Rodney Diaz, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Otology

Director of Otolaryngology Residency Program

UC Davis Health System
Department of Otolaryngology
2521 Stockton Blvd., Suite 7200
Sacramento, CA 95817

Dr. Diaz’s clinical focus is centered on the treatment of disorders of the ear, temporal bone, and lateral skull base.  He has particular interest and training in the treatment of:

• acoustic neuroma and other tumors of the cerebellopontine angle
• tumors of the temporal bone and lateral skull base
• Ménière’s Disease and endolymphatic hydrops
• sensorineural hearing loss, including cochlear implantation
• vertigo and imbalance
• otosclerosis
• ossicular chain discontinuity
• chronic ear disease
• cholesteatoma
• traumatic skull base injury

Dr. Diaz’s research focus concerns the electrophysiologic and molecular biologic mechanisms of inner ear homeostasis and electrolyte transport dynamics central to hearing and balance function.  Dr. Diaz is currently investigating:

• potassium cycling and lateral wall transport processes
• generation and regulation of the endocochlear potential
• age related hearing loss
• syndromic and non-syndromic forms of hereditary hearing loss
  

• University of California, Berkeley, CA – B.A. (with Distinction) Astrophysics, 1995

• University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA – M.D., 1999
• University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA – Internship:  General Surgery, 1999-2000
• University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA – Residency:  Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, 2000-2004
• Michigan Ear Institute, Farmington Hills, MI – Fellowship:  Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery, 2004-2006

• American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, 2005
• California State Medical License, active 
• Michigan State Medical License, active
  

• Acoustical Society of America
• American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy
• American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 
• American Association for the Advancement of Science 
• American Cleft Palate – Craniofacial Association
• American Institute of Physics
• American Medical Association
• Association for Research in Otolaryngology
• California Medical Association
• Filipino Americans In Medicine

• 1991  Valedictorian, John Swett High School, Crockett, CA
• 1991 – 1995 E.C. Hallbeck Memorial Scholarship, APWU/AFL-CIO
• 1991 – 1995 Academic Honors, College of Letters and Science, UC Berkeley
• 1993  Dean’s List, College of Letters and Science UC Berkeley
• 1995  Graduation with Distinction, Department of Astronomy, UC Berkeley
• 1997  Philippine Medical Society of Northern California Scholarship
• 1999  Graduation Award for Excellence in Otolaryngology, UC Davis
• 2003  First Place, Bay Area Residents’ Research Symposium in Otolaryngology
• 2003  Research Award, Department of Otolaryngology, UCDMC
  

• 2003 - Association for Research in Otolaryngology, Crosstalk Between Na,K-ATPase and Na-K-2Cl Cotransporter within the Cochlea Revealed by Genetic Engineering. Rodney C. Diaz, Hongwei Dou, Hanqi Chu, Ellen Q. Ingalla, Catherine T. Tamse, Ana Elena Vazquez, Emma Lou Cardell, Jerry Lingrel, Gary E. Shull, Hilary A. Brodie, Karen Jo Doyle, Ebenezer N. Yamoah
• 2003 - Bay Area Residents’ Research Symposium in Otolaryngology. Blockade of Na,K-ATPase Alpha 2 Blunts the Ototoxic Effect of NKCC1  Inhibition:  Genetic Evidence for Crosstalk between K+ Transport Proteins in the Cochlea. Rodney C. Diaz
• 2003 - American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Endoscopic Repair of Orbital Blowout Fractures. Rodney C. Diaz, E. Bradley Strong
• 2003 - American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Evaluation of the Framelock Reference-Arc Fixation Device for Image Guided Surgery. Rodney C. Diaz, E. Bradley Strong
• 2004 - Association for Research in Otolaryngology. DFMO-induced Ototoxicity May be Derived from Drug-mediated Effects on the Inward Rectifier Kir4.1 Channel in the Inner Ear. Liping Nie, Weihong Feng, Rodney C. Diaz, Karen J. Doyle, Michael Anne Gratton, Ebenezer N. Yamoah
• 2005 - Advances in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Acoustic Neuroma Management 2005. Dennis I. Bojrab, Rodney C. Diaz
• 2005 - Brain Research And Imaging Neuroscience Group, Invited Speaker, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences. Rodney C. Diaz, Wayne T. Shaia, Dennis I. Bojrab
• 2006 - Otitis Media and Hearing Loss in Infants and Children Symposium, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI. Complications of Suppurative Otitis Media. Dennis I. Bojrab, Rodney C. Diaz
• 2006 - American Neurotology Society / COSM, Quality of Life Assessment of Meniere’s Disease Patients Following Surgical Labyrinthectomy. Rodney C. Diaz, Michael J. LaRouere, Dennis I. Bojrab, John J. Zappia, Eric W. Sargent, Wayne T. Shaia
• 2006 - American Neurotology Society / COSM, Management of Endolymphatic Sac Tumors at a Tertiary Neurotology Center, Rodney C. Diaz, Esmael H. Amjad, Eric W. Sargent, Michael J. LaRouere, Wayne T. Shaia
• 2006 - Michigan Ear Institute Annual Spring Conference, Quality of Life Assessment of Meniere’s Disease Patients Following Surgery. Michael J. LaRouere, Rodney C. Diaz, Dennis I. Bojrab, John J. Zappia, Eric W. Sargent, Wayne T. Shaia
• 2006 - Michigan Ear Institute Annual Spring Conference, Management of Endolymphatic Sac Tumors. Eric W. Sargent, Rodney C. Diaz, Esmael H. Amjad, Michael J. aRouere, Wayne T. Shaia
  

