Richard Smith, MD, was appointed a Professor of Otolaryngology at University of Iowa Health Care in 1990 and followed that appointment with a research sabbatical at the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research in Nottingham, England. Currently he is Vice-Chairman in the Department of Otolaryngology where he specializes in Pediatric Otolaryngology. He is also a professor in the Interdepartmental Genetics PhD program. The University of Iowa College of Medicine awarded him the Sterba Hearing Research Professorship in 1999 to recognize his work with the Molecular Otolaryngology Research Laboratory (MORL). In October 2006 he was elected into the Institute of Medicine.

Deborah Kacmarynski, MD earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa and worked nearly a decade at 3M Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. She then completed her medical degree from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and remained there to complete her residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. She also completed a Master of Science in Otolaryngology during her training Dr. Kacmarynski moved back to Iowa City for a two-year Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowship at University of Iowa Health Care. She joined the faculty in 2009.She works closely with the Department of Biomedical Engineering for her research work developing physical and computer models to understand pediatric laryngotracheal diseases causing obstruction. She also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Pediatrics and is faculty in the Health Informatics graduate program. The University of Iowa College of Medicine awarded her the Paul N. Johnson Professorship in Craniofacial Abnormalities.

Otology, Neurotology, Skull Base Surgery

Marlan Hansen, MD began his medical training by graduating with honors from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. He then moved to the University of Iowa for subsequent training; first as an intern in the Department of Surgery, followed by two years of NIH-funded research. He remained to complete his residency in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery before moving to the House Ear clinic in California to pursue a fellowship in neurology and skull base surgery. Dr. Hansen’s research interest lies in the study of the development of vestibular schwannomas.

Otology, Neurotology, Skull Base Surgery

Bruce Gantz, MD, obtained his Medical degree in 1974 from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. After a one year internship at the University of Utah College of Medicine and Affiliated Hospitals, he returned to complete his residency at University of Iowa Health Care. He then pursued a neurotology fellowship at Universitätsspital Zürich, Otorhinolaryngologische Klinik und Poliklinik in Zürich, Switzerland. Dr. Gantz joined the faculty of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 1980 and became a full professor in 1987. He was appointed as Department Head in 1995 and named Brian F. McCabe Distinguished Chair in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 1998. He served as the chair of the department through June of 2020. He is the Director of the Iowa Cochlear Implant Project and has achieved continuous research support from the NIH-NIDCD since 1980, and previously held an appointment as Director of the American Board of Otolaryngology. In 2000, he was elected into the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine.

Brian Andrews returned to the University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology in July 2021. He is currently an Associate Professor and the Director of Craniofacial Reconstruction. Dr. Andrews did his medical school training at the University of Iowa, followed by a general surgery internship at the Exempla St. Joseph’s Hospital in Denver Colorado before returning to the University of Iowa for the completion of his Otolaryngology residency training. Following completion of his Otolaryngology training, he completed a second residency in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery at the Harvard residency program in Boston, MA. In addition, Dr. Andrews completed a one year fellowship in craniofacial surgery at UCLA. Dr. Andrews is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and the American Board of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery. Prior to returning to the University of Iowa, Dr. Andrews was the Director of Cleft & Craniofacial Surgery at the University of Kansas for 10 years. His clinical interests involve facial reconstruction for both children (congenital and traumatic concerns) and adults (traumatic and oncologic problems). Dr. Andrews has a NIH funded basic science research lab that studies traumatic brain injury and how the brain functions within a closed or open cranial vault. 

Dr. Andrews is active in global health initiatives and has performed facial reconstructive procedures in several countries including Samoa, Malaysia, Egypt and Guatemala, where he travels yearly as a member of the IOWA MOST cleft and craniofacial surgery for the past 15 years.

Pediatric Fellowship Program Director

Matthew Hoffman, MD, PhD  attended undergrad at the University of Wisconsin, during which time he worked in a laryngeal physiology laboratory and developed an interest in the larynx. He completed medical school and a PhD in communication sciences and disorders at University of Wisconsin,  and continued there for otolaryngology residency. He has an interest in laryngology across the lifespan, and so did a laryngology fellowship at University of Alabama-Birmingham and a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at University of Utah. He joined the faculty at Iowa in July 2022. His research focuses on quantitative assessment of voice and swallow function, outcomes for patients with laryngeal disorders, and modeling of phonosurgical procedures using an excised larynx model.

Alexander Claussen, MD, completed his medical school training at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, which included a one-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He then went on to complete a 7 year T32 Research Track Otolaryngology Residency at the University of Iowa followed by a 2 year Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery Fellowship at the University of California – San Diego. He then returned to the University of Iowa as a surgeon-scientist, where he practices the full spectrum of neurotology and skull base surgery and runs a laboratory research program studying cochlear implant biology and inner ear immunology.

Scott Owen earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia before completing his residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Iowa. He went on to complete a fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His current practice consists of a wide range of facial reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. His current areas of academic interest include microtia, facial reanimation, rhinoplasty, and complex congenital craniofacial reconstruction.

Dr. Owen is the Residency Program Director for the department of Otolaryngology —Head & Neck Surgery.