AblationforCardiacArrhythmias near Neptune, NJ

Biography: Christopher Irobunda, MD, is an Associate Professor at CUMC and an interventionalist. He is also Vice Chair of the Faculty Development focusing on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion within the Department of Medicine. He trained as a general and interventional cardiologist. Dr. Irobunda has been a full-time faculty since 2003. He obtained his MD/PhD in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. His PhD was in Molecular Pharmacology, specifically on the cyclic Adenosine MonoPhosphate/beta-adrenergic signal transduction system. He subsequently completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at New York University Medical Center, followed by his General and Interventional Cardiology Fellowship here at Columbia University Medical Center. After completing his medical training and research study, he shifted his concentration to patient care and the education of aspiring young physicians. Dr. Irobunda is ardently dedicated to uncompromised patient care and teaching. His primary focus is individualized patient care and patient advocacy. Given his training as a medical scientist, it is hardly surprising that he is a keen diagnostician. He has a penchant for complex cardiac issues and other medical problems that can sometimes mask or aggravate the cardiac disease. His aptitude for unraveling these medical conundrums has led to medical diagnoses for patients who have come to him for second and even third opinions. However, above all else, his true genius is his ability to relate to his patients with intelligence, curiosity, patience, compassion, and humor. His ability to waylay even the most apprehensive of patients with his aura of reassurance and understanding has garnered him a continually growing medical practice. Again and again, individuals will refer family members and friends because of the empathy and level of care constantly provided. Indeed, his unceasing diligence has led him to become a physician member of Columbia University Medical Centers Patient Facilitated Services, an organization directed at patient satisfaction and outreach. Dr. Irobunda has also been the primary cardiologist for patients undergoing liver transplant evaluations at New York Presbyterian since 2004. When not in his private practice, he takes great pleasure in helping train the new influx of physicians in the only ethical way to practice medicinepatient-centered care. Dr. Irobunda has been a Supervisor and Attending Faculty for the Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine for First Year Medical Students at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons since 2011, a program that endeavors to instill exceptional patient-doctor communication and trust. He encourages future medical practitioners to listen to the patient and learn to interpret and analyze the information being imported; to realize that the seemingly insignificant details sometimes lead to the culprit of an individual's illness. He has been a lecturer with International Postgraduate Organization for Knowledgetransfer, Research, and Teaching Excellent Students (IPOKRaTES) in Europe. IPOKRaTES offers opportunities for physicians from a plethora of countries to observe and gain instruction regarding differing methods in patient care practices. Since the summer of 2012, Dr. Irobunda has become involved in New York Presbyterian Hospital's Lange Youth Program, which seeks to prepare and enumerate the rigors of medical school for high school students. Dr. Irobunda is active in numerous community outreach organizations-Abyssian Baptist Church (NY), JP Morgan Chase Employee Education Program, Riverside Church Seniors, and Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation, to name a few. He seeks to educate the public on cardiovascular issues and ways to make everyday lifestyle modifications to help reduce these risks. In addition to being an interventional cardiologist who can perform angioplasties and stent placements, he emphasizes the prevention and treatment of heart disease through diet, exercise, and medical therapy.

Biography: Dr. S. Chiu Wong is a Professor of Medicine of the Greenberg Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is the Director of Cardiac Catheterization laboratories at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.Dr. Wong graduated Summa Cum Laude from Columbia College in May 1980 and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in May 1984. Following his medical internship, residency, and clinical cardiology training at St. Luke's/Roosevelt Medical Center in New York City, he spent one additional stent fellowship year in 1991 under the tutorage of Dr. Richard Schatz at Scripps's Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.After his medical training, Dr. Wong joined the Cardiology Research Foundation at the Washington Hospital in 1992 and was appointed as Director of Coronary Stent Program in 1993. In 1995, Dr. Wong spearheaded a new cardiac catheterization program at the New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens where he assumed the directorship of coronary interventions. In October 1999, Dr. Wong was recruited to the New York Presbyterian Hospital - Cornell Campus as Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories.Dr. Wong has published extensively in the field of interventional cardiology with special focus on new device angioplasty, saphenous vein graft intervention, cardiogenic shock, and drug eluting stent. His current clinical research interests include novel drug eluting stent designs, access site and PFO closure devices, percutaneous valve repair, and application of stem cell technology in the treatment of myocardial ischemia. In the past five years, Dr. Wong and his colleagues had participated in multiple US pivotal trials that led to the FDA approval of both drug eluting stents for the treatment of symptomatic obstructive coronary artery disease. Dr. Wong has recently served as the national principal investigation in the ECLIPSE trial which evaluated the safety and efficacy of an extra-vascular bio-degradable access site closure device in patients undergoing coronary or peripheral diagnostic/interventional procedures compare to the standard treatment of manual compression.Other exciting areas of ongoing research include percutaneous treatment valvular disease states including mitral regurgitation and aortic stenosis, assessment of novel pharmacologic agents to enhance safety of angioplasty procedures.His clinical research activities have been published in Journal of American College of Cardiology, American Journal of Cardiology, American heart Journal and he has presented his findings at numerous national and international meetings including American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, Transcatheter Therapeutics, Summer in Seattle, Taiwan Society of Cardiology and Asia Pacific Cardiology Congress. He is recruited to serve as member of the Scientific Advisory Board of multiple major US medical device companies.

