AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting Guest Lectureships
See the 2025 lineup for the Honorary Guest Lectureships, a time-honored tradition at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO.
John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics
8:00–9:00 am (ET)
Saturday, October 11 (presented during the Opening Ceremony)
The Discouraging Maze of Medical Ethics: How Can We Make a Difference?
James L. Netterville, MD
James L. Netterville, MD, was one of the four founding members of the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1986. As the Mark C. Smith Professor of Head and Neck Surgery, he promotes education and research in voice disorders and in his specialty of head and neck oncologic surgery.
After graduating from Lipscomb University, Dr. Netterville attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, where he became inspired by the depth and breadth in surgery of the head and neck. During his fellowship in head and neck surgery at the University of Iowa, Michael D. Maves, MD, and the late Brian F. Macabe, MD, inspired him to pursue a career in academic medicine.
Dr. Netterville has dedicated his life and career to educating and training future otolaryngologists and serving in humanitarian efforts. Since his first trip to Nigeria in 1999, he, in collaboration with many colleagues from the AAO-HNS, has organized many educational outreach trips to Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Haiti. In 2004, he was awarded the AAO-HNSF Distinguished Award for Humanitarian Service. He served as an at-large member of the Boards of Directors and was subsequently elected and served as President of the AAO-HNS/F from 2012 to 2013. During this time, he was involved in global education, the Choosing Wisely® campaign, and promoting the “Community of Otolaryngology.” One of his most meaningful awards was to be honored by the AAO-HNS Board of Governors with the Practitioner of Excellence Award in 2009.
While at Vanderbilt, he has trained 62 fellows dedicated to the practice of head and neck surgery, and 145 residents who have established academic and private practices throughout the United States and abroad. In addition to his wonderful immediate family, he is most proud of these 207 “academic children” and all they have accomplished to make this world a better place.
About the Lecture
The John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics is based on Dr. Conley’s passion for head and neck surgery and dedication to the highest standard of ethical behavior from physicians. Past lecturers include heads of state, government leaders, and prominent medical leaders.
H. Bryan Neel III, MD, PhD Distinguished Research Lecture
11:00 am–12:00 pm (ET)
Sunday, October 12
Precision Surgery: The Next Frontier for Our Patients
Maie A. St. John, MD, PhD
Maie A. St. John, MD, PhD, is professor and chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and professor of Head and Neck Surgery and Bioengineering at UCLA, and holds the Thomas C. Calcaterra, MD, chair in Head and Neck Surgery. She is co-director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program, and associate director of Cancer Research and Education at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. She received her Bachelor of Science from Stanford, a medical degree and doctorate from Yale, and completed residency and postdoctoral training at UCLA.
Dr. St. John’s clinical expertise is in intraoperative tumor margin delineation in the resection of head and neck cancers to allow for precision surgery. Her work has led to clinical trials and patent applications and has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), charitable foundations, and industry. She is a prolific author and a sought-after lecturer internationally.
“My grandfather was my initial mentor,” Dr. St. John explained in a recent Voices of Otolaryngology podcast. “He was a small-town physician in Egypt, and I would spend my summers there [with him]. He would carry me on his shoulders…as he saw patients,” shared Dr. St. John. One afternoon she watched as her grandfather saw a patient with a very large growth on her face. Asking what it was, her grandfather explained, “That is cancer.” From that age, about five or six, Dr. St. John knew that she wanted to help treat and care for patients with cancer.
Today, Dr. St. John studies the mechanisms of tumor progression, incorporating the results of her laboratory’s research into the development of novel therapeutics. She is an outstanding educator who has provided mentorship to numerous trainees and serves as a member of several prestigious organizations including the Executive Council of the American Head and Neck Society, the American Board of Otolaryngology, and NIH study sections. She has been the recipient of multiple awards for teaching and research.
About the Lecture
Funded by the Neel family and friends, the H. Bryan Neel III, MD, PhD Distinguished Research Lecture was established in 1993 to disseminate information regarding new developments in biomedical science to the otolaryngologic community.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain new approaches to tapping into gaps in care brought forth by our patients.
- Learn principles for collaboration as the key to shaping future care.
- Find strength and purpose in working in the unknown.
Eugene N. Myers, MD International Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer
11:00 am–12:00 pm (ET)
Monday, October 13
The Toronto Experience in Complex Airway Reconstruction
Ralph W. Gilbert, MD
Ralph W. Gilbert, MD, currently serves as head of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Gullane/O’Neil Chair in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University Health Network, Canada’s largest hospital housing the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, an international leader in cancer care. He is also a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto.
A graduate of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Dr. Gilbert completed his postgraduate training in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of Toronto. He completed two advanced training fellowships in head and neck surgery at the University of Toronto and reconstructive microsurgery at the University of Linkoping in Sweden.
