Morning Session 2

Dr. Jonathan Ida is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Lurie Children’s and an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He completed his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University, and residency training in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans. He completed the two-year fellowship training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, heavily focused on complex airway management. In 2020, he completed an MBA with a Healthcare Administration focus from National Louis University.

After joining the faculty at Lurie Children’s in 2011, Dr. Ida served as Medical Director for Speech & Language Services, and as Medical Director for the Aerodigestive Program for 6 years. He currently serves as the Department of Surgery’s Vice Chair for Operations, and the Co-Director of the Fetal EXIT to Airway program. Dr. Ida’s clinical and research interests remain focused on complex airway evaluation and treatment, including fetal airway assessment and management, and have grown to include healthcare services delivery, value-based surgical care, and surgical operations.

Dr. Ida sees patients at Lurie Children’s main location, as well as at the Lurie Children’s Outpatient Centers in Lake Forest and Skokie. He operates at the main hospital and at the Lurie Children’s Northbrook Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Dr. Dana Thompson is the Lauren D. Holinger Professor Chair of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Lurie Children’s and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She has held faculty positions at premier institutions including the Mayo Clinic and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In 2011 she achieved the academic rank of Professor, making her the first African American woman professor in the specialty of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in the United States. The leadership journey navigating a career as an underrepresented woman of color in surgery has driven her to become a thought leader in areas of conscious and unconscious bias and impact in health care delivery.

She has a unique hybrid of expertise in the surgical treatment and management of airway, voice, and swallowing disorders for infants, children, and adults. Her other clinical interests include Infant Apnea, Airway and Extraesophageal Manifestations of GERD, Aerodigestive Manifestations of Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Oropharyngeal Swallowing, Airway Protection, Neurolaryngology, and Laryngomalacia. She brings 24 years of experience as an internationally recognized airway surgeon and leader in aerodigestive medicine. The collective research contributions in laryngomalacia have influenced the surgical and medical management of the disease and she is considered one of the world’s authorities on the topic. She received the prestigious Mosher Award from the Triological Society for excellence in clinical research for her seminal work elucidating the etiology of Laryngomalacia. She has published over 100 scientific articles and 15 book chapters.

Dr. Thompson sees patients at Lurie Children’s main location and Lurie Children’s Outpatient Center in Lincoln Park (Clark/Deming).

Saied Ghadersohi MD FACS is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Lurie Children’s and an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He serves as the Director of the Complex Sleep Program and the Director of Resident Education at Lurie Children’s for all rotating otolaryngology residents.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, and Pharmacology and Toxicology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, he then completed his medical degree at the State University at Buffalo – Jacob’s School of Medicine, where he graduated summa cum laude. He then completed his residency training in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern University and fellowship training in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, CO. He began at Lurie Children’s in 2020 where his clinical and research focus is on pediatric airway disease including obstructive sleep apnea and voice disorders, pediatric cleft and craniofacial disorders, velopharyngeal insufficiency, pediatric otology, and chronic sinonasal disorders.

Dr. Ghadersohi sees the patients at Lurie Children’s main location and Lurie Children’s Outpatient Center in New Lenox.