Professor, Chairman of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
University of Maryland
Rodney J Taylor MD, MSPH is a Professor and Chairman of the of Otorhinolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery Department at the University of Maryland of School of Medicine. He joined the faculty in 2001 and is a surgeon-scientist whose clinical practice is dedicated to the comprehensive care of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and performs complex surgical procedures in the management of HNC patients. Dr. Taylor graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1991 where he was Senior Class President, Varsity Football player and was active in both student government and multicultural activities. He attended Harvard Medical School and received his medical degree in 1995. He then completed his residency in Otolaryngology- Head and Neck surgery at the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan he also received a master’s degree from the School of Public Health.
Dr. Taylor research expertise includes head and neck cancer disparities in treatment and outcome for underrepresented and disadvantaged patients. He also has basic science and translational interests, which include studying ZSCAN4 as part of a system that confers and maintains cancer cell immortality in HNC. He also studies adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from head and neck tissues for the development of clinical applications following ablative surgical and cancer treatments. Also, he has extensive experience working with SCCHN cell lines and has worked in tumor immunology and immunologic tolerance.
In addition to his clinical and research pursuits, he is a key leader in the UMSOM promoting Diversity and Inclusion and providing Unconscious Bias training for its faculty and staff. He has also been appointed to lead Cultural Transformation initiatives at the UMSOM. He is also passionate and active on a local and national level in providing mentorship to increase underrepresented individuals in healthcare and research fields.