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Maie St. John

Maie St. John, MD, PhD

Skull Base SurgeryHead and Neck Surgical OncologyHead and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology

Accepting New Patients

Highlights

Age Groups Seen

  • Young Adult 18-25
  • Adult 26-64
  • Older Adult 65+

Languages

  • English

In-Network Plans

View All Accepted Plans (8)

Gender

Female

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Maie St. John

Professional Titles

  • Andelot Professor of Laryngology and Otology
  • Director of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Johns Hopkins Physician

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Background

Maie A. St. John is an internationally recognized surgeon-scientist, academic leader and educator whose career reflects an exceptional blend of clinical mastery, scientific innovation and visionary leadership. She is the Andelot Professor and Director of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she leads one of the nation’s premier programs in head and neck cancer care, research and education.

Dr. St. John’s path in medicine began with a bachelor of science degree from Stanford University. She went on to earn both her medical degree and doctorate from Yale University School of Medicine, conducting doctoral research on the molecular underpinnings of cancer invasion and metastasis. She completed her general surgery internship, general surgery residency, head and neck surgery residency and postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA, where she refined her dual passions for surgical excellence and translational science. She later completed the Business of Medicine Certificate Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, further strengthening her skills in health care leadership and administration.

From 2017 to 2025, Dr. St. John served as chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA, where she also held a secondary appointment as professor of bioengineering and co-directed the UCLA Head and Neck Cancer Program. She built and led a department recognized for its national ranking, its pioneering adoption of robotic and minimally invasive surgical technologies, and its strong culture of mentorship. Under Dr. St. John’s leadership, the department rose to the very top, becoming the #1 ranked ear, nose, and throat program in the country according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024–25 Best Hospitals rankings. During her tenure, Dr. St. John expanded the department’s research portfolio, strengthened interdisciplinary collaborations across engineering, oncology and the basic sciences, and championed diversity in faculty recruitment and trainee selection.

Dr. St. John’s clinical expertise spans the full spectrum of head and neck oncologic surgery, including:

  • Robotic and minimally invasive surgery for oropharyngeal, laryngeal and skull base tumors
  • Robotic surgery of the head and neck
  • Cancer of oral cavity, throat, oropharynx, tongue, tonsil, larynx and palate
  • Neck masses (congenital, cancer)
  • Complex skull base cancer resection and reconstruction
  • Management of cutaneous malignancies, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma
  • Parotid and salivary gland tumor surgery
  • Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
  • Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel node biopsy for cancer staging
  • Advanced oral cavity and laryngeal reconstructive procedures

 

In addition to her clinical and academic leadership, Dr. St. John is deeply committed to global health. She has established long-term collaborations with institutions in Central America, India, China and the Middle East, where she has developed training programs, introduced advanced surgical techniques and partnered in research initiatives aimed at improving cancer outcomes in resource-limited settings.

An accomplished mentor, Dr. St. John has trained and inspired a generation of residents, fellows and junior faculty, many of whom now serve in leadership roles nationally and internationally. Her dedication to mentorship, combined with her ability to unite diverse disciplines toward common goals, has cemented her reputation as a transformational figure in head and neck surgery.

Centers and Institutes

Videos

 

Meet Maie St. John, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. 

Research Summary

Dr. St. John directs a robust, continuously funded translational research program focused on understanding and targeting the molecular drivers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Her laboratory investigates tumor invasion, metastasis and resistance mechanisms, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and bringing them from bench to bedside.

Her research portfolio has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants (NIDCR, NCI, NIBIB), as well as major philanthropic foundations and industry collaborations. Her team’s work on COX-2–dependent gene and protein expression has advanced understanding of cancer progression, angiogenesis and immune modulation, leading to innovative treatment strategies.

Key contributions include:

  • Identification of novel tumor suppressor pathways and actionable molecular targets in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
  • Development of targeted therapeutics currently in preclinical and early-phase clinical testing
  • Pioneering use of advanced imaging and surgical navigation systems in head and neck oncology
  • Multiple U.S. and international patents for intraoperative imaging devices, molecular diagnostic tools and minimally invasive surgical technologies.

Dr. St. John has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, over 30 book chapters and numerous invited editorials. She serves on the editorial boards of Cancer, Clinical Cancer Research, Head & Neck, and The Laryngoscope, and is a frequent reviewer for the NIH, including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), as well as other major specialty funding agencies. She is widely sought after as a speaker, and has delivered keynote addresses and named lectureships at leading international conferences.

PubMed - Publications

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22St+John+MA%22%5BAuthor%5D

Honors

  • Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors, 2017–25
  • Exceptional Women in Medicine, Castle Connolly, 2019–25
  • Super Doctors Southern California, 2010–21
  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles magazine, 2015–21 annual recognition
  • Los Angeles magazine Super Doctor, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
  • Thomas C. Calcaterra, M.D., Chair in Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA, 2018–25
  • Samuel and Della Pearlman Chair in Head and Neck Surgery, 2015–18
  • UCLA Health Exceptional Physician Award, 2015
  • Wilbur S. Schwartz, M.D., Prize for Kindness, Compassion, and Humanity, 2025
  • Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery Award, 2025
  • Fanconi Anemia Award for Best Research Paper, AHNS International Conference, 2008
  • EAO Young Leadership Award, 2008
  • UCLA Health System Humanism Award, 2011–12
  • Most Outstanding Head & Neck Surgery Faculty Award, 2007, 2009, 2011

Memberships

  • American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS)
  • American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) – Executive Council Member
  • Triological Society – Executive Council Member
  • AADO – Executive Council Member
  • SUO – Executive Council Member
  • American College of Surgeons – Board of Governors Advisory Council
  • American Laryngological Association
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network – Head and Neck Cancers Panel
  • Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum (CORLAS) Honor Society
  • Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute

Professional Activities

Dr. St. John plays a prominent role in shaping the future of head and neck surgery through national and international leadership:

  • Program Advisory Committee, American Academy of Otolaryngology
  • Executive Council, American Head and Neck Society
  • Executive Council, Triological Society
  • Board of Governors Advisory Council, American College of Surgeons
  • Senior Examiner, American Board of Otolaryngology
  • Reviewer, AAO–HNS CORE grants; NIH/NIDCR, NCI, and NIBIB study sections
  • Organizer and faculty, international surgical training courses in Central America, Asia and the Middle East
  • Treasurer and Executive Committee, American Head and Neck Society
  • Editorial Board, Cancer, Clinical Cancer Research, Head & Neck, The Laryngoscope

Locations

  1. Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center

Expertise

Education

  • Residency: UCLA Medical Center, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2005
  • Medical Education: Yale University School of Medicine, MD, PhD, 1999
  • Graduate School: Yale University, MD/PhD/Cell Biology, PhD, 1998

Board Certifications

  • Otolaryngology: American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2006

Insurance

Please contact the location directly to confirm your health plan is accepted.
Search plans
  • First Health
  • Geisinger Health Plan
  • HealthSmart/Accel
  • MultiPlan
  • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
  • Point Comfort Underwriters
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)