<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0The selection will be made<\/em>\u00a0in November 2024, before the 202<\/em>5 Midwinter meeting.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" background_color=\"#C9BDEF\" custom_margin=\"0px||0px||false|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||false|false\" border_width_bottom=\"10px\" border_color_bottom=\"#FAA82A\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row column_structure=\"2_5,3_5\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"2_5\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Anil-Lalwani_headshot-1.png\" title_text=\"Anil Lalwani_headshot (1)\" show_bottom_space=\"off\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" width=\"77%\" module_alignment=\"center\" custom_margin=\"0px||0px||false|false\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px||false|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"3_5\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_heading title=\"2026 Innovator Award in Clinical Science Winner\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" title_font=\"--et_global_heading_font|700||on|||||\" title_text_align=\"right\" title_text_color=\"#093049\" title_font_size=\"33px\" custom_margin=\"10em||||false|false\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_divider color=\"#FAA82A\" divider_weight=\"7px\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" admin_label=\"section\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_color=\"#093049\" custom_padding=\"8px||0px|||\" locked=\"off\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_text_color=\"gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423\" text_font_size=\"16px\" header_2_text_align=\"center\" header_2_text_color=\"#FAA82A\" global_colors_info=\"{%22gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}\"]<\/p>\n Associate Dean for Student Research<\/em><\/p>\n Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons<\/em><\/p>\n Professor of Otolaryngology-HNS and Mechanical Engineering with Tenure<\/em><\/p>\n Vice Chair for Research<\/em><\/p>\n Co-Director, Columbia Cochlear Implant Program<\/em><\/p>\n Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery<\/em><\/p>\n Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons<\/em><\/p>\n Medical Director of Perioperative Services<\/em><\/p>\n New York Presbyterian\u2014Columbia University Irving Medical Center<\/em><\/p>\n Bio:<\/strong><\/p>\n Anil K. Lalwani, MD, is Associate Dean for Student Research, tenured Professor of Otolaryngology and Mechanical Engineering, Vice Chair for Research, and Co-Director of Columbia Cochlear Implant Program in the Department of Otolaryngology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.<\/p>\n Dr. Lalwani earned his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1985 and subsequently completed is internship in General and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center and his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UCSF. Following subspecialty training in Neurotology and Skull base surgery, he served as Senior Staff Fellow at the NIDCD, NIH. In 1994, he joined the faculty at UCSF as an assistant professor and rose to the rank of Professor in 2002. In April 2003, Dr. Lalwani was recruited to NYU to serve as Mendik Foundation Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology \u2014 a position he held until December 2009.<\/p>\n Doctor Lalwani\u2019s basic research has focused on two key areas: identifying genes that are critical for hearing through the use of molecular genetic and molecular biologic methods and developing and investigating gene transfer technology for the treatment of hearing disorders. More recently, his NIH funded research has focused on the development of microneedle technology for inner ear delivery.<\/p>\n He is the author of 284 peer-reviewed articles, and numerous books and book chapters; his h-index<\/em> is 74. He has served as the President of American Neurotology Society (2014-2015), American Auditory Society (2017-2018), New York Otological Society (2023) and Otosclerosis Study Group (2024-2025).<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/2021-innovator-award-recipient\/\" url_new_window=\"on\" button_text=\"Past Awardees\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"ac367fc4-c433-4d4b-994d-d05e71c9264a\" hover_enabled=\"0\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" sticky_enabled=\"0\"][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" disabled_on=\"on|on|on\" admin_label=\"section\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_color=\"#E6E8E6\" custom_padding=\"31px||28px|||\" disabled=\"on\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row admin_label=\"row\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" background_size=\"initial\" background_position=\"top_left\" background_repeat=\"repeat\" custom_margin=\"-17px|auto||auto||\" custom_padding=\"||3px|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.16\" custom_padding=\"|||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\" custom_padding__hover=\"|||\"][et_pb_heading title=\"Congratulations to Our 2025 ARO Awardee for Clinical Innovation\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" title_font=\"|700|||||||\" title_text_align=\"center\" title_text_color=\"#093049\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Geradline-Dietz-Fox-Young-Investigator-Award-5.jpg\" title_text=\"Geradline-Dietz-Fox-Young-Investigator-Award-5\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_team_member name=\"Yilai Shu, M.D., Ph.D\" position=\"Department of Otolaryngology\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"daf55d86-a926-4010-b1d1-c82f53fc822d\" header_text_color=\"#0E5688\" body_text_align=\"justify\" body_text_color=\"#093049\" body_line_height=\"1.4em\" custom_margin=\"|-6px|77px|-6px|false|true\" border_color_all_image=\"#EE5450\" border_width_top_image=\"9px\" border_color_top_image=\"#EE5450\" border_width_right_image=\"9px\" border_color_right_image=\"#EE5450\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"]<\/p>\n Eye & ENT Hospital <\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Yilai Shu is a professor and physician scientist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, China.