Clark Rosen, MD, is a Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Chief of the Division of Laryngology.

Dr. Rosen is originally from Los Gatos, California and is a proud graduate of Cal (Go Bears!). He attended Rush University for his MD degree, accomplished his residency in OHNS at OHSU, and was selected for a fellowship in Laryngology and Upper Airway Physiology at the University of Tennessee in Memphis under the tutelage of Gayle Woodson. Dr. Rosen inaugurated modern laryngology at the University of Pittsburgh beginning in 1995. He rose through the academic ranks from Assistant Professor to become a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology in 2009. He was also appointed Professor in the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and in the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Communication Science and Disorders. Dr. Rosen originated the outstanding Fellowship in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice at the University of Pittsburgh in 2002.

Dr. Rosen has had amazing productivity as a clinician scientist. He has authored over 160 peer reviewed publications, 30 book chapters, and is known the world over for being the coeditor of Bailey’s Head and Neck Surgery-Otolaryngology which is one of two main textbooks in our field. Dr. Rosen also authored (with Blake Simpson) a key operative atlas, Operative Techniques in Laryngology which has international reach, has been translated into multiple languanges and has experienced over 100,000 chapter downlowds since its publication.

Dr. Rosen has been a Co-Investigator on numerous NIH grants as well as grants from the Triological Society, the VA, and private industry.

Dr. Rosen has been a sought after speaker internationally and has had major service to multiple publications and professional societies. He is a founding member of the Fall Voice Conference, is the Vice Chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS), and is the Treasurer of the American Laryngological Association (ALA) which puts him in line to be the president of the ALA in a few years.

VyVy Young, MD, hails from Louisville, Kentucky where she received her undergraduate (biology, summa cum laude) and medical degrees from the University of Louisville. She was the recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship during all eight years of her study there and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She trained in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery under Jeffrey M. Bumpous, MD at the University of Louisville. During her residency, she was the recipient of the Francis Lejeune, Sr. Resident Research Award from the Southern Section of the Triological Society.

Dr. Young then accomplished her fellowship in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice at the University of Pittsburgh. She was Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Otolaryngology Residency Program at Pittsburgh before moving to UCSF to join the Voice and Swallowing team. She continues to serve as Associate Director of the Residency Program for the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Young has authored 54 papers and 10 book chapters and has presented numerous times at locoregional, national and international conferences. She has built an outstanding reputation in her community for her clinical care as well as her leadership.

Dr. Young has national leadership and involvement in the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), American Laryngological Association (ALA), American Broncho-Esophagological Association (ABEA) and Triological Society. She is a Fellow of the American Laryngological Association and was recently selected to join UCSF’s prestigious Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators. Her clinical practice covers all aspects of laryngology including voice, airway, and swallowing. Her current research focuses on gender-affirming voice care, spasmodic dysphonia, airway stenosis, and voice outcomes. She has a passion for and a focus upon education as part of her professional career interests. She also has particular interest in gender, diversity, and wellness issues in medicine.

Yue Ma, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She received her medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Gold Humanism Honorary Society. She accomplished residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She was then selected for a fellowship in Laryngology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Ma specializes in treating patients with voice, airway, and swallowing disorders. She emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, incorporating speech-language pathologists, swallowing specialists, and other medical specialists within the UCSF health system into each patent’s care when appropriate.

Dr. Ma’s research interests include disorders in swallowing, regenerative medicine in Laryngology, and laryngeal sensation measures. She is also passionate about innovative approaches to patient education. Dr. Ma was awarded the American Laryngological Association’s Young Practitioner award.

Dr Ma is a member the American Academy of Head and Neck Surgery and a post graduate member of the American Laryngological Association.

Sarah L. Schneider, MS, CCC-SLP is Co-Director of the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center, Speech Language Pathology Director and Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She practices clinically as part of the interdisciplinary team at the Voice and Swallowing Center. Clinical and scholarly interests include the evaluation and treatment of all aspects of voice and upper airway with special expertise in the performing voice, transgender voice and communication, spasmodic dysphonia and vocal tremor.

