Edward C. Hinds
Symposium

Ruckshanda Majid, MD

Dr. Ruckshanda Majid received her medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical school in 1998. She completed her internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School in 2004 and subsequently went on to pursue fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care at the same institution with an additional one-year specialization training in Sleep Medicine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

As UT faculty, she has contributed the majority of her efforts to developing the Sleep Medicine services and training at McGovern, developing the sleep curriculum and educational program of all other related subspecialties. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the Memorial Hermann TMC Sleep Center and the Program Director for the Sleep Fellowship training program. Dr. Majid’s clinical interests and practice include complex Pediatric and Adult sleep disorders (especially during pregnancy), adult pulmonary medicine and the management of critical care patients in the solid organ transplant ICU (where she also serves as co-medical director) with a focus on quality improvement initiatives to promote sleep in the ICU. She is the author of a book chapter on Complex Sleep Apnea and Sleep Disordered Breathing in patients with advanced heart failure and served as a PI on NIH funded trial looking at novel therapies in patients with CHF and sleep disordered breathing and currently as co-PI in a multicenter trial looking at the impact of COVID on sleep. She serves as a fellow and avid speaker at the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). She is the frequent recipient of ‘Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award’, twice voted the ‘Best Teaching Faculty’ by the Pulmonary/CC fellows and was inducted in the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honors society in 2017.

(This speaker has nothing to disclose)

Karen Wuertz, DDS

Dr Wuertz is a native of San Antonio, Texas and earned her Doctorate from the UT Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry in 1992. She completed her GPR at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

With over 32 years of both general and specialty private practice experience, she is passionate when sharing her knowledge in the fields of Dental Sleep Medicine, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD), Oral Restrictions, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Laser Surgery.

Her professional accomplishments include Diplomate Status with both the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine. She maintains Diplomate Status with the American Board of Laser Surgery and Fellowships in the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy with the International Association of Orofacial Myology.

She is a full-time Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry and works part-time in Specialty practice.

(This speaker has nothing to disclose)

Mas Takashima, MD, FACS, FAAOA

Dr. Mas Takashima is the inaugural Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Houston Methodist, and he has led the efforts to create an ACGME accredited Otolaryngology residency program here, along with a facial plastics and reconstructive surgery fellowship. Under his leadership, the Department published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters last year.

Before being named Chair in August 2019, Dr. Takashima was the Vice Chair and Residency Program Director of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). He was responsible for the clinical operations of the Department along with the educational program, which included residents and fellows.

Dr. Takashima has also spent 3 years at the National Jewish Hospital and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. At National Jewish Hospital, he enjoyed collaborating with his colleagues on complex sinus disease referrals from across the country. At the University of Colorado, he held the position as chief of service at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Denver taking care of our veterans.

Dr. Takashima graduated from Rice University. He went to medical school and residency at BCM. After graduation, he finished his rhinology/skull base fellowship in Adelaide, Australia under the mentorship of Professor PJ Wormald and also obtained his fellowship in otolaryngic allergy through the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA). During his time as faculty at BCM, he pursued a fellowship in sleep medicine. He is one of the few academic clinicians who has completed 3 fellowships and is double board certified in Otolaryngology and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Takashima also serves on the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) Task Force creating questions for the written portion of the sleep medicine board certification examination.

Dr. Takashima recently was elected as Treasurer of the AAOA and elected by members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery to lead the Audit Committee. He also is a senior board examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and has served in the role of Team Lead for the oral examination for the last three years.

(This speaker disclosed the following: Consultant for Medtronic, and Livanova, and research grants from Baritone, and Syneos Health. Speaker Disclosure Mitigation: All reported relevant financial relationships have been mitigated by the organizing committee as of 10/16/23.)

Steven D. Sherry, DDS, MD, FACS

Dr. Steven D. Sherry began his education at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He received his dental degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, graduating first in his class. After earning his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Sherry completed his general surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery training from one of the top programs in the country at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas. He concluded his training with a one- year fellowship in cosmetic surgery from Willow Bend Cosmetic Surgery Center in Plano, Texas. Thereafter, he became an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

(This speaker has nothing to disclose)

John W. Gannon, DDS

Dr. John W. Gannon attended college at New Mexico State University graduating with honors as an Industrial Engineer. After recognizing his engineering degree was well-suited for a different path, Dr. Gannon decided to return to school to pursue a career in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of California, San Francisco where he graduated in the top of his class. Dr. Gannon went on to train at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was the chief resident and earned a postdoctoral certificate in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. There he trained under Dr. Robert Marx, the leading internationally recognized expert in bone biography, bone grafting and pathology.

(This speaker has nothing to disclose)