The ENT Specialty Group

Dr. Yang earned her medical degree at McGill University, followed by Internal Medicine residency training at Université de Montréal.  She returned to McGill for subspecialty postgraduate fellowship training in Adult Endocrinology and Metabolism.  Her interest in thyroid disease led Dr. Yang to pursue further clinical and research training with a thyroid fellowship at the University of Toronto.

Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University

Surgical Appointments: Jewish General Hospital, Montreal General Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital

Specializing in Voice, Swallowing, Chronic Cough and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disorders

Dr. Rickul Varshney is an Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgeon with subspecialty expertise in advanced rhinology and sinus surgery. He currently serves as the site chief of Otolaryngology at Lakeshore Hospital. He also has an appointment at St-Mary’s Hospital. He is a faculty lecturer in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at McGill University.

He completed his medical school training at McGill University. He then completed residency concurrently with a Master of Science degree at McGill University. His research focused on the development of a virtual reality simulator for endoscopic sinus surgery. He then completed a Rhinology & Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery at Kaiser Permanente in Orange County, California.

Marc Tewfik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at McGill, and Director of the Advanced Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Fellowship program. He completed residency concurrently with a Master of Science degree investigating genes responsible for innate immunity and chronic rhinosinusitis. Dr. Tewfik subsequently completed a fellowship in South Australia, under Professor Peter-John Wormald. His current practice is divided between tertiary rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery. Dr. Tewfik is co-editor of a textbook in Otolaryngology, and has been invited as faculty at advanced sinus surgery courses around the Globe. He is also the course director for the North American Masterclass in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. His research interests include the role of innate immunity in chronic rhinosinusitis, surgical simulation training, as well as the repair of large skull base defects.

Dr. Silviu-Dan did her Residency in Internal Medicine at the Dalhousie University in Halifax and her subspecialty in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. She was the Program Director for Allergy/Immunology at McGill for 10 years and is the immediate Past-Chair of the Specialty Committee of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She was the Section Head of the Rhinosinusitis Section of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology for 6 years and served as the Chair of the Core Curriculum, Education and Residency Review Committee at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. She was an examiner for Clinical Immunology and Allergy of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for 15 years and a Royal College accreditation evaluator for Canadian Training Programs in Clinical Immunology and Allergy. She teaches medical students at McGill and continues to be active in various specialty and educational Committees and Societies.

Dr. Joseph S. Schwartz is an Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgeon with subspecialty expertise in advanced rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at McGill University. He completed his medical school training at Laval university followed by residency surgical training in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at McGill University while simultaneously working towards a Masters degree in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. The focus of Dr. Schwartz’s Masters research comprised the immunomodulating properties of commensal and pathogenic bacteria in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.  Dr. Schwartz then went on to complete a prestigious fellowship in Rhinology & Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery at the world renowned University of Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Drs. David W. Kennedy, Noam A Cohen, Nithin D. Adappa, James N. Palmer and Bert W. O’Malley.

Dr. Payne is an associate professor at McGill University in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. His surgical subspecialty is in Head and Neck Oncology with a strong emphasis on thyroid cancer. He also has an interest in surgery of the parathyroid glands. Dr. Payne works at several of the McGill University affiliated adult hospitals. While his main office is at the Jewish General Hospital, he also evaluates and operates on patients at the McGill University Health Centre Glen site (Royal Victoria Hospital).

Dr. Payne is a leader in the field of thyroid cancer surgery. At the national level, he is the Director of the Endocrine Surgery Group at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He is actively involved in research and presents his findings regularly at conferences. His current interest involves molecular testing of thyroid tumors. He has spoken both nationally and internationally on this evolving field. He has been one of the pioneers in the development of sentinel lymph node biopsy, and has published in both North America and Europe on this novel technique. He has been an instructor to other thyroid cancer specialists at the THANC thyroid course held in New York City. Dr. Payne has experience in endoscopic thyroidectomy using the minimally invasive video assisted technique. He has given several talks on this surgical procedure. Dr. Payne is certified by the American College of Surgeons to perform ultrasound guided biopsies of thyroid nodules. He regularly trains both otolaryngology and endocrinology residents and fellows in this skill.

Alex M. Mlynarek MD, MSc, FRSCS, is an assistant professor at the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at McGill University. Dr. Mlynarek specializes in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, skin cancer as well as plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Prior to joining the faculty at McGill, he finished two fellowships in head and neck oncology and complex reconstruction. After graduating from the McGill Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residency program in 2007, Dr. Mlynarek received a diploma from the American Society of Head and Neck Surgery, for completing a fellowship in advanced head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the University of Alberta, under the guidance of Dr. H. Seikaly and Dr. J. Harris. He then completed a second fellowship training at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, focusing on the management of skin cancer, complex  head and neck reconstruction and cosmetic facial surgery, under the distinguished guidance of Dr. J. Chaplin, Dr. N. McIvor and Dr. M. Izzard.

Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Assistant Professor
McGill University

Associate Professor and Program Director, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University

Surgical Appointments: Montreal Children Hospital, Jewish General Hospital, Verdun General Hospital, Santa Cabrini Hospital

Specializing in Pediatric Otolaryngology, Reconstructive Airway Surgery (adult and children), Rhinology (adult)

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Université de Montréal

Endocrinologist Specializing in The Management of Thyroid Cancer and Ultrasound Guided Biopsy of Thyroid Nodules

Dr Kost did her undergraduate studies and residency at McGill University in Montreal. She completed a fellowship in Voice and Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery at the Institute of Laryngology and Otology in London England under the stewardship of Sir Donald Harrison. She is a Professor of Otolaryngology at McGill University and is the Director of the Voice and Dysphagia Laboratory at McGill University. Areas of special interest include Head and Neck Oncology, Airway problems, and Voice. She is the past president of the Otolaryngology division of the McGill Med-Chi Society, and sits on several local committees associated with McGill university.

Dr. Kost has an ongoing interest in Global health. She worked in the Canadian Arctic for over 20 years, performed the first surgical procedure in Northern Quebec and played an important role in repatriating medical and surgical services to Nunavik in Northern Quebec. In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Kost participated in 2 humanitarian medical missions in remote villages of the Himalayas in Nepal with no road access, no running water and no electricity. In addition to practicing medicine, she provided teaching and instruction to local healthcare providers.

Jamie M. Rappaport, MD, FRCS(C) is the Head of Otology / Neurotology at the Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, having joined the staff in 1995. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at McGill University. He is the Director of the Department’s Fellowship Committee, and previously served as Assistant Program Director for the Residency Program.

Dr. Rappaport is an Examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is a Course Coordinator for the McGill Otolaryngology Update Course which is held annually at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. He is also a Consultant Otolaryngologist for the Northern Quebec Module, travelling regularly to provide ENT care to the Ungava Region of Nunavik.

Dr. Rappaport completed his medical degree at McGill University in 1989, did his internship at Mount Sinai Hospital (University of Toronto), and his Otolaryngology Residency training at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Rappaport completed an Otology / Neurotology fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, which is associated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, USA.

Dr Kost did her undergraduate studies and residency at McGill University in Montreal. She completed a fellowship in Voice and Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery at the Institute of Laryngology and Otology in London England under the stewardship of Sir Donald Harrison. She is a Professor of Otolaryngology at McGill University and is the Director of the Voice and Dysphagia Laboratory at McGill University. Areas of special interest include Head and Neck Oncology, Airway problems, and Voice. She is the past president of the Otolaryngology division of the McGill Med-Chi Society, and sits on several local committees associated with McGill university.

Dr. Kost has an ongoing interest in Global health. She worked in the Canadian Arctic for over 20 years, performed the first surgical procedure in Northern Quebec and played an important role in repatriating medical and surgical services to Nunavik in Northern Quebec. In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Kost participated in 2 humanitarian medical missions in remote villages of the Himalayas in Nepal with no road access, no running water and no electricity. In addition to practicing medicine, she provided teaching and instruction to local healthcare providers.

Dr. Himdi completed her medical studies at Laval University and her otolaryngology residency at Sherbrooke University. She graduated from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2016. In addition, she completed a subspecialty training in sinus and skull base  surgery at Mcgill University in 2018.

Dr Himdi has a special interest in nose and sinus diseases, dealing with the medical and surgical aspects of these diseases.

She is an active member of the Centre de Santé et des Services Sociaux  de la Montérigie Ouest and an associate member at the  Mcgill University Health Center at Lachine Hospital.

Specializes in: Complex Head and Neck Cancer Surgery, Ultrasound Guided Thyroid Biopsies (American College of Surgeons Certified), Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, Parotid and Sub-Mandibular Salivary Gland Surgery and Robotic Surgery of Throat Cancers

Dr Michael Hier is the Chief of Head and Neck Surgery at the Jewish General Hospital and the Site Director for the McGill University Fellowship and Residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Hier graduated from Medicine at McGill University in 1990 as a University Scholar (Top 10% of Medical Class), and the HS Burkitt Memorial Prize in Otolaryngology. He went on to complete residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery from 1990-1995 at Mcgill. In 1997, Dr. Hier completed Fellowship training in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Surgery with Dr. William Panje at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Hier is an academic surgeon with a very strong interest in medical student, resident and fellowship education, for which he received a “Best Teacher” award from the University Department. In addition, he is an active participant in multiple facets of clinical and translational cancer research. A few examples include; work on salivary gland transfer surgery to prevent dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients, brachytherapy to treat tongue cancer and the use of Robotic surgery to treat throat cancers.

