Dr. Alessa Colaianni grew up in Illinois. She obtained dual degrees in Biology and Philosophy from Duke University and worked in healthcare consulting in Washington DC before graduating from medical school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. During medical school, she received a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue her MPhil degree in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She completed residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear - Harvard Medical School program, and afterwards completed fellowship training in Head and Neck, Cranial Base, and Microvascular Reconstruction at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Her clinical interests include all aspects of head and neck surgical oncology, microvascular reconstruction, and thyroid and parathyroid surgery, as well as the treatment of sleep apnea with hypoglossal nerve stimulation. Her goal is to be an effective provider, guide, and advocate for her patients as they navigate illness and the healthcare system.