Before becoming a physician scientist, , was an engineer, and it shows in the approach he brings as the new chair of the MUSC Department of Otolaryngology 鈥� Head and Neck Surgery.

鈥淚 think one of the most exciting things about our head and neck team at 听is we are open to new and improved ways of doing things,鈥� Labadie said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no one-size-fits-all approach. We are interested in doing it the right way to give our patients the best possible outcomes.鈥�

Labadie joins the MUSC team after 20 years at Vanderbilt, where he held the directorship for translational research in otolaryngology. While serving in that role, he was tasked with building the Department of Otolaryngology鈥檚 research enterprise. He did so, playing a principal role in the department鈥檚 rise to a No. 2 ranking in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.

Labadie said he was drawn to this new role, joining the , because he knows how rare it is to find a team of that can provide every aspect of care needed to help these patients.

Doing it the right way includes collaborating with all of the specialists needed to treat complex head and neck cancer cases successfully. A trained mechanical engineer by trade, Labadie admits he oftentimes sees things differently from other people.

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鈥淚 approach things with a different perspective. The way things have been done in the past shouldn鈥檛 dictate how things can be done in the future. I look at a situation and think, 鈥楬ow can we do things better?鈥� I think as chair of the department, I can help others to embrace change while constantly striving to move the science forward.鈥�

Labadie specializes in otologic surgery and has made tremendous contributions in the field using new and improved techniques for cochlear implant surgery and restoring hearing to patients. While at Vanderbilt, Labadie received NIH funding to look at new techniques for ear surgery, such as robotic surgical approaches that included temporal bone resections in head and neck cancer patients.

鈥淭his type of surgery involves the removal of cancer in the middle and external ears,鈥� he said. 鈥淒uring this procedure, you remove the external ear and all of the bone behind it. Then, you reconstruct the ear and try and restore hearing.鈥�

In his new role at Hollings, Labadie said he hopes to foster further collaboration between researchers and physicians to provide patients with access to the latest treatments. He understands the importance of working as a team to ensure the highest-quality care possible.

Labadie said Hollings offers patients what few other centers in the country can听鈥� access to every aspect of their care in a single location. That includes the that bridges medicine and dentistry to create prosthetic eyes, ears, nose, teeth and palates.

鈥淚 approach things with a different perspective. The way things have been done in the past shouldn鈥檛 dictate how things can be done in the future. I look at a situation and think, 鈥楬ow can we do things better?鈥欌��
鈥� Dr. Robert Labadie

鈥淭here are less than a handful of cancer centers nationally that have a dental lab integrated within the cancer clinic,鈥� Labadie said. 鈥淭hat is important for patients to know because most head and neck cancer surgeries are extremely disfiguring. However, because patients have access to this lab, they can actually have temporary prosthetics ready for them before they leave the hospital after surgery.鈥�

Offering head and neck cancer patients access to prosthetics is just one way Hollings aims to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors听鈥� by making them more comfortable in social settings. And, along with other Hollings specialists, like , Labadie hopes to expand services and bring much-deserved national prominence to studies that examine survivorship and quality of life after treatment is complete 鈥斕齛n area in which Graboyes is a leader.

鈥淚f you can learn something from a patient that can teach you something about how to treat future patients, that is really exciting. As the chair, I can do that and guide the department as we move forward and really dive into the survivorship aspect of care, in a way that no one else in the country really has done.鈥�

In addition to survivorship, Labadie said he is excited to offer patients access to more testing cutting-edge treatments that could be the next big breakthrough in cancer medicine. 鈥淎s Hollings is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Carolina, we have the opportunity to offer these trials to our patients that other locations can鈥檛. That offers hope and discovery and gives us the chance to change the landscape of cancer medicine.鈥�

Labadie is excited about the advancements that have been made in head and neck cancer over the last decade and looks forward to tackling the next chapter of cancer research and care at Hollings.

鈥淭he question we have to ask ourselves is 鈥楢re we okay with where survival rates are today?鈥� People die of head and neck cancer every day. Wouldn鈥檛 it be great if we got to the point where this isn鈥檛 a terminal disease? At the end of the day, that鈥檚 what this is all about.鈥�

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