“Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

—Mark Twain

When Terence Imbery, MD, strolled into the studio with a giant ear on his shirt, we knew that we were in for a wonderful piece. “This is one of my favorite shirts,” he said, as he pointed out the anatomical features of the ear.

As a specialist in otology and neurotology, Dr. Imbery focuses on hearing disorders and has been “blessed” to be able to give people the gift of hearing. This is what drove him to the profession and what drives him to go to work every day. Hearing him brag about his patients was stirring; their optimism and resiliency are elements to take serious note of.

When he isn’t in the operating room or clinic, he loves spending time teaching students, with his wife and dog or with his “sloop crew”—which is how Dr. Imbery refers to his colleagues Brandon Baird, MD, and Christopher Roxbury, MD, who reside in the South Loop near him. Whether playing a game of pickle ball, paddleboarding on the lake, golfing or taking a walk, he loves to stay active. In the classroom, he is attentive, collaborative and lighthearted, and delivers world-class education to students, residents and fellows alike.

As a junior faculty member, Dr. Imbery has been embraced by mentors who have guided him through his first years as an attending physician. He appreciates the collaborative nature of the institution and that he can look to his mentors and senior faculty when working on difficult and tough cases, if need be. This unconditional sense of comradeship spans throughout the Section and the department.

As Dr. Imbery sat across from the camera, we were taken by his sincere adoration for his patients, who are the source of his motivation. The ability to give someone their hearing back or to grant it to a child who has never been able to hear before is a miracle and special gift—he is happy to be part of a team that makes that happen. Communication is one of the most pivotal aspects of living, and Dr. Imbery looks forward most to going to work every day knowing that he is going to make a positive and life-altering impact on someone.

Dr. Terence Imbery is a burgeoning surgical icon. Whether competing for match point during an intense game of pickle ball or implanting a miraculous gift that better connects someone to the world, he does it all with an unfading smile and unwavering commitment to do his best.

This is Terence Imbery, Behind the Mask.

Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

The Section of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine comprises renowned specialists offering innovative treatments for ear, nose and throat (ENT) disorders. We provide multidisciplinary care to pediatric and adult patients with benign and malignant head and neck conditions, including those that affect hearing, smell, taste, breathing, swallowing, speaking and sleep. The section has major external and federal funding for its research program in support of investigations of such topics as head and neck cancer, air pollution, child development, and much more. We are committed to providing exceptional care that underscores our passion and dedication to our patients, delivering cutting-edge research and training the next generation of otolaryngology—head and neck surgeons.

Nishant Agrawal, MD
Professor of Surgery
Chief, Section of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery
Director of Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
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faculty listing

Professor of Surgery
Nishant Agrawal, MD, Professor of Surgery; Chief, Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Co-Director, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology
Fuad Baroody, MD, Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics; Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology; Program Director, Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Residency
Elizabeth Blair, MD, Professor of Surgery; Director, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Wellness, Chicago Cancer Center
Michael B. Gluth, MD, Professor of Surgery; Director, Comprehensive Ear and Hearing Center
Jayant Pinto, MD, Professor of Surgery; Dean of Faculty Affairs, Biological Sciences Division; Director, Rhinology and Allergy; Director, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Research; Committee on Molecular Medicine
Louis de Guzman Portugal, MD, Professor of Surgery; Director, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in Greater Chicago
Dana L. Suskind, MD, Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics; Director, Pediatric Cochlear Implantation Program; Co-Director, TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Associate Professor of Surgery
Zhen Gooi, MBBS, Associate Professor of Surgery; Director, Head and Neck Robotic Surgery; Co-Director, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology
Andrea Shogan, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery; Associate Clerkship Director of Surgery; Clerkship Director of Otolaryngology; Associate Residency Program Director of Otolaryngology

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Brandon Baird, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director, Voice Center
William Gao, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director, Voice and Swallowing Center at Orland Park
Terence Imbery, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director, Adult Cochlear Implant Program
Joseph Meleca, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery
Christopher Roxbury, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery

Clinical Associate of Surgery
Nadieska Caballero, MD, Clinical Associate of Surgery
Alan Harvey, DMD, BSc, Clinical Associate of Surgery
Anil R. Shah, MD, Clinical Associate of Surgery

faculty honors

Nishant Agrawal, MD, along with the team of University of Chicago researchers behind OrisDx, a startup developing innovative non-invasive salivary diagnostic tests to screen for oral cancers and pre-cancers, took home the first prize ($640,000) at the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge of the University’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He was named to Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for 2021

Brandon Baird, MD, was appointed Co-Director of the Department of Surgery’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee. He represented the University of Chicago Voice Center by singing the National Anthem at a Chicago Bulls game.

