Christopher Michael Welch, MD, PhD

Dr. Welch is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Otology/Neurotology of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He has a clinical practice which sub-specializes in the surgical and medical management of hearing loss, balance disorders, chronic ear infections, and lateral skull base tumors such as vestibular schwannoma. He is currently the Neurotology Fellowship director, and additionally coordinates educational activities for resident trainees while on the Otology service. He is also heavily engaged in clinical, translational, and basic science research, serving as site director for two clinical trials related to hearing loss, and his research laboratory is investigating the molecular mechanisms of chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma formation and progression.

Dr. Welch received his medical and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina. He completed his post-graduate surgical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina. He then completed a fellowship in Neurotology at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Welch has wide-ranging research interests including improving rehabilitation of hearing loss through cochlear implantation, developing improved neurodiagnostic testing for otologic conditions and skull base tumors, and understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma formation and progression.