John Niparko


John K. Niparko was an American surgeon-scientist who specialized in cochlear implants, and edited, and wrote several chapters of, the book Cochlear Implants: Principles & Practices. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan for his bachelor's and medical degrees. He completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and a fellowship in neurotology at Michigan and served as a faculty member before moving on to Johns Hopkins University.
At the time of his death at age 61, Niparko was the chair of the USC Keck School of Medicine's Caruso Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Before he moved to USC in 2013, he was the George T. Nager Professor and director of the Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at Johns Hopkins University.
Niparko was recognized as a leading authority on cochlear implants, and notably operated on former Miss America Heather Whitestone in 2002.
Niparko conducted research demonstrating that cochlear implants were highly cost effective in children and adults. He led efforts to establish a new national organization to focus on the underutilization of cochlear implants in the United States. This led to the founding of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance in 2011 with a mission to focus on access to cochlear implants.
The John Niparko Lecture at the annual Cochlear Implant Symposium was established by the American Cochlear Implant Alliance in his honor.