Conjoint Associate Professor Robert L. Eisenberg is an Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon with expertise spanning hearing and skull base surgery, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and head and neck oncology.

He has played a leading role in developing specialist head and neck services in the Hunter New England region, including establishing the region’s microvascular head and neck reconstruction service, decentralising complex surgical care, and helping develop the Newcastle Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team and Clinic. He chairs the Hunter New England Skull Base Tumour Board and the Indigenous Outreach Subcommittee of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Associate Professor Eisenberg is Discipline Lead for Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Newcastle, where he teaches medical students, supervises surgical training, and directs temporal bone laboratory dissection.

His research interests include hearing loss, balance disorders, skull base disease, head and neck cancer, surgical innovation, reconstruction, and health service delivery. He collaborates with researchers investigating hearing impairment, dementia, vestibular disorders, and implantable hearing technologies, with a focus on translating research into improved patient outcomes.

He is also Founder and CEO of Local Matters (LOMA), a civic technology initiative developing new approaches to democratic participation, accountability, and collective decision-making. Through LOMA, he explores how community empowerment, digital platforms, and participatory governance can strengthen social cohesion, trust, and population wellbeing, addressing broader social determinants of health.