Congratulations to Heidi Nakajima, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of OHNS at HMS, who has been named the next incumbent of the Gudrun Larsen Eliasen and Nels Kristian Eliasen Professorship of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
The Gudrun Larsen Eliasen and Nels Kristian Eliasen Professorship was established in 2003, with the initial incumbent Saumil Merchant, MD, a pioneering surgeon and scientist who specialized in human otomechanics. The terms of the professorship stated that following incumbents must be appointed in the field of otology or hearing science.
Dr. Merchant’s professorship was succeeded by the renowned middle-ear mechanics researcher, John Rosowski, PhD, who held this title from 2012-2023. Dr. Nakajima, now the third incumbent, was surgically trained by Dr. Merchant during her otolaryngology residency and her research fellowship was conducted under the joint supervision of Drs. Merchant and Rosowski – adding a special significance to this professorship.
Dr. Nakajima is a world-class hearing scientist with dual training in engineering and medicine. Her research interests are supported by two NIH R01 grants focused on human cochlear mechanics, including understanding the mechanisms of sound transmission to the human inner ear in normal and pathological ears, and developing diagnostic methods and treatments. Notably, Dr. Nakajima’s lab showed that the human cochlea functions differently from what was widely accepted as generalizable mechanics of most mammalian cochleae. Now they continue to detail both the anatomy and mechanics of the human cochlea with new techniques.
She has trained and collaborated with a wide range of surgeons, physicists and engineers to advance knowledge of the auditory system, understand the mechanisms of ear disease, advance diagnostic methods and equipment, and develop treatments such as new surgeries and prosthetic devices. “Dr. Nakajima is the perfect example of a scientist that bridges our department’s strengths in basic hearing research and the clinical management of ear disease,” said Mark Varvares, MD, FACS, John W. Merriam/William W. Montgomery Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Alongside her research achievements, Dr. Nakajima is a dedicated leader in the Harvard/Mass Eye and Ear community for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She is Director of DEI for the Havard Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program and Vice Chair of DEI for the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear.
“Dr. Nakajima is one of the most highly regarded educators in our department and has devoted a significant portion of her career to mentoring and academia. We are truly honored for Dr. Nakajima to bestow the Gudrun Larsen Eliasen and Nels Kristian Eliasen Professorship,” shared Dr. Varvares.