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San Jose 
Doctor Brittany Leader is a Beverly Hills trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, neck, nose, eyelids, eyebrows, and ears. Dr. Leader attended Emory University for medical school and completed a five-year residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Cincinnati. Prior to Emory University, she received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University where she graduated with Departmental Honors in Human Biology. Through the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, she was selected for the highly competitive fellowship in Beverly Hills with world renowned surgeons, Dr. Paul Nassif and Dr. Babak Azizzadeh. While training with Dr. Nassif, Dr. Leader studied and performed complex revision rhinoplasty and appeared on the E! show “Botched.” With Dr. Azizzadeh, the founder of the Facial Paralysis Institute and Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery, she learned the latest medical and surgical management for facial reanimation, helping patients with facial paralysis achieve a symmetric and beautiful smile. Dr. Leader is officially Double Board Certified. She is certified by the American board of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery as well as the board of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery. Dr. Leader is available at both the Palo Alto and San Jose locations.
During her fellowship, she also worked with numerous leading physicians and surgeons in Beverly Hills studying face and neck lift techniques, eyelid and eyebrow surgery, lip lift, rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty, hair restoration, skin cancer reconstruction, Botox, fillers, and laser treatments. Dr. Leader has published extensively in peer reviewed journals, authored multiple book chapters and presented her research at national and international meetings. Dr. Leader has also been awarded several first-place awards for her research, including the Triological Society Lawrence R. Boies Residency Research Award, and numerous academic and leadership awards, including induction into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. She is also a recipient of multiple research grants, including the Bing Honors College Research Grant, Human Biology Research Exploration Grant, and the Centralized Otolaryngology Research Effort Research Grant.
Dr. Leader has a lifelong passion for service to her community and volunteers at health screenings and free clinics. She recently traveled with Partners for Belize to the city of Corozal, where she performed multiple head and neck surgeries, including assisting with cleft lip and palate repairs. As recognized by her patients and colleagues, what sets Dr. Leader apart is the personalized care and thoughtful attention she provides every patient. She makes her patients feel confident and supported, while helping them achieve natural and beautiful results. While at Stanford, she was a recruited athlete, four year starter, and two year team captain of the Stanford Varsity Fencing Team, and also competed internationally as a member of the US National Fencing Team for five years. She builds on her athletic past by going on runs. She also enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their golden retriever.
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow with Dr. Babak Azizzadeh and Dr. Paul Nassif, 7/2020-6/2021
University of Cincinnati Department of Otolaryngology, 6/2015-6/2020
Emory University School of Medicine, 7/2011-5/2015
Stanford University, 9/2005-6/2009
Honors Thesis, Stanford CA, 6/2008-6/2009
Stanford Overseas Study Program, Florence Italy, 3/2008-6/2008
Alpha Omega Alpha, (9/2020)
1st Place Resident Research Award, Queen City Symposium, Cincinnati OH, (6/2020)
SRF Resident Leadership Grant, (7/2019)
Resident Travel Grant, Triological Society Combined Section Meeting, (1/2019 and 1/2020)
AAO-HNS Humanitarian Travel Grant, (12/2018)
Cincinnati Porto Alegre Pediatric Airway Course, Resident Education Grant, (11/2018)
Triological Society Lawrence R. Boies Resident Research Award, Middle Section, (10/2018)
Merck Clinical Scholar Research Award, (10/2015)
Joseph B. Whitehead Surgery Scholarship for Academic Excellence, (2014-2015)
David Henry Poer Medical School Scholarship, (2011-2012)
Stanford University Human Biology Departmental Honors, (6/2009)
NCAA Fencing Championships, 17th Individual Finish Women’s Epee, (3/2007)
NCAA Western Regional Fencing Championships, three-time finalist, (2006-2008)
Nancy Blough Blackwell Women’s Leadership Award, (8/2006)
For Sportsmanship, Leadership, Perseverance, Wawasee Yacht Club, IN
Stanford University Honor Athlete and Scholar Athlete, (2005-2009)
Stanford University Undergraduate Athletics Scholarship, (2005-2009)
Trinity School at Greenlawn Graduate Award Winner, (2005)
