Department of Otolaryngology Welcomes New Chair José Zevallos, MD, MPH
October 3, 2022
The Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is pleased to welcome José Zevallos, MD, MPH, as the new Eugene N. Myers, MD, Chair. Dr. Zevallos officially started his new role in August 2022.
Dr. Zevallos received his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, followed by residency training in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
He served most recently as the former Division Chief and professor of head and neck surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
“The University of Pittsburgh is one of the elite otolaryngology programs in the United States, and the faculty includes several of our specialty’s most prominent thought leaders and visionaries,” he said. “I was drawn by the opportunity to build upon this remarkable foundation to develop a new standard of excellence in academic otolaryngology.”
One of Dr. Zevallos’ main goals as Chair is to highlight the esteemed faculty, residents, fellows, and staff that continue to develop such a prestigious level of excellence within the Department.
“As Chair, I aspire to build innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit into everything we do, whether that be surgical care, education, or research,” he added. “We will continue to nurture and support the exceptional programs in surgical simulation, head and neck cancer survivorship, robotics, hearing sciences, and education that already exist within the Department. We will also develop new clinical and research programs focused on improving the lives of our patients, including new initiatives in translational research, head and neck cancer epidemiology, and complex airway surgery.”
Dr. Zevallos’ clinical interests include the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, salivary gland tumors, thyroid and parathyroid conditions, and benign tumors of the head and neck. He has a special interest in transoral robotic surgery for HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Dr. Zevallos has published over 120 peer-reviewed research articles and is a highly sought-after speaker at national and international conferences on head and neck cancer. He runs a translational research lab that focuses on HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer genomics and biomarker development and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Head and Neck Society, the Veterans Affairs research program, and many others. He also has a strong interest in head and neck cancer epidemiology and population sciences.
Learn more about Dr. Zevallos here.
