CoagulationDisorders near Yonkers, NY

Biography: James H. Garvin, MD, PhD, is a board-certified pediatric hematologist-oncologist who specializes in the care of children and adolescents with brain tumors. He is Principal Investigator at CUMC for the Head Start Program of radiation-sparing intensive chemotherapy for infants and young children with brain tumors. He was principal investigator for a Children's Oncolgy Group protocol for childhood ependymoma. He also offers novel therapies for recurrent brain tumors through our program's membership in Developmental Therapeutics Program of the COG. In addition, Dr. Garvin started the pediatric bone marrow transplant program, and continues as a member of the BMT group. He has particular interest in autologous transplant for brain tumors and allogeneic transplant for metabolic disorders and bone marrow failure syndromes, as well as supportive care for BMT patients. Dr. Garvin became interested in pediatric hematology/oncology through research during medical school in the laboratory of a pediatric hematologist. He is a member of numerous professional societies in the field.

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Biography: Dr. William Middlesworth joined the medical staff of Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia (MSCHONY), Division of Pediatric Surgery in 1997. He currently serves as director of the Pediatric ECMO Program, and Residency Program Director of the Pediatric Surgical Fellowship. Dr. Middlesworth has founded and leads the Pediatric Thyroid Center and the REACH (Researching Esophageal Atresia for Children's Health) Clinic. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Middlesworth spent two years in the Genetics Department at the Boston Children's Hospital on work leading to the identification and characterization of the dystrophin gene, important in the pathophysiology of muscular dystrophy. He went on to medical school at Rutgers University, and completed his general surgery training at the University of Maryland Medical System. During residency he spent a year as a surgical research fellow at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. His pediatric surgery fellowship was completed at MSCHONY. In addition to the responsibilities listed above, Dr. Middlesworth serves on numerous hospital and university committees focused on Quality and Patient Safety, and is the Quality Chair for Columbia Department of Surgery. He is the Surgeon Champion at the Columbia campus for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) of the American College of Surgeons. He chairs a multi-institution collaborative to reduce harm and enhance safety in the peri-operative setting that is sponsored by MCIC Vermont, the member-owned malpractice insurance carrier for Columbia, Cornell, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Rochester Medicine and Yale. Dr. Middlesworth is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of numerous professional organizations dedicated to advancing the surgical care of infants and children, including the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA), the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma(EAST) and the Extra-corporeal Life Support Organization(ELSO), among others. Dr. Middlesworth has been selected as a Best Doctor in New York Magazine, and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. He has received recognition for excellence in teaching, and authored numerous papers in important journals including the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

Biography: Monica Bhatia, MD specializes in the care of children with noncancerous blood disorders who may benefit from bone marrow transplantation, especially sickle cell anemia. She and her colleagues are working to reduce the toxicity (side effects) and complications of this treatment without compromising its effectiveness, and to make it available to more patients. The field of pediatric hematology brings with it many intellectual challenges, and bone marrow transplantation in particular is especially dynamic. Dr. Bhatia has the opportunity to provide care for the sickest children, potentially curing their disease. She builds strong relationships with her patients and their families that last for years. It is inspiring for her to see young patients grow up to lead healthy, productive lives. NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has a robust program for bone marrow transplantation for sickle cell anemia - the only cure for this disease. Dr. Bhatia and her team have witnessed remarkable results among children who are cured with bone marrow transplantation and spared from the potentially life-threatening complications of sickle cell disease. Yet despite the advances made, only 15 percent of patients with sickle cell disease have a matched sibling bone marrow donor. Therefore, Dr. Bhatia and her team conduct research to evaluate a procedure called "CD34-selected stem cell transplantation" to remove T-cells from donor bone marrow for patients without a matched sibling donor. This approach reduces the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potential complication of bone marrow transplantation in which T-cells from the donor attack the tissue of the recipient. This approach to harnessing stem cells could potentially make bone marrow transplantation a safer, effective option for many patients who are seeking a cure for sickle cell disease. Dr. Bhatia and her colleagues are currently assessing reduced-intensity transplantation, which uses lower doses of chemotherapy to decrease the risk of side effects and long-term complications without lowering the effectiveness of treatment. She is also interested in looking for ways to further improve the quality of life of patients who have had a bone marrow transplant in addition to fertility preservation.

Biography: Julian Abrams, MD is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and Director of Clinical Research for the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. He is a specialist in the care of patients with Barrett's esophagus, early esophageal cancer, and other esophageal disorders. His research focus is on risk factors for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer, with a particular focus on the role of the oral and esophageal microbiome as disease biomarkers, promoters of neoplasia, and targets for chemoprevention. He also has conducted extensive outcomes research related to endoscopic therapy for Barrett's esophagus and associated neoplasia.