Neurotologist · Skull Base Surgeon

Ashley Nassiri MD, MBA

Director of the Cochlear Implant Program and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

University of Colorado School of Medicine · UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital

Advancing care in cochlear implantation, skull base surgery, and inner ear disease — through clinical excellence, research, and surgical education.

For Patients Conditions Treated

About

Dr. Ashley Nassiri is a fellowship-trained neurotologist and skull base surgeon at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, in the Denver metropolitan area. She also serves as Director of the Cochlear Implant Program and provides specialized care for pediatric and adult patients with complex ear and lateral skull base conditions.

Dr. Nassiri completed her residency in otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and her fellowship in neurotology at Mayo Clinic (opens Mayo Clinic's fellow page in a new tab) in Rochester, Minnesota. She earned her medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Her research focuses on expanding access to hearing health care through improving adult and pediatric hearing screening, expanding cochlear implant candidacy and improving outcomes, innovation in surgical and radiosurgical management of vestibular schwannomas, and surgical education. She is committed to expanding access to hearing rehabilitation such as cochlear implantation and advancing evidence-based practice in otology and neurotology.

Dr. Nassiri also writes and speaks on the business of medicine — exploring how healthcare economics, practice management, and health policy intersect with the delivery of surgical care.

Education & Training

Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Fellowship in Neurotology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Residency in Otolaryngology
University of Chicago Booth School of Business

MBA
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Medical School
University of California, Berkeley

Undergraduate

For Patients

Conditions Treated

View all →

Vestibular Schwannoma (Acoustic Neuroma) Hearing Loss Cholesteatoma Eardrum Perforation Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Paraganglioma (Glomus Tumor) Temporal Bone & Lateral Skull Base Tumors

Procedures & Hearing Devices

View all →

Cochlear Implantation Osseointegrated Hearing Devices Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Schedule an Appointment

Dr. Nassiri sees patients at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, serving the Denver area. To schedule, call the clinic or visit her UCHealth provider page.

Call 720-848-2820 UCHealth provider page

UCHealth Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic – Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion, Aurora, Colorado

Recognition

Training & Certification

Board Certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

Board Certified in Neurotology

Gamma Knife Certificate (2021)

Leadership & Service

Associate Editor

Otology & Neurotology Open

Fellow Member

American Neurotology Society

Audit Committee Member

American Neurotology Society

Education Committee Member

American Neurotology Society

Member

North American Skull Base Society

Committee Member

American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Awards & Recognition

Invited Keynote Lecturer

2026 · 25th Annual Fernandez-Lindsay Lecture, University of Chicago School of Medicine

Best Abstract Award

2021 · American Cochlear Implant Alliance

2nd Place, Annual Poster Award

2019 · Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center

Original Study Selected for Podcast

2019 · Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Journal

3rd Place Oral ePoster Presentation

2019 · World Congress on Endoscopic Ear Surgery 3.0

2nd Place, Resident Research Competition

2019 · Vanderbilt University

Research Focus

Dr. Nassiri's research program combines clinical outcomes research, evidence-based practice, and health systems innovation to improve access to hearing and skull base care. Her work spans individual patient outcomes to population-level health equity initiatives, with a focus on expanding care for underserved populations.

Cochlear Implantation

Establishing funded cochlear implant research and clinical programs to expand access for underserved populations, evaluate candidacy criteria, optimize long-term hearing outcomes, and improve rehabilitation uptake through data-driven and patient-centered approaches.

Access & EquityPatient NavigationOutcomes Research

Skull Base Surgery

Surgical management of lateral skull base tumors — including vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas — with a focus on hearing preservation, facial nerve outcomes, and quality of life.

SchwannomasMeningiomasHearing Preservation

Vestibular Schwannoma Natural History

Studying how vestibular schwannomas behave when they are watched rather than treated — including a multi-institutional analysis of 952 patients — to predict which tumors will grow and help patients choose between observation, radiosurgery, and surgery.

Wait-and-ScanTumor GrowthQuality of Life

Surgical Education & Innovation

Advancing evidence-based practice through resident training innovations, simulation-based education, standardization of surgical techniques, and development of decision-support tools to improve surgical outcomes and education quality.

Education InnovationDecision SupportEvidence-Based Practice

Publications

77 on PubMed

Showing 20 most recent. Data sourced from PubMed.

Pharmacotherapeutic Interventions for Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Mavandi M, Hyler J, Lee E, Singh R, Swanepoel W, Nassiri AM, et al.

