Jeffrey Harris, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., professor and chief, division of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, has been elected president of the American Otological Society, the second oldest specialty society in America, founded in 1868, for the term 2003-2004. The election took place at the Society's 135th annual meeting in Boca Raton, Florida on May 11, 2002.

Harris is a neuro-otologic surgeon who deals with disorders of the ear, hearing and balance, and tumors that affect the skull base. He is a pioneer in the effects of inflammation of the inner ear and has led a national multicenter trial on immunosuppression in autoimmune deafness.

Harris has led the UCSD division of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery since 1987, and under his leadership the division has established a comprehensive otolaryngology/head and neck surgery program combining education, research, and clinical excellence. The UCSD program is among the top 10 NIH-funded programs in the country for this specialty, and has been listed as one of the best otolaryngology programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Harris has served as chief of staff for UCSD Medical Center, Hillcrest and was the first chief of staff for the John M. and Sally B. Thornton Hospital, La Jolla.

He leads a large research team committed to discovering the causes of deafness and other disorders such as acoustic neuromas, skull base surgery, Meniere's disease and autoimmune inner ear disease. Harris has served on several scientific review boards including the NIH, the American Otological Society Research Fund, the Deafness Research Foundation, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and is on the Editorial Boards of nine journals. He co-chaired the Expert Panel on Hearing and Hearing Impairment for the National Institutes of Health, which identified the priorities for federal funding of hearing research in the decade of the 90's.

Harris has been named one of the outstanding otolaryngologists in American Health Magazine and Town and Country Magazine, and is continuously listed as one of the Best Doctors in America by Woodward and White. In addition to these honors, he has been serving on the Executive Advisory Board of the College of Letters and Sciences at UC Berkeley.