Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ENT)
Our Doctors & Staff
Our staff is comprised of 6 attending physicians with extensive experience and expertise, and 3 dedicated OTO/HNS nurse practitioners. Attending physicians are doctors who train other doctors. As part of the Stanford University Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency program, we also have 2 residents on rotation with us throughout the year.
Mary Lauren Lalakea, MD
Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Clinical Professor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Lalakea earned her BA degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University in 1981. She received her medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine summa cum laude in 1985 and completed her Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery residency at Stanford University in 1990.
Dr. Lalakea earned her BA degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University in 1981. She received her medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine summa cum laude in 1985 and completed her Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery residency at Stanford University in 1990.
Dr. Lalakea is board certified in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, The American Society for Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. She joined the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Division of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in 1990 and currently serves as Division Chief. She was appointed to the clinical faculty of the Stanford Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Department in 1990, and has been honored to be the recipient of the Stanford Otolaryngology/HNS surgery Teacher of the Year Award in 1995, 1997, 2014, and 2017. Dr. Lalakea has particular expertise in thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, and pediatric ENT conditions, but she enjoys offering a wide range of medical and surgical treatments for general ear, nose, and throat conditions in both children and adults.
Dr. Lalakea’s specialties include:
Head and Neck endocrine surgery including:
- Surgery for thyroid goiter, thyroid nodules, and thyroid malignancy including neck dissection when needed
- Surgery for Graves Disease/hyperthyroidism
- Surgery for substernal thyroid goiter
- Revision thyroid surgery
- Parathyroid surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism
- Subtotal parathyroidectomy for renal (secondary and tertiary) hyperparathyroidism
- Dr. Lalakea has a high volume endocrine surgery practice, with greater than 100 surgeries performed per year
Medical and surgical treatment for pediatric ear, nose, throat conditions including:
- Snoring and sleep apnea, ear infection, congenital neck masses, ankyloglossia/tongue-tie, laryngomalacia and airway conditions
- Special interest and expertise in pediatric thyroid surgery, for Graves disease/hyperthyroidism and nodules/malignancy
Medical and surgical treatment of general ear, nose, throat conditions in children and adults
Kimberly G. Shepard, MD
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Associate Professor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Shepard earned her BS degree with honors in Biochemistry and Cell Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego in 1987. She received her medical degree with high honors from the Dartmouth School of Medicine in 1991 and completed her internship and residency at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1996.
She is board certified in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and joined VMC and the faculty at Stanford in 1996. In 2010, she completed additional training in medical acupuncture, through the program at UCLA, and regularly incorporates acupuncture into her surgical practice. Dr. Shepard enjoys teaching for the residency program and has won the resident teaching award on more than one occasion.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Shepard manages the consult service for Bioethics, which serves the entire inpatient population at SCVMC. She also serves as the Chairperson for the Bioethics Committee. For the past six years, Dr. Shepard has performed the Chair duties for the Operating Room Committee and is involved in the daily management of perioperative services at SCVMC.
Dr. Shepard’s specialties include:
Medical and surgical treatment for pediatric ear, nose and throat conditions including:
- The medical and surgical management of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea
- Treatment of congenital conditions including developmental cysts and other neck masses, ankyloglossia and laryngomalacia
- Medical and surgical management of acute and chronic ear disease
- Head and neck infections in the pediatric population
Management of Head and Neck Cancer
- Surgical management of oral cavity, throat and laryngeal cancers, including neck dissection
- Surgical management of early and advanced skin cancers, including basal and squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma
- Treatment of malignant conditions affecting the salivary glands
- Acupuncture therapy to manage the effects of cancer treatment and pain syndromes
Management of Adult Sleep Apnea
- Palate and nasal surgery
Management of adult and pediatric trauma
- Fracture repair including jaw, midface and orbit
- Treatment of soft tissue injuries
Medical and surgical treatment of general ear, nose, throat conditions in children and adults
Micah Saste, MD
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Saste earned her BA degree in Human Biology at Stanford University in 1998. She received her medical degree with AOA distinction from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in 2003 and completed her otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2008. She completed a fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Rhinology in 2009.
She is board certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. She joined VMC and the Stanford University OTO-HNS Department following a fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Her research interests and publications include approaches to skull base surgery including the pterygopalatine space and sella, consensus statements on rhinosinsuitis guidelines, and incidental paranasal sinus imaging abnormalities.
