OUR SURGEONS
Dr. Jeffrey R. Harris MD MHA FrCSC
Dr. Harris is a professor of surgery with tenure in the Division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He attended medical school at the University of Alberta and was then accepted into the Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residency program at the University of Alberta,where he developed his interest in Head and Neck Oncology.
To further pursue this interest he moved to New York City where he undertook subspecialty fellowship training in Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Free Flap Reconstruction of the Head and Neck at The Mount Sinai Hospital under the direction of one of the most highly regarded Head & Neck and Thyroid & Parathyroid surgeons in the world, Dr. Mark Urken. After completing his fellowship in New York, Dr. Harris returned to the University of Alberta where he entered a full-time academic practice.
Currently, Dr. Harris holds the position of Chief, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Fellowship Director, Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction, at the University of Alberta. He is Chair of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery Committee, holds positions on local, provincial, national, and international committees and has been honored for his teaching and administrative contributions. He is actively involved in research and has written textbooks and many research articles. He has had the opportunity to travel the globe as an invited speaker, expert panelist, guidelines reviewer, and Royal College of Surgeons examiner. On a more personal note, Dr. Harris has a wonderful and supportive family and his greatest joy is the time he gets to spend with his wife and two children.
Dr. Dan O’Connell MD MSc. FRCSC
With more than ten years of experience in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. O’Connell's practice is focused on head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery, as well as thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Currently an associate professor in the Division of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Alberta, Dr. O’Connell is also the director of the advanced fellowship in head and neck oncologic and microvascular surgery at the University of Alberta, an accredited American Head and Neck Society fellowship. He is also the research director of the Division of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and the site chief at Leduc Hospital.
Dr. O’Connell’s research interests include patient-centered surgical outcomes, minimally-invasive head and neck surgery, functional outcomes in head and neck cancer treatment and the use of advanced technology in head and neck surgery. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, multiple book chapters and has been the recipient of numerous research grants and awards.
Dr. O’Connell was the first Head and Neck Surgeon to be president of the International Society for Maxillofacial Rehabilitation (www.ismr-org.com) and is part of the executive leadership of the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology (www.cahnso.com). Dr. O’Connell has also established the Head & Neck Surgery Visiting Scholar – International Outreach Program at the University of Alberta, the goal of which is to provide advanced head and neck surgery training to surgeons functioning in underserviced areas around the world. To date the program has successfully trained surgeons from Greece, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria.
Dr. O’Connell is fiercely dedicated to the concept of life-long learning and mentorship in surgery and enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and practicing physicians. Dr. O’Connell is actively involved in developing and participating in multiple national and international surgery courses, conferences and educational presentations on an annual basis.
Dr. Hadi Seikaly MD MAL FRCSC
Dr. Seikaly is a professor of surgery at the University of Alberta and is the divisional director and zone section head for Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Seikaly is also the director of the Head and Neck Surgery Functional Assessment Laboratory (HNSFAL) at the Institute of Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine and is the director of the Head and Neck Research Network. Dr. Seikaly previously served as residency program and divisional research director. He is currently the co-editor of the Journal of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Seikaly graduated from the University of Toronto medical school and completed his residency training at the University of Alberta in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. He then obtained fellowship training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in advanced head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction. Dr. Seikaly returned to the University of Alberta as an attending in the division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery in 1996.
Dr. Seikaly has a large practice dedicated to head, neck, and skull-base oncology and reconstruction. His research interests include functional surgical and reconstructive outcomes, microvascular head and neck reconstruction, submandibular gland transfer medical modeling and digital surgical planning as it applies to the head and neck region. He has been a PI or collaborator on numerous research grants receiving funding from various agencies, including CIHR and Terry Fox Foundation. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Dr. Seikaly is the recipient of the prestigious Top 10 Teacher Award in the Department of Surgery for the past 12 years. He is a member of numerous surgical societies, nationally/internationally, and has been invited as a visiting professor to over 50 institutions, lecturing on all aspects of head and neck oncology and reconstruction.
Dr. Vincent Biron MD PhD FRCSC
Dr. Biron is an assistant professor and surgeon-scientist in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta. He is currently the Director of the Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery Research Laboratory of Alberta (OHRLA), chair of the Northern Alberta Head and Neck Tumour Board and associate editor for the Journal of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Biron began his post-secondary education at the University of Alberta, where he received a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Molecular Genetics, followed by a PhD in Medical Genetics in the area of epigenetics. He then obtained a medical degree from the University of Calgary and returned to the University of Alberta to complete his residency training in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Fellowship training in head and neck oncologic, microvascular and skull-base surgery followed this from the University of California Davis. Dr. Biron returned to the University of Alberta as a faculty member in the Division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery in 2014.
Dr. Biron’s clinical practice is focused on head and neck cancer, transoral robotic (TORS) and thyroid surgery. He is actively involved in international outreach aimed at improving head and neck cancer care in developing countries.
Having published over 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Biron’s research interests include molecular biomarkers, epigenetics of head and neck cancer, human papillomavirus, transoral robotic surgery outcomes and molecular diagnostics. He has received numerous awards and grants for his research.