He completed a term as Head and Neck Oncology Co-Chair for the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and completed a term as an Education Committee member for the American Head and Neck Society.

Dr. Hier’s active memberships include; Fellow of the American Head and Neck Society, as well as the Canadian Association of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology. He is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Israeli Head and Neck Society.

Dr. Hier has been invited to speak at many courses and conferences nationally and internationally; including the USA, Europe, Israel and South America.

He trains fellows from throughout the world in Advanced Head and Neck and Thyroid Surgery. These have included fellows from: Saudi Arabia, India, Israel, New Zealand, Qatar and Switzerland.

Dr. Hier is passionate about fundraising for his Hospital and University Departments. He Co-Chaired the 25th annual McGill University Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Cancer fundraiser. These funds are used towards the advancement of Research and Clinical Care for our patients.

After completing her medical degree in the University of Montréal, she pursued her postgraduate training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery in McGill University. Specializing in General Otolaryngology (adults and pediatric) with a special interest in rhinology, voice disorders, skin cancer, endocrine and salivary gland surgery.

Professor and former Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University

Specializing in Nasal and Sinus Disease, Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, and Sleep Apnea

Dr. Forest is an assistant professor at McGill University in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She specializes in Head and Neck Oncology, with an emphasis on thyroid cancer and microvascular reconstruction. She has a strong interest in surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the salivary glands and lymph nodes.

During her medical school training at Université Laval, Dr. Forest simultaneously completed a Master Degree in experimental medicine – human genetics. She then pursued her residency training at Université de Montréal in Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2006. Dr. Forest was awarded a Detweiler Travelling Fellowship scholarship to join the team of Drs Richard L Goode, Nelson Powell and Robert Riley, world-renowned leaders in the surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, at the prestigious Stanford University, California. In 2008, she joined the Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia to complete another fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology, including skin cancers and melanoma, and microvascular reconstruction under the supervision of Prof. Chris O’Brien and Dr Jonathan Clark. Since 2011, Dr. Forest has joined the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery of the Jewish General Hospital. She also works at other McGill University affiliated hospitals, namely St-Mary’s Hospital.

Dr Forest is a member of different professional associations including the American Association of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She is actively involved in the training of residents and medical students. She has been an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada since 2013.

Recipient of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant and inspired by innovation, Dr Forest leads and participates in various research projects in her fields of interest. She has been invited as a guest speaker in various local, national and international meetings and events.

Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

Yalon A. Dolev, MD, is a Head and Neck Surgeon who specializes in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Dolev completed his undergraduate degree in Physiology with a minor in the Social Studies of Medicine. He then received his MD degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Fascinated by the intricate anatomy of the head and neck, he continued on to complete his residency at McGill University’s Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery program. He then went on to complete a Fellowship with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

During his training, Dr. Dolev gained a better appreciation for the artistry and creativity involved in both the cosmetic and reconstructive aspects of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. His training in both Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery as well as Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery provide Dr. Dolev with an intimate understanding of the anatomy of the head and neck and all of the complex conditions that affect it. This provides him with the unique ability to safely and comprehensively treat functional, aesthetic and reconstructive conditions. His expertise includes:

• Advanced techniques in aesthetic medicine and surgery (exclusive focus on facial aesthetics medicine)
  • primary and revision rhinoplasty
  • facelift, midface lift and neck lift (rhytidectomy)
  • eyelid lift (blepharoplasty including fat preservation techniques)
  • brow lift (minimally invasive using endoscopic techniques)
  • ear reshaping/reconstruction (otoplasty)
  • chin reduction/augmentation
  • fat transfer for facial rejuvenation
  • non-surgical management of the aging face including neuromodulators such as Botox Cosmetic as well as fillers such as Juvederm.
  • management of aging skin (wrinkles, discoloration, aging spots, rosacea, acne scarring) using peels and resurfacing lasers
  • scar revision (traumatic and surgical)
• The reconstruction of complex facial defects (with an emphasis on both aesthetics and function) resulting from both trauma and cancer
• The medical and surgical management of facial paralysis
• Functional nasal airway surgery (septoplasty, turbinate reduction and nasal valve
  reconstruction)
• The use of neuromodulators including Botox in the treatment of facial/neck spasm, facial paralysis, blepharospasm, migraines and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)

Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University

Director of the Paediatric Voice Lab, Montreal Children’s Hospital

Surgical Appointments: Montreal Children’s Hospital, Notre Dame Hospital

Specializing in Paediatric Otolaryngology & General Otolaryngology (adult and paediatric) including Rhinology (adult and paediatric) and Laryngology (adult and paediatric voice)