Dr. Michael Johns and SLP Lauren Timmons-Sund, from the University of Southern California Voice Center, joined us for a live Q&A session with the participants. President Charlie Reavis moderated the session. Please note, questions that were not answered live will be responded to and posted at a later date.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

MICHAEL JOHNS, III, MD

Dr. Johns is passionate about medicine and about helping individuals with voice, swallowing and airway disorders. Prior to joining Keck Medicine of USC, Dr. Johns co-founded one of the first interdisciplinary voice centers in the United States at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is now director of the USC Voice Center, where he and his team members call on state-of-the-art technology for diagnosis and treatment, including awake laser therapy and vocal cord injections for age-related voice changes. Dr. Johns received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in otolaryngology at the University of Michigan Medical Center – Ann Arbor and his fellowship in laryngology at Vanderbilt University Hospital & Clinic. A dedicated researcher, Dr. Johns is working to advance minimally invasive treatment approaches and developing applications for novel injectable therapeutics for vocal paralysis, muscle weakness, scarring and aging. He is an avid supporter of Dysphonia International and of the Greater Los Angeles Support Group.

LAUREN K. TIMMONS-SUND, CCC-SLP

Lauren Timmons Sund is a speech-language pathologist at the USC Voice Center, USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She received her master’s degree in communicative disorders from California State University, Northridge and went on to complete a fellowship in voice, upper airway, and swallowing disorders at the USC Voice Center. She completed a voice-centric research internship at the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center as the Zola Gold Research Scholar. Lauren specializes in the comprehensive assessment and treatment of voice and upper airway disorders. She sees patients for voice problems related to a variety of causes, such as aging voice, muscle tension, nerve injury, and vocal fold injury related to voice use or phonotrauma. She sees patients for upper airway disorders, including chronic cough and paradoxical vocal fold motion disorder. Lauren further specializes in the care of the professional and performing voice and has experience working with actors, singers, and voice actors. In addition to caring for all voice, swallowing, and airway problems, Lauren and the team at the USC Voice Center offer gender-affirming voice care.