MUSC Health ENT at North Area Medical Pavilion

**Peter R. Dixon, M.D., MSc** is an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) specializing in ear care. He provides the full spectrum of hearing and balance care. Examples of conditions he treats include eardrum perforations, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, and other causes of hearing loss. He is part of a multidisciplinary team that provides cochlear implants to restore hearing for certain forms of hearing loss. Dr. Dixon is also an expert in the area between the ear and the brain, called the skull base. He treats tumors (acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, glomus tumors), CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leaks, and other skull base conditions. In addition to being a surgeon, Dr. Dixon is a scientist who researches hearing healthcare. He analyzes healthcare data with artificial intelligence and other methods. His work helps us understand how to best organize and deliver hearing care to the people of South Carolina and the United States. Dr. Dixon was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. He completed his M.D., master's degree in health services research, and residency in otolaryngology at the University of Toronto. He completed fellowship training in Otology and Neurotology (ear and skull base surgery) at the University of California, San Diego. He is board-certified in Otolaryngology and is an Assistant Professor at MUSC.

Teddy McRackan, MD, MSCR, is a fellowship‑trained neurotologist, ear surgeon, and lateral skull base surgeon whose clinical and research expertise focuses on cochlear implantation, acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), and advanced hearing restoration. His work integrates complex otologic and skull base surgery with a rigorous, outcomes‑driven research program aimed at improving functional hearing, quality of life, and long‑term outcomes for patients with hearing loss, particularly hearing aid and cochlear implant users. He is widely recognized for advancing patient‑centered approaches to hearing care. As Director of the Skull Base Center and Medical Director of the Cochlear Implant Program, Dr. McRackan specializes in acoustic neuroma surgery, cochlear implant surgery, and comprehensive surgical management of complex ear and lateral skull base disorders. His clinical expertise includes the management of hearing loss, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks in both children and adults. His high‑volume surgical practice directly informs research focused on real-world outcomes and durable functional benefit. Dr. McRackan leads a nationally funded research program examining the communication, health, social, and functional benefits of hearing aids and cochlear implantation in adults, with a long‑term goal of developing scalable, patient‑centered interventions to improve outcomes and quality of life. His work spans basic science, translational research, and clinical outcomes research, establishing him as a leader in hearing and cochlear implant research. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences), the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, and the Doris Duke Foundation. In 2022, Dr. McRackan received the Triological Society's Harold Mosher Award for Outstanding Clinical Research for his leadership in developing the Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL) instruments. These tools are widely used in hearing loss and cochlear implant clinical care and research, and have helped redefine how patient‑reported benefit is measured across the field. Dr. McRackan holds a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) and has formal training in epidemiology, clinical trial design, biostatistics, mixed-methods research, dissemination and implementation science, and intervention development. Through his combined roles as an ear and skull base surgeon, cochlear implant specialist, and funded investigator, Dr. McRackan continues to advance the science and practice of hearing improvement worldwide.

Alexandra D. D'Oto, MD completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Miami before moving to Memphis, TN, for her medical education, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She then completed her residency training at University of Texas Southwestern before heading to University of California San Francisco for fellowship training in Laryngology. During fellowship, she advanced and refined her clinical management and treatment of airway, voice, and swallowing disorders. She is excited to bring her expertise to Medical University of South Carolina. She treats the full gamut of laryngological disorders, including professional voice, voice disorders (such as adductor type laryngeal dystonia/spasmodic dysphonia), subglottic stenosis, and swallowing dysfunction. Her clinical interests include implementing a dedicated integrated voice clinic with voice-specialized speech-language pathologists to provide exemplary multidisciplinary care while minimizing patient visits. Her research focuses on voice disorders, such as adductor type laryngeal dystonia/spasmodic dysphonia as well as subglottic/tracheal stenosis. Dr. D'Oto is married to her husband Dr. Michael Hook, who is a physician at Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. They enjoy exploring Charleston's culinary scene and yoga. She enjoys reading fiction novels, birdwatching, and throwing pottery. She and her husband are thrilled to be a part of MUSC and closer to family.

**Habib G. Rizk, M.D., MSc**, grew up in Beirut, Lebanon. He attended the French Faculty of Medicine at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon. He pursued an Otolaryngology - Head \& Neck Surgery residency at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital in Beirut, followed by a one-year Otologic Medicine and Surgery Fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Teixido and a two-year Neurotology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Rizk's interests pertain to all areas of otology and neurotology with a specific focus on medical and surgical management of vestibular disorders. He is an associate professor in the MUSC department of Otolaryngology, Head \& Neck Surgery, and is the Director of the Multidisciplinary Vestibular Program. Dr. Rizk is currently on the board of directors and is vice-president of the Vestibular Disorders Association. He is a member of the Bárány society and a fellow of the American Neurotology Society. He is also a member of the American Balance Society and of the Otology and Neurotology Education Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.