Faculty Disclosure:
In accordance with Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interests (if any) will be included in materials distributed at the time of the conference.
Speaker Biosketches:
Carey D. Balaban, PhD
Carey Balaban is a Professor in the Departments of
Otolaryngology, Neurobiology, & Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Dr. Balaban completed his undergraduate training at Michigan State University
in 1975 and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Chicago in
1979. He completed his post-graduate work in physiology with Masao Ito,
Ph.D., at the University of Tokyo from 1979-1982. Dr. Balaban came to the
University of Pittsburgh in 1988. His specific fields of interest are
vestibular pathology in the brain, the link between balance anxiety and
migraine (including anatomical tracing and cellular/molecular mechanisms),
biology of inner ear ganglion cells, human pain psychophysics and postural
correlates of human cognitive engagement and situation awareness. Dr.
Balaban has received several NIH grants in these research areas and has
published over 100 refereed articles. (Professor in the Departments of Otolaryngology,
Neurobiology, & Communication Sciences and Disorders, Pittsburgh, PA)
Joseph M. Furman, MD,
PhD, FAAN
Joseph Furman is a Professor in the Departments of
Otolaryngology, Neurology, Bioengineering, and Physical Therapy at the
University of Pittsburgh and director of the division of balance disorders at
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His education includes an
M.D. and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a
residency in neurology at UCLA, and a fellowship in non-surgical otology at the
University of Toronto. Dr. Furman's area of expertise is vestibular function
and balance disorders. Dr. Furman is a board certified neurologist, a
fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and a member of the American Neurological
Association. Dr. Furman's clinical activities include the evaluation of
patients with dizziness and disequilibrium and consultation neurology. Dr.
Furman's research interests include vestibulo-ocular function in older persons,
otolith-ocular reflexes, and migraine-related dizziness. (Professor,
Departments of Otolaryngology, Neurology, Bioengineering, and Physical Therapy
at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Division of Balance
Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA)
Raj J. Gandhi,
PhD
Neeraj Gandhi is an Associate Professor in the Departments of
Otolaryngology and Bioengineering. Dr. Gandhi completed his undergraduate
training at Boston University in 1992 and received his Ph.D. degree in
Bioengineering from the University of California, San Francisco in 1997.
He completed his post-graduate work in neuroscience at Baylor College of
Medicine in 2002. Dr. Gandhi came to the University of Pittsburgh as an
Assistant Professor in 2002. His specific fields of interest are to
investigate the neural control of head-unrestrained gaze shifts, i.e.,
coordinated movements of the eyes and head that require integration of the
oculomotor and vestibular systems. Dr. Gandhi currently has an NIH
research grant (R01: Neural Integration of Eye and Head Movements) and has
published over 22 refereed articles. (Associate Professor, Departments of
Otolaryngology and Bioengineering Pittsburgh, PA)
Barry E. Hirsch, MD
Barry E. Hirsch is a Professor in the Departments of
Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Neurological
Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Director, Division of
Otology. Dr. Hirsch received his MD degree at The University of
Pennsylvania and completed his otolaryngology residency at the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed an otology fellowship at the
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1985 and a fellowship in Zurich,
Switzerland with Professor Hugo Fisch. Dr. Hirsch became a full-time
member of the department in 1985 and in 1999 was named Director of the Division
of Otology. His specific fields of interest are otology, neurotology,
cranial base surgery, cochlear implants, acoustic neuromas, and stereotactic
radiosurgery of intracranial and skull base tumor. He is a member of the
Boards at the schools for hearing impaired children, the DePaul Institute for
Hearing and Speech and Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Dr. Hirsch
is the Chairman of both the Hearing Committee and Implantable Device
Subcommittee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck
Surgery. Dr. Hirsch is actively involved with the otology fellowship
training, resident education and the education of medical students. (Professor
in the Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh, PA)
Anthony P. Kontos, PhD
Anthony Kontos is Assistant Research Director for the UPMC
Sports Medicine Concussion Program in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at
the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Kontos received his Ph.D. in
kinesiology/sport psychology from Michigan State University where he received
master’s degrees in counseling psychology and exercise science. He completed
his B.A. in psychology at Adrian College. His research in sport-related
concussion includes psychological issues, neurocognitive and neuromotor
effects, imaging studies, dual-task paradigms, and concussion outreach with
underrepresented groups. His research is currently funded by the US Army
Special Operations Command, National Football League Charities, and the
National Operating Committee for Standards of Athletic Equipment. He is the
Program Chair of American Psychological Association’s Division 47, a member of
Association of Applied Sport Psychology, and an associate member of the
National Academy of Neuropsychology. (Assistant Professor in
the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pittsburgh, PA)
Gregory F. Marchetti,
PT, PhD
Greg Marchetti is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Physical Therapy at Duquesne University. Dr. Marchetti earned an entry level PT
degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science from the School
of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. After 17
years of clinical practice with a focus on management of persons with
neurological impairments, he obtained a PhD in epidemiology with an emphasis in
chronic disease. Greg currently serves as Associate Professor in the
Department of Physical Therapy in the Rangos School of Heath Sciences at
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and has appointments in the School of
Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh and
Chatham College in Pittsburgh PA.
