Andrea Vambutas, Md

Biography

Dr. Vambutas is a clinician scientist. She is the medical director of the Apelian Cochlear Implant Program and the Section Head of Otology/Neurotology of Northwell Health. She is professor of Otolaryngology & Molecular Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She is a professor in the Center for Autoimmune, Musculoskeletal and Hematopoietic Diseases, at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. She is also director of the Center for Hearing & Balance and Basic & Clinical Research, at the New York Head & Neck Institute of Northwell Health. Dr. Vambutas completed her medical school training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with a medical degree with distinction in research. She was an Otolaryngology resident at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and completed her fellowship training in Otology & Neurotology with Dr. Michael Paparella, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Vambutas is a clinician scientist. She is the medical director of the Apelian Cochlear Implant Program and the Section Head of Otology/Neurotology of Northwell Health. She is professor of Otolaryngology & Molecular Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She is a professor in the Center for Autoimmune, Musculoskeletal and Hematopoietic Diseases, at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. She is also director of the Center for Hearing & Balance and Basic & Clinical Research, at the New York Head & Neck Institute of Northwell Health. Dr. Vambutas completed her medical school training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with a medical degree with distinction in research. She was an Otolaryngology resident at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and completed her fellowship training in Otology & Neurotology with Dr. Michael Paparella, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Research Interest

There are three unique forms of hearing loss that may be amenable to medical therapy for recovery of natural hearing: Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Meniere’s Disease. Timely treatment with steroids results in hearing recovery in about 60% of cases. Unfortunately, that response is lost over time with repetitive treatment. For those that fail to respond to corticosteroids, there are no alternate treatments. We rehabilitate the hearing with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Despite how beneficial these devices are, they do not select for what we want to hear, unlike our brains that do it naturally and seamlessly.