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Schneider named leader of new rhinology division

New division in otolaryngology-head & neck surgery to focus on disorders of nose, sinuses, anterior base of skull

by Julia Evangelou StraitSeptember 15, 2021

Brian Faddis

John S. Schneider, MD, an associate professor of otolaryngology-head & neck surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the inaugural leader of the newly established Division of Rhinology in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. His appointment began in August, when the new division launched.

Otolaryngology specialists in the Division of Rhinology will focus on the medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the nose, sinuses and anterior base of the skull.

“We are pleased that Dr. Schneider will serve as the inaugural chief of this new division in our department,” said Craig A. Buchman, MD, the Lindburg Professor and head of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. “His leadership in the field and experience in caring for patients with sinonasal disorders made him a superb choice for leading the Division of Rhinology. We created this new division to better serve patients with sinus and nasal disorders by leveraging our considerable interdisciplinary institutional strengths in research, education and clinical care.”

Schneider’s expertise includes endoscopic sinus and anterior skull base surgery. He is focused on caring for patients — adults and children — with sinonasal disorders including septal deviation, acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, nasal and sinus tumors, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and anterior skull base tumors.

His research interests include chronic sinusitis, quality measurement and improvement, health-care communication, and cognitive bias in health care. Also a leader in education and training, he co-teaches the rhinology dissection course that is now part of the core curriculum in rhinology. In the class, junior residents learn anatomy basics while developing the endoscopy skills required to provide patients with the best possible care.

“I’m grateful to take on this role in the new Division of Rhinology,” Schneider said. “We have a wonderful group of talented and dedicated rhinologists here at the School of Medicine. It’s an exciting time in the field, and we are looking forward to advancing the knowledge and care for patients with nasal and sinus conditions.”

Schneider earned his bachelor’s degree in economics in 1997 and a master’s degree in public policy in 2003, both from the University of Chicago. He continued his education there, earning his medical degree in 2007. He continued his training at Rush University Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, completing a general surgery internship in 2008 and otolaryngology residency in 2012. He went on to complete specialized fellowship training in rhinology and skull base surgery in 2013 at Vanderbilt University. He joined the Washington University faculty in 2013.

Washington University School of Medicine’s 1,700 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, consistently ranking among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

Julia covers medical news in genomics, cancer, cardiology, developmental biology, otolaryngology, biochemistry & molecular biophysics, and gut microbiome research. In 2022, she won a gold award for excellence in the Robert G. Fenley Writing Awards competition. Given by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the award recognized her coverage of long COVID-19. Before joining Washington University in 2010, she was a freelance writer covering science and medicine. She has a research background with stints in labs focused on bioceramics, human motor control and tissue-engineered heart valves. She is a past Missouri Health Journalism Fellow and a current member of the National Association of Science Writers. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering science from Iowa State University and a master's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota.