Carol R. Bradford, M.D., FACS
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Carol R. Bradford, M.D., FACS, professor and chair of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, was recently awarded the Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Award, which recognizes clinical excellence in medicine. Bradford was one of three recipients in the nation to receive the prestigious award.
The National Physician of the Year Award recognizes both physicians and leaders in health care whose dedication, talents and skills have improved the lives of countless thousands of people throughout the world.
Bradford specializes in head and neck cancers, including the removal of skin cancer. Bradford is a leading clinician-investigator in the field of head and neck oncology, and co-directs the Head and Neck Oncology Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her primary research focus is devoted to understanding the biology of treatment response in head and neck cancer and to finding innovative strategies to overcome treatment resistance. She was awarded a coveted R01 from the National Cancer Institute and is co-principal investigator on a project that is part of the University of Michigan Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in head and neck cancer. She has authored 130 papers and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals.
Bradford has served as a mentor to medical students, residents and fellows. Her honors include the first ever "ALOT" award given for mentorship by graduating senior residents in Otolaryngology, the Jeanne Cady Solis Award for American Medical Women's Association Mentorship, and a Token of Appreciation Award by Medical Students (TAMS). Her volunteer activities include serving for the past several years as the lead surgeon of the annual Head and Neck Surgery mission trip to Honduras.
On a national level, Bradford has held leadership positions in key organizations, including serving on the Council of the American Head and Neck Society. She also has served on several committees of the Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She is presently a fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program for women at Drexel University.
The fourth annual National Physician of the Year Awards ceremony was held on March 23 in New York. The two other honorees for clinical excellence were Judd W. Moul, M.D., Duke University Medical Center, and Diane Meier, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine.