Meet our Master Class faculty!
Dr. Veluswamy Anand, MCV, India
After graduating in 1985, Dr. V Anand joined Kasturba Medical College, Manipal for post-graduation in ENT and obtained DLO in June 1987 and MS (ENT) in June 1988. He served in the same Institution as Registrar from June 1988 to June 1989, Junior Lecturer in ENT from June 1989 to June 1990 and Assistant Professor in ENT from August 1990. During this time underwent training for Ear Surgery at Bordeaux, France. He also worked with Professor UGO Fisch of Zurich for Skull Base Surgery Prof. Helms of University of Wursberg, Germany and Dr. Isshiki of Kyoto University, Japan. After resigning from Kasturba Hospital in January 1991, he serves as Consulting ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon at KMCH, Coimbatore, Consultant at MCV Memorial ENT Hospital, Pollachi, Honorary Consultant, Masonic Hospital for Children, Coimbatore.
Dr. Shumon Dhar, UT Southwestern
Dr. Shumon Dhar, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a laryngologist at UTSW’s Clinical Center for Voice Care and specializes in the treatment of voice, airway, and swallowing disorders.
Dr. Dhar earned his medical degree at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University and received advanced training in laryngology and broncho-esophagology through a fellowship at the University of California, Davis.
Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021. Previously, he was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and Chief of the Johns Hopkins Swallowing Center.
Dr. Dhar’s clinical and research interests include the medical and surgical management of voice and swallowing disorders, upper airway stenosis, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), and early vocal cord cancer. He enjoys providing care to all types of patients, from professional singers to head and neck cancer survivors. Balancing and optimizing the major functions of the larynx (breathing, voice, and swallowing) are key principles that guide his practice.
Dr. Dhar has written numerous academic articles, serves as a reviewer for several otolaryngology journals, and delivers lectures and special presentations of his work regularly. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of its Otolaryngology Advisory Council. He is also an active member of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association and serves on the Airway and Swallowing Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and on the medical advisory board of the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.
Dr. Catherine Hart, University of Cincinnati
Dr. Catherine Hart is an ENT-otolaryngologist in Cincinnati, Ohio and has been named the division director of Otolaryngology at Cincinnati Children’s. Dr. Hart has served at Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati, where her clinical and academic contributions have made a significant impact. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School, completed her residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and pursued a clinical fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s.
Dr. Alexander Hillel, Johns Hopkins
Alexander Hillel received his M.D. from the Tulane University School of Medicine, completed his residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a fellowship in Laryngology at the Emory Voice Center. Dr. Hillel specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients who have scar tissue blocking their larynx and/or trachea, a condition called laryngotrachealstenosis. This condition occurs in patients who have had prolonged intubation, autoimmune disease, and a rare disease called idiopathic subglottic stenosis. He also treats patients with voice and throat problems, including spasmodic dysphonia, and swallowing difficulty.
Dr. Hillel’s research seeks to better understand why scar forms in the larynx and trachea. He and his team investigate the relationship among the immune system, bacteria, and scar formation in the airway in an effort to improve treatment. They are also testing drugs that may halt the progression of, or reverse, scar formation and engineered a drug-eluting stent which is being tested to translate to patients with laryngotrachealstenosis. Dr. Hillel holds sponsored grants from the National Institute of Health, surgical foundations, and the medical device industry to conduct his research.
In addition to clinical and research work, Dr. Hillel holds a leadership role within the Department, serving as the Residency Program Director and Vice Director of Education. He leads 25 resident physicians and serves as the critical communication node between faculty and residents.
Dr. Maggie Kuhn, UC Sacramento
Dr. Maggie A. Kuhn is an ENT-otolaryngologist in Sacramento, California and is affiliated with UC Davis Medical Center. She received her medical degree from New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Kuhn is a graduate of the mentored clinical research program sponsored by the Clinical and Translation Science Center. Her clinical and translational research focus is on animal models, developing novel therapeutics and measuring clinical outcomes, specifically those of head & neck cancer survivors.
Dr. Ahmed Soliman, Temple University
Dr. Ahmed Soliman specializes in Otolaryngology, with a special focus on Voice Disorders, Swallowing Disorders and Airway Disorders. He practices primarily in Philadelphia, PA, and is affiliated with Temple University Hospital. Dr. Soliman graduated from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1991, and completed his training at Johns Hopkins Hosp and Johns Hopkins. He is board certified in Otolaryngology.
For questions and/or more information, contact:
Elena Thompson
University of Wisconsin Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
(608) 265-0494
thompsone@surgery.wisc.edu
