Jeffrey Cheng

Jeffrey Cheng, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences at Duke University, with a secondary appointment in Pediatrics. He specializes in pediatric otolaryngology, focusing on airway disorders, chronic ear diseases, and anterior skull base surgery through comprehensive multidisciplinary care.

His educational background includes:

• B.A. from Brown University (2002)
• M.D. from Brown University (2006)
• Otolaryngology Residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (2006-2011)
• Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (2011-2013)

Dr. Cheng's research spans pediatric otolaryngology with a current emphasis on quality and safety systems. As Medical Director for Quality and Safety in Duke Children's Surgery Program, he drives initiatives to reduce clinical harms through process optimization and culture-building in surgical environments. His work integrates clinical outcomes with system-level healthcare improvements.

Analysis of his 50+ publications reveals dominant themes in tonsillectomy safety, airway management, and quality metrics across pediatric ENT. Recent work connects clinical guidelines, opioid stewardship, and microbiome research to enhance surgical protocols, demonstrating consistent focus on evidence-based practice evolution in pediatric care.

He serves as Principal Investigator for a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant (2023-2028) on "Clinical and host microbiome features in acute otitis media". While formal advisee lists aren't provided, his residency program involvement indicates active mentorship of surgical trainees.

Dr. Cheng co-leads Duke's integrated pediatric aerodigestive, hearing loss, and skull base programs, collaborating with pulmonology, gastroenterology, and neurosurgery teams to address complex airway and cranial base conditions in children.