Lab News
New Research Publication: Racial Representation Disparity in HNC Trials
The OTO-COATI Lab is pleased to announce a new paper published in Head & Neck: “The Persistence of Racial Representation Disparity in Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Trials in the United States: A Temporal Analysis of 20 Years of Data,” available online February 13, 2026.
Authors include medical student and OTO-COATI lab member Lalita Sabat, Arnavaz Hajizadeh Barfejani, lab alumnus Grace Chow, Melani Zuckerman, Jungwun Lee, Heather Edwards, and lab director Gintas Krisciunas.
This study analyzed enrollment data from more than 100 head and neck cancer (HNC) clinical trials conducted from 2002–2020 and found that minority groups remained consistently underrepresented despite prior efforts to promote equitable trial participation. The work highlights ongoing disparities in clinical research and underscores the need for renewed strategies to ensure clinical trial populations reflect the diversity of patients affected by HNC.
We thank our colleagues in the BU Department of Otolaryngology (Drs. Hajizadeh Barfejani, Zuckerman, and Edwards) and Jungwun Lee from BU SPH for their contributions. Congratulations to the authors for this important contribution to the field!
Click here to read the full paper.
VOTE for the OTO-COATI Lab in the 2026 STAT MADNESS Competition
EACH PERSON CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY, EVERY DAY! WE NEED ALL THE VOTES WE CAN GET! ROUND 1 ENDS ON SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2026!
In this first round of the competition, our project, listed under Boston Medical Center as "PRECISION FOR ORAL CANCER SURGERY" is facing up against University of Iowa's "A NEW TOOL FOR BLADDER CANCER". Please help us beat University of Iowa and advance to Round 2 of the competition by voting every day this week and spreading the word to your friends and colleagues.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this project and made this recognition possible, including clinical team leaders Dr. Gregory Grillone & Dr. Gintas Krisciunas; engineering team leaders Dr. Irving Bigio & Dr. Ousama A'amar; machine-learning expert Dr. Eladio Rodriguez-Diaz; and the many collaborators and contributors from the OTO-COATI Lab, BMO Lab, BMC Departments of Otolaryngology, OMFS, Pathology, Tufts Medical Center, and VA Boston Healthcare System!
Click here to learn more about the project.
Congratulations to Dr. Irving Bigio — 2026 SPIE Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award winner
The OTO‑COATI Lab congratulates Boston University professor and biomedical engineer Dr. Irving Bigio on receiving the 2026 SPIE Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award. Dr. Bigio was honored for his pioneering development of elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) and for translating that technology into a clinically impactful diagnostic tool, as well as for mentoring a generation of leaders in translational biomedical optics.
Dr. Bigio has collaborated with the OTO‑COATI Lab for the past decade. Together we have investigated the potential of ESS for head and neck cancer detection, and we are proud to have worked alongside a researcher whose lifetime contributions have advanced optical methods and devices in medicine.
The SPIE Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to biomedical optics through innovative, high‑impact technologies — a fitting tribute to Dr. Bigio’s work. Congratulations, Irving, on this well‑deserved honor.
Morgan Raskin and Dr. Lauren Tracy Present at ASHA Convention 2025
We are excited to share that two members of the OTO-COATI Lab recently presented their research at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention 2025, held November 20–22 in Washington, DC.
Morgan Raskin, our research coordinator and speech-language pathologist, presented her project titled "Use of a Voice Training Program to Improve Voice Quality Perception". Morgan’s work, co-authored with Dr. Richard J. Morris and Elizabeth Munoz Oliveros, offered valuable insights into voice quality enhancement techniques.
Dr. Lauren Tracy, a faculty member in the lab, presented her research on "Functional Dysphagia: Workup and Treatment Options". Her presentation, developed with co-author Dr. Jessica Pisegna, explored clinical approaches to managing functional dysphagia.
The ASHA Convention is one of the largest and most influential gatherings of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, researchers, and clinicians, drawing approximately 15,000 attendees annually. With over 2,500 sessions offering continuing education credits, the event highlights the latest advancements and best practices in communication sciences and disorders.
We congratulate Morgan and Dr. Tracy on their contributions to this important professional forum and their efforts to advance knowledge in their fields.
