Rate My Professor Yarah Haidar

Yarah Haidar, MD, serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and as Director of the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residency Program. Board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, she specializes in the surgical treatment of head and neck cancers, robot-assisted and microvascular surgery, minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery, the management of salivary gland disease, and skull base surgery. Her particular focus includes the minimally invasive treatment of oropharyngeal cancers and strategies to enhance quality of life for head and neck cancer patients. Dr. Haidar is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, and the Triological Society. Fluent in Arabic and English, she practices at UCI Health sites including UCI Medical Center in Orange and UCI Health-Placentia, contributing to comprehensive patient care in otolaryngology and neuro-oncology.

Dr. Haidar obtained her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. She completed her residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center and pursued a fellowship in head and neck cancer surgery and microvascular reconstruction at Mount Sinai Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Her scholarly contributions encompass more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters on topics in head and neck surgery. Key publications include 'Effect of Perioperative Antithrombotics on Postoperative Complications After Free Flap Reconstruction in Head and Neck Surgery' (2023), 'Re-irradiation versus systemic therapy for the management of locoregionally recurrent head and neck cancer' (2024), 'Synchronous versus asynchronous delivery of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin for locoregionally-advanced head and neck cancer' (2025), and a chapter in 'Head and Neck Ultrasonography: Essential and Extended Applications.' Dr. Haidar has earned multiple research awards for presentations at national meetings, the 2024 Rising Star award from UC Irvine School of Medicine and UCI Health recognizing junior faculty for community service, research, and clinical advances, and the UCI Residency Program Director of the Year accolade. Through her roles, she significantly influences resident training and multidisciplinary approaches in head and neck oncology.