Guest Faculty
Meet Michele Torre, MD (Guest Faculty)
Michele Torre is one of the most experienced pediatric surgeons at the Giannina Gaslini Children’s Hospital. He is the Director of the airway team, which manages all patients with airway diseases. He specialized in pediatric surgery (with honors) in 2001, and has published several scientific articles. He has received numerous awards, including the "Soave" award at the IX International Meeting of the Pediatric Colorectal Club, conferred by Dr. Alberto Pena. He is also a member of international scientific societies, EUPSA, CWIG and IBES. Dr. Torre’s professional interests focus mainly on malformations of the airways and thorax.
Meet Ian N. Jacobs, MD (Guest Faculty)
Ian N. Jacobs, MD, is the Medical Director of the Center for Pediatric Airway Disorders in the Division of Otolaryngology (ENT) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He holds the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Endowed Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology and Pediatric Airway Disorders.
Meet Rajanya S. Petersson, MD (Guest Faculty)
Dr. Petersson is currently an Associate Professor and Section Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Her practice entails all aspects of pediatric otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, including airway reconstruction, head and neck oncology, congenital and vascular malformations, thyroid surgery, otology and cochlear implantation, and pediatric facial plastic reconstructive surgery. She helped start the Aerodigestive Collaborative, Pediatric Voice Clinic, and Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Clinic; and is a member of the Craniofacial Care and Cochlear Implant teams. In addition to holding memberships in the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, she serves on the board of the Virginia Society of Otolaryngology and is a founding member and president of the Pediatric Head and Neck Surgical Society.
Meet Reza Rahbar, DMD, MD (Guest Faculty)
Dr. Rahbar has practiced pediatric otolaryngology at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) since 1998. His clinical expertise in pediatric airway disorders and head and neck tumors is recognized nationally and internationally. He co-directs two multidisciplinary programs in this regard and has edited books and been published in numerous respected journals on these subjects. He has also been invited to speak in multiple worldwide venues, mentoring the next generation of clinician-researchers to care for such children. Selected as Associate Chief of the Department of Otolaryngology in 2011, he has a critical role in the stewardship of the Department, in particular as Chair of the Operations Committee and the Education Committee, as well as Director of the Fellowship Program. He additionally leads and serves his profession through a number of regional, national and international positions. He was the President of the New England Otolaryngology Society and past Councilor at Large of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association. He currently serves as the Chair of the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Chair of Liaison Committee of the American Broncho-Esophageological Association and has been nominated as the U.S. Liaison Member to the Board of European Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology.
Children's National Faculty
Meet Habib G. Zalzal, MD (Course Director)
Habib G. Zalzal, M.D. is an assistant professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatrics in the Division of Otolaryngology at Children's National Hospital/George Washington University. His research interests are multi-faceted within the field of pediatric otolaryngology, including dozens of publications on airway, otology, rhinology, head and neck, and sleep surgery. Clinically, Dr. Zalzal sees a wide array of conditions including, but not limited to, noisy breathing, stridor, laryngomalacia, obstructive sleep conditions, chronic sinusitis, nasal obstruction, hearing loss, recurrent ear infections, ear drum perforations, ankyloglossia, and masses of the head and neck.
Meet Nancy Bauman, MD, FACS, FAAP (Course Director)
Nancy M. Bauman, MD FACS, FAAP, is a pediatric otolaryngologist at Children’s National Health System in Washington D.C. and a Professor of Otolaryngology at George Washington University. She specializes in the surgical evaluation and treatment of complicated conditions of the aerodigestive tract including vascular anomalies of the airway. She has received numerous research awards and has authored over 100 manuscripts and chapters in medical journals and textbooks. She directs the Multidisciplinary Aerodigestive Clinic and co-directs the Multidisciplinary Vascular Anomalies Clinic at Children’s National. She has directed multiple airway and/or laser courses for otolaryngologists and enjoys the educational opportunities and exchange of information that such courses offer to both attendees and instructors. She is dedicated to ensuring that each course participant has a favorable learning experience.
