VSC at ASHA
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center had a strong showing at the annual American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention in Boston, MA 11/16-18 sharing our work.
VSC at The Fall Voice Conference
The Fall Voice Conference is one of the premier voice meetings nationally and internationally. It took place in Washington DC 10/19-21 this year. The UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center was honored to share our research as posters and podium presentations along with contributing to several panels. Additionally, the Laryngology Education Foundation that runs Fall Voice is transitioning its board. Our own, Dr Clark Rosen will be handing off the torch and another of our own, Sarah Schneider will be joining the new board as one of the inaugural women and speech language pathologists to join this group.
The VSC Had Two Community Outreach Events
On February 2nd, Drs. Rosen and Young along with Sarah Schneider, SLP met with the Northern California Laryngeal Dystonia support groups to provide scientific updates in evaluation and treatment of laryngeal Dystonia and reconnect with members of the community.
On February 10th, the Voice and Swallowing Center team served 977 meals to the community at the St. Anthony’s Foundation in San Francisco.
2022 Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings
Here are a few highlights from the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center’s strong showing at the recent 2022 Combined Otolaryngology Spring meetings. See a full list of the presentations on our Research page.
ALA President Dr. Clark Rosen giving his address on the importance of multi-center clinical research studies in the field of Laryngology.
Dr. VyVy Young presenting on behalf of the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association on increased sensation in patients with adductor laryngeal dystonia.
Dr. Yue Ma discussed findings from the newly developed anatomic zones of sensation in the larynx.
Clinical Research Coordinator Grant Gochman and Dr. Clark Rosen presented a poster on Patients’ Preference for Voice Related Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs).
The Fall Voice Conference in Miami
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center recently attended the Fall Voice Conference in Miami. We were well represented planning and leading pre-conference sessions along with podium presentations, posters, and panel discussions for the main conference. We look forward to hosting the Fall Voice Conference here in San Francisco in 2022!
Clark Rosen, MD and VyVy Young, MD provided laryngology education at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in Los Angeles from October 2-5, 2021
At the annual Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) meeting last week in Los Angeles, Dr. Clark Rosen lectured about management of benign vocal fold lesions and phonomicrosurgery to both in person and livestreamed audiences (pictured below). He also presented a panel of challenging voice cases with Dr. Lyndsay Madden, Dr. Milan Amin and Dough Roth CCC-SLP as well as a 2-part lecture on vocal fold injection with Dr. Lucian Sulica. Dr. VyVy Young led a multi-disciplinary panel on complex operative airway management with Dr. Daniel Cates, Dr. Milan Amin and anesthesiologist Dr. Zaki Ibrahim and lectured on advancement of stroboscopy skills with Dr. Cates (both pictured below). She also teamed up with Dr. Amin as well as Dr. Greg Dion and Dr. Maggie Kuhn to discuss diagnostic test selection in chronic cough. Her other contributions to otolaryngology education at the AAO-HNS included virtual lectures on aging voice and transgender voice care.
World Voice Day
World Voice Day happens annually on 4/16 and was originally brought to the US and whole world by Dr. Rosen and his collaborators in 2002. Please watch below to see Dr. Rosen speak about the development and goals of World Voice Day. To learn more visit http://world-voice-day.org/ - the theme this year is One World Many Voices!
Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting (COSM) 2021
At the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting (COSM) 2021 there were many honors for the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center to celebrate. Dr. VyVy Young was inducted as a Fellow of the American Laryngological Association (ALA), one of the highest honors to be earned in the field of laryngology. Dr. Yue Ma one of our laryngologists, Dr. Christopher Dwyer and Dr. Andre Anne LeClerc our former UCSF Laryngology fellows, and Dr. Margaret Huston our former Otolaryngology resident were all inducted as post-graduate members of the ALA. And, finally, Dr. Clark Rosen was introduced as the ALA’s 2022 President. All of their hard work is being recognized!
Keeping Patients, Staff, and Providers Safe During this Pandemic
We are open and ready to help you with your voice, swallowing and airway complaints! During this pandemic, we are all working extra hard to keep our patients, staff and providers safe. So during your visit, things may look a little bit different. You will notice that our waiting room is configured to keep physical distancing. You will also see our staff and providers are wearing different protective equipment during your visit. Additionally, all patients and approved visitors will be required to wear a mask. Depending on the requirements of your visit, we may ask you to remove your mask and then replace it after examination. Your health and safety are our top priority, so we are resuming in-person care with additional steps to keep everyone safe! Please reach out to us with any questions.
