Course Directors

Jacques Peltier, MD, FAAOA – Course Co-Director

Dr. Peltier is in private practice as an allergist and general otolaryngologist in Hammond, LA. He is currently a board certified member of the AAO-HNS and a Fellow of the AAOA and American College of Surgeons. He completed his medical training at Louisiana State University Health Center in Shreveport and his residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. He has published several papers on the comparison of skin testing techniques in the Journal of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

Christopher Brook, MD, FAAOA – Course Co-Director

Dr. Brook is a board-certified otolaryngologist who practices in an academic setting at Boston University Medical Center. He is originally from California and went to the University of California Santa Barbara for his undergraduate degree. He completed his medical school education at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, and his residency in otolaryngology at Boston University. He then completed a fellowship in rhinology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is an assistant professor of otolaryngology at Boston University, and his research interests include the relationship of chronic sinusitis and allergic disease, as well as the relationship of allergen sensitivity and laryngitis. Chris lives in the Boston area with his wife and two children.

Course Faculty

Cecelia Damask, DO, FAAOA

Dr. Damask is in private practice at Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy in the greater Orlando, FL area. She received her DO from Midwestern University/Chicago College of Medicine and completed her residency training at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and has presented at various AAOA courses and meetings since 2009. Dr. Damask currently serves as AAOA Education Coordinator.

Elisabeth Mahoney Davis, MD, FAAOA

Dr. Davis is in private practice as a general otolaryngologist in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  She maintains an appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, where she is active in resident education.  Dr. Davis completed her undergraduate training at the University of Notre Dame and continued her medical education at the University of Nebraska.  She then completed her general surgery internship and otolaryngology residency at the Boston University Medical Center.  She is a fellow of the AAOA and American College of Surgeons, and is currently serving as a Member-at-Large on the AAOA Board of Directors.

Joshua Levy, MD, MPH

Dr. Levy is a board-certified otolaryngologist who practices in an academic setting at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. He is originally from Maryland and went to Cornell University for his undergraduate degree. He completed his medical and public health education at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, where he also completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. He then completed a fellowship in rhinology at Oregon Health & Science University. He is an assistant professor of otolaryngology and director of resident research at Emory. His research is supported by several industry, foundation and NIH awards, and involves exploration of biologics for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, as well as the role of endogenous cannabinoids in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Josh lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and daughter Margot.

Michael Parker, MD, FAAOA

Dr. Parker received his medical degree in 1982 from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse, and completed his otolaryngic residency there in 1987.  He currently practices privately, but maintains a close affiliation with the Health Science Center and is actively involved in teaching residents and students. Dr. Parker has served as a board member, Scientific Director, CME Chairman, and President of the
AAOA, and in several faculty positions for the AAOA. He is the Past President of the Foundation Board.

Michael Platt MD, MSC, FAAOA

Michael Platt MD, MSC is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine. He is a fellowship-trained rhinologist who studies diseases of the upper airways via molecular bioinformatics approaches. He serves as Program Director for the Otolaryngology residency program at Boston University. Dr. Platt attended the University of Scranton and Jefferson Medical College before pursuing Otolaryngology training at Albany Medical Center and Rhinology Fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. While at Boston University, Dr. Platt obtained a Masters Degree in Clinical Bioinformatics. Dr. Platt lives in Brookline, MA, with his wife Judy who is the Director of Student Health at Boston University and his three children.

Farrah Siddiqui, MD, FAAOA

Dr. Siddiqui is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.  After graduating from the Aga Khan University Medical College in Pakistan, she completed her residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  Having practiced Otolaryngic Allergy in both a private practice and academic setting, Dr. Siddiqui strives to teach medical students, residents, physicians, nurses and her patients about the newest diagnostic and treatment options in the field of Allergy with a focus on safety and efficiency.  Dr. Siddiqui currently serves in the AAOA Item Writing Taskforce.

Maria Veling, MD, FAAOA

Dr. Veling is a pediatric otolaryngologist at Children’s Medical Center and a professor of otolaryngology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Soon after completing her otolaryngology training, Dr. Veling developed an interest in patients with allergies, leading her to become a fellow with the American Academy of Otolaryngology Allergy (AAOA). She has treated allergy patients for over 20 years and,
as reflected by her research and publications, has focused her practice to include the otolaryngic comorbidities seen in this patient population. Dr. Veling has served as faculty at the annual, basic, and advanced courses of the AAOA.

Jennifer Villwock, MD, FAAOA

Dr. Jennifer Villwock is a board-certified otolaryngologist and fellow of the AAOA. She attended medical school at the Michigan State University – College of Human Medicine and residency at SUNY-Upstate in Syracuse, NY. Dr. Villwock is currently an assistant professor and associate residency program director at the University of Kansas. Her academic interests include olfaction and sinonasal disease. She is also passionate
about medical education from the undergraduate level to continuing education. Dr. Villwock’s outside interests include “gardening” aka (according to her husband) digging up perfectly good lawn and then neglecting the new plants.