She joined the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Voice and Swallowing Center in 2007. Since that time, she has been a leader in developing the speech language pathology program throughout the Department of Otolaryngology striving to provide interdisciplinary and world-class care to those with voice, swallowing, and communication complaints. She has her Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed in the state of California.

Ms. Schneider is active in several research projects within the department and acts as a research consultant in the area of voice. She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Voice, contributor to voice texts, and an active speaker locally, nationally, and internationally on vocal health and rehabilitation. She is a leader in coordinating voice conferences and other educational activities, in addition to providing training and mentorship to students, residents, fellows and other healthcare providers. She has studied voice and performed as a soloist, in choral settings and in musical theatre which helps further guide her clinical practice.

Ms. Schneider earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Marquette University where she was awarded the Alfred J. Sokolnicki Clinical Excellence Award at each commencement. She completed her clinical fellowship at the Vanderbilt Voice Center in Nashville, TN and was hired to continue work there following her fellowship. Prior to joining the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team, she also worked in the private practice of Dr. Robert T. Sataloff in Philadelphia, PA.

Professional affiliations include ASHA, the Special Interest Groups (SIG) - Voice and Voice Disorders (SIG3) and Telepractice (SIG18) of ASHA, and the California Speech and Hearing Association.

Rachel Agron, MS, CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center. She has experience in the evaluation and treatment of patients with a wide range of voice, upper airway, and swallowing disorders. Her clinical interests include the study of voice production and voice disorders, transgender voice and communication, neurogenic voice and swallowing disorders, swallowing disorders related to head and neck cancer, and alaryngeal voice restoration.

Ms. Agron joined the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team in 2020 from the VA Northern California Healthcare System where she continues inter-disciplinary practice. At the VA she has been integral in the development of the Voice Assessment and Management Program.

Ms. Agron earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She completed her graduate studies at California State University, East Bay. Throughout her professional career, she continues to be engaged in community outreach, mentoring student clinicians, and lecturing to promote a greater understanding of voice, upper airway, and swallowing assessment and management.

Professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and ASHA Special Interest Groups (SIGs) – Voice and Voice Disorders (SIG 3) and Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (SIG 13). She is a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician.

Meg Cafferkey, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, is a Senior Speech-Language Pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. She specializes in evaluation and treatment of patients with pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM), chronic cough, interdisciplinary assessment of resonance and velopharyngeal function and voice disorders across the age spectrum.

Ms. Cafferkey joined the UCSF the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology and the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team in 2015. Areas of clinical and scholarly interest include working with families and treating their child with swallowing/feeding difficulties in the presence of aerodigestive disorders to optimize safe feeding progression. She additionally holds a certification in lactation counseling (CLC).

Ms. Cafferkey earned her undergraduate degree from Ball State University in Audiology and Speech Pathology in Muncie, IN and master’s degree from San Francisco State University in Communication Disorders in San Francisco, CA. Ms. Cafferkey has worked with patients across the age spectrum in a variety of environments including outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation and inpatient acute care. Before joining our team, Ms. Cafferkey most recently worked at Stanford Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, CA as well as Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, WA.

Her professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), ASHA's Voice and Voice Disorder Special Interest Group SIG 3, ASHA's Swallowing Disorder Special Interest Group SIG 13 and ASHA’s Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Disorders Special Interest Group SIG 5.

Lois L Chen, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS). She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients with a wide range of swallowing disorders, particularly in the advanced cardiac and lung transplant population. Her clinical interests include management of neurogenic dysphagia, iatrogenic dysphagia involving complex airway management, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of voice and swallowing following both surgical intervention and adjuvant therapies for patients with head and neck cancer.

Ms. Chen joined the UCSF OHNS team in 2022. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of California at Los Angeles, completed her graduate work at Northwestern University, and clinical fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Before joining our team, Ms. Chen worked at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCSF Medical Center (Inpatient Rehabilitation).

