Akihiro J. Matsuoka, MD, DMSc, PhD, FACS

Akihiro J. Matsuoka, MD, is a board-certified neurotologist and otolaryngologist who treats neurological disorders of the ear. He is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of vertigo and dizziness and leads the balance and vestibular program at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Matsuoka also treats tinnitus, hearing impairment, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, superior canal dehiscence and chronic ear infections.

As an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, he trains medical students, otolaryngology residents, and neurotology fellows at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DOD) for his research on nanotechnological stem-cell regeneration of the inner ear.

Before joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Matsuoka served as the director of audiology at Northwestern Medicine, where he developed a new vestibular equipment, served as a beta site for industries, and taught students in the School of Communications Disorders at Northwestern University.

Dr. Matsuoka completed his fellowship training in neurotology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and did his residency training and NIH-sponsored research training in the otolaryngology department at Indiana University School of Medicine. He holds a Ph.D. in auditory physiology/computational neuroscience from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Matsuoka has published more than 50 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed publications such as Acta Biomaterialia, Stem Cell and Translational Medicine, Tissue Engineering, and Acta Otolaryngologica, among others. He is a member of several societies in his area of specialization, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, and the International Society of Stem Cell Research.

In his free time, Dr. Matsuoka enjoys spending time with his family and has an interest in computer programming and Star Trek.

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