Bio
Dr. Stankovic is an ear and skull base surgeon trained at Harvard and an auditory neuroscientist trained at Massachusetts Institute to Technology. She serves as the Bertarelli Foundation Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. She is also a professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery.
Recognized as a leader in cutting-edge treatments for hearing loss, Dr. Stankovic blends her surgical expertise with training in physics, molecular biology, auditory neuroscience, and systems electrophysiology. This multidisciplinary background enables her to devise uniquely effective solutions tailored to the unmet needs of those with hearing-impairments.
As the director of the Stanford Medicine Molecular Neurotology Laboratory, her research focuses on overcoming the challenges posed by the small size and complex three-dimensional structure of the inner ear. Her innovative approach is further enhanced by collaborations with international leaders in technology, including specialists in ultra-low-power electronics and nonlinear optics.
Dr. Stankovic has published her research in some of the most prestigious medical and scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications, Nature Protocols, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Her publications cover a range of topics, including advancements in the diagnosis and management of vestibular schwannoma, high-resolution imaging of the inner ear, gene therapy and drug repurposing for hearing loss, energy extraction from the inner ear to power electronics, development of human cellular models of hearing loss, and innovations in cranial nerve stimulation, including next-generation cochlear implants.
Her contributions have garnered numerous accolades. She has been recognized by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the American Otological Society, the United States Department of Defense, the National Organization for Hearing Research, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders for her leadership in clinical care, research, and education.
Dr. Stankovic is an elected member of prestigious organizations, including the National Academy of Medicine, the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum, and the American Otological Society. She is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Neurotology Society, and a former president of the American Auditory Society.
