The Duke Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) Department was named 15th in a recent prestigious annual ranking of Otolaryngology academic departments nationally, based on its National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding of over $4.3 million, moving up from 25th in 2023.
Since 2006, the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, an independent nonprofit, has published rankings of institutions, departments, and researchers based on the funding they receive from the NIH. These BRIMR rankings are widely recognized as a measure of scientific strength and are used to track funding trends for individual researchers and academic fields. Although they focus on the financial aspect of biomedical research, the rankings are valued for being quantitative and objective, as the competition for NIH funds is reviewed by expert peers from across the country.
Among Principal Investigators in Otolaryngology, Bradley Goldstein, MD, PhD, a surgeon-scientist and Vice Chair for Research, ranked 11th in the country in research funding. Other NIH-funded researchers from HNS&CS include: Steven J. Eliades, MD, PhD, Walter T. Lee, MD, Jamila M. Minga, PhD, CCC-SLP, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, BDS, MPH, PhD, Kristal M. Riska, PhD, AuD, CCC-A, and Tammara L. Watts, MD, PhD.
As the largest public funder of research globally, the NIH plays a crucial role in advancing health for all. By investing in institutions like Duke and Otolaryngology as a specialty, the NIH fuels scientific research and translates knowledge into tangible improvements for patients with disorders related to smell, hearing, vocal communication, head and neck cancer, communication impairments after right hemisphere stroke, and balance disorders.