# Laura Viani > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Laura_Viani > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Laura_Viani.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Viani > Source revision: 1338077096 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Laura G. Viani** is an Irish [otolaryngologist](/source/Otolaryngologist) and [neurotologist](/source/Neurotologist) who established Ireland's first national cochlear implant program in 1995 and has performed over 2,000 cochlear implant surgeries. She served as president of the [Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland](/source/Royal_College_of_Surgeons_in_Ireland) (RCSI) from 2022 to 2024. A specialist in neuro-otology and skull base surgery, she established a multi-institutional Hearing Research Centre to foster collaboration between hospitals and universities. ## Education Viani attended medical school at [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin), where she completed a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of the Art of Obstetrics (BA, BCH, BAO).[1] She also completed a Diploma in Micro-vascular and Micro-neural Anastomosis with dissection of free flaps (DMMD).[1] Her career in surgery began in [paediatric surgery](/source/Pediatric_surgery) before she progressed into [otolaryngology](/source/Otolaryngology).[2] After graduating, she pursued postgraduate training in otolaryngology in [Dublin](/source/Dublin), [Manchester](/source/Manchester), and [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool).[2] At the [University of Manchester](/source/University_of_Manchester), she earned a Master of Science (MSc) in Audiological Medicine.[2] During her training in Liverpool, she was mentored by [Philip Stell](/source/Philip_Stell).[2] Upon completion of her specialist training, she became a Fellow of the [Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland](/source/Royal_College_of_Surgeons_in_Ireland) (FRCSI).[1] She won a RAMI Registrar Prize and a Research Fellowship from the RCSI in 1986, the Augustine Mehigan Scholarship in 1992, and the TWJ Scholarship in 1993.[3] Viani later undertook further specialized fellowships in skull base surgery in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), and in neuro-otology in [Zurich](/source/Zurich).[3] It was during her time in Cambridge that she was exposed to [cochlear implant](/source/Cochlear_implant) clinics, which inspired her to bring the service to Ireland.[2] ## Career Viani was appointed as a consultant otolaryngologist to [Beaumont Hospital, Dublin](/source/Beaumont_Hospital,_Dublin) in 1993 and is Ireland's first female ENT surgeon.[2] She is also a consultant at [Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street](/source/Children's_Health_Ireland_at_Temple_Street).[2] Viani is a past president of the otolaryngology section of the [Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Medicine_in_Ireland) and a past president of the Student Surgical Society in RCSI.[3] She has held honorary positions as an associate professor of surgery at RCSI and an adjunct professor in the [School of Medicine](/source/School_of_Medicine_(Trinity_College_Dublin)) at Trinity College Dublin.[3] ### National Cochlear Implant Program Recognizing a lack of services for profoundly deaf individuals in Ireland, Viani returned from her fellowships to establish the country's first cochlear implant program.[3] She opened her first clinic in 1994 and performed Ireland's first cochlear implant surgery on an adult in March 1995, followed by the first pediatric implant in 1996.[4] For 14 years, until 2009, she was the only surgeon performing the procedure in the country.[5] She has performed over 2,000 cochlear implants on both children and adults.[3] The program began with three staff members working from a desk at the back of a hospital.[2] Viani faced challenges in securing support and funding. In the program's early days, she had to personally buy hearing aids for children for their pre-implantation trials to avoid long waits.[2] To overcome these obstacles, she engaged in political lobbying and, along with patients and parents, launched the "Happy New Ear" campaign to raise public awareness.[2] The service grew into the National Hearing Implant and Research Centre (NHIRC), a standalone department at Beaumont Hospital.[5] By 2019, the multidisciplinary team had expanded to over 30 professionals, and the program had a ring-fenced annual budget of €6.8 million.[3] The centerperforms approximately 200 cochlear implant surgeries annually.[5] Viani was honored as the Graves Lecturer in 2012.[3] In 2019, she received multiple awards recognizing her contributions, including the Philip Stell Award and the inaugural Cpl World-Class Talent Award.[5] In 2021, she delivered the Joseph Toynbee Memorial Lecture at the [Royal Society of Medicine](/source/Royal_Society_of_Medicine) in London.