Two residents in the Duke Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences have been awarded grants to help advance the field of otolaryngology through innovative research. Ayad Ali, MD, PhD, and Talia Guardia, MD, PhD, each received a 2026 Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) Resident Research Grant from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS).
The CORE grant program supports research in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
Ali , a third-year otolaryngology research resident in Duke's NIH-funded R25 surgeon-scientist training program, will receive a one-year, $10,000 grant for his project, Unraveling immune mechanisms governing Dupilumab-driven smell recovery in CRSwNP.
Under the mentorship of Bradley Goldstein, MD, PhD , Ali will investigate how Dupilumab restores the sense of smell in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. His findings could help improve treatments and outcomes for patients. His other research interests include sinonasal tumor-immune microenvironments and wound healing.
Guardia , a second-year otolaryngology research resident in Duke's NIH-funded R25 surgeon-scientist training program, also received a one-year, $10,000 grant. Her project is titled, Engaging T cell immune surveillance in mucosal melanoma .
Under the mentorship of Michael Brown, PhD , Guardia studies mucosal melanoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Her research aims to develop new preclinical mouse models of mucosal melanoma and explore ways to strengthen the immune system's response to tumors, with the goal of identifying new treatment strategies for patients.
Since 1985, CORE has awarded more than 800 grants and more than $14 million to support research projects, training, and career development in otolaryngology. Award amounts range from $5,000 to $150,000.