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of the Philippines-Los Banos and graduated in 2012. He was accepted into the third batch of MD-PhD in Molecular Medicine scholars at the University of the Philippines, sponsored by the DOST-PCHRD.
As part of his dissertation, he collaborated with Dr. Regie Lyn Santos-Cortez and performed his experiments on clinical and molecular determinants on human audiovestibular disorders at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He presented his dissertation and graduated from the MD-PhD program in 2022, and is currently a second-year resident at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UP-Philippine General Hospital.
He has published some of his undergraduate as well as PhD work in Journals including the Philippine Entolologist, Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development, Otology and Neurotology, Genes, and Acta Medica Philippina.
Elmer M. dela Cruz, MD, MClAud
Chair, Dept. of ORL-HNS
Manila Doctors Hospital
Philippines
Dr. dela Cruz is highly respected otolaryngologist and audiologist. His research interests are centered on audiology, neuro-audiology, and vestibular assessments. His clinical expertise and leadership have made significant contributions to these fields. He was a former research faculty at the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.
He received his specialty training in otolaryngology at Manila Doctors Hospital and pursued further specialization by obtaining a Master’s degree in Clinical Audiology from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
He is currently the president of the Association of Clinical Audiologists of the Philippines (ACAP).
Paul William D. Jacinto, MRS-SP, RSLP
Program Chair, Department of Speech Language Pathology
College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Santo Tomas
Paul is a registered speech-language pathologist and a certified LSVT LOUD clinician. He took up his undergraduate studies in Speech Pathology and his Master of Rehabilitation Science- peech Pathology at the University of the Philippines Manila. He is currently taking up his Doctorate of Education at the Ateneo de Manila University.
Apart from his academe work, he serves as the Program Director of Therapy Matters Intervention Partners Co., an innovative and dedicated pediatric therapy center for children with special needs.
He is actively involved in various local and international professional organizations, counting among them the Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language and Hearing; Coalition for Global Health; International Association of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing; Philippine Association of Speech-Language Pathologists; and the Philippine Society of Audiology.
Ryner Jose D. Carillo, MD, MSc
Chief, Division of Laryngology Bronchoesophagology, Dept. of ORL-HNS
UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Castillo is a faculty with the Department of Anatomy and the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the UP College of Medicine. He is also a member of the Health Technology Assessment Council of the Department of Science and Technology. His research interest include clinical and basic applications in simulation and medical education, and general Otolaryngology head and neck surgery.
Hubert D. Ramos, MClinAud
Asst. Professor, Master in Clinical Audiology Program
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas
Philippines
Asst. Prof. Ramos is a Filipino audiologist, and educator. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and a Master in Clinical Audiology degree from the same institution, where he graduated with honors. He started his professional and teaching career as an audiologist in 2002 and has since then held pediatrics, hearing aids, and cochlear implants as his main areas of practice. His volunteer work and area of research interest is community-based audiology, and his years of experience in the field led to his participation in various roles as consultant for government and non-government organizations overseas and in the Philippines.
Carlos Diego A. Rozul, MClinAud RPm
Coordinator for Personnel Certification
Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center
Philippines
Carlos serves as co-owner and audiologist of HearPro Diagnostic and Hearing Aid Center in Antipolo City. Currently, he is taking his Doctor of Audiology degree at Salus University through its Online Bridge Program. He has also published several publications on newborn hearing screening and the certification process.
Philip B. Fullante, MD
Chief, Division of Craniomaxillofacial Plastic and Restorative Surgery, Dept. of ORL-HNS, UP-Philippine General Hospital
Philippines
Dr. Fullante is an otolaryngologist with a broad expertise spanning clinical practice, surgical innovation, and medical education. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and completed his residency training in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the UP-Philippine General Hospital in 2005. Pursuing his commitment to advancing healthcare technology, he completed 36 units toward a Master’s in Health Informatics at UP Manila in 2016 and undertook a Device Innovation Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco from 2016 to 2017. This included an Observership in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.
He furthered his skills in facial plastic surgery through a fellowship with the Philippine Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery. Currently, he serves as a Medical Specialist III in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UP College of Medicine and UP-Philippine General Hospital. Since 2013, he has also been a clinical faculty member at UP Manila. In addition, he is an Affiliate Research Associate Professor at the Philippine National Ear Institute, National Institutes of Health, UP Manila.
