Department of Otolaryngology

Jessica H. Maxwell, MD

  • Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology

Dr. Jessica Maxwell, MD, MPH, FACS is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Associate Program Director for the Department of Otolaryngology at UPMC. She also serves as the Chief of Otolaryngology at the Pittsburgh Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. She specializes in head and neck cancer surgery and endocrine surgery.

Dr. Maxwell is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and subsequently completed her residency training and fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh. Following fellowship training, she joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Georgetown University where she served as the Chief of Otolaryngology at the Washington DC VA and Research Director for the Georgetown Otolaryngology Department. She was subsequently recruited back to UPMC where she serves in her current role.

Dr. Maxwell is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology and a member of the American Head and Neck Society. She is a nationally recognized leader in head and neck oncology and HPV-related tonsil and tongue cancer. She was recently named Teacher of the Year at Georgetown and was also voted by her peers as a Top Doctor for Washingtonian Magazine in 2021 and 2022.

Dr. Maxwell’s clinical interests include the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, parathyroid and thyroid disorders, salivary gland abnormalities, and transoral robotic surgery for HPV+ tonsil and tongue cancer. She works closely with the multidisciplinary cancer team at the Pittsburgh VA and UPMC to provide comprehensive and state of the art care to her patients. Her research interests include outcomes research in veteran populations as well as research on residency education and training.