• 1995 - Diaz RC.  The Search for Dark Matter Through Simultaneous Measurement of Phonons and Ionization in milliKelvin Detectors. Senior Honors Thesis, Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA. 
• 1996 - Shutt T, Akerib DS, Barnes Jr. PD, Cummings A, Da Silva A, Diaz R, Emes J, Golwala SR, Haller EE, Itoh K, Knowlton B, Queinnec F, Ross RR, Sadoulet B, Seitz D, Smith G, Stockwell W, Trumbull T, Therrien R, White S, Young BA. Recent results with a 62g Ge cryogenic dark matter detector.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A. 370: 165-167.
• 1996 - Barnes Jr. PD, Da Silva A, Akerib DS, Bauer D, Brink P, Cabrera B, Caldwell DO, Chugg B, Clarke RM, Cummings A, Davies A, Diaz RC, Dougherty BL, Emes J, Golwala SR, Hale D, Haller EE, Irwin KD, Knowlton WB, Kuziminov V, Lu A, Nam SW, Penn MJ, Novikov V, Pritychenko BV, Quéinnec F, Ross RR, Sadoulet B, Seitz D, Shutt T, Smith A, Smith G, Sonnenschein A, Stockwell W, Taylor JD, Therrien R, Trumbull TL, White S, Wolgast RC, Yellin S, Young BA. Installation of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS). Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A. 370: 233-236.
• 1996 - Sadoulet B, Akerib D, Barnes Jr. PD, Cummings A, Da Silva A, Diaz R, Emes J, Golwala S, Haller EE, Itoh K, Knowlton W, Queinnec F, Ross RR, Seitz D, Shutt T, Smith G, Stockwell W, White S.  Particle detection and non-equilibrium phonons: Experience with large germanium crystals and NTD Ge thermistors. Physica B. 219&220: 741-743.
• 2001 - Woods D, Alain C, Diaz R, Rhodes D, Ogawa KH. Location and Frequency Cues in Auditory Selective Attention.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 27: 65-74.
• 2004 - Strong EB, Diaz RC. Evaluation of the FrameLock Reference-Arc Fixation Device for Image Guided Surgery.  Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. 131: 156-163.
• 2004 - Strong EB, Kim KK, Diaz RC. The Endoscopic Approach to Orbital Blowout Fracture Repair.  Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. 131: 683-695.
• 2005 - Nie L, Feng W, Diaz RC, Gratton MA, Doyle KJ, Yamoah EN. Functional Consequences of Polyamine Synthesis Inhibition by DFMO: Cellular Mechanisms for DFMO-mediated Ototoxicity.  Journal of Biological Chemistry.  280: 15097-15102.
• 2006 - Shaia WT, Zappia JJ, Bojrab DI, LaRouere MJ, Sargent EW, Diaz RC. Success of Posterior Semicircular Canal Occlusion and Application of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. 134: 424-430.
• 2006 - Diaz RC, Brodie HA. Management of Temporal Bone Trauma.  In:  Head and Neck Surgery – Otolaryngology, 4th Edition. B. Bailey & J. Johnson, eds.
• 2006 - Sargent EW, Diaz RC. Gerontechnology and Hearing.  In:  Gerontechnology, 1st Edition. G. Lesnoff-Caravaglia, ed.  Pending Publication.
• 2006 - Diaz RC, LaRouere MJ, Bojrab DI, Zappia JJ, Sargent EW, Shaia WT. Quality-of-Life Assessment of Ménière Disease Patients After Surgical Labyrinthectomy.  Epub ahead of print
• 2006 - Diaz RC, Babu SC. Ductal Carcinoma Arising From Syringocystadenoma Papilliferum of the External Auditory Canal.  Accepted:  Otology and Neurotology.
• Diaz RC, Amjad EH, Sargent EW, LaRouere MJ, Shaia WT. Tumors and Pseudotumors of the Endolymphatic Sac. Submitted.
• Diaz RC, Dou H, Vazquez AE, Cardell EL, Lingrel J, Shull GE, Brodie HA, Doyle KJ, Yamoah EN.  Modulation of Ototoxicity by Simultaneous Inhibition of α2-Na,K-ATPase and NKCC1. Submitted.
  

• Attending Surgeon
• Director, UCDMC Temporal Bone Anatomy and Dissection Course
• Cochlear Implant Program Team
• Skull Base Surgery Team (lateral approaches)