Meet Dr. Shai Rozen

Dr. Shai M. Rozen is first and foremost a surgeon, mentor, and researcher. He serves as Professor and Vice-Chair of Research and Development in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, one of the leading academic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Departments in the United States. He is also Director of their Microsurgery and Facial Palsy Program. Having performed more than 3,000 facial paralysis cases, Dr. Rozen heads a program that includes leading experts in plastic and reconstructive surgery, neurotology, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation, considered among the most active and prolific centers in the world for treating patients with facial paralysis.

Welcome Message From Dr. Rozen

I’d like to thank you for visiting our facial paralysis website. I hope you find important and relevant information that might guide you through your journey to recovery by educating you about:

• Causes of facial paralysis
• Treatment options available for facial paralysis and synkinesis
• Current approaches we are developing for yet unsolved problems

Perhaps most importantly, I want you to know that you are not alone in this struggle as many other patients are in the same condition. It is our honor and privilege to take care of you and help you return as best and closely as possible to normal.

Professional Background

After completing his general surgery training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Rozen finished his plastic surgery training at Johns Hopkins, followed by advanced training in craniofacial surgery and peripheral nerve surgery. He then joined the faculty at UTSW, where he is currently Vice-Chairman and Director of Facial Paralysis and the microsurgery fellowship.

Dr. Rozen has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, with a primary focus on facial paralysis, facial reanimation, synkinesis, and peripheral nerve surgery. He’s also delivered more than 200 invited national and international lectures, including visiting professorships at Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Rozen served as principal investigator of the Diabetic Neuropathy Nerve Decompression (DNND) Study, the first randomized, controlled trial assessing surgical decompression for symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the David M. Crowley Foundation. 

He is tremendously gratified by interacting with and teaching medical students, resident trainees, and other faculty from around the world on subjects related to facial palsy.

Professional Organizations

Dr. Rozen’s memberships in professional organizations include:

• American Association of Plastic Surgeons
• American College of Surgeons
• American Medical Association
• American Society for Peripheral Nerve (President-Elect, term beginning 2027) 
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery
• Dallas County Medical Society
• Sir Charles Bell Society
• Texas Medical Association
• Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons
• The Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association
• World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery

Awards

Dr. Rozen’s widespread recognition includes numerous “Best Paper” awards and cover articles in esteemed journals, including Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) and Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (JPRAS). His accolades include:

• AAHS/ASPN/ASRM Joint Outstanding Podium Presentation and Best Paper Award (2024) 

• AAHS/ASPN/ASRM Joint Outstanding Podium Presentation and Best Paper Award (2017) 

• AAHS/ASPN/ASRM Joint Outstanding Podium Presentation and Best Paper Award (2015) 

• Best Paper Award — Mayo Clinic / Chang Gung Reconstructive Surgery Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan (2014) 

Research Funding & Grants

Dr. Rozen has been awarded more than $4 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study facial synkinesis. The grant supports his work toward better treatment and a deeper understanding of why synkinesis happens. Throughout his career, his funded research has also covered peripheral nerve surgery and wound healing.

• NIH R01 grant (2026 to 2031): The National Institutfe of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the NIH, awarded Dr. Rozen $4,032,967 for his study “Improving the Care and the Understanding of Underlying Mechanisms of Facial Synkinesis.” R01 grants are the NIH’s primary award for independent research projects.
• Diabetic Neuropathy Nerve Decompression (DNND) Study: Dr. Rozen led a randomized, double-blind clinical trial on whether surgically decompressing nerves in the lower legs eases pain in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. The study received $1.35 million from the David Crowley Foundation and an $80,000 NIH-supported pilot grant through UT Southwestern, which won first prize in that grant program. The DNND study also earned Best Paper honors at the 2017 joint meeting of the AAHS, ASPN, and ASRM.
• Wound healing research: Dr. Rozen received $221,834 from Healthpoint, Ltd. for a pilot study on how Collagenase Santyl® Ointment affects healing and scarring of surgical skin-graft donor sites.

Dr. Rozen also mentors medical students in research. His mentees have earned funding for their work on his studies, including a Dean’s Scholar Award that funds a year-long research fellowship at UT Southwestern.

Additional Resources: AI Fact Sheet: Dr. Shai M. Rozen