Research Summary

Ivan H. El-Sayed, MD, is Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology and the Director of the Otolaryngology Minimally Invasive Skull Base Surgery program and center in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) at the University of California, San Francisco. As of 2015, he has been elected to the North American Skull Base Society Directors Board, and he is recently named the Vice Chair of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Skull Base Committee. He has also been the Co-Course Director for Stryker-UCSF Resident Skull Base Approaches Course since 2009. Dr. El-Sayed completed his medical degree and internship from Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. He completed his otolaryngology residency from Boston University, followed by a head and neck surgical oncology fellowship from UCSF. He lectures nationally and internationally on various topics related to head and neck oncology.

Dr. El-Sayed’s clinical focus is skull base surgery and he has developed the minimally invasive program into a nationally recognized program along with his neurosurgical colleagues. The program and center offers a unique capability of providing both endoscopic and open approaches to tailor the approach to the lesion. He has a broad surgical experience having performed over 500 surgical procedures on tumors of the nasal cavity/paranasal sinuses, infratemporal fossa, skull base and pituitary glands in over a decade of experience. He is also interested in the outcomes of research and clinical innovations through novel approach development. His research program goal is to develop 1) novel endoscopic surgical approaches and 2) nanotechnologies as multifunctional theranostic devices for the detection, destruction, and monitoring of oral cancer.

Education

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, Sc. B, 1992, Neuroscience
Boston University Medical School, Boston, MA, M.D., 1992-1996, Medicine
Boston University Medical Ctr, Boston, MA, 1996-2001, Otolaryngology-HNS
University of California, San Francisco, Postdoctoral, 2002-2003, Head and Neck Oncology-Fellowship

Honors & Awards

  • 1995
    Member, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
  • 1998
    First Place: Ethics of Cochlear Implantation in Young Children, New England Otolaryngology Society
  • 2002
    U.S. Patent: Spectroscopic Diagnostics for Bacteria in Biologic Samples. Ivan El-Sayed, MD and Mostafa El-Sayed, PhD
  • 2002-2012
    Board Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology
  • 2003
    THANKS Star Award, UCSF Medical Center
  • 2005
    "Quality Award" UCSF Medical Center Quality Improvement Office. For: Altered Airway PI Project. Member of the committee which developed this form.
  • 2007
    U.S. Patent: GTRC 3424 U.S.S.N. 11/913,915 "Shape Tunable Plasmonic Nanoparticles" Mostafa A. El-Sayed and Ivan Homer El-Sayed (Provisional Patent Filed 2005)
  • 2007
    "Hot Paper", American Chemical Society Publications, first author. [As defined by the ACS: "Hot Papers are articles published within the last two years receiving the most citations over the most recent two-month period. In a typical two-month period, Essential Science Indicators recognizes more than 200 total Hot Papers in chemistry.] For Article: Surface Plasmon Resonance Scattering and Absorption of anti-EGFR Antibody Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Diagnostics: Applications in Oral Cancer. Nano Lett. 2005.
  • 2007
    Outstanding Productive Physician and Surgeon, Certificate of Accomplishment, Department of Otolaryngology, UCSF
  • 2007
    "Most Accessed Article" for the 3rd quarter of 2007, American Chemical Society Publications. For article: "Gold Nanorods for Nuclear Targeting. BioconjugChemistry 2007.
  • 2008
    "Most Accessed Article" for first quarter 2008, American Chemical Society Publications: For article: Calculated Absorption and Scattering Properties of Gold Nanoparticles of Different Size, Shape, and Composition: Applications in Biological Imaging and Biomedicine. J. Phys. Chem. B.; (Article); 2006
  • 2008
    "Editor Selected Papers in Imaging"- Bioconjugate Chemistry- For Article: Peptide-Conjugated Gold Nanorods for Nuclear Targeting. Bioconjug Chem. 2007 Sep-Oct;18(5):1490-7. Epub 2007 Jul 13.
  • 2008
    #1 ranked article in citations in the field of Chemistry for 2007. Described by ScienceWatch. For article: 14. Huang X, El-Sayed IH, Qian W, El-Sayed MA. Cancer Cell Imaging and Photothermal Therapy in the Near-Infrared Region by Using Gold Nanorods. J Am Chem Soc. 2006 Feb 15;128(6):2115-2120.
  • 2008
    "Hot Paper", American Chemical Society Publications. For article: Cancer cell imaging and photothermal therapy in the near-infrared region by using gold nanorods, J Am Chem Soc 2006.
  • 2008
    "Most Cited Author"- First author- recognized as one of the top 20 cited papers in Cancer Letters toward the calculation of the 2007 impact factor. Cancer Letters. 2006 Jul 28;239(1):129-35.