Gintas Krisciunas Featured on Innovation Panel at 2025 New York City Dysphasia Symposium
Dr. Gintas Krisciunas, director of the OTO-COATI Lab, was invited to present at the 2025 New York City Dysphagia Symposium, held October 17–18 in New York, NY. He served on a panel titled From Innovation to Implementation in Dysphagia Management, with co-presenters Dr. Georgia Malandraki and Dr. Michelle Troche, and with Dr. Bonnie Martin-Harris serving as a moderator.
His presentation, "Innovation in assessment for dysphagia management," reflected insights drawn from the lab’s ongoing research in clinical outcomes measurement. His talk highlighted novel psychometric approaches such as Item Response Theory and Modified Bookmarking techniques that can enhance both qualitative and quantitative assessment of patient centric outcomes related to swallowing disorders.
The invitation-only symposium explored how rapidly evolving healthcare innovations intersect with patient access, clinician training, and clinical outcomes — all while keeping the patient experience of eating and drinking, and the critical importance of these functions on patient's health and daily lived experience, at the heart of discussion.
Dr. Krisciunas' participation underscores the lab’s active role in contributing to these evolving conversations, and in advancing new approaches to patient-centered dysphagia assessment and management.
Happy Halloween from the OTO-COATI Lab!
For the second year in a row, the OTO-COATI Lab celebrated Halloween by carving pumpkins together. Boo! 🎃
Lalita Sabat’s Presentation Wins First Place at ACCESS Global Health Symposium
We are thrilled to congratulate Lalita Sabat, a medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University and dedicated OTO-COATI Lab member, who recently presented her research titled "Racial Disparities Between Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Trials and Head and Neck Cancer Patients in the United States: A Retrospective Study" at the ACCESS Global Health Symposium held in Richmond, Virginia on September 6, 2025.
This multidisciplinary symposium, hosted annually by Virginia Commonwealth University, features distinguished keynote speakers, poster presentations, workshops, and much more. Lalita’s outstanding work — conducted with collaborators Arnavaz Hajizadeh Barfejani, Grace Chow, Melani Zuckerman, Jungwun Lee, Heather Edwards, and Gintas P. Krisciunas — earned her first place at this year’s event!
Please join us in celebrating Lalita’s achievement in advancing our understanding of critical disparities in head and neck cancer research and patient care.
Gabriele Spokas Presents at American Conference on Physician Health
We are proud to announce that Gabriele Spokas, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina and valued member of the OTO-COATI Lab, recently presented her research titled "Cut, Stitch, Pump: Supporting Surgeons' Wellness with Lactation Time" at the American Conference on Physician Health (ACPH) held in Boston, MA from September 11–13, 2025.
This prestigious conference, jointly sponsored by the American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic, and Stanford Medicine, is dedicated to advancing professional satisfaction and reducing physician burnout. The 2025 theme, "Inspire, innovate, implement: Systemic solutions to strengthen physician well-being," emphasizes sustainable improvements within health care environments.
Gabriele’s presentation, developed in collaboration with Lalita Sabat, Elise Graham, Dr. Gintas Krisciunas, Dr. Claire Lawlor, and Dr. Heather Edwards, addressed an important but often overlooked aspect of surgeon wellness — supporting lactation time to enhance well-being and work-life integration for surgical professionals.
You can read more about Gabriele’s experience and reflections on presenting at ACPH in her LinkedIn post.
Please join us in congratulating Gabriele and the team for their impactful contribution to advancing physician health.
New Students Join the OTO-COATI Lab
The OTO-COATI Lab is thrilled to welcome new team members from Boston University! Second-year medical students Sarah Chang and Shivani Patel are joining our spectroscopy team, advancing work on head and neck cancer detection. Undergraduate student Yusuf Chaudhry will also contribute to this project. Meanwhile, second-year medical student Ruby Nguyen will focus on post-operative outcomes in head and neck cancer patients.
We’re excited to see their energy and ideas shape our research!
Welcome Morgan Raskin!
The OTO-COATI Lab is excited to welcome Morgan Raskin, MS, CCC-SLP to our team! Morgan joins our collaboration with MGH as a clinical research coordinator and research speech-language pathologist, studying voice disorders while pursuing her PhD at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.
We’re delighted to have her expertise and passion for advancing voice research on board!