Professor Catherine Birman 

OAM MBBS PhD FRACS
Medical Director NextSense Cochlear Implant Program (Staff Specialist CHW over 25 years), Sydney, Australia

Professor Birman is an otolaryngologist specializing in paediatric and adult cochlear implants, otology and paediatric ENT.  She is the Medical Director of NextSense Cochlear Implant Centre (formerly SCIC), Australia’s largest cochlear implant program.  She has extensive experience in paediatric and adult cochlear implants having performed over 1700 cochlear implant procedures.
 
In 2017 Professor Birman was awarded the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year Award for her work with cochlear implants.  She received the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the Art and Science of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery in 2018.  In 2022 she received the Order of Australia Medal for services to otolaryngology.
 
Professor Birman has published and presented extensively on cochlear implant outcomes, innovative cochlear implant devices; bone conduction implantable hearing devices; and paediatric conditions.  She has participated in a number of grants and clinical trials. 

Prof Birman is a Director of NextSense, the 161 year old charity for those with hearing or vision impairment.  She is a Clinical Professor and Joint Head of Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Sydney University, and an Honorary Clinical Professor at Macquarie University.  She has been a past NSW chair of ASOHNS and served on a number of hospital and NSW Health government committees.