Laryngology
Summary
The Indiana University Health Voice Center is the only center in Indiana dedicated solely to the care of the voice, swallowing and breathing disorders. The Voice Center’s team features board certified, fellowship-trained laryngologists from different training backgrounds. These physicians are active in clinical research and developing better treatments for patients. The center employs singing voice specialists and speech language pathologists trained in the latest therapy techniques. They help people with vocal cord paralysis and conditions that impact breathing and swallowing.
Grant-funded Research
The Division of Laryngology has more than $1 .5 million in grant-funded research–including multiple National Institutes of Health R01 funded projects–supporting ongoing projects in stem cells, tissue engineering, airway stenosis and spasmodic dysphonia. Stacey Halum, MD, associate professor, has two R01 grants funded through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the NIH, for her research into treatments for vocal fold paralysis and devastating vocal injuries. Through these grants, Halum has developed a novel approach for restoring vocal fold muscle volume and function after injury using stem cells from large animal models. Results should lead to clinical innovations relevant to voice restoration and muscle repair.
Funding has also supported Halum’s research into tissue-engineered component tissue replacements for the reconstruction of the larynx for patients who have suffered vocal injuries from surgery on the larynx. Using large animal models, Halum and her team use a patented collagen polymer of stem cells to fabricate the tissue-engineered implants. Eventually, the team would like to find a way to use a patient’s own stem cells in the implants.
Rita Patel, PhD, adjunct associate professor, is a faculty member in the Department of Speech and Hearing Services at Indiana University-Bloomington and has an appointment in the Department of Otolaryngology. A speech language pathologist, Patel leads research into voice physiology, voice production and the pathophysiology of hoarseness resulting from severe voice disturbances, such as spasmodic dysphonia.
Fellowship
The Fellowship in Laryngology continues to provide an exceptional educational opportunity for learners looking to further knowledge beyond the residency curriculum. This educational opportunity provides dedicated research time to lay the foundation for an academic career, conduct an outpatient clinic and perform surgeries in the OR during their year with the department.