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Clark Rosen, MD and Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP presented Vocal Health 101 at Lowell High School in San Francisco - February 28
On Friday 2/28, Dr. Clark Rosen and Sarah Schneider, SLP presented Vocal Health 101 to the beginning and intermiediate choir at Lowell High School. This is the first presentation in our initiatve for community outreach and education program funded by a Mount Zion grant. We are excited to continue this within our San Francisco and Bay Area Community.Clark Rosen, MD and Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP both spoke at the 15th annual Advanced Practice in Voice and Dysphagia in Las Vegas, NV - February 22-25
Advanced Practice in Voice and Dysphagia held their 15th annual confernce in Las Vegas February 22-25, 2020. Sarah Schneider led another successful SLP Voice Pre-conference with an all-star group of presenters including Edie Hapner, Amanda Gillespie, and Leah Helou. Sarah and Dr. Rosen spoke at the main conference on voice topics and helped in supporting roles during the infamous laryngeal karaoke.
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Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP was the invited speaker at the Illinois Speech and Hearing Association (ISHA) - February 7
UCSF Laryngology at the UCSF Reflux Roundtable 2020 - January 15
Members of UCSF Laryngology team attended the UCSF Reflux Roundtable, which was held in Byers Auditorium at Genetech Hall at Mission Bay.
Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP guest speaker at Musae on the Brain: Women in Voice and Science - January 26
Please join Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP at the upcoming Musae on the Brain: Women in Voice and Science event on January 26, 2020 at the Montgomery Theatre in San Jose, CA. To learn more, please click here. For tickets, please click here.
Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP spoke at the 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association on November 21-23
Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP spoke at the ASHA convention in Orlando where she teamed up with Claudio Milstein from the Cleveland Clinic to present a session about Spasmodic Dysphonia entitled Identifying the Break: Differentiating Spasmodic Dysphonia and Muscle Tension Dysphonia.
UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center Team participated in the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on November 9
Members of the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team participated in San Francisco's Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday, November 9, 2019 to support the Alzheimer's Association in its mission to advance research, provide education and resources, and support those with and affected by this disease
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing team represented at the recent Fall Voice Meeting in Dallas, Tx on October 17 - 19
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing team represented at the recent Fall Voice Meeting in Dallas, Tx. We moderated a session, sat on an expert panel, and presented posters. We learned, connected with new colleagues and reconnected with old. The future of our field is very bright.![]()
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Clark Rosen, MD presented at a panel at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at New Orleans on September 15-18
Dr. Clark Rosen attended the annual Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) meeting last week in New Orleans. He was a panelist with fellow leaders in the field of laryngology including Mark Courey, Tuan Jen Fang and Geraldo Santa discussing The Value of an International Classification System for Benign Vocal Fold Lesions. Additionally, he joined Jevy Lee, Michael Johns III, and Peter Belafsky as a panelist on Current Management of Aging Voice and Swallowing as pictured below. Dr. Rosen continues to work to promote the growth of Laryngology.![]()
VyVy Young, MD presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at New Orleans on September 15-18
Our own Dr. VyVy Young teamed up with Dr. Edie Hapner from USC to present on the Aging voice at the AAO meeting in New Orleans.
Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP quoted in KQED's California Report on September 13
Sarah Schneider quoted in KQED's California Report Magazine in their recent story about Transgender Opera singers. Schneider addresses the role of testosterone in changing vocal cords. To listen to the podcast, click here.
Clark Rosen, MD keynote speaker at the Pathology of the Voice and Voice Professional in Chile on August 28-30
Dr. Clark Rosen was a keynote speaker this past week at the Pathology of the Voice and Voice Professional in Santiago, Chile. The UCSF Voice and Swallowing team continues to build international connections to support the growth of our field.
