Preserving and Restoring the Human Voice

Close up of a woman singing into a microphone. Red and black background

Preserving and Restoring the Human Voice: Current Innovations and Future Directions

Robert E. Hillman ’74, ’75g S P A
Research Director, Center for Laryngeal Surgery
and Voice Rehabilitation Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Lecture Details

Date: Thursday, September 22, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building

The event is free and open to the public.

About Robert E. Hillman

Voice is the foundation of human speech and singing. It is produced by the vibration of delicate laryngeal (voice box) tissues that are susceptible to many disorders that can be very challenging to effectively treat while striving to preserve or restore the voice. Voice disorders affect approximately 6.6% of the working-age population in the United States causing disruptions in normal communication with far-reaching negative personal and social-economic consequences. This presentation will describe the ground-breaking work of an award-winning interdisciplinary team of surgeons, speech-language pathologists and scientists at the Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH Voice Center) in Boston who have spent over 20 years creating more effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat some of the most challenging laryngeal voice disorders. Remaining challenges and future directions for innovation will also be discussed.

Distinguished Speaker Series

The Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series was established by the Board of Directors of the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society in order to feature prominent graduates of the college who are leaders in their fields. The board's mission is to facilitate and promote the participation of alumni in activities that support the college's pursuit of excellence.