Established in 2001, the Albert C. Muse Prize recognizes the world’s leaders in the fields of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. Alternating between these two fields each year, this prestigious honor celebrates individuals who have made significant advancements in research and patient care within these two specialties. In 2018, a second honor, the Albert C. Muse Award, was established to recognize individuals who, through innovation and service, have made significant contributions to the Pittsburgh region. We are pleased to honor the 2025 Muse recipients, Mark L. Urken, MD and Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA.
This year’s Muse Prize Dinner and Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
The 2025 Albert C. Muse Recipients for Excellence in Otolaryngology
The 2025 Albert C. Muse Prize for Excellence in Research and Advancement of Care in Otolaryngology Honoree:
Mark L. Urken, MD
Medical Director, Functional Outcomes Research Center
Director, Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship Program
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Mt. Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Urken is the former chairman of the department of otolaryngology, Mt Sinai Medical Center, 1995 to 2004, and has served as the director of the head and neck surgery fellowship program from 1993 to the present. The head and neck surgery fellowship program is one of the most coveted advanced training programs in the world. Numerous graduates of this fellowship have assumed leadership positions in head and neck surgery in major medical centers in this country and around the world. He is also the medical director of the newly created functional outcomes research center at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, which is the only United States medical center to be selected as a core member of the international Head and Neck Research Network.
Dr. Urken has authored two books: Atlas of Regional and Free Flaps for Head and Neck Reconstruction, Raven Press, 1995 and Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Defect-Oriented Approach, Lippincott, 2009. He has also authored more than 170 articles in peer-reviewed journals and over 20 chapters. Considered one of the pioneers in head and neck microvascular surgery, Dr. Urken has also been responsible for numerous innovations in head and neck and thyroid surgery. His groundbreaking work in head and neck microsurgery has resulted in numerous improvements in the function and quality of life of patients treated for head and neck cancer.
He has lectured in more than 20 different countries on topics related to head and neck cancer, head and neck reconstruction, and thyroid and parathyroid diseases. Dr. Urken is the program director of an annual course on head and neck surgery and thyroid and parathyroid surgery – a program that is now in its 18th year. He also serves as president and medical director of the THANC Foundation (Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer) and is consistently listed among New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors.” The New York Magazine list is excerpted from Castle Connolly’s annual guidebook, “Top Doctors: New York Metro Area.” He is listed in the national registry of “Top Cancer Doctors.”
The 2025 Albert C. Muse Award for Excellence in Innovation and Service in Otolaryngology Honoree:
Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA
Vice Chair, Quality & Patient Safety
Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Neurological Surgery, and Bioengineering
Co-Director, UPMC Center for Cranial Base Surgery
Co-Director, CREATES
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Dr. Snyderman and his neurosurgery colleagues are pioneers in the development of minimally invasive endoscopic surgical techniques for the treatment of skull base and sinus tumors. The UPMC Center for Cranial Base Surgery is considered a world leader in this type of surgery and attracts patients nationwide and internationally. Areas of clinical interest include tumors and other conditions of the skull base, orbital tumors, sinonasal tumors, and inflammatory disease of the sinonasal region. Dr. Snyderman is a Past-President of the North American Skull Base Society and continues to develop new surgical approaches and technology for skull base surgery.
Dr. Snyderman has been a pioneer in the education and training of skull base surgeons over the last 25 years. He is the editor of multiple textbooks and founded a free educational website (www.skullbasecongress.com), which provides a global community for skull base surgery. He is recognized by the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. In collaboration with vision scientists from the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Snyderman is currently studying visual cognition to improve pattern recognition during endoscopic surgery.
Dr. Snyderman is a founding and advisory board member of Pittsburgh CREATES, a pipeline for surgical innovation. He has a secondary appointment in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and has multiple patents related to surgical innovation. Dr. Snyderman is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Respair, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based medical device manufacturing company that develops and builds airway devices to optimize clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes across critical care, starting with airway management.