The Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) hosted Bradford Woodworth, MD, on September 24, 2025, as the Joseph Siefker, MD, Medical Education Fund lecturer.
Woodworth, who is the James J. Hicks Professor of Otolaryngology at University of Alabama Birmingham, spoke on “Challenging Surgical Dogma: A Rhinologic Career Fueled by Curiosity, Innovation, and Change." The annual lectureship, established to support educational initiatives for Duke HNS&CS residents, fellows, and clinicians, focuses on advancing the professional development of trainees.
Woodworth is a board-certified otolaryngologist who has been an attending physician at UAB Hospital since 2008. His research focuses on a novel pathophysiologic mechanism (acquired CFTR deficiency) in relation to disrupted mucociliary function in chronic sinus disease. He also investigates therapeutic interventions that enhance mucociliary clearance in both cystic fibrosis and non-CF chronic sinusitis, as well as clinical outcomes in rhinologic and endoscopic skull base surgical procedures.
Joseph Siefker, MD, for whom the lecture is named, completed his otolaryngology residency training at Duke in 1988 and now practices in Florida. He has been an ardent supporter of Duke’s legacy of education, clinical excellence, and research.