A Missouri native, he earned his undergraduate degree (political science) from Washington University in St. Louis before obtaining his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He returned to St. Louis where he completed his Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery residency from Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine. After completing his fellowship in Laryngology & Care of the Professional Voice at Emory University, he returned to join the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine in 2014.