34th Annual James D. Baxter Lectureship

RRD/Baxter Lecture

Speaker: Dr. Anthony Nichols, MD

Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and
Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University

Title: "Borrowed Science, New Answers: Applying Translational Oncology Methods to Non-Malignant Disease in Head & Neck Surgery”

Objectives:

1. Describe the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying idiopathic subglottic stenosis, including fibroinflammatory pathways implicated in disease recurrence, and evaluate how transcriptomic and single-cell approaches are informing novel treatment strategies beyond serial dilation.

2. Explain how molecular profiling and cellular biology have expanded our understanding of laser-induced skin rejuvenation, including the mechanistic basis of fractional CO₂ and erbium laser effects on dermal remodeling, collagen neosynthesis, and emerging targets for adjunctive pharmacological enhancement.

3. Analyze the immunological heterogeneity of tonsillar disease — distinguishing recurrent tonsillitis from obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy at the cellular and transcriptomic level — and discuss how single-cell RNA sequencing is being applied to identify disease-specific immune signatures with potential diagnostic and therapeutic relevance.

4. Apply a translational research framework — traditionally used in oncology — to benign otolaryngologic and aesthetic conditions, recognizing how rigor in molecular study design, biomarker validation, and evidence hierarchies can elevate the quality of investigation in non-malignant disease.

5. Understand the important role of the surgeon-scientist in advancing patient-centred medical research— including identifying concrete institutional, departmental, and funding strategies that academic medical centres can adopt to recruit, protect, and sustain surgeon-scientists

Location: RI-MUHC, ES1.1129