UCLA Medical Center

The Division of Head and Neck Surgery continues its commitment to excellence in patient care, teaching and a consistent national and international reputation in basic and applied research. Under the leadership of Gerald S. Berke, M.D., the current academic year has been a productive one.

U.S. News and World Report, 2001, has again ranked UCLA Medical Center among the top five centers in the United States and "Best in the West". The Division of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA is ranked 7th in the nation.

The resident match remains highly competitive with the objective of training new residents not only as head and neck surgeons but as competent scientific investigators and academicians. Several of our residents received prestigious awards from national scientific societies for excellence in their research work.

Faculty continue to be extensively involved in several major research areas: otoneurology, laryngeal and speech pathology, the human auditory laboratory, head and neck tumor genetics and immunology, photodiagnostic imaging and imaging guided interstitial laser therapy for head and neck cancers.

Under the guidance of Divison Chief, Gerald Berke, M.D. several faculty members continue to pursue research interests in the field of laryngeal transplantation. Interest and debate in this field has been rekindled in the medical community by the recent performance of the first orthotopic human laryngeal transplant in nearly 30 years. Current research is focusing on issues related to monitoring and treatment of chronic rejection and motor sensory reinnervation, which are the most challenging laryngeal functions to restore in order to achieve a successful outcome.