Professional Interests

Current Activities: 

• Program Director, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Director of the Endocrinology Clinic, Montefiore Medical Center
• Consultant in thyroid disease and general endocrinology
• Research Mentor

 Clinical Practice:

Dr. Surks restricts his consultative practice to disorders of the thyroid gland, and to other disorders of general endocrinology such as diseases of the pituitary, parathyroid glands, gonads, adrenal glands, and to metabolic bone disease.

 Research Interests:

Historical Summary: Major contributions from thyroid research at Montefiore Medical Center began nearly 100 years ago with findings of Dr. David Marine, Chairman of Pathology, that deficiency of iodine was associated with development of goiter and iodine deficiency diseases that affected hundreds of millions of people around the world His studies initiated iodine supplementation to salt in the US, and elimination of this major health problem. A Medical Physics laboratory, the progenitor of Nuclear Medicine Departments, was established in 1945 and was widely known for the earliest studies of radioactive iodine use to treat hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. From 1960 to 1976, Dr. Jack Oppenheimer published widely on thyroid hormone measurements and metabolism, discovered the nuclear receptor for thyroid hormone and studied its effects on different gene products

Most of Dr. Surks’ research has focused on thyroid physiology, pathophysiology and diseases. For the last five years, he has studied subclinical thyroid diseases, and the characterization of the reference range for serum TSH in human beings. 

