Elliot Regenbogen, MD is an Associate Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Regenbogen received his medical degree, with distinction in research, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. There, he also completed his post-graduate internship in Surgery and Residency in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. His training included studying at Kurume University, Japan under the mentorship of Professor Minoru Hirano, a foundational figure of modern laryngology concepts including those related to vocal fold form and function.

In addition to gaining a global perspective on healthcare delivery, the experience ignited an interest in voice, which became a focus during his residency. At the Ames Vocal Dynamics Laboratory of Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. Regenbogen performed research and clinical evaluations of voice patients with acoustic analysis as well as stroboscopic imaging of the larynx. The work was done under the mentorship of Dr. Stanley Blaugrund and Dr. Wilbur James Gould, a giant in the care of the professional voice and founder of the Voice Foundation.

After his residency, Dr. Regenbogen established his private practice in General Otolaryngology in Mount Kisco, New York. The following seventeen years included leadership as Chief of Otolaryngology at Northern Westchester Hospital from 2001 to 2009. A unique appreciation of the challenges presented to the community, a physician’s ability to provide quality care to patients and their families while incorporating the demands of an evolving health care landscape sparked an inspiration to contribute towards effective change on a broader level.

Embarking on a new career path as a full-time academic physician, Dr. Regenbogen joined the Division of Otolaryngology of the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2009. Over the following nine years his accomplishments included the establishment of a dedicated laryngology clinic, the formation of a multidisciplinary motility center for swallowing disorders, research in laryngopharyngeal reflux, the creation of an emergency airway simulation training program and contributions to the founding of an ACGME accredited Otolaryngology residency training program at Stony Brook. He has been a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery since 1991 and the American Academy of Geriatric Otolaryngology since 2010. Committed to the development of effective evidenced based medical practice, he has participated in the Cochrane Scholars Program in 2010 and was a recipient of the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) Conference AAOHNSF Scholar Grant in 2015. In addition to training residents, he provided mentorship to medical students undertaking a competitively selected four-year research project, the Scholarly Concentration Program of Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

Dr. Regenbogen has recently joined the ColumbiaDoctors Otolaryngology faculty practice at CUIMC in 2018, bringing 27 years of experience in General Otolaryngology. He provides both medical and surgical treatment of a broad range of conditions affecting adults and children including basic and complex diseases of the airway, sinuses, as well as the head and neck. Emphasizing a patient-centered approach, his practice will provide medical and surgical treatment for a wide range of adult and pediatric issues. Dr. Regenbogen is available at either of two clinical locations: ColumbiaDoctors Riverdale, Bronx or the main Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus.

Research

Dr. Regenbogen’s more recent research has focused on questions related to laryngopharyngeal reflux in adults and preterm infants. This has included systematic reviews of the literature related to adult sleep apnea, the utilization of a novel pH measuring device to monitor extraesophageal reflux during general anesthesia and studying the potential impact of bariatric surgery procedures on extraesophageal reflux in animal models. As principle investigator of a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Regenbogen completed a large-scale New York State database review which provided new insights into questions related to apnea and reflux in preterm infants. Collaboration with the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University Hospital resulted in publication of research utilizing a novel biomarker related to survival in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. As a member of the Simulation Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Regenbogen looks forward to contributing to the development of new educational approaches which will improve resident training.