Dr. Jeffrey R. Harris MD MHA FrCSC
Dr. Harris is a professor of surgery with tenure in the Division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He attended medical school at the University of Alberta and was then accepted into the Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residency program at the University of Alberta,where he developed his interest in Head and Neck Oncology.
To further pursue this interest he moved to New York City where he undertook subspecialty fellowship training in Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Free Flap Reconstruction of the Head and Neck at The Mount Sinai Hospital under the direction of one of the most highly regarded Head & Neck and Thyroid & Parathyroid surgeons in the world, Dr. Mark Urken. After completing his fellowship in New York, Dr. Harris returned to the University of Alberta where he entered a full-time academic practice.
Currently, Dr. Harris holds the position of Chief, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Fellowship Director, Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction, at the University of Alberta. He is Chair of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery Committee, holds positions on local, provincial, national, and international committees and has been honored for his teaching and administrative contributions. He is actively involved in research and has written textbooks and many research articles. He has had the opportunity to travel the globe as an invited speaker, expert panelist, guidelines reviewer, and Royal College of Surgeons examiner. On a more personal note, Dr. Harris has a wonderful and supportive family and his greatest joy is the time he gets to spend with his wife and two children.
Dr. Dan O’Connell MD MSc. FRCSC
With more than ten years of experience in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. O’Connell's practice is focused on head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery, as well as thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Currently an associate professor in the Division of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Alberta, Dr. O’Connell is also the director of the advanced fellowship in head and neck oncologic and microvascular surgery at the University of Alberta, an accredited American Head and Neck Society fellowship. He is also the research director of the Division of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and the site chief at Leduc Hospital.
Dr. O’Connell’s research interests include patient-centered surgical outcomes, minimally-invasive head and neck surgery, functional outcomes in head and neck cancer treatment and the use of advanced technology in head and neck surgery. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, multiple book chapters and has been the recipient of numerous research grants and awards.
Dr. O’Connell was the first Head and Neck Surgeon to be president of the International Society for Maxillofacial Rehabilitation (www.ismr-org.com) and is part of the executive leadership of the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology (www.cahnso.com). Dr. O’Connell has also established the Head & Neck Surgery Visiting Scholar – International Outreach Program at the University of Alberta, the goal of which is to provide advanced head and neck surgery training to surgeons functioning in underserviced areas around the world. To date the program has successfully trained surgeons from Greece, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria.
Dr. O’Connell is fiercely dedicated to the concept of life-long learning and mentorship in surgery and enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and practicing physicians. Dr. O’Connell is actively involved in developing and participating in multiple national and international surgery courses, conferences and educational presentations on an annual basis.
Dr. Hadi Seikaly MD MAL FRCSC
Dr. Seikaly is a professor of surgery at the University of Alberta and is the divisional director and zone section head for Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Seikaly is also the director of the Head and Neck Surgery Functional Assessment Laboratory (HNSFAL) at the Institute of Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine and is the director of the Head and Neck Research Network. Dr. Seikaly previously served as residency program and divisional research director. He is currently the co-editor of the Journal of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Seikaly graduated from the University of Toronto medical school and completed his residency training at the University of Alberta in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. He then obtained fellowship training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in advanced head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction. Dr. Seikaly returned to the University of Alberta as an attending in the division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery in 1996.
Dr. Seikaly has a large practice dedicated to head, neck, and skull-base oncology and reconstruction. His research interests include functional surgical and reconstructive outcomes, microvascular head and neck reconstruction, submandibular gland transfer medical modeling and digital surgical planning as it applies to the head and neck region. He has been a PI or collaborator on numerous research grants receiving funding from various agencies, including CIHR and Terry Fox Foundation. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Dr. Seikaly is the recipient of the prestigious Top 10 Teacher Award in the Department of Surgery for the past 12 years. He is a member of numerous surgical societies, nationally/internationally, and has been invited as a visiting professor to over 50 institutions, lecturing on all aspects of head and neck oncology and reconstruction.
Dr. Vincent Biron MD PhD FRCSC
Dr. Biron is an assistant professor and surgeon-scientist in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta. He is currently the Director of the Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery Research Laboratory of Alberta (OHRLA), chair of the Northern Alberta Head and Neck Tumour Board and associate editor for the Journal of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Biron began his post-secondary education at the University of Alberta, where he received a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Molecular Genetics, followed by a PhD in Medical Genetics in the area of epigenetics. He then obtained a medical degree from the University of Calgary and returned to the University of Alberta to complete his residency training in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Fellowship training in head and neck oncologic, microvascular and skull-base surgery followed this from the University of California Davis. Dr. Biron returned to the University of Alberta as a faculty member in the Division of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery in 2014.
Dr. Biron’s clinical practice is focused on head and neck cancer, transoral robotic (TORS) and thyroid surgery. He is actively involved in international outreach aimed at improving head and neck cancer care in developing countries.
Having published over 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Biron’s research interests include molecular biomarkers, epigenetics of head and neck cancer, human papillomavirus, transoral robotic surgery outcomes and molecular diagnostics. He has received numerous awards and grants for his research.