Dr. Gilbert has previously served in several administrative and leadership roles, including the head of Surgical Oncology at the Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto, chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at the University Health Network, and president of the International Academy of Oral Oncology.
Dr. Gilbert is an established international expert in the use of reconstructive microsurgery for complex head and neck reconstruction on patients treated for head and neck cancer. His practice is focused on surgical oncology and airway reconstruction. Dr. Gilbert has demonstrated several techniques for complex post-traumatic or oncologic defects of the larynx and trachea. He has also popularized new techniques for reconstruction of the maxilla and the mandible. In addition, he has published extensively on the evaluation of different treatment approaches for head and neck cancer of all sites.
About the Lecture
This award was endowed by Leslie Nicholas, MD, in honor of his nephew, Eugene N. Myers, MD, who is dedicated to the management of head and neck cancer with an interest in international medicine.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop an understanding of the “Toronto Approach” to cricotracheal resection.
- Understand the microvascular free tissue transfer options for reconstruction of the larynx and cricoid in the oncologic setting.
- Understand the free tissue transfer options and surgical approaches to complex oncologic tracheal defects.
The Howard P. House, MD Memorial Lecture for Advances in Otology
4:00–5:00 pm (ET)
Saturday, October 11
Cochlear Gene Therapy for Genetic Deafness
Lawrence R. Lustig, MD
Lawrence R. Lustig, MD is an otolaryngologist who specializes in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. Dr. Lustig grew up in Northern California and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where he also completed his otolaryngology residency. After residency, Dr. Lustig completed his neurotology and skull base surgery fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and remained on staff at Johns Hopkins through 2004.
In 2004, he was recruited back to UCSF to lead the Division of Otology and Neurotology in the Otolaryngology Department. In 2014, he accepted positions at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital where he practices today as the Howard W. Smith Professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology.
Dr. Lustig’s interdisciplinary research has helped pioneer cochlear gene therapy for genetic forms of hearing loss. He is also one of the lead investigators for the otoferlin gene therapy trial sponsored by Regeneron. Prior work in his lab has included studies on cochlear bone development and how the material properties of bone enclosing the inner ear contribute to hearing. He is considered one of the foremost authorities on cochlear implants in the United States.
Dr. Lustig has published more than 125 articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as numerous book chapters. He has co-edited several textbooks, including Clinical Neurotology: Diagnosing and Managing Disorders of Hearing, Balance, and the Facial Nerve and Disorders of the Vestibular System. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of Otology & Neurotology, the foremost medical journal in the subspeciality.
About the Lecture
The Howard P. House, MD Memorial Lectures for Advances in Otolaryngology honors Dr. House’s passion for sharing knowledge through research and education. The lecture was established to ensure that Dr. House’s desire to share knowledge on a global plane continues.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how genes are delivered to the cochlea to treat genetic deafness.
- Understand some of the mouse models that are under study for genetic deafness.
- Receive an update on the clinical trial results for otoferlin-related deafness in humans.
- Understand the future landscape for treating genetic deafness.
The Cotton-Fitton Endowed Lecture in Pediatric Otolaryngology
8:00–9:00 am (ET)
Sunday, October 12
The Pediatric Otolaryngology Workforce: Past, Present, and Future
Lecturer:
Craig Derkay, MD
Dr. Derkay graduated from the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia (MCV, now known as the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine). He completed his general surgical internship at MCV and his otolaryngology residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He went on to a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.
Dr. Derkay has chaired the AAO-HNS Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee and was the AAO-HNS representative to the AMA. He has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and 30 book chapters. He has been a visiting professor at more than three dozen institutions in the United States and abroad. He is on the editorial board of two journals and peer-reviews publications for 10 others including Cochrane, JAMA, and The Lancet. He has served on advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Food and Drug Administration.
About the Lecture
Founded by Robin T. Cotton, MD, and Cynthia M. Fitton, this award was established to educate otolaryngologists about considerations and care of children with diseases or disorders of the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck.
Dr. Derkay will trace the history of the pediatric otolaryngology workforce from its beginnings in the mid-1970s with a dozen North American visionaries to a present-day workforce of more than a 1,000 doctors of medicine (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), and advanced practice providers (APPs). He will address the current and future challenges to the subspecialty in maintaining access for families while assuring the public of a high standard of care.
Learning Objectives:
- Review the growth of the pediatric otolaryngology subspecialty workforce over the past 50 years.
- Evaluate the status of the pediatric otolaryngology workforce with respect to MDs, DOs, and APPs and the current demands for access.
- Examine the public’s future needs for pediatric otolaryngology providers and how to most efficiently achieve these targets.
