Dr. Ciersten Burks Presented Norman Knight Award

Ciersten Burks, MD, Instructor in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School and a fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Norman Knight Leadership Development Award. The award was endowed by the late Norman Knight, a self-made broadcast pioneer and media mogul who was a passionate champion of Mass Eye and Ear for more than 25 years.

Recipients are selected for their exceptional promise as future leaders within their specialty in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Mass Eye and Ear. Thanks to Mr. Knight’s generosity, the award provides junior faculty members with funding to help them establish a career in academic medicine during the early years of their practice. Awardees may use the funds for research, equipment or for any other approved career development purposes.

Dr. Burks is a fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Mass Eye and Ear. She specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck. This includes surgical and minimally invasive management of facial paralysis, functional and cosmetic rhinoplasty, Mohs reconstruction, microvascular reconstruction, craniomaxillofacial trauma, and aesthetic facial rejuvenation procedures for facial aging.

Dr. Burks earned her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine prior to completing her residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School. After her residency, she pursued a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Minnesota before joining faculty full-time at Mass Eye and Ear. 

Her current research focuses on improving patient outcomes in the management of facial paralysis. This work aims to reduce variability in the early management of acute facial paralysis and advance the study of facial reanimation outcomes by integrating artificial intelligence into decision support tools and computer vision platforms capable of quantitatively analyzing facial movement and symmetry. The Norman Knight Leadership Development Award was accompanied by a grant that will support the development of these AI-driven technologies to improve evidence-based care and drive innovation in facial reanimation outcomes research.

Derrick T. Lin, MD, FACS, Daniel Miller Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Interim Chair, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Mass General Brigham, presented this year’s award to Dr. Burks on June 4 at the Spring Meeting of the Trustees and Medical Staff at Mass Eye and Ear.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with Dr. Burks as she has continued to grow as both a skilled clinician and a cutting-edge researcher, from her time as a resident to her role on faculty,” said Dr. Lin. “Her work integrating surgical expertise with innovative, AI-driven approaches to treating facial paralysis is especially exciting for the future of patient care.”