# Dr. Bleier Named Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery June 03, 2024 ![Dr. Bleier Headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum8391/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/oto/files/ben_bleier_headshot.jpg?itok=nVCaD1U6) [Benjamin S. Bleier, MD, FACS,](https://doctors.masseyeandear.org/details/110) Director of Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery and Director of Otolaryngology Translational Research at Mass Eye and Ear, has been promoted to Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Dr. Bleier is an expert in the field of rhinology and endoscopic sinus surgery. He earned his medical degree and completed his residency training in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He subsequently obtained his fellowship training in Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery from the Medical University of South Carolina. After the completion of his fellowship, in 2010, Dr. Bleier joined Harvard Medical School and Mass Eye and Ear and has been with the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery since. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Bleier has become a leader in endoscopic skull base surgery for challenging disease processes affecting the sinuses and their interface with the skull base and orbital complex. Through his collaborative and innovative efforts in conjunction with the Oculoplastic Division at Mass Eye and Ear, Dr. Bleier not only provides state-of-the-art approaches to diseases of the interface between the orbits and the sinuses but also has created a platform for innovative interventions. His efforts as a trailblazer and a collaborator have been critical in the establishment of endoscopic orbital surgery as a safe, reproducible and highly efficacious approach to the management of lesions and disease processes in these challenging locations. He serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Thyroid Eye Disease and Orbital Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear and has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as two textbooks, in the field of orbit and sinus-related disease. He lectures both nationally and internationally on topics including the management of orbit and skull base tumors, endoscopic dacyrocystorhinostomy, causes and treatments of sinusitis, and intranasal drug delivery techniques to the brain. Equally impressive as his surgical innovative work are Dr. Bleier’s translational research accomplishments. Dr. Bleier spearheaded a remarkable investigative program designed to evaluate a variety of novel direct drug delivery pathways to the brain. He and his collaborators developed a novel trans-nasal drug delivery pathway by creating a permanent, semi-permeable, intranasal window in the blood­ brain barrier (BBB) as well as a minimally invasive nasal depot (MIND) approach for nose-to-brain drug delivery. These techniques can be used to successfully bypass the BBB and deliver disease modifying therapies which would otherwise require direct injections into the brain. Based upon this innovative and disciplined work, Dr. Bleier was awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health as Principal Investigator to investigate the direct central nervous system delivery system for brain-derived neurotrophic factor AntagoNATs using heterotopic mucosal grafting for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. More broadly, Dr. Bleier’s research has led to multiple patents and has been featured in *TIME Magazine,* *CNN,* *Forbes*, *Wired*, *Popular Science*, *Boston Globe*, *Boston Magazine*, and *Harvard Medicine Magazine*. “Dr. Bleier's ability to maintain a multitude of leadership positions, play an integral role in groundbreaking translational research projects, manage his burgeoning clinical practice and provide exceptional mentorship to trainees is remarkable and is of great value to the department,” said Mark A. Varvares, MD, FACS, Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear and Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at HMS. “His recent efforts may change the management of neurodegenerative disorders, helping people affected with these difficult diseases worldwide.” Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)