Professor Hisham Mehanna PhD, BMedSc, MBChB, FRCS, FRCS(ORL-HNS)

Professor Hisham Mehanna

Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (interdisciplinary research)
Director, Institute for Global Innovation and Institute for Advanced Studies
Director, Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education (InHANSE)

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 8753
Email
h.mehanna@bham.ac.uk
PA: Gemma Jones
g.jones@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@inhanseresearch
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education
Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Robert Aitken Building
Vincent Drive
University of Birmingham
Birmingham B15 2TT

Professor Hisham Mehanna is the chair of head and neck surgery, and is the Director of the Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education (InHANSE) at the Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences.

Hisham is a head and neck and thyroid surgeon with clinical interests in recurrence in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. He has a keen interest in clinical and translational research, heading a research team of 20 researchers, and holding over £15million in research grants. His research has changed clinical practice across the world. 

His experience of multi-disciplinary research in the field of cancer biology and treatment has made him a strong proponent of multi- and inter- disciplinary research, as the way to provide new insights and approaches to address intractable global challenges. 

As Deputy PVC, Hisham has responsibility for promoting interdisciplinary research across the University. Also as Director of the Institute for Global Innovation (IGI) and the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), Hisham strives to ensure that the Institutes inspire, support and deliver world-leading, multi- and inter-disciplinary research that seeks to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, that affect humanity at a global level. The IGI’s research themes revolve around the factors that challenge, and sometimes threaten, the sustainability and resilience of individuals, communities, countries and the world as a whole. Themes include resilient cities, water challenges in a changing world, clean cooling, pollution solutions, antimicrobial resistance, ageing and frailty, gender inequality, artificial intelligence and 21st century transnational crime. 

Qualifications

  • PhD, Assessment of Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancers. Erasmus University 2010
  • FRCS (ORL-HNS) 2002
  • FRCS Glasgow 1998
  • MBChB (Hons)  University of Glasgow 1994
  • B.Med.Sc (Hons) University of Kuwait 1990 

Teaching

Hisham runs several post graduate courses and meetings, including the international biennial ‘Controversies in the management of head and neck cancer’ meeting. He also serves on the organising committee of several large international conferences, and has served on faculty of many conferences and courses. He is currently the Academic Chair for the British Academic Conference of Otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery (BACO International) 2021.

Postgraduate supervision

Hisham supervises several PhD, Masters and intercalating BSc students, in topics ranging from translational research to bioinformatics to clinical research

Other activities

  • Chair, Head and Neck Cancer International Group, 2019-present 
  • Council Member, University of Birmingham, 2015-2019
  • President, British Association of Head Neck Oncologists, 2017-2019
  • Secretary, Head and Neck Cancer International Group (HNCIG), 2016-2020
  • Chair, UK’s National Cancer Research Institute Head and Neck Group, 2012-2018

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Williamson, A, Nankivell, P, Abou-Foul, A, Ahmed, M, Mehanna, H, HNCIG and IFHNOS steering committee & HNCIG and IFHNOS survey respondents 2025, 'Trends in investigations for suspected Head and Neck Carcinoma of the Unknown Primary: A HNCIG and IFHNOS international survey of practice', Head & Neck.

Shephard, AJ, Bashir, RMS, Mahmood, H, Jahanifar, M, Minhas, F, Raza, SEA, McCombe, KD, Craig, SG, James, J, Brooks, J, Nankivell, P, Mehanna, H, Khurram, SA & Rajpoot, NM 2024, 'A fully automated and explainable algorithm for predicting malignant transformation in oral epithelial dysplasia', npj Precision Oncology, vol. 8, no. 1, 137. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00624-8

Lim, AM, McDowell, L, Hurt, C, Tourneau, CL, Homma, A, Shenouda, G, Thompson, DJ, Moya-Plana, A, Henson, C, Szturz, P, Day, AT, Bates, JE, Lazarakis, S, Thariat, J, Psyrri, A, Mehanna, H & Yom, SS 2024, 'Assessment of endpoint definitions in curative-intent trials for mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations', The Lancet Oncology, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. e318-e330. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00067-6

Lim, A, Laskar, S, Steuer, C, Chow, VLY, Szturz, P, Henson, C, Day, AT, Bates, JE, Lazarakis, S, McDowell, L, Mehanna, H & Yom, SS 2024, 'Assessment of endpoint definitions in recurrent and metastatic mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma trials: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations', The Lancet Oncology, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. e308-e317. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00068-8

Payne, KFB, Brotherwood, P, Suriyanarayanan, H, Brooks, JM, Batis, N, Beggs, AD, Gendoo, DMA, Mehanna, H & Nankivell, P 2024, 'Circulating tumour DNA detects somatic variants contributing to spatial and temporal intratumural heterogeneity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma', Frontiers in Oncology, vol. 14, 1374816. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2024.1374816

