Robert Jan Pauw (1978) is a consultant ENT surgeon specializing in otology and lateral skull base surgery at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, where he leads the otology department. He trained in otorhinolaryngology at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen and completed a fellowship in otology with Professor Offeciers at the European Institute for ORL-HNS in Antwerp.

In 2007, he earned his PhD with a thesis on hereditary hearing impairment, focusing on the clinical and genetic aspects of DFNA9, DFNA15, OTSC5, and OTSC7. He has since been actively involved in cholesteatoma research, co-supervising multiple PhD projects.

Dr. Pauw is a former chair of the Otology Section of the Dutch ENT Society and has played a key role in developing national treatment guidelines. Passionate about education, he trains ENT residents and medical students and teaches at international ear surgery courses in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.

He is the current congress chairman of the 12th International Conference on Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery (CHOLE2027) that will take place from 6-9 June 2027 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. www.chole2027.com

Consultant of ORL-HNS and Oto-neurotology Lateral skull base surgery. Head of Cochlear Implant Center, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan, Saudi Arabia