Peter C. Belafsky, MD, PhD, MPH, is Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and the Director of the Voice and Swallowing Center at the University of California, Davis. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Otolaryngology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants and was the lead investigator on the world's second laryngeal transplantation. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, holds numerous patents, has edited and authored five books, is the cofounder of two medical device startup companies, and is the past president of the Dysphagia Research Society. Dr. Belafsky's primary passion is the innovative treatment of profound swallowing disorders. He has created a medical device that can manually control the upper esophageal sphincter, is working on an innovative dilator for upper esophageal sphincter stenosis, is developing a comprehensive swallow propulsion system, and is evaluating the use of muscle stem cells for dysphagia rehabilitation. He has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people with profound swallowing impairments.