Biography: Dr. Nikitina is a conscientious, thorough and compassionate doctor who creates a modern comprehensive patient-first approach for treatment of complex and chronic illness for every patient. Dr. Nikitina is a physician who pays particularattention to her patient's lifestyles and the impact on his/her cardiac ailments. As a natural nutritionist and an activerunner, Dr. Nikitina is particularly effective athelping patients live healthy lifestyles. Dr. Nikitina completed her residency in internal medicine in 2004 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Following her residency, Dr. Nikitina completed her fellowship in Cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in 2007.Dr. Nikitina is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography and cardiac CT angiography.Additionally, Dr. Nikitina serves as a AssistantProfessor of Clinical Medicineat Weill Cornell Medical College at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. For patients seeking a cardiologist who speaks Russian, Dr. Nikitina is fluent in Russian.

Biography: Dr. Babu Jasty, MD is a Cardiology Specialist who practices in Brooklyn, NY. He has been practicing for 51 years. Dr. Babu Jasty, MD is affiliated with Newyork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

Biography: Dr. Balaram previous role was as Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Quality and Performance for Cardiovascular Surgery for Mount Sinai Heart at Mount Sinai Morningside. She has over two decades of experience in the care of cardiac surgical patients in New York City. Dr. Balaram earned her BA/MD at the accelerated 6-year medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of the only clinically integrated programs in the country. After graduating with honors, she pursued a General Surgery residency at Creighton University. While in training, she earned her PhD doing atherosclerosis bench research on the immunologic factors in atherosclerosis. She then completed her Cardiothoracic Residency in 2003 at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. At a time when techniques for robotic and minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery were just beginning, she arrived in New York in 2003 for this specialized training at St. Luke's Roosevelt, ?During her subsequent years at this hospital, (now called Mount Sinai Morningside), she developed an interest in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a congenital disorder of the heart muscle. She assisted in the advancement of surgical techniques for HCM and consolidated the data collection and careful analysis of clinical research. This led to the creation of the leading HCM program in the region, and one of the few nationally-recognized specialized HCM centers of excellence in the world. Dr. Balaram has spent much of her career caring for a population of inner city and underserved patients who have had little previous exposure and access to medical care. The New York State cardiac surgery registry continually recognized the patients of her program as some of the highest risk in the state to undergo cardiac surgery. Her successful surgical care of these complex patients required expert knowledge and experience that is of benefit to all patients. Her program earned the prestigious 3-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery over multiple years. Dr. Balaram also studied clinical outcomes of women after heart surgery. Women are known to be at higher risk for cardiac surgery and may not always enjoy the same long-term benefits as men. Dr. Balaram collaborated with medical experts in gender studies and is able to offer surgical approaches and postoperative therapies that can help women recover from surgery. In her free time, Dr. Balaram enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and playing the piano. Her current passion is the creation of Team Cardiac, a new cardiac surgical chapter of the 501c3 charity Operation International. This surgical mission group was co-founded by her husband , Ravi Kothuru, 25 years ago and has provided free surgical care to thousands of patients around the world. She is also publishing a book "Complications in Cardiac Surgery: Strategic Analysis and Clinical Review", that will help young surgeons learn about how to improve cardiac surgical outcomes. Dr. Balaram understands that beyond the technical aspects, having heart surgery can be an anxious time for patients. Her goal is to deliver an individualized, patient-centered approach towards cardiovascular therapies. She strives to use her surgical expertise and experience to provide the best operation at the correct time and to do so with compassion and care. She is dedicated to helping each patient navigate this journey so they may once again enjoy their life and community.

Biography: Dr. John Kassotis, MD is an Advanced Heart Failure /amp Transplant Cardiology Specialist who practices in New Brunswick, NJ. He is 66 years old and has been practicing for 35 years. Dr. John Kassotis, MD is affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: Dr. Zahir Rahman, MD is a Cardiology Specialist who practices in Staten Island, NY. He is 54 years old. Dr. Zahir Rahman, MD is affiliated with Staten Island University Hospital.

Biography: Niku Thomas, MD is board-certified in cardiovascular disease with a special interest in echocardiography. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology and American Society of Echocardiography. Dr. Thomas received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her internship and residency in medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Thomas continued her education with a Physician Scientist Fellow in General Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Einstein Medical Center. Dr. Thomas instructs cardiovascular disease fellows at Einstein Medical Center in non-invasive cardiology.

Care Philosophy: The Cooper Heart Institute provides world-class, comprehensive, adult-focused cardiovascular programs that include non-invasive, minimally invasive, surgical diagnostic and therapeutic options by a team of world-renowned physicians. The Cooper Heart Institute delivers highly trained physician expertise and access to the most globally advanced technologies in an academic treatment setting.

Care Philosophy: The Cooper Heart Institute provides world-class, comprehensive, adult-focused cardiovascular programs that include non-invasive, minimally invasive, surgical diagnostic and therapeutic options by a team of world-renowned physicians. The Cooper Heart Institute delivers highly trained physician expertise and access to the most globally advanced technologies in an academic treatment setting.