After several years of COVID-related delays, the SOM recently held its first Mattox Lectureship—an honor that coincided with its namesake’s 25-year anniversary as Chair of Emory’s Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. The all-day event, which featured academic talks by researchers, residents, and alumni across the country, created a dynamic space for researchers to share knowledge and ideas.
Douglas E. Mattox said he was “flabbergasted” when he first found out about the generous donation from former faculty member and otology researcher Xi Erick Lin. But those who knew him weren’t surprised.
Sarah Wise, the colleague who orchestrated the event, says that Mattox is highly respected within the SOM. “He leads by example,” she adds, “demonstrating tireless dedication to his patients and our department.” And under that watchful eye, the program has flourished.
When Mattox joined Emory twenty-five years ago, the department had only seven faculty members and eight residents. Since then, it’s grown to comprise over forty faculty, twenty residents, and four fellowship programs. Its members have led groundbreaking research and innovated new practices in clinical care. Mattox himself pioneered the surgical correction of pulsatile tinnitus, a technique that’s been adopted all over the world. He’s also written hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reviews.
Meanwhile, he remains an active practicing physician, seeing patients about four days a week. Mattox is passionate about bedside care, explaining, “It's wonderful when you turn on a cochlear implant, and all of a sudden that person can hear.” He’s been nominated as one of America's Top Doctors and Atlanta Magazine's Top Doctors.
He’s eager to share his knowledge with students, many of whom he’s kept in touch with over the years. He explains, “The aha moment is always fun, when finally something makes sense to someone. And it's gratifying to watch people’s surgical skills grow and progress from a junior resident to one that's ready to go out into the world.” But he also enjoys his more administerial duties. “I love to call up faculty and tell them that their promotions have just gone through,” he says, “It’s a recognition of a lot of hard work on the individual’s part.”
Most all, Mattox says that he is proud of the department’s growth over the last twenty-five years. He’s humble about his role in that growth, explaining, “Everything that we've been able to accomplish is because of the people that we've been able to attract and retain. We have just so many phenomenal faculty members.”
He’s hoping to stick around for a while (just maybe not another 25 years) before stepping back from administrative duties to focus on teaching and clinical care. That will open his schedule for more traveling, one of his favorite hobbies. He and his wife have planned three trips to Europe this summer, starting with Portugal. Not a bad way to celebrate a long and successful tenure as department chair.