Robert F. Labadie, M.D., Ph.D. is an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose, and throat doctor, who specializes in treatment of ear diseases and has a passion for cochlear implants which are implantable, electronic devices which restore hearing to patients with certain forms of deafness. In addition to being a medical doctor, Dr. Labadie has a Ph.D. in bioengineering and has used that skill set to design and perform studies to improve outcomes for patients with cochlear implants.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he went to college at the University of Notre Dame where he studied mechanical engineering and returned home to do both his M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. He then completed residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following which he joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he practiced for 20 years before being recruited to MUSC to become the chair of otolaryngology in January of 2022.

Dr. Labadie is the author of more than 175 peer-reviewed papers, more than a dozen patents, multiple book chapters, and a textbook on image-guided surgery. He has presented his research nationally and internationally and has ongoing support from the National Institutes of Health for his research. He is a member of The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a fellow of The American College of Surgeons, The American Otological Society, The American Neurotology Society, The Triological Society, and the international group Collegium Oto–Rhino–Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum.