Merry E. Sebelik
MD, FACS
Dr. Sebelik is a head and neck surgeon with a clinical focus on thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Titles and Roles
- Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
- Emory University School of Medicine
- Director, Head and Neck Oncology
- Atlanta VA Medical Center
- Head and Neck Surgeon
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Research Program
- Cancer Prevention and Control
Biography
Merry E. Sebelik, MD, FACS, is professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Sebelik manages head and neck surgical oncology patients at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, where she treats patients with thyroid and parathyroid tumors, upper aerodigestive tract tumors, and skin cancer of the head and neck.
Dr. Sebelik is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. She is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery as well as the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the African Head & Neck Society, among many other professional organizations. She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Head and Neck Society.
Dr. Sebelik has been a National Ultrasound Faculty member of the American College of Surgeons since 2010 and is a member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. She represents Emory University in the Association of Academic Global Surgeons.
For over 20 years, Dr. Sebelik has collaborated with teaching institutions, professional societies and charitable organizations, to provide education and clinical care to patients suffering from Head & Neck tumors in lower resource parts of the world, including countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Philippines and India.
Education
Dr. Sebelik earned her medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she also served her residency in otolaryngology, head & neck surgery. She completed a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Research
Dr. Sebelik's research interests are in four main areas:
- Clinical: Quantification of national head and neck utilization/outcomes; novel applications of point-of-care ultrasound.
- Translational/Basic: High-frequency ultrasound, thyroid vascularity in the animal model.
- Surgical Education: Surgical trainee autonomy and competency scales: hand motion analysis; simulation-based learning; ultrasound performance competency.
- Global Health: Outcomes measures in low-resource surgery; point-of-care imaging in austere settings; goitrogenesis; incidence and management of head and neck cancer in low and middle income countries.
Publications
Publications Publication Date
Awards
Dr. Sebelik has received numerous honors, among them the 2020 Distinguished Award for Humanitarian Service by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, and a Distinguished Service Award in 2021 by the same organization. She received the University of Tennessee Service Award twice for exceptional service as the Resident Research Director in the UT Health Science Center Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
Her many years as a surgical educator were recognized by election to the prestigious Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. Further, Dr. Sebelik has been named a Top Doctor in Memphis and Atlanta by Castle Connolly continuously since 2015.