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>His clinic focus on Otology and Neurotology. His research focus on gene therapy for deafness, unraveling the pathogenic mechanism of deafness and pioneering innovative therapeutic strategies, including gene replacement and CRISPR\/Cas9 gene editing. He also actively promotes clinical translation to benefit patients. As a leading PI, he and his collaborators developed AAV-hOTOF, a gene therapy drug using dual AAV strategy designed to treat DFNB9, a form of deafness caused by mutations in the<\/span>\u00a0OTOF<\/span><\/i>\u00a0gene. He led the first-in-human clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of gene therapy for hereditary deafness. The results demonstrated that AAV1-hOTOF could effectively restore auditory function and speech perception in patients. These findings were published in\u00a0<\/span>The Lancet<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Nature Medicine,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0marking a significant milestone in the field.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" background_color=\"#093049\" background_image=\"https:\/\/aro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/aro-spiral.png\" custom_padding=\"20px|||||\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" global_colors_info=\"{}\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.27.4\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_text_color=\"gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423\" text_font_size=\"16px\" header_2_font=\"|700|||||||\" header_2_text_align=\"center\" header_2_text_color=\"#E6E8E6\" header_3_text_color=\"#E6E8E6\" header_4_font=\"|700|||||||\" header_4_text_align=\"center\" header_4_text_color=\"#FAA82A\" global_colors_info=\"{%22gcid-9b607bfd-ddfe-4f74-b296-5e8b18c0f423%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}\"]<\/p>\n CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: ARO AWARD FOR CLINICAL INNOVATION<\/p>\n The Association for Research in Otolaryngology will start accepting nominations for the ARO Award for Clinical Innovation on June 16, 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n This award recognizes a body of work that constitutes a significant advance relevant to clinical practice in hearing and vestibular disorders.\u00a0 The topic should be related to the scientific interests of the Association as represented at the annual ARO Meeting. As the award is for a body of work, the award may be shared among investigators who have worked as a team.\u00a0 The awardee(s) will be honored at the ARO Award Ceremony during the 2026 MidWinter Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.\u00a0<\/p>\n REMINDER:\u00a0 Nominees, nominators, and letter-writers are not required to be ARO members.\u00a0 Self-nominations are not accepted.<\/p>\n \u00a0Please read carefully before submitting.<\/p>\n Nominations should include the following:<\/p>\n A curriculum vitae (CV or CVs for multi-investigator teams) <\/p>\n Nominations are selected by the ARO Award Committee and submitted to the ARO Council for approval.\u00a0 A nominee\u2019s package will be considered for up to 3 years in sequence; the package can be updated for the second and third years.\u00a0 Nominations submitted in previous years without meeting the new standards should be resubmitted.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This award recognizes a body of work that constitutes a significant advance relevant to clinical practice in hearing and vestibular disorders.\u00a0 The topic should be related to the scientific interests […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":14,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"This award recognizes a body of work that constitutes a significant advance relevant to clinical practice in hearing and vestibular disorders.\u00a0 The topic should be related to the scientific interests of the Association as represented at the annual ARO Meeting. As the award is for a body of work, the award may be shared among investigators who have worked as a team.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAnil K. Lalwani, M.D.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/h2>\n
Shanghai Medical College,
Fudan University
Shanghai, China\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nSubmit a Nomination<\/h2>\n
ABOUT THE ARO AWARD FOR CLINICAL INNOVATION<\/h4>\n
NOMINATION Requirements:<\/h4>\n
A nomination letter (1-2 supporting letters; letters may have multiple signatories)<\/p>\n
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<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nDr. Charles Della Santina\r\n<\/strong><\/span>Johns Hopkins University\r\n<\/em>\r\n<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n