Fuad Baroody, MD, was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for Kids in 2021.

Elizabeth Blair, MD, was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for 2021.

William Gao, MD, gave an expert lecture presentation, “The Art of Botulinum Toxin Injections for Voice Disorders,” at the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery 2022 Annual Meeting.

Michael B. Gluth, MD, was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for 2021.

Jayant Pinto, MD, was invited to lecture at the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, as well as the Istanbul Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Society’s 14th Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, both in September 2022. He gave invited talks at the American Society of Geriatric Otolaryngology, the Illinois Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and the International Smell and Taste Meeting, Dresden, Germany. Dr. Pinto was featured in the Washington Post: “Covid led to smell problems for many. Seniors are especially vulnerable.” He was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for 2021.

Louis de Guzman Portugal, MD, was honored in Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors.

Andrea Shogan, MD, was elected Medical Staff Councilor for a three-year term. She was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors.

Dana L. Suskind, MD, published her second book, Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise, which debuted on the best seller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. Dr. Suskind also received the Distinguished Community Service and Advocacy Faculty Award for the Biological Sciences Division. Georgia Reads selected the book for a statewide community read. Dr. Suskind published an article in Nature Communications: “Shifting parental beliefs about child development to foster parental investments and improve school readiness outcomes.” She was named on Chicago magazine’s list of Top Doctors for Kids in 2021. She wrote an article for The Hill on the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health and social policy change.

faculty promotions

Andrea Shogan, MD, Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, effective September 1, 2022

select publications

OHNS Select Publications

Improvement in Central Sleep Apnea Following Adenotonsillectomy in Children. Judd RT, Mokhlesi B, Shogan A, Baroody FM. Laryngoscope. 2022 Feb;132(2):478-484. doi: 10.1002/lary.29784. Epub 2021 Jul 29. PMID: 34324202.

Du M, Papazian E, Adams D, Caballero N, Portugal L, Das P, Horowitz P, Yamini B, Pinto J, Roxbury CR. Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine is Non-Inferior to In-Office Visits: Lessons From a Tertiary Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Practice. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 2021. doi: 10.1002/alr.22903.

Characterizing Lymph Node Burden With Elective Unilateral Neck Irradiation in Human Papillomavirus-Positive Tonsil Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Defining the Upper Limits. Hara JH, Gutiontov SI, Uddin S, Rosenberg AJ, Pearson AT, Gooi Z, Blair EA, Agrawal N, Vokes EE, Ginat DT, Haraf DJ, Juloori A. Cureus. 2022 Jul 31;14(7):e27521. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27521. eCollection 2022 Jul. PMID: 36060366.

Nguyen D, Judd R. Imbery TE, Gluth MB. Frequency-specific analysis of hearing outcomes associated with ossiculoplasty versus stapedotomy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 130(9):1010-1015, 2021.

Rosenberg AJ, Izumchenko E, Pearson A, Gooi Z, Blair E, Karrison T, Juloori A,Ginat D, Cipriani N, Lingen M, Sloane H, Edelstein DL, Keyser K, Fredebohm J, Holtrup F, Jones FS, Haraf D, Agrawal N, Vokes EE. BMC Cancer. 2022 Jan 3;22(1):17. Prospective study evaluating dynamic changes of cell-free HPV DNA In locoregional viral-associated oropharyngeal cancer treated with induction chemotherapy and response-adaptive treatment.

Baird BJ, Tynan MA, Tracy LF, Heaton JT, Burns JA. Surgeon Positioning During Awake Laryngeal Surgery: An Ergonomic Analysis. Laryngoscope. 2021 Dec;131(12):2752-2758. doi: 10.1002/lary.29717. Epub 2021 Jul 23.PMID: 34296439.

Suskind, D., & Denworth, L. (2022). Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise. Penguin Random House. New York, NY.

residents & fellows

View our Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery Residents and Fellows here.