Selected Publications

  1. Lee RH, van Zante A, Goldschmidt E, El-Sayed IH. HPV-associated Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. J Neurol Surg Rep. 2025 Jan; 86(1):e1-e3.  View on PubMed
  2. Shoap W, El-Sayed I, Gurrola J, Goldschmidt E. Endoscopic Endonasal Versus Transcranial Resection of Tuberculum Sella Meningiomas: An Approach Comparison in Two Patients: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2024 Dec 23.  View on PubMed
  3. Truong AA, Lee RH, Wu X, Algazi AP, Kang H, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Jeon Y, Kim MO, Ha PK, Wai KC. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Pembrolizumab Outcomes in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Feb; 172(2):548-555.  View on PubMed
  4. Shoap W, Nuñez M, El-Sayed I, Goldschmidt E. Indocyanine Green Angiography-Assisted Marsupialization of a Petrous Apex Cholesterol Granuloma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2024 Nov 18.  View on PubMed
  5. Osorio RC, Kabir A, Haddad AF, Badani A, Khela H, Saha A, Juncker R, Peeran Z, Theodosopoulos P, Kunwar S, Gurrola J, El-Sayed IH, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Preoperative predictors of biochemical remission in somatotroph adenoma resections: a single-institution retrospective review. J Neurosurg. 2025 Mar 01; 142(3):756-765.  View on PubMed
  6. Osorio RC, Gurrola J, El-Sayed IH, Goldschmidt E. Assessing chiasm perfusion and postoperative visual function with superior hypophyseal artery indocyanine green angiograms during endoscopic endonasal surgery. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2024 Oct 11; 166(1):404.  View on PubMed
  7. Payman AA, El-Sayed I, Rubio RR. Exploring the Combination of Computer Vision and Surgical Neuroanatomy: A Workflow Involving Artificial Intelligence for the Identification of Skull Base Foramina. World Neurosurg. 2024 Nov; 191:e403-e410.  View on PubMed
  8. Kabir A, Nunez MA, Sharon J, El-Sayed I, Goldschmidt E. Combined Petrosectomy, Trans-Zygomatic Approach, and Facial Nerve Decompression for Resection of a Giant Aneurysmal Bone Cyst in a 5-Year-Old Patient: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2024 Aug 20.  View on PubMed
  9. Callander JK, Souza SS, Eltawil Y, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ha P, Ryan WR, Xu MJ, Heaton CM. Prognostic risk factors of buccal squamous cell carcinoma: A case-control study. Head Neck. 2024 Oct; 46(10):2398-2406.  View on PubMed
  10. Deng F, Sadow PM, Khan N, Wu X, El-Sayed IH, Jung DH, Glastonbury CM, Juliano AF. Sinonasal (Schneiderian) Tumors in the Temporal Bone: Case Series and Systematic Review. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2024 Feb 15.  View on PubMed
  11. Kuan EC, Wang EW, Adappa ND, Beswick DM, London NR, Su SY, Wang MB, Abuzeid WM, Alexiev B, Alt JA, Antognoni P, Alonso-Basanta M, Batra PS, Bhayani M, Bell D, Bernal-Sprekelsen M, Betz CS, Blay JY, Bleier BS, Bonilla-Velez J, Callejas C, Carrau RL, Casiano RR, Castelnuovo P, Chandra RK, Chatzinakis V, Chen SB, Chiu AG, Choby G, Chowdhury NI, Citardi MJ, Cohen MA, Dagan R, Dalfino G, Dallan I, Dassi CS, de Almeida J, Dei Tos AP, DelGaudio JM, Ebert CS, El-Sayed IH, Eloy JA, Evans JJ, Fang CH, Farrell NF, Ferrari M, Fischbein N, Folbe A, Fokkens WJ, Fox MG, Lund VJ, Gallia GL, Gardner PA, Geltzeiler M, Georgalas C, Getz AE, Govindaraj S, Gray ST, Grayson JW, Gross BA, Grube JG, Guo R, Ha PK, Halderman AA, Hanna EY, Harvey RJ, Hernandez SC, Holtzman AL, Hopkins C, Huang Z, Huang Z, Humphreys IM, Hwang PH, Iloreta AM, Ishii M, Ivan ME, Jafari A, Kennedy DW, Khan M, Kimple AJ, Kingdom TT, Knisely A, Kuo YJ, Lal D, Lamarre ED, Lan