I have dual board certification in Sleep Medicine and Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. I bring to this project 30 years of experience as an ear-nose-throat surgeon specialized in obstructive sleep apnea. I have served on many national and international leadership positions related to sleep and sleep surgery, including past president of the International Surgical Sleep Society, serving on the Standards of Practice Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Quality and Outcomes Task Force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Program Advisory Committee and Sleep Disorders Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the Founding Exam Committee of the Board of Sleep Medicine.

My research is focused on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Over the years, I have made many important contributions to the field, including developing novel surgical techniques of partial maxillectomy, palatal advancement, and expansion sphincter palatopharyngoplasty. I have participated in clinical trials to test the efficacy of multiple surgeries for OSA, such as upper airway stimulation. I have publications on a myriad of topics related to OSA pathophysiology, clinical and polysomnographic metrics, and diagnosis. I developed the primary current method of clinically describing pharyngeal anatomic phenotypes.    

My prior mechanistic studies of OSA pathophysiology used static and dynamic methods to characterize the upper airway. Static methods included cephalometric facial x-rays to predict OSA severity and the role of pharyngeal length in determining surgical outcomes. Dynamic studies included the Remmer’s hypotonic method of describing pharyngeal closure and investigations of pharyngeal closing pressures after palatopharyngoplasty or with usage of mandibular advancement devices. These studies used static or dynamic methods to characterize the upper airway, but they did not assess the interplay between static anatomic factors and airway movement, which is critical.