Ms. Chen is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and participates in the association’s special interest groups for swallowing and voice disorders.

Cara Evans, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist at UCSF’s Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Oncology Clinic. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders related to head and neck cancer. Her clinical interests include speech, voice and swallowing outcomes following surgery or chemoradiation for head and neck cancer.

Ms. Evans joined UCSF in 2018 after working at Community Regional Medical Center and the California Cancer Center in Fresno, CA in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and graduate degree at Portland State University. She completed clinical internships at Providence Portland Medical Center and Oregon Health and Science University’s Northwest Clinic for Voice and Swallowing.

Ms. Evans belongs to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and participates in the association’s special interest groups for swallowing and voice disorders.

Ms. Evans is a former professional singer who has received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in classical voice performance from New York University.

Brittany L. Mitchell, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS). She has experience in the assessment and management of a variety of speech, language, cognitive, voice, and swallowing disorders in both the pediatric and adult population. Her clinical and scholarly interests include the study of voice production and voice disorders, alaryngeal speech, management of neurogenic dysphagia, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of voice and swallowing following both surgical intervention and adjuvant therapies for patients with head and neck cancer.

 

Ms. Mitchell joined the UCSF OHNS team in 2018. Before joining our team, she also gained valuable experience in both the inpatient and outpatient setting while working at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center among individuals with acquired brain injury. Ms. Mitchell started her career with Easter Seals, Massachusetts where she had the opportunity to provide services to pediatrics and adults across a variety of settings. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Connecticut. She completed her graduate work at Emerson College, which included a clinical internship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

 

Ms. Mitchell is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and participates in the association’s special interest groups for swallowing and voice disorders. She is also a certified brain injury specialist.

Alyson Pappas, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC, is a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of complex pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. Her clinical interests include pediatric aerodigestive disorders and utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to optimize wellness and overall developmental trajectory. Her additional interests include infant feeding and swallowing disorders, for which she holds a certification in lactation counseling (CLC).

Ms. Pappas joined the UCSF Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology and the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center team in 2022. Prior to joining UCSF, Ms. Pappas worked within a variety of both outpatient and inpatient clinical settings, most recently at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta serving as part of their acute care rehabilitation team. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut and graduate degree at George Washington University.

Ms. Pappas belongs to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and participates in the association’s special interest groups for swallowing disorders.

Erik Steele, MFA, MA, CCC-SLP, is a Speech Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients with wide ranging voice, swallowing, and upper airway problems. Clinical and scholarly interests include individualized care of the professional voice, the use of advanced instrumental diagnostics in voice and swallowing, patient-centered rehabilitation of voice, speech and swallowing following head and neck cancer treatment, and community outreach to promote greater awareness of voice, swallowing and upper airway problems and therapies.

Before joining the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at UCSF, Mr. Steele completed his graduate work at San Diego State University, a clinical internship at the Scripps Center for Voice and Swallowing in San Diego, and his postgraduate fellowship at the Center for Voice and Swallowing at UC Davis, where he then remained for two years.

Mr. Steele is a former professional actor who has performed on and off Broadway, at major U.S. regional theaters, internationally, and as an audiobook narrator. He was a member of a classical singing ensemble at Vassar College, where he received his BA in Drama, before going on to earn an MFA in acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He maintains AEA and SAG-AFTRA membership, along with current professional affiliations with the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), ASHA's Voice and Voice Disorder Special Interest Group (SIG 3), ASHA's Swallowing Disorder Special Interest Group (SIG 13), and the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (NFOSD). He is a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician.

