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Meet The Faculty

Mayo Clinic otolaryngology faculty member with a resident

The Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Mayo Clinic is one of the largest groups in this specialty in the world. The department handles more than 80,000 patient visits a year and performs approximately:

  • 2,000 head and neck surgical procedures
  • 1,800 otologic surgical procedures
  • 1,000 outpatient operative procedures
  • 1,500 rhinologic and sinus procedures

The department performs all of its own reconstructive surgery.

At Mayo Clinic, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology is divided into experts in the specialties of:

  • Otology and neurotology
  • Head and neck cancer surgery
  • Pediatric otorhinolaryngology
  • Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
  • Rhinology and skull base surgery
  • Laryngology
  • General otorhinolaryngology
  • Sleep surgery

Department members collaborate with other specialists in audiology, speech and swallowing therapy, ophthalmology, pediatrics, neurosurgery, dermatology, allergy and immunology, pulmonary medicine, and oncology. Through this collaboration, the department offers comprehensive and excellent care for pediatric and adult patients with disorders involving the head and neck. 

From the program director

Janalee Stokken, M.D.

Clinically, we have close collaboration with other departments including Neurosurgery, Medical and Radiation Oncology, Oculoplastic Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dermatology, Allergy, and the Center for Sleep Medicine. Academically, we have access to both clinical and bench research including support staff aiding our team members through the research process. For surgical training, we have access to a state-of-the-art temporal bone lab, robotic training, microvascular training, and easy and unlimited access to cadavers for surgical dissection. Mayo Clinic provides an abundance of resources in the clinical and academic realms.

Residents enjoy our program and become a tight-knit group that supports each other through both the demanding and rewarding aspects of residency. They often plan social events and extracurricular activities to foster relationships and community. Our department happily supports resident-organized activities, such as outings to sporting events, day trips to local ski resorts, or laser tag matches. Each year residents and their significant others can take part in a canoeing and backpacking trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Additionally, they have the opportunity to go to academic conferences throughout the year and at least one international trip during residency. We aim to support our residents in their passions and provide resources to maintain wellness.

Mayo Clinic is a renowned institution. We continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of patient care and are grateful for a dedicated team that helps make this happen. We are excited to recruit trainees who have a passion for Otolaryngology and desire to contribute to the health and well-being of patients in both tertiary and community care settings and continue to make this the best training program in the country. 

Thank you for visiting our website. We are so glad you are interested in our department and program.

Janalee Stokken, M.D.
Program Director

From the associate program director

Semirra L. Bayan, M.D. Our department works hard to create a positive learning environment that values residents from all backgrounds. The strong "patient first" culture is embedded into every aspect patient care, research, and education, making this a truly one of a kind place to work and train. Yet despite all of its traditions, both institution and department wide, we continually push to find innovative ways to educate in and out of the operating room, and for that I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing institution.

Semirra Bayan, M.D.
Associate Program Director

Faculty

In addition to caring for patients in their clinical practices, Mayo Clinic's faculty members are committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Many faculty members have published and lectured extensively and are well-regarded in their fields. Residents have direct access to these individuals throughout the training program.

Learn about the faculty you may work with in each specialty area of otolaryngology at Mayo Clinic.

Facial Plastics/Reconstructive Surgery

Grant Hamilton, III M.D.

Grant Hamilton, III, M.D.
Division Chair

Fellowship: University of Illinois
Residency: University of Iowa
Medical school: University of Illinois
Hobbies: I enjoy riding my motorcycle while overdressed, taking photos that will never be printed out and hitting golf balls out of bounds. Even though it burns, sometimes I’m in a mood to chug a Coke.

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Twitter

Michael D. Olson, M.D.

Michael Olson, M.D.

Fellowship: Texas Facial Plastic and ENT
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: Mayo Clinic
Hobbies: I enjoy the art of craft and my chosen medium is typically wood. My preferred wood species are walnut, curly maple, cherry, spalted maple, and wenge. I also enjoy being a father to my two boys (ages 9 and 5) and a husband to my wife. I listen to old episodes of a Prairie Home Companion and my preferred radio station is NPR. I also enjoy nature, photography, eating, the Pandora station “60’s, 70’s, and 80’s”, and using my riding lawn mower.

See my research: PubMed

Jacob Drey, M.D.

Jacob Dey, M.D. 

Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Residency: Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Medical school: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, going on hikes with our yellow Labrador, fly fishing, golfing, cooking, camping, traveling.

See my research: PubMed

Head and Neck Surgery

Eric Moore, M.D.

Eric Moore, M.D.
Department Chair

Fellowship: Mayo Foundation Scholar
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: Jefferson Medical College
Hobbies: Cycling, fly fishing, hiking with my family/dog (Gigi), apiarist (aka. beekeeping, for those not attuned to beekeeping terminology), and euchre

See my research: Publications
Follow me: Twitter

Daniel Price, M.D.

Daniel Price, M.D.
Division Chair

Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Ketterling
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: Mayo Clinic
Hobbies: I enjoy skiing and biking with my wife and three kids, throwing pots and skin diving for tiger sharks, and skiing without my wife and three kids. One of these things is not true.

See my research: Publications

Sharon Libi, M.D.

Sharon Libi, M.D.

Residency: Mayo Clinic Rochester
Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my husband and three adult children, attending and watching all of their football games, reading, running, hiking and swimming. Time at the lake.  Cooking, trying to master BBQing, and smoking food.

See my research: Publications

Fareeda Taher Nazer Hussain, M.D.

Fareeda Taher Nazer Hussain, M.D.

Residency: University of Minnesota
Medical school: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with my family, and gardening.

Kendall Tasche, M.D. 

Kendall Tasche, M.D.