Selected Publications

1. Cases, J.A., Wenig, B.M., Silver, C.E., Surks, M.I. Recurrent acute suppurative thyroiditis in an adult due to a pyriform-sinus (4th branchial pouch) fistula. J Clin Endocrinol & Metab 85:953-956, 2000.
2. Cases, J.A., Surks, M.I. Changing role of scintigraphy in the evaluation of thyroid nodules; Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, Volume 30:81-87, 2000.
3. Surks, M.I., ‘Hyperthyroidism’; ‘Hypothyroidism’; ‘Goiter’; ‘Iodine’;;Thyroid Disorders’; ‘Thyroid Function Tests’; in Encyclopedia of Public Health; Editor-in-Chief, Breslow, L., McMillan Reference USA, New York, 2002
4. Surks, M.I., Hyperthyroidism, Conn’s Current Therapy, 2003 Eds Rakel and Bope; Elsevier Science (USA) 717-720.
5. Dubenko, M., Breining, W., Surks, M.I.   Sclerosing lymphocytic lobulitis of the breast   in a patient with Graves’ disease.  2003  THYROID 13:309-311.
6. Rizza RA, Vigersky RA, Rodbard HW, Ladenson PW, Young WF Jr, Surks MI, Kahn R, Hogan PF. 2003. A model to determine workforce needs for endocrinologists in the United  States until 2020. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 1979-1987.
7. Surks MI, Ortiz E, Daniels GH, Sawin CT, Col NF, Cobin RH, Franklyn JA, Hershman JM, Burman KD, Denke MA, Gorman C, Cooper RS, Weissman NJ.  Subclinical thyroid disease: Scientific Review and Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management. JAMA, 2004; 291: 228-238. 
8. Col, NF, Surks MI. and Daniels GH: Subclinical thyroid disease: Clinical Applications.   JAMA  2004; 291: 239 – 243.
9. Senzel L, Surks MI, and Buettner C: Polyuria and abdominal pain in a   young   Jamaican woman. Laboratory Medicine, 2004; 35: 100 – 103.
10. Surks MI: Response: to ‘Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction: A joint statement on management from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Thyroid Association and The Endocrine Society’ THYROID, 2005,15:32-33.       
11. Surks MI: COMMENTARY: Subclinical Thyroid dysfunction: A joint statement on Management from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American  Thyroid    Association, and The Endocrine society. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005, 90: 586-. 588
12. Surks, MI, Goswami G, Daniels GH:  CONTROVERSY IN CLINICAL  ENDOCRINOLOGY: The thyrotropin reference range should remain unchanged. J ClinEndcrinol Metab 2005; 5489 – 5496.
13. Surks, MI  Hypothyroidism: New issues and controversies. The Endocrinologist. 2006.16: 203-208.
14. Meyerovitch J, Rotman-Pikiely P, Sherf M, Battat E, Levy Y, Surks MI: Serum    thyrotropin (TSH) measurements in the community: 5-year follow-up in a large network of primary care physicians. Archives Internal Med   2007; 167: 1533 – 1538
15. Surks MI, Hollowell JG.  Age-specific distribution of serum TSH and antithyroid antibodies in the United States population; Implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol & Metab  2007; 92: 4575-4582
16. Surks MI, Hollowell JG:  Age-specific distribution of serum TSH and antithyroid antibodies in the United States Population; Implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol and Metab 2007; 92: 4575-4582.
17. Boucai L, Surks MI: 2008. Age- and race-specific distribution of serum thyrophin (TSH) and free thyroxine (Free T4) in an urban outpatient practice of medicine. Clinical Endocrinology 70:788-793.
18. Surks, MI. 2008. Should the upper limit of the normal reference range for TSH be lowered? Nature Clinical Practice: Endocrinology and Metabolism 4: 370-371
19. Surks MI. 2008 Editorial: New evidence against lowering the thyrotropin reference limits. Clin Thyroidology 20: 8
20. Surks MI  2008 Concise Review: TSH reference limits: Emerging concepts and implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. Clin Thyroidology 20:4-5.
21. Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Hollowell JG, Surks MI, Gabriely I: 2009 Extreme longevity is associated with increased serum thyrotropin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94:1251-1254.
22. Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Surks MI, Gabriely I  2009   Genetic Predisposition to Elevated  Serum Thyrotropin is Associated with Exceptional Longevity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab  94: 4768-4775
23. Surks MI,  Boucai L. 2010 CLINICAL REVIEW: Age- and Race- based Serum Thyrotropin Reference Limits. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 95: 496-502. 
24. Boucai L, Surks MI.  2011  An Approach for Develolpment of Age-, Gender-, and Ethnicity-Specific Thyrotropin Reference Limits. THYROID 21: 5 – 11.
25. Surks MI    2011   Milestones in Thyroid Research at Montefiore Medical Center: 1920 – 2011: History and Personal Reflections--in press
26. Cases, J.A., Wenig, B.M., Silver, C.E., Surks, M.I. Recurrent acute suppurative thyroiditis in an adult due to a pyriform-sinus (4th branchial pouch) fistula. J Clin Endocrinol & Metab 85:953-956, 2000.
27. Cases, J.A., Surks, M.I. Changing role of scintigraphy in the evaluation of thyroid nodules; Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, Volume 30:81-87, 2000.
28. Surks, M.I., ‘Hyperthyroidism’; ‘Hypothyroidism’; ‘Goiter’; ‘Iodine’;;Thyroid Disorders’; ‘Thyroid Function Tests’; in Encyclopedia of Public Health; Editor-in-Chief, Breslow, L., McMillan Reference USA, New York, 2002
29. Surks, M.I., Hyperthyroidism, Conn’s Current Therapy, 2003 Eds Rakel and Bope; Elsevier Science (USA) 717-720.
30. Dubenko, M., Breining, W., Surks, M.I.   Sclerosing lymphocytic lobulitis of the breast   in a patient with Graves’ disease.  2003  THYROID 13:309-311.
31. Rizza RA, Vigersky RA, Rodbard HW, Ladenson PW, Young WF Jr, Surks MI, Kahn R, Hogan PF. 2003. A model to determine workforce needs for endocrinologists in the United  States until 2020. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 1979-1987.
32. Surks MI, Ortiz E, Daniels GH, Sawin CT, Col NF, Cobin RH, Franklyn JA, Hershman JM, Burman KD, Denke MA, Gorman C, Cooper RS, Weissman NJ.  Subclinical thyroid disease: Scientific Review and Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management. JAMA, 2004; 291: 228-238. 
33. Col, NF, Surks MI. and Daniels GH: Subclinical thyroid disease: Clinical Applications.   JAMA  2004; 291: 239 – 243.
34. Senzel L, Surks MI, and Buettner C: Polyuria and abdominal pain in a   young   Jamaican woman. Laboratory Medicine, 2004; 35: 100 – 103.
35. Surks MI: Response: to ‘Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction: A joint statement on management from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Thyroid Association and The Endocrine Society’ THYROID, 2005,15:32-33.       
36. Surks MI: COMMENTARY: Subclinical Thyroid dysfunction: A joint statement on Management from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American  Thyroid    Association, and The Endocrine society. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005, 90: 586-. 588
37. Surks, MI, Goswami G, Daniels GH:  CONTROVERSY IN CLINICAL  ENDOCRINOLOGY: The thyrotropin reference range should remain unchanged. J ClinEndcrinol Metab 2005; 5489 – 5496.
38. Surks, MI  Hypothyroidism: New issues and controversies. The Endocrinologist. 2006.16: 203-208.
39. Meyerovitch J, Rotman-Pikiely P, Sherf M, Battat E, Levy Y, Surks MI: Serum    thyrotropin (TSH) measurements in the community: 5-year follow-up in a large network of primary care physicians. Archives Internal Med   2007; 167: 1533 – 1538
40. Surks MI, Hollowell JG.  Age-specific distribution of serum TSH and antithyroid antibodies in the United States population; Implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol & Metab  2007; 92: 4575-4582
41. Surks MI, Hollowell JG:  Age-specific distribution of serum TSH and antithyroid antibodies in the United States Population; Implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol and Metab 2007; 92: 4575-4582.
42. Boucai L, Surks MI: 2008. Age- and race-specific distribution of serum thyrophin (TSH) and free thyroxine (Free T4) in an urban outpatient practice of medicine. Clinical Endocrinology 70:788-793.
43. Surks, MI. 2008. Should the upper limit of the normal reference range for TSH be lowered? Nature Clinical Practice: Endocrinology and Metabolism 4: 370-371
44. Surks MI. 2008 Editorial: New evidence against lowering the thyrotropin reference limits. Clin Thyroidology 20: 8
45. Surks MI  2008 Concise Review: TSH reference limits: Emerging concepts and implications for the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism. Clin Thyroidology 20:4-5.
46. Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Hollowell JG, Surks MI, Gabriely I: 2009 Extreme longevity is associated with increased serum thyrotropin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94:1251-1254.
47. Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Surks MI, Gabriely I  2009   Genetic Predisposition to Elevated  Serum Thyrotropin is Associated with Exceptional Longevity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab  94: 4768-4775
48. Surks MI,  Boucai L. 2010 CLINICAL REVIEW: Age- and Race- based Serum Thyrotropin Reference Limits. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 95: 496-502. 
49. Boucai L, Surks MI.  2011  An Approach for Develolpment of Age-, Gender-, and Ethnicity-Specific Thyrotropin Reference Limits. THYROID 21: 5 – 11.
50. Surks MI    2011   Milestones in Thyroid Research at Montefiore Medical Center: 1920 – 2011: History and Personal Reflections--in press