Trinity School at Greenlawn, Valedictorian, (2005)
U.S. National Fencing Team Member, (2003-2007)
Centralized Otolaryngology Research Effort (CORE) Research Grant, ASPO, Co-Investigator Project: Development of a Non-Invasive Genomic Test to Identify Pediatric OSA (6/2018-Present)
Stanford University Bing Honors College Research Grant (6/2008-8/2008)
Stanford University Human Biology Research Exploration Grant (6/2007-8/2007)
Original Publication in a Peer-Reviewed Journal
Brittany Leader, Leah Kottyan, Charles Moore, Dave Smith, Epigenetics of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Accepted for publication by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Brittany Leader, Garrett Griffin, Babak Larian, Guy Massry, Vishad Nabili, William Slattery, Babak Azizzadeh. End-to-Trunk Masseteric to Facial Nerve Transfer with Selective Neurectomy for Facial Reanimation. Accepted for publication by the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
Brittany Leader, Babak Azizzadeh. Synkinetic Unilateral Lower Lip Palsy (SULLP): Diagnosis and Technical Considerations for Facial Reanimation. Accepted for publication by Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine
*Luke Jakubowski, MD, *Brittany A. Leader, Stacey L. Ishman, Robert Chun, Sanjay Parikh, Margaret Skinner, Marc Thorne, Robert Weatherly, Gregory Wiet, David J. Brown. Validation of an Objective Assessment Tool for Tonsillectomy in Otolaryngology Resident Training *co-first authors. The Laryngoscope. 2020 Jun 8
Brittany A. Leader, Nathan D. Wiebracht, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Stacey L. Ishman, The Impact of Resident Involvement on Tonsillectomy Outcomes and Surgical Time. The Laryngoscope 2019 Nov 27
Brittany A. Leader, Michael J. Rutter, Sally R. Shott, Matthew M. Smith, Endoscopic Removal of a Cervical Esophageal Duplication Cyst. The Laryngoscope 2019 Oct 11
Mathieu Bergeron, Angela L. Duggins, Aliza P. Cohen, Brittany Leader, Stacey L. Ishman. The Impact of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea on the Quality of Life of Patients’ Families. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2019 Oct 12;129:109723
Kareem O. Tawfik, Brittany A. Leader, Zoe A. Walters, Daniel I. Choo, Relative preservation of superior semicircular canal architecture in CHARGE Syndrome, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2019 Jun;160(6):1095-1100.
Smith MM, Nokso-Koivisto J, Leader BA, Wilcox LJ, Rutter MJ. CO2 Laser Supraglottic Resurfacing for Non-Granulomatous Chronic Supraglottitis in Two Children. International Journal of Pediatric Otolaryngology. 2019 May;120:162-165.
Matthew C. Groplera, Brittany A. Leadera, David J. Brown, James R. Benke, Stephen P Bowditch, Stacey L. Ishman. Safety of radiofrequency ablation for adenotonsillectomy after cochlear implantation. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2018;114:67-70.
Fecher RA, Leader BA, Patil Y, Butler R. Tonsillar Small Cell Carcinoma: Potential Contribution of Human Papillomavirus. American Journal of Case Reports. 2018Apr24:19:482-485.
James C. Wang, Brittany A. Leader, Ryan A. Crane, Bernadette Koch, Matthew Smith, Stacey Ishman. Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Presenting as Facial Nerve Palsy in a Teenager. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2018.Apr;107:160-163.
Manvinder S. Kumar, Melissa S. Oh, Brittany Leader, Melissa Rotella, Leisa Stillman, PA-C, John M. DelGaudio, MD, Sarah K. Wise, Perceived compliance and barriers to care in sublingual immunotherapy. International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology, 2017May7(5):525-529.
Brittany A. Leader, Melissa Rotella, Leisa Stillman, John M. DelGaudio, Zara M. Patel, Sarah K. Wise. Immunotherapy Compliance: Comparison of Subcutaneous versus Sublingual Immunotherapy. International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology. 2016May;6(5):460-4.
Brittany Leader, Chris Carr, Suephy Chen. Pruritus Epidemiology and Quality of Life. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. 2015;226:15-38.
Elizabeth L. Ponder, Victoria E. Albrow, Brittany A. Leader, Miklós Békés, Jowita Mikolajczyk, Urša Pečar Fonović, Aimee Shen, Marcin Drag, Junpeng Xiao, Edgar Deu, Amy J. Campbell, James C. Powers, Guy S. Salvesen, Matthew Bogyo. Functional Characterization of a SUMO Deconjugating Protease of Plasmodium falciparum Using Newly Identified Small Molecule Inhibitors. Chemistry & Biology. 2011Jun24;18(6):711-21.
At Illuminate we’re with you during every step of your journey toward greater self-confidence. Schedule a consultation with us today and let Illuminate’s expert team listen to your concerns and guide you through treatments and procedures to help you reach your individual goals. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating your renewed appearance and realized potential.