Dr. Saste’s specialties include:
- Sino-nasal inflammatory diseases including odontogenic sinus disease
- Endoscopic transnasal pituitary surgery
- Sinonasal tumors including inverting papilloma
- CSF leak
- Nasal polyposis including aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease
- Olfactory disorders
General ENT including pediatrics and facial trauma
Amanda Muñoz, MD
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Muñoz earned her BA degree magna cum laude in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from Yale University in 2000. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 2006 and completed her otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2011.
She is board certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. She joined VMC and was also appointed to clinical faculty in the Stanford Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery department in 2011. She enjoys training the next generation of otolaryngologists, and received the Stanford Oto-HNS Teacher of the Year Award in 2015. Her practice is focused on ear health for children and adults, but she enjoys working with patients and families on problems in all areas of general ENT.
Dr. Muñoz’s specialties include:
Otologic surgery including:
- Surgery for chronic ear infections and cholesteatoma
- Ear drum reconstruction surgery (tympanoplasty, ossicular chain reconstruction)
- Stapes surgery for otosclerosis
- Surgery for neoplasms of the ear canal and lateral temporal bone
Endoscopic nasal and sinus surgery, including:
- Septoplasty and turbinate reduction
- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery
Head and Neck cancer surgery including:
- Surgery for neoplasms of the skin including melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, including sentinel lymph node biopsy
- Surgery for neoplasms of the palate, oral cavity, salivary glands including neck dissection
Medical and surgical treatment for pediatric ear, nose, throat conditions including:
- Snoring and sleep apnea, ear infection, congenital neck masses, ankyloglossia/tongue-tie
Medical and surgical treatment of general ear, nose, throat conditions in children and adults including:
- salivary gland disorders and surgery, vocal cord weakness, subglottic stenosis
- facial trauma including orbital, mandible and midface reconstruction
Medical treatment for adult and pediatric ear disorders, including: hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, benign positional paroxysmal vertigo, Meniere’s disease
Misha Amoils, MD
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Clinical Instructor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Amoils graduated from Stanford University in 2008 with a BA in Human Biology, with an award for academic excellence. She received her medical degree from University of California, San Francisco in 2012 and completed her Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency at Stanford in 2017. Her chief year, she received the Stanford Resident Teacher of the Year Award, and in 2019 she received the Stanford Affiliated Faculty Teacher of the Year award.
Dr. Amoils is board certified in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and joined VMC in 2017. The same year, she was appointed to the faculty of the Stanford-OHNS department, and currently serves as Site Director for the Stanford Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency training program at VMC. Her research has focused on high-risk and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, but she enjoys offering a wide range of medical and surgical treatment of general ear, nose, and throat conditions in both children and adults.
Dr. Amoils’ specialties include:
- Head and neck cancer surgery
- Endoscopic nasal and sinus surgery
- Endocrine surgery for both benign and malignant thyroid and parathyroid disorders
- Parotid surgery via a retrograde approach
- Facial trauma including orbital, mandible, and midface reconstruction
- Advanced skin cancer resection and reconstruction
- Congenital neck masses
- Complex nasal septal deviation, including anterior septal reconstruction, functional septorhinoplasty
Julia E. Noel, MD, FACS
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Noel graduated magna cum laude from University of California San Diego with a degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and Economics. She remained at UCSD for medical school, then completed residency in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she was awarded the resident research and teaching awards upon graduation.
Dr. Noel then went on to complete a fellowship in Endocrine Head & Neck Surgery at Stanford, developing additional expertise and training in minimally invasive treatment approaches (scarless thyroidectomy) and ultrasound-guided techniques performed in the office, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and alcohol ablation.
She then joined the faculty at Stanford University, and was recognized with the Stanford Faculty Teacher of the Year award in 2020. Dr. Noel is thrilled to have become a part of the team at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center as of 2023.
Harish Dharmarajan, MD
Associate Chief, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Dr. Dharmarajan completed his residency training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and fellowship training in Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University. He enjoys treating patients across a wide range of Otolaryngology conditions with a special emphasis on sinonasal and skull base disorders. His research interests include mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis, olfaction, and treatment of sinonasal and skull base tumors.
Specialities include:
- Endoscopic nasal and sinus surgery
- Treatment of sinonasal tumors
- Endoscopic approach to pituitary and skull base tumors
- Management of CSF leaks
- Olfactory disorders