Joseph Gensoul (1 August 1797 – 11 May 1858) was a French surgeon. He was a pioneer of ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngological, oral and maxillofacial surgery. He studied at Lyon and Paris, earning his doctorate in 1824. In 1826 he was appointed chief surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu of Lyon. He is remembered for introducing corneal cauterization, and is credited for making improvements in regards to techniques in rhinoplastic and cleft palate surgery. He also developed a cautery process for varices and a catheterization procedure for applying silver nitrate into the nasal canal.