apl. Prof. Dr. med. habil. Gerd Fabian Volk (👶1978, Wertheim am Main) is a leading German otolaryngologist 👨⚕️, currently serving as Senior Physician and Head of the Facial Nerve Center in Jena 🏥. With a deep commitment to clinical excellence, academic teaching 📚, and innovative research 🧪, he has significantly contributed to the fields of neurolaryngology, facial nerve disorders, and ultrasound diagnostics 🧠🗣️. His work bridges cutting-edge imaging 🖼️ and functional diagnostics for head-neck disorders. Living in Jena with his family 👨👩👧👧, he actively supports patient education through YouTube 📹, coordinates national workshops, and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration 🤝. Volk is a respected speaker 🎤, faculty member at international dissection courses ✂️🧠, and an initiator of hybrid symposia. He balances leadership with education, translating research into real-world clinical impact 🌍💡.
Profile
Education 🎓
Studied human medicine at Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster (1999–2006) 🎓🩺, earning his state exam. In 2007, he completed his doctorate (Dr. med.) with a thesis on axonal regeneration in retinal ganglion cells in primates and rats 🧬🐒🐀. He achieved board certification in ENT (2012) 👂👃🧠 and earned his postdoctoral qualification (habilitation) in 2017 with pioneering research on quantitative imaging of facial muscles 🖼️💪. His venia legendi was granted by Friedrich Schiller University Jena in otorhinolaryngology 📜👨🏫. Further qualifications include DEGUM Level II (2018) for ultrasound, clinical trial leadership certification (2009), animal research leadership certification (2002), and interdisciplinary leadership training at UKJ 🏅📊. His broad educational background underpins his medical, scientific, and didactic work, combining clinical care, diagnostics, and teaching for the next generation of ENT specialists 👨⚕️👩⚕️👨🏫.
Experience 👨🏫
Since 2013, Dr. Volk leads the Facial Nerve Center in Jena and co-founded the Tinnitus Center 👨⚕️🔊. He is currently Senior Physician at the ENT Department, University Hospital Jena and member of the steering committee for the Center for Rare Diseases Jena (since 2024) 🧩🧬. He previously held rotational research fellowships in radiology and neurology (2008–2013) and has organized national ENT courses since 2009 🧠🎓. With consistent academic teaching since 2012, he has led cadaver dissection courses, neurolaryngology workshops, and ultrasound diagnostics trainings 🧑🏫💻. He is an active contributor to ethics commissions and rare disease networks 👥⚖️. His work merges clinical ENT practice, surgical skill, and educational outreach through digital platforms (e.g., YouTube, www.lemg.org) 🌐📹. A devoted mentor, he organizes monthly PhD symposia and integrates hybrid teaching formats, balancing high-level medical care with forward-thinking academic initiatives 📚🏥🎯.
Awards & Recognitions 🏅
Recipient of multiple national prizes, including the 1st Poster Prize by the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (2019) 🥇📊 for Parkinson-related facial muscle imaging, and the DEGUM Head-Neck Section Award for his habilitation research (2018) 🧠🏅. Awarded competitive IZKF research fellowships in neurology and radiology (2008–2013) 🧬🔬. Recognized leader in rare disease diagnostics and member of Germany’s CRANIO-Net for rare craniofacial disorders (since 2022) 🧩👶. Since 2020, he contributes to the Ethics Commission of the University Hospital Jena ⚖️. He is speaker for ENT indications in the Botulinumtoxin Working Group of the German Society of Neurology (since 2022) 💉🧠. Nominated for professorial posts in Bielefeld, Halle, and Charité Berlin between 2019–2023 🏛️📚. Volk’s sustained excellence across clinical care, diagnostics, research, and education has earned him national recognition and leadership roles in academic ENT medicine 🧠🏥✨.
Research Interests 🔬
Prof. Volk’s research centers on facial nerve diagnostics and therapy 🧠🧑⚕️, neurolaryngology, and ultrasound imaging of head-neck structures 🖼️. He specializes in quantitative imaging of facial muscles for conditions like facial paralysis and Parkinson’s disease 🤖🧠. His work combines clinical neurophysiology, MRI analysis, and laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) 📈💬. He also pioneers educational innovations in hybrid learning, simulation-based teaching, and cadaver dissection techniques for ENT and neurology professionals 🧑🏫🧪. Through platforms like www.lemg.org and dedicated YouTube channels 📹, he disseminates knowledge on advanced diagnostics such as salivary duct endoscopy, voice disorders, and botulinum toxin use 💉. A strong advocate for interdisciplinary networks and rare disease research, he leads initiatives in patient-centered care, including organizing the “Fazialis-Nerv-Tag” and supporting patient education 🤝❤️. His translational research aims to enhance diagnostic precision and develop novel rehabilitation strategies for complex craniofacial disorders 🧬🔧.
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Electromyography as an Objective Outcome Measure for the Therapeutic Effect of Biofeedback Training to Reduce Post-Paralytic Facial Synkinesis
Healthcare
2025-03-04 | Journal article
CONTRIBUTORS: Isabell Hahnemann; Julia Fron; Jonas Ballmaier; Orlando Guntinas-Lichius; Gerd Fabian Volk
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Evaluation of the Effects of an Electromyography-Based Bio-Feedback Training of Patients with Post-Paralytic Facial Synkinesis Using Electromyography Amplitudes as Objective Outcome Measure
2024-12-16 | Preprint
CONTRIBUTORS: Isabell Hahnemann; Julia Fron; Jonas Ballmaier; Orlando Guntinas-Lichius; Gerd Fabian Volk
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Deceleration of denervated facial muscle atrophy through functional electrical stimulation: a sonographic quantification in patients with facial nerve paralysis
European Journal of Translational Myology
2024-11-13 | Journal article
CONTRIBUTORS: Gabriel Meincke; Johannes Krauß; Maren Geitner; Anna-Maria Kuttenreich; Dirk Arnold; Jonas Ballmaier; Thomas Lehmann; Winfried Mayr; Orlando Guntinas-Lichius; Gerd Fabian Volk