Eugene S. Flamm, MD
Dr. Flamm is the Jeffrey P. Bergstein Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery. He has been active in academic neurosurgery throughout his career. Most recently he has completed a six year term as a Director and Vice Chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Currently he is serving as Historian of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Other activities include President, Friends of Library of the New York Academy of Medicine, Council Member, Friends of Princeton University Library and Council Member, The Grolier Club.
Dr. Flamm has directed a number of national clinical trials that led to the studies conducted by the National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study for which he shared the 1990 Wakeman Award for Research in the Neurosciences. He specializes in brain surgery for vascular disease such as aneurysms and vascular malformations and benign brain tumors.
Rick Abbott, MD
Dr. Abbott was recruited in 2004 to become the Director of Surgical Neurooncology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore(CHAM). He has a long and extensive experience in managing tumors of the nervous system in children. An integral part of this experience has been work in developing techniques for monitoring the health of the nervous system during surgery. These techniques are gaining acceptance around the world as they continue to be developed by Dr. Abbott's team at CHAM. Dr. Abbott has spent a great deal of his time at CHAM developing a service in "Functional Neurosurgery" which enables him to deliver novel treatments to children and adults with injured nervous systems to improve function. He also works closely with the physicians of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at CHAM, where he is involved in programs designed to surgically treat children with epilepsy. In addition he is involved in the surgical treatment of spasticity due to cerebral palsy or other injuries, and birth injury to the brachial plexus.
James T. Goodrich, MD, Ph.D
Dr. James T. Goodrich is director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Irvine and his graduate studies at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Columbia University receiving a Masters and Doctorate of Philosophy. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Intern and residency training was completed at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and the New York Neurological Institute. Dr. Goodrich also holds the rank of Professor Contralto of Neurological Surgery at the University of Palermo in Palermo, Italy. He has a particular interest in complex craniofacial anomalies being a key central member of the Craniofacial Center at Montefiore. He has advanced the surgical techniques used for repair of these conditions. He has authored numerous book chapters and articles on the subject and is known internationally as a prominent lecturer on the topic.
David S. Gordon, MD
Dr. Gordon completed his undergraduate studies in neural science at Brown University and received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University. He completed residency in Neurological Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine under the direction of Dr. Eugene Flamm. Dr. Gordon then continued with subspecialty fellowship training in skull base surgery under the mentorship of Dr. Chandranath Sen at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. He has specialized clinical expertise in surgery for cerebrovascular disease, including brain aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, and complex tumors at the base of the skull. He also performs complex and minimally invasive spinal procedures for degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic diseases of the spine, and peripheral nerve surgery. Dr. Gordon's research focuses on traumatic brain injury, and he has been instrumental in developing guidelines for the surgical management of the brain-injured patient.
John K. Houten, MD
Dr. Houten specializes in spinal neurosurgery and is the Director of Spinal Neurosurgery Services for Montefiore Medical Center. He underwent fellowship training in spinal neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery at NYU Medical Center. He has helped introduce minimally invasive spinal surgery and the artificial cervical disc to the New York area and is active in conducting research to find ways to further improve minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques. Areas of professional interest also include degenerative cervical and lumbar disc disease, spinal tumors, spondylolisthesis, and rheumatoid arthritis of the spine.
Patrick A. LaSala, MD
Dr. LaSala developed stereotactic brain surgery for the department of Neurological Surgery. Using both stereotactic framed and frameless techniques he has advanced the use of minimally invasive surgery for brain tumor and other disease states. He directs the program in stereotactic radiosurgery on behalf of the department. This effort has reduced the need for more open invasive surgery in a substantial number of patients with brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations. In addition Dr. LaSala directs the adult epilepsy surgical program. This program focuses on patients with intractable epilepsy. Patients with intractable epilepsy are carefully evaluated by the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and when appropriate are referred for resective surgery providing long term relief of seizures.
Adesh Tandon, MD
Dr. Tandon, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, specializes in intracranial neurosurgery, neurological oncology, minimally invasive skull base surgery, and spinal disorders. A graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Tandon served as a research assistant at both Einstein and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. During his research he investigated primary central nervous system lymphoma and GBM tumor spheres. Dr. Tandon has presented his research at major national scientific conferences, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. After successfully completing his training at Montefiore Medical Center, we are delighted to welcome him as a colleague on our faculty. Dr. Tandon will be available for consultations in all areas requiring neurosurgical advice.
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