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The UEP Voice Box

The UEP Voice Box

By: The Union of European Phoniatricians
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About this listen

Welcome to The UEP Voice Box — the official podcast of the Union of European Phoniatricians.

Explore the latest in voice science through conversations with leading laryngologists, phoniatricians, and vocal health experts from around the world.

Hosted by Dr. Shiying Hey, ENT surgeon and laryngologist. Produced by Nikki Martinez with sound design by Heywire Studios.

Copyright 2024-2025 Union of European Phoniatricians. Audio production by Nikki Martinez & Heywire Studios. Science
Episodes
  • Episode 11 - The Art & Science of Caring for A Performer's Voice with Prof. Kittie Verdolini Abbott

    Episode 11 - The Art & Science of Caring for A Performer's Voice with Prof. Kittie Verdolini Abbott
    Dec 22 2025

    Welcome to the second episode of our special series, The Artistic Voice! This is a sub-series of the UEP Voice Box exploring the care, challenges, and science behind the professional voice. Today, we are joined by Professor Kittie Verdolini-Abbott, a world leader in voice science, vocal pedagogy, and a distinguished clinician-scientist. Drawing on her unique journey from professional singer to pioneering researcher, Professor Verdolini-Abbott offers a rare integration of artistry, physiology, and behavioural science. The conversation explores how performers can safely approach vocal extremes, explaining why pushing pitch, loudness, or intensity places the voice at biomechanical boundaries—and how technique, training, and restraint are essential for vocal longevity. She also challenges traditional ideas around voice rest, sharing compelling research showing how specific vocal exercises, particularly gentle high-pitch and resonant activation, can actively reduce inflammation and support vocal fold healing. Moving beyond acute injury, the episode examines chronic vocal conditions. She asks questions such as, how might behavioural voice therapy help prevent further damage while supporting healthier tissue remodelling over time? This discussion challenges us to rethink vocal training through the lens of motor learning! We hope you enjoy this episode of the UEP Voicebox, essential listening for performers, voice teachers, speech and language therapists, and clinicians interested in sustainable voice use grounded in the latest scientific research.

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    31 mins
  • Episode 10: FGF Therapy in Voice Regeneration with Dr. Shigeru Hirano - The Next Chapter & Beyond

    Episode 10: FGF Therapy in Voice Regeneration with Dr. Shigeru Hirano - The Next Chapter & Beyond
    Nov 24 2025

    Episode 10: FGF Therapy in Voice Regeneration with Dr. Shigeru Hirano - The Next Chapter and Beyond

    We're excited to share the latest episode of the UEP Voice Box podcast! In our 10th episode, host Dr. Shiying Hey chats with Dr. Shigeru Hirano, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

    Professor Hirano joins us from Japan to discuss his innovative work with basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) for vocal fold regeneration. This treatment was originally developed for skin regeneration, but he pioneered its use in treatments for voice disorders. This regenerative approach represents a breakthrough for patients, offering new hope where traditional treatments have fallen short.

    The episode explores the evolution of regenerative medicine in laryngology, as Professor Hirano shares insights into current research plus the exciting possibilities and challenges that lie ahead in this field.

    "We didn't have any good treatments for atrophy or scar one or two decades ago," Dr. Hirano notes, "But now everything has changed, and the regenerative approach is now possible."

    While acknowledging that regenerative medicine still has limitations, he believes it represents a true breakthrough in 21st-century treatment for patients with severe vocal disorders.

    This episode is particularly relevant for clinicians treating increasingly aged populations, where vocal fold atrophy, sulcus, and scarring are becoming more common.

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    Update: We've expanded our podcasts on several platforms and are thrilled that our network of listeners around the world is growing. As of this episode, you have tuned in from over 65 countries!

    Thank you for your presence and continued support. Please do share the podcast, leave a comment below, or rate us to let us know your feedback.

    Visit www.uepvoicebox.com to hear the conversation and learn from more renowned guests on The UEP Voice Box.

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    22 mins
  • Episode 9: When Performing Arts Meets Medicine: Caring for the Performer’s Voice with Dr. Lance Maron

    Episode 9: When Performing Arts Meets Medicine: Caring for the Performer’s Voice with Dr. Lance Maron
    Oct 10 2025

    Introducing: The Artistic Voice 📣 A brand new sub-series from THE UEP VOICE BOX dedicated to the science and care of the performer’s vocal instrument.

    We launch with a powerhouse episode: "When Performing Arts Meets Medicine," featuring the unique insights of Dr. Lance Maron—renowned laryngologist and performing artist in South Africa.

    If you care for a voice, perform with a voice, or teach a voice, this is where the conversation starts.

    Listen now! 🔗 https://www.uepvoicebox.com/e/when-surgeons-meet-stage-caring-for-the-performer-s-voice/

    The UEP Voice Box is a Podcast by the Union of European Phoniatricians (UEP), hosted by Dr. Shiying Hey, and produced in Germany by Nikki Martinez and Heywire Studios.

    #Podcast #TheArtisticVoice #DrLanceMaron #VocalPerformance #Phoniatrics #NewEpisode#UEPVoiceBox #UEP #Phoniatricians #VOICE #voicebox

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    26 mins
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