C. Alessandra Colaianni

C. Alessandra Colaianni is an Assistant Professor at the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery since 2024. She specializes in thyroid/parathyroid surgery, head and neck oncology, and microvascular reconstruction, following training at Massachusetts Eye and Ear (2015-2020) and a fellowship at Vanderbilt (2020-2021). Her academic background includes an MD from Johns Hopkins University and an MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science from University of Cambridge.

Her research focuses on

• innovative surgical techniques for parotidectomy and parathyroidectomy
• medical imaging technologies in endocrine surgery
• medical humanities applications to clinical practice
• ethics in surgical decision-making

Recent publications emphasize aesthetic surgical approaches, patient communication frameworks, and emerging imaging modalities.

Publications demonstrate interdisciplinary engagement across

• otolaryngology
• surgical oncology
• medical ethics
• health technology
• clinical education
• global surgery

domains.