Audiol Res · 2026
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Artifact Associated With the Oticon Medical Sentio Ti Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Hearing Implant (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Hennesy TB, Zander DA, Kryzer TJ, Honce JM, Carlson ML, Nassiri AM

Otol Neurotol · 2026
Marketing Practices and Information Quality for Over-the-counter (OTC) Hearing Aids on Amazon.com (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Conway K, Knoetze M, Swanepoel W, Sharma A, Nassiri A, Manchaiah V

Otol Neurotol · 2026
Proposed Development of a New Staging System for Hearing Loss: Countermeasure 2 of the Hearing Health Collaborative (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Carlson ML, Zwolan TA, Bush ML, Cosetti MK, Dunn CC, Gubbels SP, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2026
Highly Coordinated Cochlear Implant Care With Remote Programming: Clinical, Financial, and Implementation Outcomes for the Complete Cochlear Implant Care (CCIC) Model (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Saoji AA, DeJong MD, Tombers NM, Lohse CM, Driscoll CLW, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2026
Modified Fisch A Approach for Resection of Recurrent Jugular Foramen Meningioma (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Kalmanson O, Khanna O, Youssef AS, Nassiri A

Otol Neurotol · 2025

Show 14 more recent publications

Rationale for the Development of a Universal Hearing Metric for Public Consumption: Initiative 1 of the Hearing Health Collaborative (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Reed NS, Assi S, Bush M, Carlson ML, Cosetti M, Creel L, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2025
Anatomical Step-by-Step Dissection of Complex Skull Base Approaches for Trainees: Surgical Anatomy of the Translabyrinthine and Transcochlear Approaches (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Perry A, Carlstrom LP, Alexander AY, Leonel LCPC, Nassiri AM, Nguyen B, et al.

J Neurol Surg B Skull Base · 2025
RESPONSE TO LETTER TO THE EDITOR REGARDING: HEARING DEVICE COIL PLACEMENT LATERAL TO THE TEMPORALIS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO FLAP THINNING FOR COCHLEAR AND TRANSCUTANEOUS BONE-ANCHORED IMPLANTS (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Hogan CA, Carlson ML

Otol Neurotol · 2025
Access to Cochlear Implantation: Trends in Surgeon Volume and Training (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Espahbodi M, Trautwein P, Bestourous DE, Zwolan TA, Nassiri AM, Carlson ML, et al.

Laryngoscope · 2025
Hearing Device Coil Placement Lateral to the Temporalis: An Alternative to Flap Thinning for Cochlear and Transcutaneous Bone-Anchored Implants (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Randall NR, Johnson BJ, Carlson ML

Otol Neurotol · 2025
Revised Classification of Inner Ear Schwannomas (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Plontke SK, Lloyd SKW, Freeman SRM, Kösling S, Arnoldner C, Biggs N, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2025
Techniques in Management of Cholesteatoma: Radical and Canal Wall down Mastoidectomy (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Gjini EK, Kalmanson OA, Noonan K, Nassiri AM

Otolaryngol Clin North Am · 2025
Cochlear Implantation Outcomes in Patients With Sporadic Inner Ear Schwannomas With and Without Simultaneous Tumor Resection (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Staricha K, Neff BA, Driscoll CLW, Link MJ, Carlson ML

Otol Neurotol · 2024
Full Recovery of Hearing After Resection of a Large Epidermoid Tumor at the Cerebellopontine Angle: 2-Dimensional Operative Video (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Bauman MMJ, Nassiri AM, Driscoll CL, Link MJ

Oper Neurosurg · 2024
Anatomic Step-by-Step Dissection of Complex Skull Base Approaches for Trainees: Surgical Anatomy of the Infratemporal Fossa Approach to the Jugular Foramen (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Dornhoffer JR, Nassiri AM, Peris-Celda M, Leonel LC, Carlson ML

Oper Neurosurg · 2024
Rationale for the Development of a Novel Clinical Grading Scale for Postoperative Facial Nerve Function: Results of a Multidisciplinary International Working Group (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Carlson ML, Lohse CM, Agazzi S, Babu SC, Barker FG, Barnett S, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2023
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Artifact Associated With Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implants: Cholesteatoma and Vestibular Schwannoma Surveillance (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Messina SA, Benson JC, Lane JI, McGee KP, Trzasko JD, et al.

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · 2024
Age and Incidence of Cochlear Implantation in the Pediatric Population With Congenital Bilateral Profound Hearing Loss (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Nassiri AM, Marinelli JP, Lohse CM, Carlson ML

Otol Neurotol · 2023
Stratifying Risk of Future Growth Among Sporadic Vestibular Schwannomas (opens PubMed in a new tab)

Marinelli JP, Schnurman Z, Killeen DE, Nassiri AM, Hunter JB, Lees KA, et al.

Otol Neurotol · 2023

View all on PubMed

Podcasts

Latest

Beyond the Decibels Podcast

Could One Number Change Hearing Health in America?

Ashley Nassiri, MD & Jennifer Deal, PhD · March 16, 2026

Shared insights on hearing loss as a public health issue, and efforts to raise awareness and improve access—especially through the use of a simple, scalable metric: the Hearing Number.

Listen on Buzzsprout

Business of Medicine

27 episodes

Headmirror's ENT in a Nutshell

A 27-episode podcast series co-created by Dr. Nassiri to equip physicians with business and leadership skills rarely taught in medical training. Organized into three domains, each episode features an expert guest interviewed by Dr. Nassiri.

View full series on Headmirror

Part I Leadership (10 episodes)

Part II Care Delivery (8 episodes)

Part III Practice Management (9 episodes)