Ani Nalbandian, MD, MS

Stacey Platzman is an Associate in Clinical Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, specializing in pediatric aural (re)habilitation. Ms. Platzman received her bachelor’s degree in Speech & Hearing Sciences as well as Family Studies Human Development from The University of Arizona. She continued her education with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. While at UNC, she participated in two grants providing specialized training to work with children with hearing loss and maternal-child health. Before joining CUMC, Ms. Platzman worked with children with hearing loss and other disorders through clinical visits, tele-therapy programs, and early intervention. Her clinical interests lie in the areas of pediatric aural (re)habilitation and early intervention. She is passionate about a family-centered, multidisciplinary team approach to care. Ms. Platzman is licensed in Speech-Language Pathology through New York State and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

Anuraag S. Parikh, MD is a fellowship trained head and neck surgeon scientist, with clinical expertise in the full breadth of head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction. Dr. Parikh graduated from the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard University/Massachusetts Eye and Ear. During residency, he completed an additional two year postdoctoral research fellowship under an NIH T32 grant and was awarded the Jeffrey P. Harris, MD PhD Research Award for his work in tumor heterogeneity in head and neck cancer. He then completed fellowship in advanced head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the Ohio State University/James Cancer Center. Dr. Parikh’s clinical interests include the treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the head and neck, including tumors of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, sinonasal tract, skull base, skin, salivary glands, thyroid, and parathyroid. Dr. Parikh specializes in transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for tumors of the oropharynx and microvascular free tissue transfer for reconstruction of the head and neck. Dr. Parikh also conducts basic and translational research aimed at understanding the role of tumor heterogeneity on treatment outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNSCC) and salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). His work utilizes novel techniques such as single cell sequencing, multispectral imaging, and 3D organoid modeling to model HNSCC and ACC tumors at the level of individual cells. Dr. Parikh is the author of many highly impactful peer-reviewed articles, including publications in Cell and Nature Biotechnology, and he has regularly presented his research at national meetings.

Yi Cai, MD is an Assistant Professor and Director of Sleep Surgery at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is driven by the desire to improve patients’ sleep through innovative clinical and research approaches. As one of the few fellowship-trained sleep surgeons in the New York City area, Dr. Cai has expertise in the diagnosis and surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). She devotes significant attention to upper airway evaluation in personalizing treatment for her patients and offers the full spectrum of surgical sleep apnea care, ranging from nasal and pharyngeal surgery to skeletal surgery to hypoglossal nerve stimulation (Inspire therapy). Dr. Cai received her undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard College and her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was awarded the Coakley Memorial Prize and Donald M. Palatucci Prize. She then completed her residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. There, she led quality improvement initiatives as a chief resident, received a Patient Care Fund Award, and served as Co-Chair of the UCSF Resident and Fellow’s Council. Dr. Cai then completed fellowship training in both Sleep Medicine and Sleep Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was selected to attend the AASM Young Investigators Research Forum. Since specializing in sleep surgery, Dr. Cai has given several presentations at the premier global conferences in otolaryngology, sleep medicine, and sleep surgery. As one of <10 fellowship-trained sleep surgeons in the nation with active, peer-reviewed grant funding for sleep apnea research, Dr. Cai’s clinical expertise is uniquely strengthened by her academic experience. She is dedicated to advancing the field of sleep apnea surgery through research on the cardiometabolic outcomes of OSA surgery. For this work, Dr. Cai has been awarded competitive grants from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation and Triological Society (a national otolaryngology society). Additional research interests and ongoing projects include the use of wearable technologies and applying shared decision-making to enhance care in OSA. Dr. Cai has also served on hospital and national academic committees, mentored numerous medical trainees, and reviewed articles for various research journals. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters, including first-author publications in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, SLEEP, and the leading otolaryngology textbooks.