Speakers 2020 

Professor Abdulrahman Abdullah Hagr received his bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1996. Completed his postgraduate studies in Otolaryngology from McGill University, Canada, in 2004 and Otology and Neurotology from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, in 2005. He holds the following certificates: MBBS, Saudi Council Examination, Internship, MCCEE, King Medal for Merit, Principles of Surgery, Royal College of Canada, and Dalhousie University Otology Fellowship. A profeorss and consultant at King Saud University, consultant at the Ministry of Health for National Neonatal Screening Program, consultant at Al Habib Medical Center- otology-neurotology and a skull base surgeon. Professor Hagr is the founder and advisor of the Cochlear Implant Programs in Saudi Arabia. He is also the founder of the Otology Neurotology Fellowship Program at king Saud University, founder of the largest cochlear implant program in Middle East, the founder of the first Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), Hybrid CI, ABI, ABCI, Vistafix, Vibroplasty and Bonebridge programs in Saudi Arabia. He is currently the director of the following: King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Saud University, Director of the National Saudi Neonatal Screening Program, Prince Sultan Research Chair for Hearing Disabilities (RCHD). President of the Saudi ORL Societ and a member of King Saud University Counseling Board for Scientific Studies. Professor Hagr is the Goodwill Ambassador of American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He is the Chairman of International Arab Cochlear Conference (ACIC). He has made numerous conference presentations worldwide and an author of eight books and more than thirty-five scientific articles.

Dr Ahmad Alamadi graduated from Glasgow medical school in United Kingdom in 1993 he completed his training in Scotland by obtaining his Fellowship of royal college of surgeons of Glasgow in 1998. He followed his higher surgical training by doing a clinical neurotology fellowship program in Toronto University in Canada. Dr Alamadi is currently a consultant Otologist and Neurotologist and medical director at Al Baraha hospital in Dubai he is also a clinical Associate Professor at Sharjah University. His expertise lies in Otological surgeries and management of dizzy patients.

Work experience: about twenty years of clinical experience focused on hearing and balance disorders, last nine years at King Abdul Aziz Medical City (National Guard Hospital) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Teaching skills: worked for two years as adjunct faculty at Gulf Medical University, Ajman (UAE) nine years as an adjunct instructor at Saudi Board of Otolaryngology (KSA), two years as international faculty at American Institute of Balance (USA) three years as adjunct faculty at King Saud university for Health Sciences, Jeddah (KSA), conducted tens of successful courses and workshops in different countries over the last few years Research and Publications: conducted many research projects, published articles, wrote book chapters, a recognized regional and international speaker in the field of audiovestibular medicine

Ashkan Monfared, MD is board-certified in Otolaryngology and was recruited from Stanford University to serve as the Director of Otology and Neurotology. Dr. Monfared is also an associate professor of surgery and neurosurgery at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He completed his medical training, residency and fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center. Previously he has served as staff surgeon in Otolaryngology at Stanford University Hospital and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. He has had the distinct honor of serving at Veteran Administration Hospital and Walter Reed National Medical Center

Blake Papsin is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Toronto and the Otolaryngologist-in-Chief at The Hospital for Sick Children where he has been a full-time consultant since July 1996 and led Cochlear Implant Program from 1997 until 2013. He completed a paediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, England and was the inaugural chair of the Cochlear Americas Chair in Auditory Development at the University of Toronto. He is the inaugural holder of the Jordan and Lisa Gnat Family and Bastable-Potts Chair in Otolaryngology-HNS at SickKids. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, 53 book chapters and has spoken widely on the subject of surgical rehabilitation of hearing loss. His research and clinical focus is the surgical rehabilitation of hearing loss.

Dr. Carleton Eduardo Corrales is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital specializing in otology, neurotology and skull base surgery. He is also an instructor in otology and laryngology at Harvard Medical School. He received his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Honduras. Dr. Corrales completed an otolaryngology residency and a neurotology and skull base surgery fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center. His interests include diseases of the ear, otosclerosis and stapes surgery, superior semicircular canal dehiscense, hearing loss and acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma).

Professor emerita - Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery - Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Dr. Darius Kohan is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine and was board certified as an otolaryngologist in 1990 following completion of his residency training at the same institution. He acquired specialized advanced training in Otology and Neurotology (disease of the ear and surgical/medical management) during his fellowship at New York University Medical Center. Currently, Dr. Kohan is Associate Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology at New York University School of Medicine, Director of Otology/Neurotology at Lenox Hill Hospital/Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital (MEETH), Medical Co-Director of the Center for Communication (the former League for the Hard of Hearing), and voluntary attending surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Kohan is involved in educating medical students and residents at these institutions. In addition, he is involved in several research projects in Otology/Neurotology.

Dr Dennis Poe is a Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and a full-time faculty member of the Department of Otolaryngology and Communications Enhancement at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he is the incumbent recipient of the Sarah Fuller Chair in Neurotology. He attended medical school at State University of NY Upstate, residency at University of Chicago, fellowship with Michael Glasscock, III in Nashville and doctorate in pathophysiology of Eustachian tube dysfunction in Tampere, Finland under Prof. Ilmari Pyykkö. He has been investigating disorders of the Eustachian tube in children and adults, developing diagnostic methods, novel medical treatments and surgical procedures, including balloon dilation. He leads an international study group and was the PI for a recent multicenter, randomized controlled, clinical trial of balloon dilation for obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction. He has been working to provide education to surgeons, physicians, patients and payers about Eustachian tube disorders, their treatments and the new balloon dilation procedure.

