Ronald Walker, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology) and cares for patients as part of the Smilow Cancer Hospital Head and Neck Cancers Program in both New Haven and at the Smilow Cancer Care Center in Trumbull, CT. He graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine, completed an Otolaryngology Residency at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and a Head and Neck and Microvascular Fellowship at Vanderbilt University.
Prior to joining Yale, Dr. Walker practiced as an academic Head and Neck Oncologic and Microvascular surgeon for 10 years at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, where he recently received the Caring Physician Award. Dr. Walker treats a broad range of conditions including thyroid and parathyroid disease, as well as mucosal and skin malignancies; a significant portion of his experience is in microvascular reconstruction.
Avanti Verma, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology) and cares for patients as part of the Smilow Cancer Hospital Head and Neck Cancers Program in both New Haven and as part of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven. Dr. Verma completed her undergraduate studies at Yale University and went on to receive her medical degree and complete her residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at New York University. During her residency, she was inducted into the esteemed Gold Humanism Honor Society. She then went on to complete a fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology with Microvascular Reconstruction at Emory University.
Her clinical focus is on the surgical treatment of patients with both benign and cancerous tumors of the head and neck, including thyroid and salivary diseases. Her clinical practice ranges from advanced reconstruction to minimally invasive techniques, such as robotic surgery, so that she can prioritize the aesthetic and functional outcome of her patients.