Karen Watters

Karen Watters, MB, BCh, BAO, MPH, serves as an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and is affiliated with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement at Boston Children's Hospital. She maintains clinical practice across multiple locations including Boston (333 Longwood Avenue), Peabody, and Waltham.

Dr. Watters completed her medical education at University College Dublin in Ireland, followed by residency training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin (2001). She furthered her specialization with a fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital (2009) and earned a Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health in 2011. She is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology in both Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery.

Her research focuses on pediatric airway disorders, particularly laryngeal cleft, tracheostomy care, and swallowing disorders. She has published extensively in high-impact journals including Laryngoscope, JAMA Otolaryngology, and Pediatrics, with numerous publications in the past five years. Her work often involves collaborative efforts through the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group (IPOG), where she has contributed to multiple consensus guidelines on pediatric airway management.

Dr. Watters' scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on improving clinical outcomes for children with complex airway conditions, particularly through standardization of care protocols, multidisciplinary approaches, and evidence-based practice guidelines. Her recent work emphasizes tracheostomy care, laryngeal cleft management, and diagnostic approaches to pediatric airway disorders.

Her clinical expertise spans the Center for Airway Disorders, where she contributes to the multidisciplinary tracheostomy clinic and collaborates with the Feeding and Swallowing program. She is also affiliated with the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group, participating in the development of consensus guidelines for various pediatric otolaryngology conditions.