Greg has conducted research, published and presented nationally
and internationally on the clinical measurement of gait and balance in older
adults and persons with disorders of balance and vestibular impairment.
Additionally he has conducted intervention trials for persons with
osteoarthritis of the knee, cervical radiculopathy and vitamin D deficiency.
(Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in the Rangos School
of Heath Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and has appointments
in the School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology at the University of
Pittsburgh and Chatham College, Pittsburgh, PA)
Andrew McCall, MD
Andrew McCall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his undergraduate
degree from the University of California, Riverside and his medical degree from
the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. McCall completed residency in
the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of
California, Los Angeles. He completed fellowship in Otology and Neurootology at
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, MA. Dr.
McCall’s specific fields of interest include otology, neurotology, cranial base
surgery, disorders of the facial nerve, cochlear implants, acoustic neuromas,
meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, and superior canal dehiscence
syndrome.
Anne Mucha, DPT, MS, NCS
Anne is Assistant Director of Neurological Services for the
Centers for Rehab Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has over 20 years
of clinical experience in treating individuals with neurologic conditions and
currently works in the UPMC Sports Concussion Program, treating concussed
patients who have balance and vestibular dysfunction. She was formerly Facility
Director of the Balance and Vestibular Disorders Clinic at the Eye and Ear
Institute in Pittsburgh, and is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of
Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. Anne received her NCS in 2008
from the APTA and is actively involved in ongoing research projects related to
the concussion program within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She was
recently appointed an at-large expert member of the consultant workgroup on
Concussion for the APTA. Anne also is part of the team that created the
Neurology Sections advanced vestibular course content for a recent continuing
education course.
Yael Raz, MD
Dr. Yael Raz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She is
a neurotologist and associate of the University of Pittsburgh Physicians Ear
Nose and Throat Specialists. Dr. Raz, a native of Israel, grew up in Southern
California. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in
Cambridge, Massachusetts and her medical degree from the UCLA School of
Medicine. She completed residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and
Neck Surgery as well as fellowship training in Otology, Neurotology and Skull
Base Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
Maryland.
Dr. Raz's clinical interests include the management of chronic
ear disease, conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, skull base tumors and
vestibular disorders. Dr. Raz sees patients at the Eye and Ear Institute and
UPMC Shadyside. She has an active research interest in cochlear development
with a focus on the molecular mechanisms that guide connections between the
nervous system and the developing inner ear. (Assistant Professor in the
Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA)
Maria Twichell, MD
Dr. Maria Twichell
Patrick J. Sparto, PT,
PhD
Patrick Sparto is an Associate Professor in the Departments
of Physical Therapy, Otolaryngology and Bioengineering. Dr. Sparto
completed his undergraduate training at Ohio State University in 1992 and
received his Ph.D. degree from Ohio State University in 1998.
Dr. Sparto did his post-graduate work in the Department of Physical Therapy at
the University of Pittsburgh from 1997-2000. Dr. Sparto was appointed
Assistant Professor in the Departments of Physical Therapy and Otolaryngology
at the University of Pittsburgh in 2000. In 2006, Dr. Sparto was promoted
to Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Otolaryngology. Dr.
Sparto's specific fields of interest are the combined effects of aging and
vestibular disease on postural control in an effort to reduce the risk of
falling in older adults. Dr. Sparto has published over 27 refereed
articles. (Associate Professor in the Departments of Physical Therapy and
Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh, PA)
Susan L. Whitney, PT, PhD, NCS, FAPTA
Susan Whitney is an Associate Professor in the Departments of
Physical Therapy and Otolaryngology. Dr. Whitney received her PhD in motor
development/motor learning from the University of Pittsburgh and her
professional physical therapy education from Temple University in Philadelphia,
PA. Currently, she is an associate professor in physical therapy in the
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and in the department of
otolaryngology in the School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. She
is the Program Director of the Centers for Rehab Services (CRS) Balance and
Vestibular Rehabilitation Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center. Dr. Whitney is supported by an NIH grant from NIDCD to study
postural effects of virtual reality exposure in people with vestibular
dysfunction and has published over 55 refereed papers. (Associate Professor,
University of Pittsburgh Departments of Physical Therapy and Otolaryngology,
Pittsburgh, PA)
Bill J. Yates, PhD
Bill Yates is a Professor in the Departments of Otolaryngology
and Neuroscience. Dr. Yates completed his undergraduate training at the
University of Florida in 1981 and received his Ph.D. degree from the University
of Florida in 1986. He completed his post-graduate work in
neurophysiology at The Rockefeller University in New York from 1986-1989.
Dr. Yates was an Assistant Professor at The Rockefeller University from
1990-1994. Dr. Yates came to the University of Pittsburgh in 1994.
His specific fields of interest are neural control of coordinated oculomotor
and skeletomotor movements. Dr. Yates has received several NIH grants in
these research areas and has published over 95 refereed articles. (Professor,
Departments of Otolaryngology and Neuroscience, Pittsburgh, PA)