Maria Peña, M.D., is the co-founder and co-director of the Complex Sinusitis Program, the director of Quality Improvement and Safety for the Division of Otolaryngology and a professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. She completed her two-year Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in 1998 and is board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Peña is nationally and internationally recognized, especially for her research on pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis. She has been awarded several NIH grants to investigate the relationship between mucus over production and inflammation characteristic of pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis. She is a reviewer for major ear, nose and throat (ENT) journals, and has authored over 30 peer reviewed publications, eight book chapters and many research abstracts. Dr. Peña is active in both the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. She has served/is serving on several national committees in both organizations.
Dr. Peña sees children with both general and complex ENT problems including pediatric sinusitis and sinonasal disorders, complex airway pathologies, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic ear disorders, ear infections, tympanic membrane perforations, tonsil and adenoid problems, and congenital and infectious head and neck masses. Her research and clinical interest include pediatric sinusitis, complex airway pathologies and quality improvement initiatives.