[3] She was a visiting professor at the Cochlear Institutes of Sydney, Melbourne, and Bahrain.[3] ### Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Viani has been an active member of the RCSI Council since 2000.[3] In February 2020, she was elected President-elect of the college.[6] On June 7, 2022, she was officially elected president, succeeding [Ronan O'Connell](/source/Ronan_O'Connell).[7] Her election alongside [Deborah McNamara](/source/Deborah_McNamara) as vice-president was a historic first for the RCSI, marking the first time a woman held both the president and vice-president roles simultaneously.[7] She served a two-year term from 2022 to 2024, becoming only the second female president in the institution's history.[6] During her presidency, in October 2022, Viani was awarded an honorary fellowship in the [American College of Surgeons](/source/American_College_of_Surgeons).[1] On December 5, 2023, she received the 'Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare' award at the Irish Healthcare Awards in Dublin.[4] ## Personal life Viani has a son named Dylan.[2] ## References 1. ["Honorary Fellowship Conferred on 12 Eminent International Surgeons"](https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2022/nov-dec-clinical-congress-2022-highlights/honorary-fellowship-conferred-on-12-eminent-international-surgeons/). *American College of Surgeons*. 1 December 2022. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251216065239/https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2022/nov-dec-clinical-congress-2022-highlights/honorary-fellowship-conferred-on-12-eminent-international-surgeons/) 2025-12-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. ["European power women in otolaryngology: a focus on Laura Viani, Ireland's first female otolaryngologist"](https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/features/ent-features/post/european-power-women-in-otolaryngology-a-focus-on-laura-viani-ireland-s-first-female-otolaryngologist). *ENT & Audiology News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250810185233/https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/features/ent-features/post/european-power-women-in-otolaryngology-a-focus-on-laura-viani-ireland-s-first-female-otolaryngologist) 2025-08-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. ["Presidents of RCSI: Laura Viani"](https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/library/collections/heritage-collections/presidents-of-rcsi/laura-viani). *Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251008034735/https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/library/collections/heritage-collections/presidents-of-rcsi/laura-viani) 2025-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. ["Excellence in Irish healthcare honoured at annual awards"](https://www.imt.ie/news/excellence-in-irish-healthcare-honoured-at-annual-awards-08-12-2023/). *Irish Medical Times*. 2023-12-08. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231209045436/https://www.imt.ie/news/excellence-in-irish-healthcare-honoured-at-annual-awards-08-12-2023/) 2023-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. ["“The jewel in the crown”: pioneering Irish ENT surgeon Professor Laura Viani receives international Cpl World-Class Talent Award"](https://hospitalprofessionalnews.ie/2019/09/20/the-jewel-in-the-crown-pioneering-irish-ent-surgeon-professor-laura-viani-receives-international-cpl-world-class-talent-award/). *Hospital Professional News*. 2019-09-20. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251110173610/https://hospitalprofessionalnews.ie/2019/09/20/the-jewel-in-the-crown-pioneering-irish-ent-surgeon-professor-laura-viani-receives-international-cpl-world-class-talent-award/) 2025-11-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. ["New RSCI President-Elect"](https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/news/post/new-rsci-president-elect). *ENT & Audiology News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200923194549/https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/news/post/new-rsci-president-elect) 2020-09-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. 1. O’Dea, Blathnaid (2022-06-08). ["RCSI elects Prof Laura Viani as new president"](https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/rcsi-elects-prof-laura-viani-president). *Silicon Republic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250209174018/https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/rcsi-elects-prof-laura-viani-president) 2025-02-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-11. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Laura Viani](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Viani) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Viani?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.