He graduated from Hacettepe University Medical School and completed his Otolaryngology Residency training at the same institution. He did “Head Neck Surgery Clinical Fellowship” at Wayne State University, Michigan-USA, 1998-2000. He worked as Chief of Otolaryngology Depart. at Dışkapı Research and Training Hospital 2005-2011, and at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University between 2011-2022, as a Professor of Otolaryngology. His main area of clinical and research interest has been “Head Neck Cancers and Surgery”, and have many published papers in several esteemed journals. He had been the board member of Turkish ORL-HNS Society (2012-2016), President of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery Society (2016-2018). He had been the founder chairman of “Turkish Ear Nose Throat Schools” between 2012 and 2016, which aimed to the postgraduate advanced training of ENT specialists. He is currently the President of Ear Nose Throat online platform (KBBplatform), which is involved in advanced trainings in the area of Otolaryngology, nationally. He is also the board member of Head Neck Cancer Society of Turkey.

Professor Seong Keun Kwon earned his M.D., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Seoul National University College of Medicine and is a board-certified otolaryngologist with extensive clinical and research expertise in laryngeal cancer, thyroid cancer, and airway stenosis. Clinically, he is regarded as the foremost surgeon in Korea—and among the  leading surgeons in Asia—performing the highest volume of complex airway surgeries. He currently serves as Head of Pediatric Otolaryngology of Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), Director of the Office of Research Planning and Management of SNUH, Vice Director of the National Strategic Technology Specialized Research Center of SNUH.

Beyond his institutional role, Professor Kwon is deeply engaged in academic societies, serving as President-Elect of the Korean Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society, Vice President of the Korean Society for Biomaterials, and General Secretary of the Federation of Korean Surgeons for Children and Adolescents.

As a researcher, his work has centered on the regeneration of the trachea, vocal folds, and salivary glands. His achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including the Casselberry Award from the American Laryngological Association in 2018—becoming the 27th recipient since the award’s establishment in 1906—and again in 2024, underscoring the lasting impact of his contributions. He has twice received the Broyles–Maloney Award from the American Bronchoesophagological Association (2016, 2019), and in 2025 & 2026, he was further honored with the Eugene Myers International Paper Award at the Annual Meeting of the American Laryngological Association, recognizing his outstanding contributions to international laryngology research.

He hosts an annual airway workshop at his hospital, which is the only program of its kind in Korea. The workshop is designed to train physicians in the management of difficult airway diseases through multidisciplinary decision-making. In addition, he conducts hands-on courses in rigid bronchoscopy, tracheostomy, and a range of open airway surgeries—including partial cricotracheal resection and laryngotracheal reconstruction.

In Korea, Professor Kwon has also been the recipient of multiple distinguished academic awards, including the Seokdang Academic Award from the Korean Otolaryngological Society, the Excellence in Mid-Career Research Award from the Korean Society for Biomaterials, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Korean Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society.

Yo Kishimoto, MD, PhD, is a head and neck surgeon specializing in minimally invasive and endoscopic treatments for laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers. His clinical and research interests include transoral surgery, voice disorders, and functional preservation in head and neck oncology. He is also engaged in basic research on upper airway biology and tissue regeneration. Dr. Kishimoto is actively involved in international academic activities and education in head and neck surgery.