THANC selects 1 fellow per year to receive funding for a full-range, hands-on experience in surgical oncology, microvascular and reconstructive surgical techniques, and multidisciplinary patient management accredited at Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Institute for Head, Neck, and Thyroid Cancers. The American Head & Neck Society (AHNS) accredited this program in 2010.
Ricardo Ramirez, MD
Current Fellow 2023–24
Dr. Ricardo Ramirez attended medical school at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. He went on to complete an internship in General Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis before joining the Department of Otolaryngology there for his residency. During residency, he completed two years of dedicated research under the mentorship of Dr. Jose Zevallos, and received a Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation. He has served on several hospital committees to improve patient safety, resident education, and physician wellness. His research has focused on biomarkers of molecular residual disease in HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer.
Luke Stanisce, MD
Upcoming Fellow 2024–25
After graduating with honors from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Luke Stanisce attended medical school at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, NJ. He then matriculated as the inaugural resident in a newly accredited Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Residency Program at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, NJ. As the first-ever resident, Luke was afforded a unique experience immersed in practice management, institutional leadership, and medical education. Training in a city where forty percent of the population lived in poverty, his research has focused on social determinants of health and the delivery of care for underserved patients.
