An accomplished neurotologist and skull base surgeon, Miller joined Cedars-Sinai in 2021 and serves as director of Neurotology for the Cedars-Sinai Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Surgery Center. Her expertise includes otology, neurotology, cochlear implantation, vestibular schwannoma and acoustic neuroma care, lateral skull base surgery, Ménière’s disease, and hearing restoration.

“My vision is to continue to develop each of our subspecialties to the highest standard of rigorous academics and education paired with clinical excellence,” said Miller, also the inaugural LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology. "Every patient who comes to us deserves care from a team that is both deeply trained and fully committed to outstanding outcomes, and every trainee deserves an environment where they can grow into an exceptional clinician."

As an initial priority, Miller has hired Cedars-Sinai’s first otolaryngology PhD researcher to help lead the development of a hearing regeneration lab.

"We are delighted for Dr. Miller to step into the role of division director," said Cristina R. Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. "Her expertise as a surgeon, dedication to education and clear vision make her an ideal leader for this team. We look forward to the many ways she will strengthen patient care and mentor the physicians of tomorrow."

Miller earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her surgical internship and residency in head and neck surgery at UCLA, followed by fellowship training in neurotology and skull base surgery at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Miller served as director of the Center for Balance and Falls at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she led clinical and research initiatives. She also spent seven years as an associate at the House Ear Clinic.

Miller succeeds Gene Liu, MD, in the role of division director.

“Over the course of his years at Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Liu made outstanding contributions to the Department of Surgery, and we are grateful for his leadership,” Ferrone said. “Through his recruitment of 19 surgeons across the network and the establishment of the ENT residency, he provided a strong foundation of excellence in the academic and clinical footprint of the division for Dr. Miller to build on.”

Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom—TODAY: Treating Hearing Loss Can Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

Endowed chairs are faculty honors funded by donors to support the chairholder’s research or patient care programs at Cedars-Sinai. These positions further drive our medical advancements, said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences, dean of the Medical Faculty and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai.

“Endowed chairs are among the highest honors a medical center can bestow,” Melmed said. “Each of these healthcare professionals is a respected leader in their field and works tirelessly to make scientific discoveries that can save lives, improve health outcomes, train the next generation of physicians and scientists, and set the standard for pioneering medical science.“

The LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology is a newly established chair, with Mia Miller, MD, serving as its inaugural holder. Miller is director of the Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Program at Cedars-Sinai. Her research focuses on disorders of the ear, inner ear and vestibular system, which affects a person’s balance and spatial orientation. The acoustic neuroma program was created to further the expertise of Cedars-Sinai specialists who treat patients diagnosed with the non-cancerous, potentially devastating tumors. These growths can lead to hearing loss and vertigo and, progressively, can impact nerves that regulate speech, swallowing, and facial and eye movement.

Neil Bhowmick, PhD, research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, has been designated the Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research. The chair was formerly held by Phillip Koeffler, MD. Bhowmick, a professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, focuses on the role of certain cells in cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance as they relate to cancers of the lungs, bladder, pancreas and prostate.

Xue (Sean) Li, PhD, now holds the Board of Governors Chair in Cancer Research, formerly held by Leland Chung, PhD. Li is director of the Center of Sex and Gender Cancer Research at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His research examines gender differences in bladder cancer as well as sex hormones, sex chromosomes, immunity, metabolism, microbiome and sex epigenetics—the study of certain inherited changes in gene expression.

Anjaparavanda Naren, PhD, has been named the Geri and Richard Brawerman Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, formerly held by Zab Mosenifar, MD. Naren is director of Cystic Fibrosis Research at Cedars-Sinai and a professor of Medicine. He aims to develop better therapies to treat Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. In this work, he is studying unique Cystic Fibrosis mutations in patients identified as more at risk of experiencing those rare anomalies—and who may not respond to the most traditionally effective treatments. 

Stephen Shiao, MD, PhD, now holds the Barth Family Chair in Cancer Genetics in honor of Beth Y. Karlan, MD. The chair was formerly held by Simon Gayther, PhD. Shiao is director of the Division of Radiation Biology, co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program, professor of Biomedical Sciences and professor of Radiation Oncology. In his efforts, he analyzes the cells of some difficult-to-treat cancers, before and after radiation therapy combined with immunotherapy, to determine the most effective tumor-fighting immune responses prior to surgery.

“We could not make these merited distinctions without the contributions of our visionary donors,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “They are pillars of the Cedars-Sinai community whose impact can’t be measured by the value of their contributions alone. We thank them for their respective investments in the health of our community and beyond.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Ranks Among Top U.S. Hospitals for 10th Consecutive Year

Research has shown that moderate hearing loss in older adults triples the risk of dementia and that those with severe hearing loss have five times the risk because of harm to the brain’s thinking and memory functions.

“What I tell patients is the ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’ theory. So if you’re not getting verbal information to the brain and you’re not using that language perception, you may lose some of that function over time,” Miller told Shriver.

Miller said hearing loss screenings should be as common as other preventive tests, such as mammograms or eye exams. 

“You know, I have a very strong opinion on this because we check hearing in children in pediatric offices all the time, and we check sight throughout peoples’ lives,” Miller told Shriver. “It should be screened, I think, the way sight is screened. And it doesn’t take very long, and it has a huge impact.”

Investigators recently found that using hearing aids to treat hearing loss can positively affect brain health. But most people who need hearing aids don’t get them, in part because of an association with aging.

“So, patients actually say to me, ‘I don’t want to be perceived as old,’” Miller told Shriver.

Click here to view the segment from TODAY.