Matt Stephen, MMS, PA-C joined the team in 2018 after working in Emergency Medicine. In 2011 he earned bachelor’s degrees in neurophysiology and hearing and speech sciences at the University of Maryland. After that, Matt spent a year studying motor neuron disorders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and earned a master of medical science degree at Arcadia University. His special interests include chronic cough, dizziness, sleep apnea. He has expertise in treating hearing loss, chronic otitis media (middle ear infections), skull base tumors, conditions of the larynx (the area that includes the vocal cords), oral cancers, vertigo and other dizziness disorders, and general otolaryngology issues. Matt’s current research interests include chronic cough, tinnitus and vestibular migraine (a condition that may cause nausea and balance problems), as well as treatment outcomes for patients with vestibular migraine or various forms of dizziness. Matt has presented research on motor neuron disorders, cough, and other otolaryngology topics at academic meetings and community forums. He received a National Institutes of Health post-baccalaureate research training award, and spent a year of contributing to research on neuromuscular disorders. He has written multiple articles for peer-reviewed journals, including the Laryngoscope, Neurology and Muscle & Nerve.

Matt belongs to the California Academy of Physician Assistants and American Academy of Physician Assistants

In his free time, Matt is an avid cycler and percussionist.

Zoe Weston, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing, voice, and upper airway disorders. Her clinical and scholarly interests include the evaluation and treatment of voice and upper airway disorders, with special interest in transgender voice and communication, neurogenic voice disorders, exercise induced laryngeal obstruction, and chronic cough.

Ms. Weston joined the UCSF Voice and Swallow team in 2020 after working at the Cleveland Clinic Voice Center in Cleveland, OH. She earned her undergraduate degree from Emerson College in Boston, MA and her master’s degree from University of New Hampshire, both in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Ms. Weston completed her clinical fellowship year at the University of Rochester Voice Center.

Professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and ASHA special interest group (SIG) 3 – Voice and Voice Disorders.

Sky T. Yang, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS). She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients with a wide range of swallowing disorders. Her clinical and scholarly interests include voice and swallowing disorders, particularly in head and neck cancer, and neurogenic populations. She has specialized training and certification in the utilization of advanced instrumentation for diagnostics and treatment.

Ms. Yang joined the UCSF OHNS team in 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Communication Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She completed her graduate work at Boston University, clinical internships at Boston Medical Center and Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, and her postgraduate fellowship at Stanford Health Care. Before joining our team, Ms. Yang worked at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and has experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Her professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), ASHA's Voice and Voice Disorder Special Interest Group SIG 3 and ASHA's Swallowing Disorder Special Interest Group SIG 13. She is a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician.

Desi Gutierrez, MA, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. They specialize in evaluation and treatment of voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders. Their clinical and scholarly interests include gender affirming voice and communication modification, head and neck cancer, psychosocial components of voice and swallowing disorders, occupational voice users, and clinical decision-making.

Desi joined the UCSF OHNS team in 2022. They earned undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Florida. They completed their graduate work at University of Iowa and their post-graduate fellowship at the UAB Voice Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and ASHA special interest groups for voice, swallowing, and cultural and linguistic diversity.

Changchang Yao, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing, voice, and upper airway disorders, with particular interests in irritable larynx syndrome and alaryngeal speech. 

Ms. Yao joined the UCSF Voice and Swallow team in 2023 after completing her clinical fellowship and working at Johns Hopkins University Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department in Baltimore, MD. She earned her undergraduate and her first graduate degree from Michigan State University, both in applied linguistics, followed by a second master's degree in speech-language pathology at Rush University in Chicago, IL. 

Professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), Dysphagia Research Society (DRS), ASHA special interest group (SIG) 3 – Voice and Voice Disorders, and (SIG) 13 – Swallowing Disorders. She is a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) and McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP) certified clinician.

Nicole Rinne, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center and Head and Neck Surgical Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders. Her clinical interests include chronic cough, alaryngeal voice restoration, patient-centered rehabilitation of voice, and comprehensive rehabilitation of voice and swallowing following surgical and adjuvant therapies for head and neck cancer.

Ms. Rinne joined the UCSF OHNS team in 2023. She earned undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science from Northwestern University. She received her graduate degree from the University of Washington where she completed externships in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Professional affiliations include the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the association’s special interest groups for swallowing and voice disorders.