Editorial introductions.

Abstract

Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery was launched in 1993. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The fields of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery are divided into 11 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Jo PattersonJo PattersonDr Jo Patterson is a Professor of Speech and Language Therapist and Associate Head of Research at the University of Liverpool and The Liverpool Head and Neck Centre. Her research portfolio includes proof of concept work, cohort studies, feasibility studies, multi-centre randomized control trials and the development and evaluation of complex interventions. She is committed to involving patients and keeping them central to research and service development. In 2016, she received a Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy Fellowship in recognition of her contribution towards the advancement of the profession, both as an academic and a practicing Speech and Language Therapist. As their specialist advisor, she represents the organisation on a number of committees and councils, contributing towards policy and strategic direction. She has extensively developed research capacity for Speech and Language Therapists nationally through grant and fellowship applications and provision of MSc and PhD supervision, teaching and mentorship. She continues to balance her time between clinical and academic practice. H Fiona RobinsonH Fiona RobinsonMiss Fiona Robinson qualified as a Speech Therapist from Birmingham Polytechnic, UK in 1980, and in 2004, she was awarded Master of Science (Merit) (Advanced practice – Voice) from the University of Newcastle, UK, with study into the efficacy of voice therapy for vocal fold paralysis. In 2006, in recognition of her contribution to the speech and language therapy profession in the UK, Miss Robinson was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). She has completed a post-graduate certificate in Medical Education at the University of Nottingham, UK with a particular interest in the development of E-learning. Her clinical interests include the diagnosis and rehabilitation of speech and swallowing disorders related to head and neck cancer, including surgical voice restoration, and the management of dysphonia. Currently she is working within the National Health Service (NHS) and is Director of SVS Associates, a company which runs skills training for speech and language therapists. Johannes FaganJohannes FaganDr Johan Fagan is Professor and Chairman of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He has authored 200 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. A major interest has been to advance head and neck surgery in Africa and the Developing World. To this end he self-publishes two free open access textbooks, “The Open Access Atlas of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Operative Surgery” and the “Open Access Guide to Audiology and Hearing Aids”.