Nicole Jiam

Dr. Nicole Jiam is an otologist (specialist in ear disorders), a neurotologist (specialist in neurological disorders affecting hearing and balance) and a skull base surgeon (specialist in addressing abnormalities, such as tumors, in the area just below the brain). She has particular expertise in treating hearing loss and other auditory conditions. She performs all surgeries of the temporal bone (a bone on each side of the lower skull), including minimally invasive procedures.

In her research, Jiam works on improving music perception and creating personalized rehabilitation strategies for cochlear implant users, who often struggle with complex sound processing. She uses music as a tool for getting cochlear implant outcomes closer to the goal of normal hearing abilities. She also studies how to design innovative treatment and rehabilitation plans using information about a patient's nerve cell health, hearing needs, neuroplasticity (brain's ability to change structurally or functionally in response to stimuli) and imaging biomakers (indicators of health or disease that can be detected in imaging studies).

Jiam earned her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at UCSF. She completed a fellowship in neurotology and skull base surgery at Harvard Medical School.