About Bradley Welling, MD, PhD
Dr. D. Bradley Welling is a neurotologic surgeon in the Otolaryngology Department's Otology and Neurotology Division, located at Mass. Eye and Ear's main campus on Charles Street. He is the Walter Augustus LeCompte Professor and Chair of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School and the Chief of Otolaryngology at Mass. Eye and Ear and Mass General. A graduate of the University of Utah, Dr. Welling completed his Otolaryngology residency at the University of Iowa and a fellowship in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at the Ear Foundation at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Welling also earned a Ph.D. in Pathobiology from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Welling's clinical interests involve caring for patients with diseases of the ear and lateral cranial base. More specifically, he focuses on hearing loss, cochlear implants, auditory brainstem implants, as well as facial paralysis and deafness related to Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated tumors. Dr. Welling's research efforts primarily focus on NF2-associated vestibular schwannomas.
Clinical Interests:
- Auditory brainstem implants
- Cochlear implants
- Diseases of the ear and lateral cranial base
- Facial paralysis and deafness related to NF2
- Hearing loss
Treats:
- Adult
Languages:
- Japanese
Locations
Mass Eye and Ear
243 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-523-7900
Medical Education
- MD, University of Utah School of Medicine
- Residency, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
- Fellowship, The Ear Foundation
American Board Certifications
- Neurotology, American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Tufts Health Plan
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Dr. Welling's clinical and research interests focus primarily on NF2-associated vestibular schwannomas and the hearing loss, disequilibrium and facial paralysis that may result from the disease. In 1996, Dr. Welling and his collaborators published the promoter of the NF2 gene and documented genotype-phenotype correlations. This work was awarded the Edmund Prince Fowler Award from The Triological Society for the best basic science thesis. Later work using cDNA microarray analysis to identify involved pathways in tumor formation was awarded the Nicholas Torok Award from the American Neurotologic Society. In conjunction with these studies, Dr. Welling leads five targeted clinical trials for NF2-related tumors based upon his in vitro work and the work of many others.
Additional research interests for Dr. Welling include the use of regenerative growth factors for the promotion of healing of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations, as well as the use of virtual simulation in otologic surgery training. The utility of regenerative growth factors in healing TM perforations has been shown in vivo. If found to be successful, the approach could offer an alternative to surgical repair (and greatly reduce associated cost and surgical morbidity). Dr. Welling's work in the area of otologic surgery training has led to a validated model for temporal bone dissection.