American Head & Neck Society

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Wesley Hunter Stepp

US Army Medical Department

  • Head and Neck Research
  • Head and Neck Surgeon
  • Reconstructive Head & Neck Surgery

9040A Jackson Ave
Tacoma, Washington 98433
United States
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Wesley Hunter Stepp, MD, PhD, is an active-duty surgeon-scientist in the United States Army Medical Corps, specializing in head and neck oncologic ablation and microvascular reconstruction. His dual-doctoral background supports an active research focus on translational oncology and treatment outcomes in head and neck cancers, aiming to translate laboratory insights into clinical care. He completed his residency training at the University of North Carolina, followed by advanced fellowship training at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. This fellowship provided specialized expertise in transoral robotic surgery (TORS), the management of advanced head and neck cancers, and complex microvascular free tissue reconstruction. Currently balancing military leadership with complex clinical practice, he integrates this rigorous training to manage high-acuity patient populations and contribute to healthcare policy and administration.

Eastlack SC, Bellotti AA, Stepp WH, Cadwell JB, Smeltz AM. Factors associated with poor intraoperative perfusion and postoperative complications in otolaryngological autologous tissue transfers: A single-centre retrospective observational study. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2025 Mar;53(2):83-91. doi: 10.1177/0310057X241275112. Epub 2025 Jan 6. PMID: 39757856.

Schrank TP, Kothari A, Weir WH, Stepp WH, et al. Noncanonical HPV carcinogenesis drives radiosensitization of head and neck tumors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023;120(32):e2216532120.

Nathan AS, Cheung AY, Powers K, Stepp WH, et al. Assessing the Accuracy of Otomatch.com Data for Individuals Applying to Otolaryngology Residency. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2023:34894231176325.

Lopez EM, Stepp WH,* Ebert CS, Jr., et al. Site-specific detection and differential levels of immune mediators in the sinonasal mucosa. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2023;13(1):80-84.

*co-first authorship, authors listed in alphabetical order

Lee SE, Ghodke AN, Stepp WH, et al. Sinonasal complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2: A single center case series. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2023;8(1):16-24.

Waters CM, Stepp WH, Conduff J, et al. Anatomic Optical Coherence Tomography (aOCT) for Evaluation of the Internal Nasal Valve. Laryngoscope. 2022;132(11):2148-2156.

Stepp WH, Stein EJ, Canfarotta MW, et al. Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Adult Patients With an Orofacial Cleft: An Unseen Psychological Burden. Laryngoscope. 2022.

Stepp WH, Samulski TD, Hackman TG, Issaeva N, Yarbrough WG, Schrank TP. Development of a Novel Molecular Test for Determining HPV Integration Status in HPV-Positive Oropharynx Cancers. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022;148(10):987-989.

Schrank TP, Landess L, Stepp WH, et al. Comprehensive Viral Genotyping Reveals Prognostic Viral Phylogenetic Groups in HPV16-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx. Mol Cancer Res. 2022;20(10):1489-1501.

Mahung C, Stepp WH,* Long C, et al. Early expression of IL-10, IL-12, ARG1, and NOS2 genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells synergistically correlate with patient outcome after burn injury. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2022;93(5):702-711.

*co-first authorship, authors listed in alphabetical order

Stepp WH, Farzal Z, Kimple AJ, et al. HPV in the malignant transformation of sinonasal inverted papillomas: A meta-analysis. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2021;11(10):1461-1471.

Stepp WH. High-Throughput NanoString Analysis of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus and Tumor Microenvironment Transcription in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Curr Protoc. 2021;1(5):e146.

Sheth S, Farquhar DR, Schrank TP, Stepp WH, et al. Correlation of alterations in the KEAP1/CUL3/NFE2L2 pathway with radiation failure in larynx squamous cell carcinoma. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2021;6(4):699-707.

Malfitano MJ, Santarelli GD, Gelpi M, Stepp WH, et al. A Comparison of Sphenoid Sinus Osteoneogenesis in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2021;35(2):172-178.

Brandon BM, Stepp WH, Basu S, et al. Nasal Airflow Changes With Bioabsorbable Implant, Butterfly, and Spreader Grafts. Laryngoscope. 2020;130(12):E817-E823.

Balakrishnan S, Bu R, Waters C, Stepp WH, et al. Utility of endoscopic anatomical optical coherence tomography in functional rhinoplasty. J Biomed Opt. 2020;25(1):1-11.

Zhang Y, Grant MS, Stepp WH, Clark LH. Clinical characteristics of CNS metastases from primary gynecologic cancers. Gynecol Oncol Rep. 2019;30:100518.

Malfitano MJ, Norris MN, Stepp WH, et al. Nasopharyngeal Hyalinizing Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Allergy Rhinol (Providence). 2019;10:2152656719889030.

Gilliland KO, Padilla R, Kowlowitz V, Stepp WH, et al. Interprofessional Education: Oral Health in the Medical Curriculum. Med Sci Educ. 2019;29(1):19-20.

Stepp WH, Farquhar D, Sheth S, et al. RNA Oncoimmune Phenotyping of HPV-Positive p16-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas by Nodal Status. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018;144(11):967-975.

Dunn JLM, Kartchner LB, Stepp WH, et al. Blocking CXCL1-dependent neutrophil recruitment prevents immune damage and reduces pulmonary bacterial infection after inhalation injury. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2018;314(5):L822-L834.

Stepp WH, Stamos JD, Khurana S, Warburton A, McBride AA. Sp100 colocalizes with HPV replication foci and restricts the productive stage of the infectious cycle. PLoS Pathog. 2017;13(10):e1006660.

Porter SS, Stepp WH, Stamos JD, McBride AA. Host cell restriction factors that limit transcription and replication of human papillomavirus. Virus Res. 2017;231:10-20.

Eitas TK, Stepp WH, Sjeklocha L, et al. Differential regulation of innate immune cytokine production through pharmacological activation of Nuclear Factor-Erythroid-2-Related Factor 2 (NRF2) in burn patient immune cells and monocytes. PLoS One. 2017;12(9):e0184164.

Van Doorslaer K, Porter S, McKinney C, Stepp WH, McBride AA. Novel recombinant papillomavirus genomes expressing selectable genes. Sci Rep. 2016;6:37782.

Stepp WH, Meyers JM, McBride AA. Sp100 provides intrinsic immunity against human papillomavirus infection. mBio. 2013;4(6):e00845-00813.

McBride AA, Sakakibara N, Stepp WH, Jang MK. Hitchhiking on host chromatin: how papillomaviruses persist. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012;1819(7):820-825.