College of Medicine – Phoenix names inaugural chair of Otolaryngology

Amal Isaiah, MD, PhD, MBA, will be joining the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix as the inaugural chair for the Department of Otolaryngology.

Dr. Isaiah is a professor of otorhinolaryngology — head and neck surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He also serves as the division chief of pediatric otolaryngology and the innovation lead at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing in Bethesda.

Dr. Isaiah leads a technology-focused research program supported by NIH R01 funding, encompassing the development of optical neuroimaging paradigms in children using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, deep learning applications for medical device development and artificial intelligence for clinical phenotyping. His work has yielded 100 peer-reviewed publications, seven book chapters and five patents spanning AI-based imaging applications.

He is the editor of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children; the recipient of the Harris P. Mosher Award from the Triological Society, among the most prestigious recognitions in academic otolaryngology; and has been recognized repeatedly with the University of Maryland School of Medicine Mentor Award for Transformative Impact on medical students. In addition, Dr. Isaiah serves as a deputy editor at JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery and is co-founder of TonoScan Inc., a medical technology company focused on AI-based applications.

Originally from Kerala, India, Dr. Isaiah completed his medical training at St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy in neuroscience from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He subsequently completed residency training in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Maryland and fellowship training in Pediatric Otolaryngology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

“Dr. Isaiah is a wonderful choice as our inaugural chair of Otolaryngology,” said Dan Post, chief executive officer of Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. “We look forward to his clinical, academic and programmatic leadership as we build upon the nationally ranked program here. The expansion of our program with additional faculty and subspecialists, as well as initiating a GME program to train future surgeons, will positively impact our hospital, Banner Health and the state of Arizona.”

Dr. Isaiah is board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and complex pediatric otolaryngology. He is widely recognized for his expertise in sleep-disordered breathing. He holds an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and was named among Poets & Quants' Best and Brightest, a highly selective global recognition drawing from the world’s highest-ranked programs.

Dr. Isaiah will assume his new role on July 20.