Kaalan Johnson - University of Washington Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Meet Kaalan Johnson, M.D.

Kaalan Johnson, M.D.

Associate Professor

Specialties 

Laryngology
Pediatric Otolaryngology

Primary clinical office 

Seattle Children's Hospital
4800 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
United States
"My interest in helping children with complex airway, breathing, and swallowing conditions is one avenue to have a positive impact on some of our most important functions of interactive life. Working in medical simulation has allowed me to find ways to teach others to provide this care in a more effective way. I feel lucky to be at a place like the Seattle Children's and the University of Washington where I can work in all these areas in one amazing place."

Biography 

Dr. Johnson is the director of the Aerodigestive Center and practices at Seattle Children's main campus and Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center. He is an associate professor of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is a native of the northwest, but did his medical school in southern California and residency in Virginia before completing a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and working there after his fellowship.

He began working at Seattle Children's Hospital in 2013 and started seeing patients for the Aerodigestive Center later that year. The work he began in Cincinnati on medical simulation has continued through his work at the Learning and Simulation Center at Seattle Children's Hospital and the UW Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies.

Overview 

Undergraduate Education: Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Wash., 2000

Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, Cal., 2004

Internship: Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va., 2005

Residency: Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VAa., 2009

Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011

Board Certification: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2010

Memberships: American Medical Association, American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Association for Surgical Education

KAALAN JOHNSON CV

Awards and honors 

2010: Unsung Heroes Award Winner, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
2009: Eunice Baxter Award for Outstanding Chief Surgical Resident at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
2009: 1st Place, Resident Podium Presentations, Virginia Society of Otolaryngology Annual Meeting
2007: 1st Place, Resident Research Award, Basic Science Category, AAO-HNSF
2004: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society Member
College Recipient of Servant Scholar of the Year Award
SPU Scholar Award Winner (largest academic scholarship)
College Crew Team Scholar Athlete Award winner, qualified for National Crew Regatta

Academic interests 

CLINICAL INTERESTS

Aerodigestive conditions including complex airway, breathing, and swallowing issues, aspiration, laryngeal clefts, airway reconstruction, subglottic stenosis, obstructive sleep apnea, voice, and tracheotomy management. Additional interests include sinus and ear disease, and craniofacial disorders.

 

RESEARCH FOCUS

Dr. Johnson's primary research interests center on aerodigestive and airway conditions including aspiration and airway evaluation. He also participates in medical simulation research and directs courses aimed at improving medical education and procedural competency.

 

Recent Publications

Lam AS, Bindschadler MD, Evans KN, Friedman SD, Blessing MS, Bly R, Cunningham ML, Egbert MA, Ettinger RE, Gallagher ER, Hopper RA, Johnson K, Perkins JA, Romberg EK, Sie KCY, Susarla SM, Zdanski CJ, Wang X, Otjen JP, Perez FA, Dahl JP. Accuracy and Reliability of 4D-CT and Flexible Laryngoscopy in Upper Airway Evaluation in Robin Sequence., Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2021 Jul1945998211027353

Gray AJ, Nielsen KR, Ellington LE, Earley M, Johnson K, Smith LS, DiBlasi RM. Tracheal pressure generated by high-flow nasal cannula in 3D-Printed pediatric airway models., Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021 Jun; 145110719

Sidell DR, Balakrishnan K, Best SR, Zur K, Buckingham J, De Alarcon A, Baroody FM, Bock JM, Boss EF, Bower CM, Campisi P, Chen SF, Clarke JM, Clarke KD, Cocciaglia A, Cotton RT, Cuestas G, Davis KL, DeFago VH, Dikkers FG, Dossans I, Florez W, Fox E, Friedman AD, Grant N, Hamdi O, Hogikyan ND, Johnson K, Johnson LB, Johnson RF, Kelly P, Klein AM, Lawlor CM, Leboulanger N, Levy AG, Lam D, Licameli GR, Long S, Lott DG, Manrique D, McMurray JS, Meister KD, Messner AH, Mohr M, Mudd P, Mortelliti AJ, Novakovic D, Ongkasuwan J, Peer S, Piersiala K, Prager JD, Pransky SM, Preciado D, Raynor T, Rinkel RNPM, Rodriguez H, Rodríguez VP, Russell J, Scatolini ML, Scheffler P, Smith DF, Smith LP, Smith ME, Smith RJH, Sorom A, Steinberg A, Stith JA, Thompson D, Thompson JW, Varela P, White DR, Wineland AM, Yang CJ, Zdanski CJ, Derkay CS. Systemic Bevacizumab for Treatment of Respiratory Papillomatosis: International Consensus Statement., Laryngoscope 2021 06; 131(6):E1941-E1949

Filipek N, Kirkham E, Chen M, Ma CC, Horn DL, Johnson KE, Parikh SR. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy directed surgery improves polysomnography measures in overweight and obese children with obstructive sleep apnea., Acta Otolaryngol 2021 Apr; 141(4):397-402

Jáuregui EJ, Propst EJ, Johnson K. Current management of type III and IV laryngotracheoesophageal clefts: the case for a revised cleft classification., Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020 Dec; 28(6):435-442