Joseph Toynbee memorial lecture and Presidential address

Bruce J Gantz, MD is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.  He received his Bachelor of Science and Masters degree in Otolaryngology from the University of Iowa, where he completed medical school.  A surgical internship was served at the University of Utah College of Medicine.  He returned to the University of Iowa for his Otolaryngology residency.  

Upon completing a Neurotology Clinical Fellowship with Dr Ugo Fisch at the Universitätsspital Zürich, Otorhinolaryngologische Klinik und Poliklinik, in Zürich, Switzerland, he joined the faculty at the University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr Gantz’s research interests include: cochlear implants, management of facial paralysis, hearing preservation in acoustic tumour and skull-base surgery, and management of cholesteatoma.  He is the principal investigator of the Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center, funded by the NIH since 1985.  In December, 2017 the Center was awarded their seventh five-year NIH renewal that will run through 2022.  He has led the Iowa CI Team in the development of the Hybrid Cochlear Implant.

He is a member of many otolaryngology professional societies and has Board Certification from the American Board of Otolaryngology, as well as subspecialty certification in Neurotology from the ABOto. 

Some of his honours include being named the Brian F McCabe Distinguished Chair in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery by The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine; The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award for Achievement in 2005; University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Mentor Award 2010; being elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2000; President of the Association of Research in Otolaryngology; President of the American Neurotology Society; President of the American Otological Society; and President of the American Board of Otolaryngology.  In 2016, he was awarded the Shambaugh Prize for lifetime achievement from the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum.  His publications include 240 peer-reviewed papers and he has contributed to over 58 books and chapters.

Chris Aldren is an ear surgeon based in Windsor. He has a particular interest in stapes surgery, ossiculoplasty and mastoid obliteration. He has run an annual international advanced middle ear surgery course at Wexham Park Hospital since 2000.
He was the President of the British Society of Otology from 2016-2018, President of LION Live International Otolaryngology Network from 2013-2016 and is President-elect of the Royal Society of Medicine, Otology section. He was on the scientific committee of the 2011 and 2016 CEORL-HNS meetings and is the UK representative on the CEORL-HNS council. He is the editor of the otology section of the New edition of Scott Brown’s textbook of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. He lectures widely with recent lectures in India, China, Switzerland, France and Belgium.
Outside of medicine he is a keen violinist playing in the European Doctors Orchestra. He is on the advisory council of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.