Our mission

Our vision is to lead the field of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and to benefit the communities we serve through the delivery of outstanding patient care, innovative biomedical research and excellence in medical education.

The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco combines superior resident and medical student training with the highest quality of patient care. Beyond our offices, clinics, and laboratories within the 107-acre UCSF Parnassus campus above Golden Gate Park, our Department reaches into the Moffitt Long Hospital, the Ambulatory Care Center, the Medical Center at Mount Zion, and shares UCSF’s partnerships with San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Under the leadership of our Chairman Andrew H. Murr, MD, the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s expertise encompasses all aspects of the field of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery including head and neck surgical oncology, laryngology, rhinology, otology, neurotology, skull base surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, and facial plastic surgery. In addition, we provide innovative technologies and options for communication and swallowing disorders, voice disorders, and sleep disorders. The Department prides itself on being a vital resource for the medical community by providing state-of-the-art care for patients.

We offer an outstanding five-year residency training program, whereby, housestaff are mentored and guided by our internationally recognized clinical and research faculty. Third-year medical students from all over the U.S. and Canada are invited to participate in our program. Additionally, our Department offers fellowship training in head and neck oncological surgery, laryngology, and pediatric otolaryngology – head and neck surgery.

Medical research scientists in our esteemed research laboratories are among the most sought after geneticists and physiologists in the world. From development of the cochlear implant to defining mechanisms underlying the origins of functional brain illnesses and disabilities, advances in research at the Coleman Memorial Laboratory, the Epstein Laboratory, the Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory, the Center for Auditory Hair Physiology and the Center for Clinical Research In Otolaryngology, are transforming head and neck challenges into treatment possibilities.