Dr. Yew Song Cheng is a fellowship-trained neurotologist and lateral skull base surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and management of hearing and balance disorders, as well as complex otologic and skull base pathology. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, where he also serves as Lead Otologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
Dr. Cheng’s clinical expertise includes cochlear implantation, comprehensive hearing care, vestibular disorders, endoscopic ear surgery, and lateral skull base surgery. His research focuses on advancing the diagnosis and treatment of hearing and balance disorders, with particular interests in inner ear imaging, Ménière’s disease, and improving access to hearing care through innovative screening approaches. His work is grounded in a strong background in ear mechanics, with prior research investigating middle and inner ear physiology in conditions such as superior canal dehiscence using human temporal bone models. He currently leads translational research efforts within the Schindler Temporal Bone Laboratory at UCSF.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Cheng is actively involved in surgical education and training. He serves as Deputy Program Director of the UCSF Neurotology Fellowship and Course Director of the UCSF Temporal Bone Dissection Course, where he contributes to the development of future otologic surgeons.
Education and Training:
• Undergraduate: King’s College London, University of London
• Medical School: University of Oxford (BM BCh)
• Residency: New York University – Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
• Research Fellowship: Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear / Harvard Medical School (Mentor: Heidi H. Nakajima, MD, PhD)
• Fellowship: Massachusetts Eye and Ear / Harvard Medical School – Otology/Neurotology