At UCSF Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (UCSF OHNS), we take great pride in the accomplished physicians and researchers our program has trained. We are pleased to spotlight Daniel L. Faden, MD, FACS, a UCSF OHNS alumnus who has gone on to distinguish himself as both a practicing surgeon and an independent physician-scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
Dr. Faden's time as an OHNS resident at UCSF was formative in every sense of the word. Beyond the rigorous clinical training, which spanned complex head and neck cancer surgery, reconstruction and thoughtful non-operative management, he was immersed in a scientific environment that would come to define his career trajectory.
"UCSF gave me a truly well-rounded education in otolaryngology," Dr. Faden says. "Being embedded in the laboratory of an HHMI investigator exposed me to rigorous, high-level science and an uncompromising standard of inquiry. I learned how to ask important questions and pursue them with methodological rigor and persistence."
He credits the clinicians who delivered exceptional patient care while pursuing research as his foundation for what a true surgeon-scientist is. "I was deeply inspired by faculty who balanced high-level clinical care with high-impact research," says Dr. Faden. "They demonstrated that it is possible to not only treat patients at the highest levels of care, but also to pursue important questions in the lab. Their example transformed what once felt aspirational into something tangible."
Today, Dr. Faden maintains an active surgical practice focused on head and neck cancer at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, while leading an independent, NIH-funded research laboratory of approximately 10 scientists and trainees. His lab has developed new techniques that are beginning to influence clinical care, a direct reflection of the path he set out to pursue during his training at UCSF.
"I'm most proud of being able to provide complex care for patients with head and neck cancer while also maintaining an independent research laboratory," he says. "Our lab has developed new techniques that are influencing clinical care and, we hope, improving patients' lives."
One of his most formative scientific mentors recently reached out to collaborate on a new research idea — this time as colleagues. "Having the opportunity to engage as colleagues was deeply gratifying — a reflection of the mentorship and foundation built during my time at UCSF," Dr. Faden says.
For Dr. Faden, the most enduring aspects of his UCSF training were not confined to the operating room or the laboratory. He speaks warmly of the relationships forged during residency; camping and hiking trips through California with co-residents, lunches in the Mission while rotating at San Francisco General Hospital and the lifelong patient relationships cultivated during his time at the VA.
One head and neck cancer patient he cared for over several years later helped him restore the seats of a vintage Jeep he was rebuilding during residency. "I still have the Jeep," Dr. Faden says, "and every time I get into the driver's seat, I'm reminded of that patient."
After leaving the Bay Area, Dr. Faden still remains committed to the UCSF OHNS community. He has mentored UCSF residents who have come to Massachusetts Eye and Ear for fellowships and collaborate with colleagues through research and visiting lectures.
On advice to OHNS residents, Dr. Faden says: "I hope they feel empowered to think boldly. UCSF provides a rare environment where high-level clinical training and world-class science coexist. My hope is that residents take full advantage of that environment and feel encouraged to push the field forward through discovery, innovation and thoughtful leadership."
