Shannon F. Rudy, MD

Dr. Rudy's research focuses on facial nerve paralysis, and specifically synkinesis--a debilitating condition that affects up to 20% of people with facial paralysis in which unwanted muscles contract in the face during attempted voluntary movement. In her clinical work as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon focusing on facial nerve disorders, Dr. Rudy routinely sees the devastating functional, cosmetic, and psychosocial effects of synkinesis in her patients. Currently, little is understood about the functional changes in the body during synkinesis, and treatment options remain very limited. Since joining Dr. Feldman's lab in October 2020, Dr. Rudy has performed research to investigate the molecular pathways involved in the development of synkinesis, both using in vitro and in vivo models. This year, she is launching a study to identify aberrantly gene expression and cell signaling in both animal and human synkinetic nerve and muscle to identify targets for future therapeutic intervention. Additionally, she will be studying the effects of muscle stem cells in mitigating the development of synkinesis following facial nerve injury. 

• BA, Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard College, 2009
• MD, University of Michigan Medical School, 2014
• Residency, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2019
• Fellowship, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2020 

• Residency Research Day Award (top research presentation), Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology, 2019
• Resident Teacher of the Year Award, Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology, 2019
• Residency Research Day Award, Stanford University Department of Otolaryngology, 2017
• Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, Harvard College, 2008

Rudy SF, Brenner JC, Harris JL, Liu J, Che J, Scott MV, Owen JH, Kormarck CM, Graham MP, Bellile EL, Bradford CR, Prince ME, Carey TE. In vivo Wnt pathway inhibition of squamous cell carcinoma growth and metastasis in the chick chorioallantoic model. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2016;45:26. doi: 10.1186/s40463-016-0140-8.

Rudy SF,Kandathil CK, Spataro EA, Moubayed SP, Most SP. Effectiveness of intranasal steroids versus placebo in patients with nasal obstruction and septal deviation: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine. 2020:22(4):243-248. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2020.0150

Rudy SF, Li K, Moubayed SP, Most SP. Risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with keratinocyte carcinoma. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. 2018;20(6):453-459. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0331    

Rudy SF, Jeffery CC, Damrose EJ. Clinical characteristics of laryngeal versus nonlaryngeal amyloidosis. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(3):670-674. doi: 10.1002/lary.26846

Rudy SF, Abdelwahab M, Most SP. Use of laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography for 1 week division of the forehead flap pedicle, JPRAS. 2021;74(1):116-122. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2020.05.079