Prof. Liancai Mu | Diagnostic | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Liancai Mu, M.D., Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at the Upper Airway Research Laboratory, Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, with over three decades of academic and clinical experience in otolaryngology and neuroscience. His research focuses on the neuromuscular specializations of human upper airway structures and the mechanisms underlying speech, swallowing, and voice (SSV) disorders, particularly in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mu’s pioneering work demonstrated that PD affects the peripheral nervous system of the pharynx and larynx, contributing significantly to SSV impairments, and led to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. He mapped the nerve supply of laryngeal, pharyngeal, soft palate, and tongue muscles using Sihler’s staining technique and identified neuromuscular compartments with specialized fibers, leading to a new theory that pharyngeal constrictors are controlled by two distinct neuromuscular systems (IX-SIL and X-FOL), now included in modern medical texts. Additionally, he developed an innovative muscle reinnervation method, “nerve-muscle-endplate grafting” (NMEG), which achieves superior functional recovery compared to traditional nerve repair. Mu has led multiple NIH R01, DOD, and Michael J. Fox Foundation-funded projects, collaborated internationally with institutions such as Mount Sinai Medical Center, Linguaflex, Inc., and the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders, and served as a consultant for FDA-approved therapies. He has published 68 peer-reviewed articles across 22 indexed journals, accrued 2,772 citations and holds an h-index of 30, reflecting his substantial impact in neuroscience, otolaryngology, and PD research.

Profile:  Scopus