As a Fellow of the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, a member of the Philippine Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, and the AOCMF of the AO Foundation, Dr. Fullante is actively involved in the local and international medical communities. He is currently the Head of the UP Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory, a pioneering hub for medical device innovation. Additionally, he chairs the Philippine Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Christopher Jeff Sanchez
Machine Learning Engineer
UP SCALE
Philippines
Engr. Sanchez is a Board top-notcher, licensed electronics engineer who graduated magna cum laude from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute at the University of the Philippines – Diliman.
As a Machine Learning Engineer for UP SCALE, he collaborates with doctors of the UP-Philipiine General Hospital to develop an automated and low-cost solution for infant hearing impairment diagnosis using auditory brainstem response.
Beyond his affiliation with UP SCALE, he also leads the development of the Seismo-IoT Team at the UP Resilience Institute, where he pioneered a cost-effective earthquake detection network from the ground up. He also co-founded the Quake Quest research competition and currently co-heads its administrative team.
Across all his work, he consistently emphasizes creating affordable yet innovative alternatives to conventional and costly methods.
Nicolo John B. David
Master in Clinical Audiology Program
University of the Philippines Manila
Philippines
Nico graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics (Health Physics concentration) from the University of the Philippines Manila and is now a first year Master in Clinical Audiology student at the same institution. A DOST-SEI merit scholar during his undergraduate studies, he has consistently demonstrated a passion for applying scientific knowledge to public health initiatives. His undergraduate background equips him with a unique, interdisciplinary perspective, integrating concepts from applied mathematical physics into his graduate studies in audiology.
Nico’s research focuses on enhancing newborn hearing screening methods, with a particular emphasis on the development of Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) technology. For his master’s thesis, which is being conducted under the HeLe project, he is currently engaged in clinically validating and refining the novel machine learning-based hearing screening algorithm he developed during his undergraduate studies. By leveraging advanced mathematical techniques and machine learning approaches, he aims to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of newborn hearing diagnostics, ensuring these innovations are well-suited to the unique needs of Filipino communities.
Driven by a commitment to improving auditory healthcare for underserved Filipino communities, he aspires to extend the benefits of the newborn hearing screening law to remote areas, helping ensure equitable access to auditory health services across the country.
Rentor Y. Cafino, MD
Medical Officer IV, Dept. of ORL-HNS
Zamboanga City Medical Center
Philippines
Dr. Cafino is the founder of the Philippines’ first in-hospital Medical Makerspace. With extensive experience in the development of 3D-printing applications in medicine, he mainly focuses on emerging technology, including work on surgical simulation using 3D-printed anatomical models. His research, supported by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology and the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology focuses on advancing surgical education and patient-specific solutions in head and neck surgery.
Jay Pee M. Amable, MD
A/Professor, Dept. of ORL-HNS
University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center
Philippines
Dr. Amable is also affiliated with the Department of ORL-HNS at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center as Head of the Craniomaxillofacial Subspecialty. He had his residency training in ENT-HNS at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center and went on to undergo further training in Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at Universitatsklinikum Freiburg in Germany.
His research is mostly in surgical innovation and instrumentation with a few already published in the society’s journal encompassing from ear instruments to reconstructive surgery.
Jaymilyn Catangay-Ombao, MClinAud, RSLP
A/Professor and Graduate Programs Coordinator
College of Allied Medical Professions, University of the Philippines Manila
Philippines
Jaymi is a speech-language pathologist and clinical audiologist whose interest in hearing and aural re/habilitation began during her junior year as a BS Speech Pathology student at the University of the Philippines Manila when she served as a student assistant in audiology-related research.
She is currently a faculty member in the Department of Speech Pathology, the CAMP coordinator for the Master of Clinical Audiology program, and the Graduate Programs Coordinator at the UP College of Allied Medical Professions. Jaymi also serves as a consultant audiologist for the Philippine National Ear Institute and Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center of the National Institutes of Health as well as for a private clinic, HearPro Diagnostic and Hearing Aid Center. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Clinical Audiologists of the Philippines. Through her roles and affiliations, she is fortunate to take part in training and education, program development, policy-making, and research efforts to promote hearing health and aural re/habilitation in the country.