Earlier this month, otologists from around the globe gathered in Boston for the 2019 International Otopathology Society meeting. Sponsored in part by the NIDCD National Temporal Bone, Hearing, and Balance Pathology Resource Registry at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, members of the society meet in scientific session every three years to discuss the latest in otopathology.
Established in 1973 by former Chair of the Harvard Medical School Department of Otolaryngology and world-renowned clinician-scientist in the otology field, Harold F. Schuknecht, MD, the Society was created as a way for former research fellows of the Otopathology Laboratory at Mass. Eye and Ear to remain connected to the department. The society, which was originally known as “The Schuknecht Society,” quickly became an outlet for former fellows to share interesting cases and observations related to the pathology of the inner ear.
Over the years, the society and its meetings have grown in popularity, now attracting not only former research fellows, but also their students and those with a serious interest in human otopathology. Today it has more than 150 members from more than 35 countries.
“This meeting is a wonderful tradition. One that continues to grow mainly through word-of-mouth from our former research fellows,” said Joseph B. Nadol, Jr., MD, former Chair of the Harvard Medical School Department of Otolaryngology and current Director of the Otopathology Lab at Mass. Eye and Ear. “I think this is a true testament to how faithful our fellows are.”
This year, the three-day meeting began with a reception for all attendees, followed by two full days of presentations. The presentations covered a range of topics from the re-evaluation of the histopathology of presbycusis to advances in surgical simulation.
The meeting concluded with the official induction of 19 new members into the society and the presentation of the Schuknecht and Merchant Travel Awards. Both awards recognize trainees on their research presentations and provide them with an award intended to help defray travel costs. The winners were David Bachinger of Zurich, Peizhe Wu of Boston, and Steven Andersen of Copenhagen.
“This conference is truly remarkable in terms of the attendees we get,” said D. Bradley Welling, MD, PhD, FACS, the Walter Augustus Lecompte Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Physicians and researchers from all over, many who have trained with Dr. Nadol at some point, attend and it is great to see the reach we have throughout the world.”
The next conference is scheduled for June 5–7, 2022.