Fellowship: University of Pennsylvania 
Residency: University of Iowa
Medical school: University of Iowa
Hobbies: Reading; swimming; trying new foods; looking for new places to hike and get lost with my dog, Juno; and generally, being outside, especially in cold weather!

See my research: PubMed

Katie Van Abel, M.D.

Katie Van Abel, M.D.

Fellowship: Mayo Clinic
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: Jefferson Medical College
Hobbies: I love mountain biking, skiing, and hiking, and so far, my daughters do too! I love spending as much time outdoors with my kids and dog as possible.

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Twitter

Laryngology

Dale Ekbom, M.D.

Dale Ekbom, M.D.
Division Chair

Fellowship: Vanderbilt University
Residency: University of Michigan
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and three kids, taking walks, kicking soccer balls, and shooting baskets. Church and reading the Word. Downhill skiing in northern Minnesota or Colorado. Running/cycling. Outdoor lawn work on five acres with mowing, spraying weeds, and removing buckthorn, my nemesis.

See my research: PubMed

Semirra Bayan, M.D.

Semirra Bayan, M.D.
Associate Program Director

Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital
Residency: University of Iowa
Medical school: University of Virginia
Hobbies: Hiking; trying to find my green thumb; spending time with my husband, Matthew, and dog, Chompers; traveling; finding new places to eat in Minneapolis and Rochester

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Twitter

Diana Orbelo, Ph.D.

Diana Orbelo, Ph.D.

Post doctoral fellowship: Mayo Clinic Rochester
Graduate school: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Undergraduate school: University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!)
Hobbies: Camping, Singing, Active in Eastern Orthodox Church, Dogs – All things dogs

See my research: Publications

Otology/Neurotology

Matthew L. Carlson, M.D.

Matthew Carlson, M.D. 
Fellowship Program Director

Fellowship: Vanderbilt University
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: University of Minnesota
Hobbies: Eat kick’in ranch, boundary waters, manual labor, use my chainsaw, trap shooting, hanging out with my wife, four kids, and two dogs

See my research: Publications

 
Colin Driscoll, M.D.

Colin Driscoll, M.D.

Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: University of New Mexico
Hobbies: Hanging out with extended family in Park City, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, skiing (especially with a daughter and helicopter!). Exploring new places and vistas with my wife. Chatting with my now grown children. As a geology major I have had a long appreciation for the beauty of rocks and enjoy stone carving - mostly ossicles of course!

See my research: Publications

 
Brian A. Neff, M.D.

Brian Neff, M.D.

Fellowship: Ohio State University
Residency: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital 
Medical school: Indiana University
Hobbies: Any activity that is lake related, golf (badly), driving to or watching any one of a million of my kid’s activities

See my research: Publications

 
Aniket Saoji, Ph.D.

Aniket Saoji, Ph.D.

Undergraduate: All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
Graduate/medical school: State University of New York at Buffalo
Hobbies: Cricket (real sport)

See my research: Publications

 

Pediatric Otolaryngology

Shelagh Cofer, M.D.

Shelagh Cofer, M.D.
Division Chair

Fellowship: University of Minnesota
Residency: University of Illinois
Medical school: University of Illinois
Hobbies: Swimming, biking with my family, sewing, and knitting (that’s how I got interested in surgery!)

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Instagram

Laura Orvidas, M.D.

Laura Orvidas, M.D.

Fellowship: Dana Thompson, M.D., M.S.
Residency: Mayo Clinic
Medical school: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Hobbies: Traveling in style, trying new restaurants, reading books. cooking, and cheering on the Chicago Bears!

See my research: PubMed

Joshua Wiedermann, M.D.

Joshua Wiedermann, M.D.

Fellowship: Victoria Hospital, Western University
Residency: George Washington University
Medical school: Vanderbilt University
Hobbies: Soccer, travel, eating delicious things, and torturing myself with Tough Mudders PRN

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Instagram

Rhinology

Janalee Stokken, M.D.

Janalee Stokken, M.D.
Residency Program Director

Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic
Residency: Cleveland Clinic
Medical school: University of North Dakota
Hobbies: Long walks with my family, enjoying dinner from my favorite Rochester restaurants

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Twitter

Erin O'Brien, M.D.

Erin O'Brien, M.D.
Division Chair

Fellowship: University of Nebraska
Residency: University of Iowa
Medical school: University of Pittsburgh
Hobbies: When it’s warm out, you can find me gardening. I also enjoy working on my golf game, skiing, and visiting Lutsen on the North Shore with my husband and two daughters.

See my research: PubMed
Follow me: Twitter

Carlos Pinheiro Neto, M.D., Ph.D. 

Carlos Pinheiro Neto, M.D., Ph.D.

Fellowship: University of Sao Paulo, Brazil - SOM
Residency: University of Sao Paulo, Brazil - SOM
Medical school: University of Ceara, Brazil - SOM
Hobbies: In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, travel, and outdoor activities, particularly hiking. I also love to cook the famous Brazilian steak (picanha). Growing up in a beach city, I liked to surf. Nowadays I challenge my balance with some skiing, but I learned this is a totally different skill than standing on a surf board!

See my research: Publications

View the complete list of otolaryngology consultants at Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States.

View a complete list of all of our otolaryngology consultants that you may work with while training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. 

Advisers and mentors

Each resident is assigned a staff mentor to review progress and career goals. Mentors meet with trainees periodically throughout the entire residency program to ensure that their educational needs are being met.

Visiting professors

Logo of Voices in OtolaryngologyThe Voices in Otolaryngology Visiting Professorship is dedicated to highlighting forward-thinking work being done in our field and improving career advancement and networking opportunities for practicing academic otolaryngologists who are traditionally underrepresented in otolaryngology. This event is held three times per year, with one in-person event in the fall and two Zoom events in November and February.