Dr. Al Mubarak is a vestibular rehabilitation therapist received his doctorate of science degree in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University. Dr. Al Mubarak is a certified orthopedic manual therapist and also certified in the management of cervicogenic dizziness. Dr. Al Mubarak is interested in the following fields: 1. Dizziness 2. Balance Disorders 3. Fall Risk 4. Low back pain

• MBBS and internship in king saud university in Riyadh 2004 • 1 year ENT service resident in King Salman hospital in Riyadh • 5 years training and graduation from Saudi ORL and king saud University fellowship 2010 • 2 year Otology Neurotology and cochlear implant and other implantable hearing devices ,king saud university fellowship 2013 • ENT consultant in MOH Riyadh 2013 • Lateral skull base and cochlear implant and other implantable hearing devices subspecialty for one year 2014 – 2015 , Italy , Rome and Paicenza , gruppo otologico internazionale

CERTIFICATIONS: MBBS: King Saud University, Riyadh,2000 Specialty Boards: 1. KSU board of Otolaryngology & head and neck surgery - KSU, Riyadh, November 2008 2. Saudi Board of Otolaryngology & head and neck surgery, December 2008 Subspecialty fellowships: 1. KSU Fellowship in otology and neurotology, 2012 2. Clinical fellowship in lateral skull base microsurgery from Gruppo otologico, Italy, 2013. SUBSPECIALTIES: Otology/ neurotology Lateral skull base microsurgery

Professor J. Thomas Roland, Jr., MD is the Mendik Foundation Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Professor of Otolaryngology & Neurosurgery, Co-Director of the NYU Langone Health Cochlear Implant Center and Co-Director of the Neurofibromatosis Center at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, NY. His clinical work over the past 25 years has been in the management of lateral skull base tumors, including an interest in hearing management in the patient with NF2. Additionally, he has performed more than 3000 cochlear implants with special interest and expertise in the complicated cases. The NYU group is also one of the largest Auditory Brainstem Implant teams in the United States. The bulk of Dr. Roland’s research is related to cochlear implant electrode design and implementation, auditory brainstem implant in children with cochlear nerve deficiency, outcomes with skull base tumors and facial nerve reanimation. He has published over 200 manuscripts, is the editor of three textbooks and has numerous textbook chapters. Lastly, Professor Roland has a keen interest in teaching, has performed surgery in over 12 countries, and has continuing hearing health projects in Uganda and Israel

Dr Rutka is a professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto. He has worked at the University Health Network since 1986 with a subspecialty interest in otology/neurotology. For 20 years Dr Rutka was the chief fellowship mentor for the TWJ Foundation (UK). He is currently the chief mentor for the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation scholarship in otology/neurotolgy. In addition Dr Rutka is the co-director of the UHN Center for Advanced Hearing and Balance Testing and the Hertz Multidisciplinary Neurotology Clinic. His chief academic interests have been in areas of topical and systemic ototoxicity, canal based surgery for dizziness, the conservative management of patients with vestibular schwannomas, time trends in the surgery for chronic ear disease and recently the evaluation of dizziness in the head injured patient. His CV lists over 120 peer-reviewed publications and 4 text books in addition to numerous book chapters/supplements/non-peer reviewed articles.

Manohar Bance is an Otologist/Neurotologist and the inaugural Professor of Otology and Skull Base Surgery at the University of Cambridge, UK. Before 2017 he was Chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Dalhousie University in Canada Prof. Bance is clinically and surgically active in all aspects of otology and neurotology, as well as skull base surgery. In particular, his research interests are in cochlear implants, and cochlea-on-a-chip models of the inner ear, as well as the use of technology in otology.

Head of the Otology, Neurotology & Skull Base Surgery Unit. President of the Egyptian Society of Skull Base Surgery President of the International Working Group on Endoscopic Ear Surgery (IWGEES). Member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; USA. Member of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology; France. Member of Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO), U.S.A. Member of the Prosper Meniere's Society. U.S.A

Professor Saeed is currently a leading surgeon and researcher in disorders of the ear, hearing, balance, facial nerve and skullbase. He manages patients from all over the UK as well internationally. This includes adults, children or infants with: Hearing loss Dizziness Tinnitus Facial palsy Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) Glomus tumour Cholesteatoma Otosclerosis Facial nerve tumours Superior semicircular canal dehiscence Meniere’s Disease Benign Positional Vertigo Hearing loss requiring cochlear implantation Hearing loss requiring middle ear implants

Dr. Tristram Lesser is an experienced and conservative Consultant specializing in General Adult ENT, Ear Disease, Vertigo, Nasal and Sinus Problems. His service also includes the diagnosis of Head and Neck Cancer and Facial Skin Cancer. Areas of interest Treating patients to the best possible standard; Curing Cholesteatoma and endoscopic ear surgery; Helping Snoring including injection snoreplasty; Managing Vertigo and Balance problems; Minimally invasive treatments including balloon sinuplasty and balloon tuboplasty. His previous surgical experience has been the entire spectrum of ENT from cosmetic to skull base, from cancer resection to free flap repair, he put in the first cochlea implant in Wales and the first Blom Singer valve in the UK, he has invented 4 operations and thought that Cochlea Implants would have minimal applications. Which just goes to show how wrong he can be. He has published extensively and undertaken teaching and surgical demonstrations through out the world.