PETNECK2 Research Team 2024, 'Clinical predictive models for recurrence and survival in treated laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Frontiers in Oncology, vol. 14, 1478385. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2024.1478385

Mehanna, H, Gaunt, P, Kong, A, Hartley, A, Sanghera, P, Forster, M, Sen, M, Paleri, V, Fong, C, Geropantas, D, Srinivasan, D, Garikipati, S, Moleron, R, Casswell, G, Aynsley, E, Ward, A, O'Toole, L, Mirza, A, Firth, C, Humphreys, I, Fulton-Lieuw, T & Nankivell, P 2024, 'CompARE: study protocol for a phase III randomised controlled platform trial comparing alternative regimens for escalating treatment of intermediate and high-risk oropharyngeal cancer', Trials, vol. 25, 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07881-1

Henson, C, Abou-Foul, A, Glastonbury, C, Huang, SH, King, AD, Lydiatt, WM, McDowell, L, Nagelschneider, AA, Nankivell, P, O'Sullivan, B, Rhys, R, Xiao, Y, Yu, E, Andrew, D, Asmussen, JT, Bidault, F, Dankbaar, JW, de Graaf, P, Gebrim, ES, Hu, C, Ding, J, Kanda, T, Kim, J, Kuno, H, Medrano-Martorell, S, Oikonomopoulos, N, Park-Nam Goh, J, Santos-Armentia, E, Schafigh, DG, Subramaniam, RM, Wu, X, Yom, SS & Mehanna, H 2024, 'Criteria for the diagnosis of extra nodal extension detected on radiological imaging in head and neck cancer: HNCIG international consensus recommendations', The Lancet Oncology, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. e297-e307. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00066-4

Henson, C, Abou-Foul, A, Glastonbury, C, Huang, SH, King, A, Lydiatt, W, McDowell, LJ, Nagelschneider, AA, Nankivell, P, O'Sullivan, B, Rhys, R, Xiao, Y, Yu, E, Yom, SS & Mehanna, H 2024, 'Criteria for the Diagnosis of Extranodal Extension Detected on Radiological Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer: HNCIG International Consensus Recommendations', International Journal of Radiation: Oncology - Biology - Physics , vol. 118, no. 5, pp. e12-e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.01.033

Mehanna, H, Rapozo, D, Zeidler, SVV, Harrington, K, Winter, S, Hartley, A, Nankivell, P, Schache, A, Sloan, P, Odell, E, Thavaraj, S, Hunter, K, Shah, K, Thomas, G, Long, A, Amel-Kashipaz, R, Brown, R, Conn, B, Hall, G, Matthews, P, Weir, J, Yeo, Y, Pring, M, West, C, McCaul, J, Golusinski, P, Sitch, A, Spruce, R, Batis, N, Bryant, J, Brooks, J, Jones, TM, Buffa, F, Haider, S & Robinson, M 2024, 'Developing and validating a multivariable prognostic-predictive classifier for treatment escalation of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: the PREDICTR-OPC study', Clinical Cancer Research, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 356–367. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1013

Comment/debate

PETNECK2 Research Team, Nankivell, P, Gaunt, P, Gaunt, C, Sissons, J, Liaskou, E, Jefferson, Y, Fulton-Lieuw, T, Mittal, S & Mehanna, H 2024, 'Correction: PET-CT-guided, symptom-based, patient-initiated surveillance versus clinical follow-up in head neck cancer patients (PETNECK2): study protocol for a multicentre feasibility study and non-inferiority, randomised, phase III trial', BMC Cancer, vol. 24, no. 1, 861. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-024-12639-2

Review article

Carsuzaa, F, Chabrillac, E, Marcy, PY, Mehanna, H & Thariat, J 2024, 'Advances and residual knowledge gaps in the neck management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients with advanced nodal disease undergoing definitive (chemo)radiotherapy for their primary', Strahlentherapie und Onkologie. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-024-02228-4

Mehanna, H, Alemany, L & von Buchwald, C 2024, 'Advances in testing for human papillomavirus-mediated head and neck cancer', Current opinion in oncology, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 143-146. https://doi.org/10.1097/CCO.0000000000001029

McDowell, LJ, King, MT, Hutcheson, KA, Ringash, J, Yom, SS, Corry, J, Henson, C, Mehanna, H & Rischin, D 2024, 'A hard truth to swallow: critically evaluating the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) as an endpoint in human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer trials', International Journal of Radiation: Oncology - Biology - Physics . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.05.005

Dretzke, J, Abou-Foul, AK, Albon, E, Hillier, B, Scandrett, K, Price, MJ, Moore, DJ, Mehanna, H, Nankivell, P & PETNECK2 Research Team 2024, 'A systematic review of prognostic models for predicting recurrence and survival in patients with treated oropharyngeal cancer', BMJ open, vol. 14, no. 12, e090393. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090393

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Global Development and Research