Phillip Purnell, MD, PhD

Dr. Phillip Purnell is an otolaryngologist with fellowship subspecialty training in Laryngeal Surgery. He also serves as an assistant professor at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Along with the speech-language pathology team at RWJ Hospital, he treats many voice and swallowing problems. His practice includes the treatment of benign lesions, papilloma, dysplasia, early glottic cancer, cricopharyngeal dysfunction, and Zenker’s diverticulum. He also offers multiple surgical treatment options for vocal fold paralysis and airway stenosis.  

Dr. Purnell is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine where he received his medical degree in addition to a PhD studying the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegeneration. He then completed residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at West Virginia University. He then completed additional fellowship training in laryngeal surgery and professional voice at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.