Meet Diego Preciado, MD, PhD, FAAP (Course Director)
Dr. Preciado is Professor and Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children’s National Health System and George Washington University. His busy clinical practice is focused on pediatric airway reconstruction and childhood hearing loss. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and 10 book chapters. Much of his published work has dealt with complex airway surgical repair techniques, including stenting and endoscopic approaches. He has been an invited faculty at numerous national pediatric airway courses and has been co-instructor of a complex airway repair course at the national AAO meeting for over 10 years. Dr. Preciado served as president elect of ASPO 2019-2020.
Meet George Zalzal, MD (Course Instructor)
George Zalzal, MD Professor and Emeritus chief of Children’s National Health System in 1986 and was the department chief from 1994- 2022. Dr. Zalzal has taught and trained many Pediatric Otolaryngology subspecialty fellows and is regarded as one of the leading experts on the pediatric airway and in pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction. Dr. Zalzal has authored more than 135 publications, many of which are landmark articles in clinical and basic science research on laryngeal and tracheal disease. He has presented at nearly 200 national and international meetings. Dr. Zalzal was the president of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 2003-2004 and is a member of many professional organizations. He is the associate editor for Pediatric Otolaryngology for the Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, serves on the editorial review board for the International Journal of Pediatric Otolaryngology, and is a reviewer for many specialty journals. .
Meet Maria Pena, MD (Course Instructor)
Maria Pena, MD, has been practicing at Children’s National Health System since 1998. In addition to a large clinical practice, Dr. Pena is an active basic science researcher and currently holds several grants to study the molecular basis of pediatric sinusitis. Dr. Pena’s clinical interests include pediatric sinus disease. She also has clinics for patients with oromotor and swallowing dysfunction and craniofacial abnormalities.
Meet Brian K. Reilly, MD (Course Instructor)
Brian K. Reilly, MD, is a pediatric otolaryngologist and Co-Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at Children’s National Health System. Dr. Reilly is an active clinical researcher with specialized interests in hearing loss, cochlear implants, otitis media, obstructive sleep apnea, airway reconstruction and chronic tonsillitis. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, has won several research awards, and has published many articles in peer-review journals. Dr. Reilly also is the appointed physician to Maryland’s State Hearing Advisory Committee.
Meet Pamela Mudd, MD (Course Instructor)
Pamela Mudd, MD, is a pediatric otolaryngologist at Children’s National Health System. Dr. Mudd serves as the director of the Pediatric Voice Program. Dr. Mudd has a special interest in voice disorders in children and vocal cord paralysis. She specializes in phonosurgery and surgical management of vocal cord paralysis including laryngeal reinnervation. Her research interests include evaluation and management of hoarseness and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. She is a part of the Airway Team at Children’s National Medical Center.
Meet Alexandra Espinel, MD (Course Instructor)
Alexandra Espinel, MD is a board certified pediatric otolaryngologist at Children's National Health System. Dr. Espinel has a special interest in treating children with masses of the head and neck and disorders of the salivary glands. She also sees patients for surgical management of oromotor and swallowing dysfunction. She is interested in all aspects if pediatric otolaryngology including surgery of the tonsils and adenoids, frenulectomy and chronic otitis media.
Meet Claire Lawlor, MD (Course Instructor)
Claire Lawlor, MD., is a pediatric otolaryngologist who also works in the Advanced Sleep Apnea Program (ASAP) and Aerodigestive Clinic (ADC) at Children's National. She completed her fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is the former chair of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) section for residents and fellows. Dr. Lawlor won the 2018 Charles Furgeson Award for best clinical manuscript at the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology annual meeting. She is a member of the AAO-HNS Sleep Disorders Committee.
Dr. Lawlor has a special interest in caring for children with sleep disorders, airway lesions, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing and head and neck masses. She sees patients with a wide range of otolaryngologic concerns, such as hearing loss, recurrent ear infections, ear drum perforations, sinus disease, surgery of the tonsils and adenoids, tongue ties and fetal medicine.
Meet Lyuba Gitman, MD (Course Instructor)
Lyuba Gitman, MD, is a board-certified pediatric otolaryngologist at Children's National Health System. Dr. Gitman has a special interest in treating children with airway lesions, chronic sinusitis, masses of the head and neck and those with genetic disorders that involve the head and neck. She also has an interest in the evaluation of swallowing disorders, including functional endoscopic evaluation of swallow (FEES). She is interested in all aspects of pediatric otolaryngology, including surgery of the tonsils and adenoids, frenulectomy and chronic otitis media (COM).