Resident Research
We provide mentored training in research and scholarship to individuals during several phases of their educational and professional training to develop independent and sustainable academic careers in basic, clinical, and/or translational research. Trainees include undergraduate and graduate students, medical students, post-doctoral fellows, and surgical residents and fellows in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.
Research Training
Research training is supported by several NIH training grants. In particular, the R25 Research Education Grant (which followed our long-standing T32 training grant) from the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders at the NIH supports each resident to conduct mentored research for one year during.
Resident trainees select and conduct research projects based on their interests. Projects can reside within established areas of research in the Department, described above, or they can address new avenues of inquiry via collaborations with mentors outside of the Department.
It is our goal is to provide trainees with the skills they need to develop an independent and sustainable research program in areas relevant to Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery with the ability to:
- Design and execute hypothesis-driven research
- Effectively present findings to the public, in oral and written forms
- Write applications for research funding
Many clinical research trainees earn a certificate or masters degree in clinical research methods and collaborative approaches to address a wide variety of research problems.
Training Sites and Facilities
The Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center and the Health Sciences Building at UW have several laboratories conducting basic science and translational research. Within these sites, there are state-of-the-art imaging centers, surgical suites, tissue culture facilities, histology and microtomy suites, equipment for genetic and molecular analyses, electrophysiological measurements in vivo and in vitro, large-scale drug screening, and detailed auditory and vestibular functional testing.
The Otolaryngology Outcomes Research Group performs clinical research and is based in the UW Comparative Effectiveness, Cost & Outcomes Research Center, an interdisciplinary, multi-school clinical research “laboratory.” These Centers are closely affiliated with the UW School of Public Health and UW Institute of Translational Health.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center houses laboratories for basic science and translational research, focusing on head and neck cancer, epithelial tumor biology, and viral biology as it relates to carcinogenesis, immunotherapy, and population studies.
There are innumerable other research facilities where departmental and trainee research is performed. For example, Seattle Children’s Hospital houses research programs on vascular anomalies, pediatric communications disorders, and others. The Department of Electrical Engineering at UW houses an engineering research laboratory studying robotic surgical techniques. The Research & Development (R&D) Program at the VA Puget Sound Health Care Center houses numerous research programs and project, and Harborview Medical Center houses the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and many other research programs.
Visit the Research Resources page for links to these sites and for other helpful information.
Resident Research Highlights
Characterization and Diagnosis of Tracheomalacia Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamic Techniques
Hannah Case, MD
Tracheomalacia is a common congenital trachea malformation characterized by an increased compliance of the trachea, making it more susceptible to dynamic and static collapse. Thorough history and physical examination are a paramount component in the diagnosis of tracheomalacia with bronchoscopy serving as the current diagnostic gold standard. However, this diagnostic standard is subjective, user dependent, and limited in its quantification of dimensional abnormalities. Alternatively, Dynamic Airway 4D CT combined with computational fluid dynamic testing demonstrates potential for quantification of how airway shape and size restricts airflow.
With support of multidisciplinary mentors, Dr. Hannah Case’s research has focused on developing a toolbox to better quantify tracheomalacia. Her team of mentors includes Alberto Aliseda, PhD (UW Department of Mechanical Engineering), Tanya Meyer, MD (UW Otolaryngology-HNS), Randall Bly, MD (UW Otolaryngology-HNS), Seth Friedman, PhD, and Mike Barbour, PhD (Seattle Children’s Hospital Center for Respiratory Biology and Therapeutics). Working with a robust team of specialists has made it possible to model and quantify the collapse events of tracheomalacia throughout the respiratory cycle and further quantify how the changing morphology impacts flow. The Multiphase & Cardiovascular Flow Lab led by Dr. Aliseda has robust experience working with various residents in the Department of Otolaryngology in modeling fluid dynamics in upper airway disease processes. The lab worked with recent UW fellow, Clare Richardson, MD, on Analysis of Upper Airway Flow Dynamics in Robin Sequence Infants Using 4-D Computed Tomography and Computational Fluid Dynamics and is currently collaborating with current resident, Shaunak Amin, MD, on Surface Reconstruction of the Pediatric Larynx via Structure from Motion Photogrammetry: A Pilot Study.
Dr. Hannah Case is fortunate to be the lab's newest mentee and is excited to be applying these principals to more dynamic respiratory pathologies. Through this project, the lab hopes to develop quantitative diagnostic modalities and expand upon our understanding of how the unique tracheal geometries of tracheomalacia impact airflow for tracheomalacia patients.
Tracheomalacia modeling
Patient Outcomes in Sleep Surgery
Allison Ikeda, MD, MS
Dr. Allison Ikeda developed her research projects with support from the UW Otolaryngology-HNS NIH T32 research training program (now NIH R25), mentorship from Edward M. Weaver, MD, MPH, and departmental support. Her primary research projects aim to (1) examine shared decision-making among patients considering sleep surgery and (2) develop and validate a proxy measure for CPAP use, with the overarching goal to evaluate CPAP dose-response effect on short- and long-term outcomes in administrative datasets. Both projects were awarded funding from the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery CORE Committee. Most recently, she was selected for an American Thoracic Society, Academic Sleep Pulmonary Integrated Research/Clinical (ASPIRE) fellowship. Her overall career goal is to become an independently funded surgeon-scientist focusing on improving patient outcomes in sleep surgery.
Through this research experience, Dr. Ikeda also earned a Master of Science – Epidemiology from the University of Washington, School of Public Health. She now applies her training in qualitative research methods, study design, and machine learning techniques in her ongoing projects. This highlights the importance of strong mentorship and building collaborations between departments, including epidemiology and sleep medicine, and other institutions.
Drs. Ikeda and Weaver