Dr. Gerd Fabian Volk | Cognitive Rehabilitation | Outstanding Scientist Award

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

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• ResearcherID: E-5333-2011

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