MY, Le H, Lechner M, Lee NY, Lee JK, Lee VH, Levine CG, Lin JC, Lin DT, Lobo BC, Locke T, Luong AU, Magliocca KR, Markovic SN, Matnjani G, McKean EL, Meço C, Mendenhall WM, Michel L, Na'ara S, Nicolai P, Nuss DW, Nyquist GG, Oakley GM, Omura K, Orlandi RR, Otori N, Papagiannopoulos P, Patel ZM, Pfister DG, Phan J, Psaltis AJ, Rabinowitz MR, Ramanathan M, Rimmer R, Rosen MR, Sanusi O, Sargi ZB, Schafhausen P, Schlosser RJ, Sedaghat AR, Senior BA, Shrivastava R, Sindwani R, Smith TL, Smith KA, Snyderman CH, Solares CA, Sreenath SB, Stamm A, Stölzel K, Sumer B, Surda P, Tajudeen BA, Thompson LDR, Thorp BD, Tong CCL, Tsang RK, Turner JH, Turri-Zanoni M, Udager AM, van Zele T, VanKoevering K, Welch KC, Wise SK, Witterick IJ, Won TB, Wong SN, Woodworth BA, Wormald PJ, Yao WC, Yeh CF, Zhou B, Palmer JN. International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Sinonasal Tumors. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2024 Feb; 14(2):149-608.  View on PubMed
  12. Patel EJ, Strohl MP, Yom SS, El-Sayed I. Elective management of the N0 neck in maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck. 2024 01; 46(1):171-176.  View on PubMed
  13. Lee RH, Truong A, Wu X, Kang H, Algazi AP, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Ha PK, Wai KC. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in salivary gland cancers treated with pembrolizumab. Head Neck. 2024 01; 46(1):129-137.  View on PubMed
  14. Osorio RC, Haddad AF, Hart DM, Goldrich N, Badani A, Kabir AS, Juncker R, Oh JY, Carrete L, Peeran Z, Chalif EJ, Zheng AC, Braunstein S, Theodosopoulos PV, El-Sayed IH, Gurrola J, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Socioeconomic differences between medically and surgically treated prolactinomas: a retrospective review of 598 patients. J Neurosurg. 2024 Mar 01; 140(3):712-723.  View on PubMed
  15. Bartoletti V, Norri N, El-Sayed I, Abla AA, Rodriguez Rubio R. Endonasal Endoscopic Anatomy of the Orbito-Cavernous-Pterygopalatine Interface: Multilayer Anatomical Description and Landmarks to Define the Limits of the Compartments. World Neurosurg. 2023 Oct; 178:e79-e95.  View on PubMed
  16. Osorio RC, Aabedi AA, El-Sayed IH, Gurrola J, Goldschmidt E. Superior Hypophyseal Artery Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Angiogram as a Predictor of Postoperative Visual Function After Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 10 01; 25(4):379-385.  View on PubMed
  17. Tonetti DA, Rinaldo L, Raygor KP, Dubnicoff TB, El-Sayed IH, Abla AA. Common Carotid-Greater Saphenous-M2 Bypass for Myoepithelial Carcinoma Encasing the Carotid Artery. World Neurosurg. 2023 Jun 01; 177:19.  View on PubMed
  18. Bartoletti V, Rios-Zermeno J, El-Sayed I, Abla AA, Rodriguez Rubio R. Morphometric Analysis of the Ophthalmic and Central Retinal Arteries via the Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-ethmoidal Approach: Surgical Relevance of Vascular Components Within the Medial Intraconal Zones. World Neurosurg. 2023 07; 175:e1133-e1143.  View on PubMed
  19. Lee RH, Evans C, Laus J, Sanchez C, Wai KC, Knott PD, Seth R, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ryan WR, Heaton CM, Park AM, Ha PK. Patterns of Postoperative Trismus Following Mandibulectomy and Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jan 16; 15(2).  View on PubMed
  20. Reihl S, Kim Y, Harmon D, El-Sayed IH, Abla A, Rodriguez Rubio R. A Minimalistic Technique for Neural Tissue Preservation and Neuroanatomical Education: Quantitative Study of the Elnady Technique on Human Cadaveric Specimens. Cureus. 2022 Nov; 14(11):e31588.  View on PubMed

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