Sarah L. Schneider keynote speaker for the Taiwan Voice Society and panelist at the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics on August 22nd
Sarah L. Schneider was featured as the keynote speaker for the Taiwan Voice Society sharing the Voice and Swallowing Center's work with performing voice. Additionally, she presented and was an invited panelist at the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics. This opportunity to further UCSF's international connections in speech pathology and laryngology is an important part of our mission in patient care, education, and research.![]()
Clark Rosen, MD and Sarah Schneider along with San Francisco Opera Bravo Club presented The Vocal Athlete on August 12th
On August 12 the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center teamed up with the San Francisco Opera Bravo Club to present The Vocal Athlete to kick off the new opera season. Dr. Clark Rosen and Sarah Schneider, co-directors of the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center, joined San Francisco Opera mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm for an interactive demonstration of the science of singing and a discussion of caring for the vocal athlete.
Clark Rosen, MD participated in a panel at the Opera America Conference in San Francisco on June 15
Dr. Clark Rosen participated in a panel addressing voice and mental health support in singers at the Opera America Conference in San Francisco on June 15th.
VyVy Young, MD presented at the UC Davis pre-graduation ENT Conference on June 14
Dr. VyVy Young presented at the UC Davis pre-graduation ENT conference 6/14
Meg Cafferkey, SLP of the Voice and Swallowing team taught at Standford, on June 8.
Meg Cafferkey, SLP represented the Voice and Swallowing team teaching at the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in Acute Care course at Stanford this past weekend, June 8.
UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center hosted its inaugural UCSF Professional Voice Symposium on 6/1/2019
2019 Spring - Heads Up! OHNS Publication
News from the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Spring 2019 | Vol. 16, Issue 1 (pdf)
2019 Lewis F. Morrison, MD Lecture on May 23rd
Milan Amin, MD from New York University was the 2019 Lewis Frances Morrison Visiting Professor. He spoke about Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR). Pictured (left to right) are, VyVy Young, MD, Andrew H. Murr, MD, Dr. Amin, Clark Rosen, MD and Sarah Schneider, CCC-SLP, MS.
Sarah Schneider, MS features as keynote speaker at The Art and Science of Performing Voice on May 17-18
Sarah Schneider, MS was featured as one of the keynote speakers at The Art and Science of Performing Voice, May 17-18, 2019 at the University of Washington, Seattle. This course is a great example of the interprofessional care that the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center is dedicated to providing.
Dr. Vyvy Young presented at the 2nd Annual University of Colorado Stroboscopy & FEES Course

Dr. Andree-Anne LeClerc presents at the 2019 American Laryngological Association meeting in Austin, TX on May 1st
Our laryngology fellow, Dr. Andree-Anne Leclerc, presents her original research on the Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment in the Laryngology Treatment Seeking Patients at the annual American Laryngological Association meeting in Austin, TX.![]()
UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center workshop at the 2019 National Transgender Health Summit pre-conference
On Friday, April 12, Dr. Rosen, Dr. Young and Erik Steele, SLP represented the Voice and Swallowing Center providing a half day workshop on Interprofessional Voice Care for Transgender people at the 2019 National Transgender Health Summit pre-conference.
The Voice and Swallowing Center hosted another successful Laryngeal Endostroboscopy and FEES
The Voice and Swallowing Center hosted another successful Laryngeal Endostroboscopy and FEES: Performance and Interpretation course. We hosted 40 Speech Pathologists and Physicians from all over the United States to develop and hone their hands-on and interpretation skills. We are looking forward to next spring to continue the 14th annual educational tradition.![]()
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UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center advises Hamilton cast on vocal health
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team enjoyed spending time with the cast of Hamilton on March 29, 2019. We focused our time on how to maintain vocal health for these ultimate vocal athletes.
UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team hosted Adler Fellows from San Francisco Opera for 5th annual Vocal Health Day
The UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team hosted the Adler Fellows from the San Francisco Opera for the 5th annual vocal health education day. We discussed the role of the voice care team, the importance of a healthy speaking voice, and even got to see some vocal folds vibrating. Not only do we get to share our knowledge of the voice but we learn something new from the vocal artists every year!
See how the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center partners with the San Francisco Opera to keep singers healthy.
UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center at the 14th Annual Sin City Laryngology Meeting
Sarah Schneider, Clark Rosen and Erik Steele represented UCSF VSC at the 14th annual Sin City Laryngology meeting, February 23-26, 2019. Dr. Rosen teamed up with Edie Hapner, PhD, SLP as the ‘odd couple’ evaluating and treating voice changes. Erik Steele, SLP shared information on the SLPs role attending tumor board. And, Sarah Schneider, SLP, not only directed the SLP Voice pre-conference for the second year in a row but presented on the most requested topic ‘Building a Bridge: the SLP/MD relationship’.
UCSF OHNS Pacific Rim Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Update
Drs. Rosen and Young represented the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center at the UCSF OHNS Pacific Rim Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Update Conference in Honolulu, HI this past week.
Voice and Swallowing Center visits the Silicon Valley Spasmodic Dysphonia Support Group and attended the Advanced Swallowing Course at Stanford University.
Sarah Schneider, Clark Rosen, VyVy Young, and Laura Habich visited the Silicon Valley Spasmodic Dysphonia Support Group. We discussed our recent research findings and introduced our current project looking at brain function in those with Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia and Tremor. Additionally, we were happy to share our clinical perspective and learn from the personal experiences the attendees were willing to share. What a wonderful group! https://www.dysphonia.org/

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2018 Holiday Season
In the spirit of the season, the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team volunteered at Glide www.glide.org serving lunch to those in need. What a great experience and a tradition we hope to continue.
2018 Lewis F. Morrison, MD Lecture
The 2018 Lewis F. Morrison, MD lecture occurred on April 5th at Mt. Zion’s Herbst Hall. Our guest was Alexander Gelbard, MD who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Gelbard discussed idiopathic subglottic stenosis as a model of a rare disease that has unique characteristics that are non-genetic in nature and yet whose characteristics may have importance to the study of other disease processes. His keynote lecture was entitled, “Harnessing Digital Innovation to Transform Clinical Trials in Rare Diseases”.
Congratulations to Dr. Gelbard, the 2018 Morrison Lecturer!
Picture: left to right - VyVy Young, MD, Andrew H. Murr, MD (Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, UCSF), Alexander Gelbard, MD, Clark Rosen, MD (Chief of Laryngology at UCSF), and Sarah Schneider, MS.
Vocal Education at Songbird Studios
Sarah Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP, joined the teachers at Songbird Studios on April 2, 2018 for a vocal education session focusing on vocal health and troubleshooting.
Presentation at the SF Conservatory of Music
Sarah Schneider and Katherine Yung did a vocal health presentation at the SF Conservatory of Music on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. Here they discussed the importance of vocal safety. Sfcoservmusic.
World Voice Day 2017
The UCSF Voice & Swallowing Center team celebrated World Voice Day on April 12th with events at both the Mount Zion and Mission Bay Cafeterias. The team at each location provided information about vocal health and awareness to medical center staff and patients during the lunch hour. The event featured two talented local singer-songwriters, Ellisa Sun and Johnny Harper.
World Voice Day is celebrated annually to create global awareness and provide education on the importance of the voice. This may be in the context of speaking, singing, vocal arts, etc. and through habilitation, rehabilitation and prevention. The UCSF Voice & Swallowing team was on hand to discuss preventative habits to protect the voice and provide resources to seek support and training.
Vocology in Practice Premiere Voice Teacher Education Forum
Dr. Katherine Yung, MD, and Speech-language Pathologist, Sarah Schneider, CCC-SLP, MS, had the pleasure of participating at the first Vocology in Practice Premiere Voice Teacher Education Forum. Dr. Yung and Ms. Schneider provided preventative tips/habits to help singers and speakers protect their voice, while they continue to do the things they love. The forum featured interactive workshops, classes, and lectures for voice coaching professionals and singing teachers who were seeking extended educational advice from industry professionals: vocal artists, clinical physicians, speech-language pathologists, musicians, and voice instructors.
World Voice Day 2016
World Voice Day is celebrated annually on April 12th. Join the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center a few days early to celebrate and learn about your voice. Come by the Mt. Zion or Mission Bay Hospital Cafeteria from 12noon-1pm to meet the Voice and Swallowing team who will provide tips for a healthy voice, free laryngeal massage, provide a peek at the inside of a voice box, and teach what to do if you “over-do it” vocally. There will also be free music entertainment provided by two talented local singer-song writers. Come on by!