Uttam K. Sinha, associate professor of otolaryngology and Watt Family Chair in Head and Neck Cancer at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been appointed to two key new leadership positions.

Sinha will serve as medical director of head and neck surgery, and associate dean of surgical simulation, paving the way for novel, innovative programming across clinical, research and educational practices.

As medical director, Sinha will lead the development of a Head and Neck Surgery Institute focused on providing comprehensive, translational care to patients suffering from head and neck diseases.

Uttam K. Sinha

Uttam K. Sinha

The center will bring together multidisciplinary services to focus on improving patient survival rates, enhancing quality of life and reducing the cost of care. Breakthrough clinical trials conducted at the institute will also help bring research from the lab to the bedside, and an international focus will expand its scope and reach on a global level.

As associate dean of surgical simulation, Sinha will also lead the establishment of a surgical simulation and innovation program to help train future clinicians.

Sinha was praised in a statement released by Senior Vice President and CEO for USC Health Thomas E. Jackiewicz, Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery John K. Niparko, “Dr. Sinha is a leading international expert in the treatment of head and neck cancers, and one of a select number of national surgeon scientists in this field operating a high-volume clinical practice while also conducting translational research,” they wrote. “With a career at USC that spans nearly 30 years, and breakthroughs in areas such as saliva diagnostics, nanotechnology and cancer stem cell research, Dr. Sinha is poised to make many more lasting contributions to our medical enterprise.”

Tamara Brown will take on Sinha’s previously held role of chief of service for the LAC+USC Medical Center. Niels Kokot will assume Sinha’s role of residency program director for the Department of Otolaryngology.