Carl Snyderman, MD, MBA, Biography

Carl SnydermanCarl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA, is professor of otolaryngology and neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and otolaryngology director of the Center for Cranial Base Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He is recognized internationally as a pioneer and leader in the development of the endoscopic endonasal approach, a minimally invasive surgical approach to the cranial base.

Dr. Snyderman also has a master's in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and is vice chair for quality and safety of the Department of Otolaryngology. He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago, and completed his residency in otolaryngology and fellowship training in skull base surgery at the UPMC.

He is past recipient of a Clinical Oncology Career Development Award from the American Cancer Society and a FIRST Award from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Snyderman is past president of the North American Skull Base Society, he has received presidential citations from the American Head and Neck Society and The Triological Society, and is a two-time recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and in addition to the North American Skull Base Society and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is a member of the American Head and Neck Society, the American Rhinologic Society, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Snyderman is co-editor of the book Skull Base Surgery, part of the Master Techniques in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery series published by Wolters Kluwer, and co-editor of Operative-Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 3rd Edition. He has also published numerous peer-reviewed articles and presents frequently at local, national, and international scientific meetings and courses.

Dr. Snyderman is regularly recognized in Castle Connelly's Best Doctors in America and Pittsburgh Magazine's "Top Doctors" issue.

Dr. Snyderman's publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine’s publication database.

Specialized Areas of Interest

Angiofibromas; cerebrospinal fluid leak; olfactory neuroblastoma; pediatric skull base tumors; sinonasal malignancy

Board Certifications

American Board of Otolaryngology

Hospital Privileges

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
UPMC Mercy
UPMC Presbyterian
UPMC Shadyside

Professional Organization Membership

American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
American College of Surgeons
American Head and Neck Society
American Rhinologic Society
North American Skull Base Society
Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Education and Training

  • BA, Biology, Indiana University, 1974-1978
  • MD, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 1978-1982
  • MBA, University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, 2010-2011
  • Surgical Internship, Western Pennsylvania Hospital, 1982-1983
  • Otolaryngology Residency, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 1983-1987
  • Cranial Base Surgery Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 1987-1989

Honors and Awards

  • Honor Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, 1992
  • First Prize Investigator Award (Co-Investigator), Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation Scholarship Contest, 1992
  • Resident Research Award (Co-Investigator), American Society for Head & Neck Surgery, 1993
  • Best Doctors in America, Castle Connolly, 1994-Present
  • Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, 2002
  • Distinguished Service Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, 2002
  • Presidential Citation, American Head and Neck Society, 2004
  • Conference Award for the Best Paper in the Category of eHealth, 3rd International Conference on Telemedicine and Multimedia Communication, 2005
  • Top Doctors in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Magazine, 2005-Present
  • Sir Charles Ballance Memorial Medal, British Skull Base Society, 2007
  • First Place, Clinical Science Poster Presentation Award, American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology Annual Meeting, April 20-22, 2012
  • UPMC Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES), 2013
  • Distinguished Service Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, 2013
  • Presidential Citation, The Triological Society, 2014
  • Semon Lecture, Laryngology & Rhinology Section, The Royal Society of Medicine, 2015

Research Activities

Endoscopic approaches to the skull base; oncologic outcomes of sinonasal malignancy; quality of life; decision-making in medicine; surgical simulation; global education; medical device development.