Drs. Eugene Myers and Herbert Silverstein Establish New OHNS Chairs at Mass Eye and Ear

In May 2023, two new Chairs in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear were established by Eugene Myers, MD, FACS, and Herbert Silverstein, MD, FACS, both of whom are world-renowned surgeons and former trainees of the Harvard Otolaryngology Residency Program.

Drs. Myers and Silverstein shared news of their Chairs at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM) in Boston, coinciding with the launch of Mass Eye and Ear’s Bicentennial Celebration. Together, their pledges represent a 60-year friendship with one another and with the hospital that played a vital role in the foundation of their extraordinary careers.

After graduating from Temple University Medical School as classmates, Drs. Myers and Silverstein overlapped at Mass Eye and Ear during their subsequent residency training. Dr. Myers, who served as Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for more than 30 years, has authored hundreds of publications and served in innumerable leadership positions within the specialty since his residency training. Dr. Silverstein, the President and Founder of the internationally acclaimed Silverstein Institute and the Ear Research Foundation in Sarasota, FL, has authored hundreds of publications and trained more than 50 fellows in otology and neurotology.

As enduring tributes to Drs. Myers and Silverstein, chairholders will be Harvard Medical School faculty at Mass Eye and Ear who embody the same level of commitment and excellence as each Chair’s namesake. Daniel G. Deschler, MD, FACS, will be the inaugural Dr. Eugene N. and Barbara L. Myers Chair in Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear, and an incumbent to the Herbert Silverstein Chair in Otology/Neurotology will be announced in the future.

Dr. Deschler, the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at Mass Eye and Ear and a Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School, has dedicated more than two decades of his career to improving cancer care and reconstructive surgical techniques. He has served as Chairman of the Head and Neck Surgery Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and former President of the Society of University Otolaryngologist–Head and Neck Surgeons, leaving an indelible mark on the entirety of the field.

“Congratulations to Dr. Deschler, who I am confident will carry forth Dr. Myers’ legacy with unparalleled grace and vigor,” said Mark A. Varvares, MD, FACS, Chief of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital. “I would also like to sincerely thank Dr. Myers and Dr. Silverstein for their incredible generosity. Their support will not only touch the lives of our faculty, but it will also touch the lives of countless patients, colleagues and trainees who depend on the work of our faculty for a brighter future of otolaryngological care, research and education."