Speakers

Dr. Khosla a Professor in the department of Otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati is nationally known for his expertise in vocal cord and airway reconstruction. Under the direction of the only fellowship trained Laryngologist's in the region, their team provides several methods to view the larynx, evaluate vocal conditions, examine and evaluate voice conditions. These methods are customized to the needs of each patient for professional voice users. Singers, actors, entertainers and media professionals have very unique vocal demands. Lawyers, members of the clergy, politicians, professors and teachers also fit into this group. The UC Health Performance & Professional Voice Center has built relationships with the local and national voice and singing community to become the premier center in Cincinnati treating patients from the Cincinnati Opera, College of Conservatory Music at the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Symphony, and traveling artists performing in the Cincinnati area.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Khosla is a leader in the research field pioneering new techniques to treat voice and swallowing disorder and is the Vice Chair of Research in the department of Otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Khosla has been awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health. As one of only six laryngologists in the world to have a R01 NIH award, Dr. Khosla is well qualified to integrate cutting edge research findings into clinical care. A devoted member to the Cincinnati community, Dr. Khosla serves as a member on the Cincinnati Opera Board.

Yo Kishimoto, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of dept. of ORL-HNS, Kyoto University, JAPAN. He graduated Kyoto University in 2001 and received residency training at Kyoto University Hospital. He earned his doctoral degree from Kyoto University in 2011, and completed postdoctoral fellowship at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Clinically, Dr. Kishimoto is certified by the Japanese Board of Otolaryngology, the Japanese Board of Bronchoesophagology and the Japanese Board of Head and Neck Surgery, and his expertise includes the treatments for voice disorders, swallowing disorders, airway stenosis and head and neck cancers.
The focus of Dr. Kishimoto's research is on vocal fold mucosal biology and immunology, and regenerative medicine of the trachea/larynx. He leads a research team and is currently investigating the wound healing process of the vocal fold and the trachea, and also trying to regenerate airway tissues using iPS/stem cells.

Dr. Sonja Molfenter is an Associate Professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at NYU. She is a clinically-trained Speech Language Pathologist whose research specializes in understanding the physiological features of both normal and disordered swallowing. Her overarching research goal is to produce clinically-relevant research to inform front-line clinical practice. Her current research focuses are on naturally-occurring muscle loss in the pharynx as the result of aging and changes to swallowing function after cervical spine surgery. Dr. Molfenter is the Director of the NYU Swallowing Research Lab and Co-Director of the Center of Health and Rehabilitation Research at NYU.

Dr. Marshall Smith is a professor of Laryngology and Pediatric Otolaryngology in the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Utah. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology at UCLA and a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology in Cincinnati in 1991. He was most fortunate to study laryngology and pediatric laryngology with Dr. Gerry Berke and Dr. Seymour Cohen in his residency, and Dr. Robin Cotton and Dr. Charles Myer in fellowship. Following the lead of his friend and mentor Steve Gray, he has combined interests in laryngology and pediatric ENT with clinical practices in adult and pediatric laryngology. He began at the University of Colorado where his voice research career progressed with Dr. Ingo Titze and Dr. Lorraine Ramig. He came to the University of Utah in 1997 and has worked with Dr. Steve Gray, Dr. Nelson Roy, and Dr. Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer on many basic and clinical voice research endeavors. He has been an NIH funded investigator and participates in research on various voice and airway disorders; he is currently an investigator or co-investigator on eight funded projects. He is medical director of the Voice Disorders Center, co-director of the Airway Disorders Center at the University Hospital, and a member of the Esophageal-Airway Team at Primary Children's Hospital. He is a member of the Triological Society, the American Laryngological Association, and the American Broncho-esophagological Association. He has received the Gabriel F. Tucker award from the ALA for contributions to pediatric otolaryngology, and the Chevalier Q. Jackson award from the ABEA.

Prof. Welham is a New Zealand born and trained speech-language pathologist and scientist focused on the study of vocal fold mucosal biology. His scientific work is focused on tissue regeneration, matrix and matrisome, vitamin A transport and function, and immunology. His clinical practice and laboratory are in Madison, WI, USA. His work has been funded by the United States National Institutes of Health since 2006.

Carol Wham is an experienced dietitian and Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Massey University, Auckland. She has undertaken a sustained programme of research focused on improving the nutritional health of older people. Carol has been an investigator in two longitudinal studies of ageing; Life and Living to Advanced Age: a Cohort Study in New Zealand and within the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study. She has examined malnutrition across community, hospital and residential care settings and leads the ENRICH study which seeks to Evaluate Nutrition Risk and Intervene to enCourage Healthy eating.