At the start of our new fiscal year this October, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is very pleased to announce the addition of four new members to our Board of Directors: Andreas H. Eckhard, M.D., Steven D. Rauch, M.D., Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, and Daniel J. Tollin, Ph.D.
Andreas H. Eckhard, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Co-Director, Otopathology Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear
Eckhard obtained his medical degree from the University of Tuebingen Medical School and the Tuebingen Hearing Research Center, both in Germany. He trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the Otopathology Laboratory at Mass Eye and Ear before completing his clinical training in otolaryngology at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland. As a resident and junior consultant, he completed clinical work at Interdisciplinary Centers for Vertigo and Balance Disorders in Munich, Germany, and in Zurich, Switzerland, respectively.
In both his research and clinical work, Eckhard has pursued a strong focus on vestibular disorders. His research interests are the cellular and molecular pathomechanisms of inner-ear diseases, foremost Ménière’s disease, with special interest in the pathogenic roles of non-sensory supporting cells. His group seeks to develop and implement new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for vestibular disorders, utilizing methods ranging from basic animal models to translational patient-based approaches, with a dedicated focus on integrating human otopathology research.
Eckhard’s clinical work is strongly informed by his research and revolves around diagnosing and managing patients with vestibular and combined vestibular and auditory symptoms.
Source: Harvard Medical School
Steven D. Rauch, M.D.
Emeritus Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School
With more than 30 years of experience in otolaryngology, Rauch specializes in the diagnosis and medical and surgical management of hearing and balance disorders. His leadership and expertise in balance disorders led to the formation of the Vestibular Division at Mass Eye and Ear. Under his leadership, the division brought together specialists from both otolaryngology and neurology to provide highly specialized clinical care and research initiatives with the goal of improving the lives of patients with vestibular and balance disorders.
Rauch’s clinical interests include both hearing and balance disorders. He focuses his research efforts on combined disorders of hearing and balance, particularly Ménière’s disease, autoimmune inner ear disease, sudden deafness, and migraine. He has also cultivated an interest in performing arts medicine and is an adjunct professor in the liberal arts department at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches a course on health and wellness for undergraduate music students.
A graduate of Amherst College, Rauch received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine prior to joining Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School for his residency in otolaryngology.
Since relocating to California, Rauch sees patients via Loma Linda University clinics.
Sources: Harvard Medical School and Loma Linda University
Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., FACS
Bertarelli Foundation Professor and Professor of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery, Stanford University
Stankovic is an ear and skull base surgeon trained at Harvard and an auditory neuroscientist trained at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She blends her surgical expertise with training in physics, molecular biology, auditory neuroscience, and systems electrophysiology. This multidisciplinary background enables her to devise uniquely effective solutions tailored to the unmet needs of those with hearing loss.
As the director of the Stanford Medicine Molecular Neurotology Laboratory, Stankovic focuses on overcoming the challenges posed by the small size and complex three-dimensional structure of the inner ear. Her approach is further enhanced by collaborations with international leaders in ultra-low-power electronics and nonlinear optics.
She has been recognized by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the American Otological Society, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Organization for Hearing Research, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders for her leadership in clinical care, research, and education.
Stankovic is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum, and the American Otological Society. She is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Neurotology Society, and a former president of the American Auditory Society.
She earned a B.S. in physics and molecular biology from MIT, where she also earned a doctorate in speech and hearing bioscience and technology. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School.
Sources: Stanford and LinkedIn; for more, see this October 2026 profile of Stankovic in CorD Magazine.
Daniel J. Tollin, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Joint Appointment with Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Anschutz
Tollin serves as a primary faculty member at CU Anschutz across several graduate programs, including neuroscience, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and the Medical Scientist Training Program, contributing to both foundational education and interdisciplinary research training.
As the principal investigator of the Tollin Lab, he focuses on auditory neurophysiology, systems neuroscience, neuroengineering, and computational neuroscience. Tollin’s work investigates spatial and binaural hearing to determine how central auditory pathways process cues such as interaural time and level differences to pinpoint sound sources. Furthermore, his lab studies how auditory processing is compromised by developmental hearing loss, acoustic trauma, blast injury, conductive impairments, and aging, utilizing electrophysiology, biophysical modeling, and acoustic startle paradigms to examine ear mechanics and central neural pathways.
Tollin’s contributions to the field have earned him prominent professional distinctions. He is an elected Fellow of both the Acoustical Society of America and the American Otological Society. Additionally, he was elected as a member of the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum, recognizing his impact on international auditory science and otolaryngology research.
Tollin received a B.S. in bioengineering and biomedical engineering from Boston University and a doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of Oxford in the U.K.
Sources: CU Anschutz and LinkedIn
Two longtime members, Judy Dubno, Ph.D., and Anil K. Lalwani, M.D., are stepping down from HHF’s Board of Directors. HHF gratefully recognizes and greatly appreciates their generosity of time and effort, and significant contributions not only to HHF but also to the fields of hearing and balance science.
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Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is very pleased to announce the addition of four new members to our Board of Directors: Andreas H. Eckhard, M.D., Steven D. Rauch, M.D., Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, and Daniel J. Tollin, Ph.D.