Saral Mehra

Dr. Saral Mehra is Associate Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology) at Yale School of Medicine and Chief of Head and Neck Surgery. He directs the Head and Neck Tumor Board and leads Yale's internationally recognized Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncologic and Reconstructive Surgery. His clinical practice focuses on tumors of the mouth, throat, salivary glands, and thyroid, utilizing robotic surgery and microvascular reconstruction techniques.

Dr. Mehra's research examines quality-of-life outcomes in head and neck cancer patients and health service delivery improvements. Key interests include:

• Treatment guideline adherence and survival outcomes
• Minimally invasive surgical innovations
• Value-based cancer care delivery systems
• HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer patterns

His recent publications demonstrate strong focus on clinical outcomes research (2020-2025), with themes including:

• Optimization of surgical quality metrics
• Palliative care integration
• Environmental sustainability in surgery
• Disparities in cancer survival

Honors include:

• Yale Cancer Center Award for Excellence in Clinical Care (2023)
• Otolaryngology Faculty Teaching Awards (2019, 2022)
• Department of Surgery Extra Mile Award (2020)
• Distinguished House Staff award from New York Hospital

As fellowship director, Dr. Mehra trains one surgeon annually in advanced oncologic techniques. He leads multidisciplinary tumor boards coordinating care across surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology teams.