Daisy Berisha
Clinical focus in primary eye care and ocular disease including diabetic eye examinations, glaucoma screenings and treatments, anterior segment disease as well as pediatric eye examinations for children aged 5 and up.<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
Dr. Berisha takes a special interest in dry eye disease, screening and management of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, and finding the ideal corrective eyewear for each patient.<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
Melissa Yao
<p>Routine and Complex Cataract Surgery</p><p>Medical and Surgical Treatment of Glaucoma</p><p>Comprehensive Ophthalmology</p>
<p>Glaucoma</p><p>Resident Education</p>
<p>Wen-Jeng M. Yao, MD, is an Attending Physician and Associate Professor in Ophthalmology at Montefiore Einstein. Her clinical focus is on routine and complex cataract surgery, medical and surgical treatment of glaucoma, and comprehensive ophthalmology. She enjoys establishing long-lasting relationships with her patients, delivering the highest quality clinical and surgical care in ophthalmology, and teaching residents who are training to become future ophthalmologists.</p><p>After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University, Dr. Yao attended Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, earning her Doctor of Medicine in 2006. She began her postdoctoral training with a yearlong internship at Saint Peters University Hospital, followed by her residency in ophthalmology at George Washington University in 2010. In 2011, she completed her surgical glaucoma fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.</p><p>Dr. Yao’s research interests involve identifying epidemiological associations of glaucoma and advancing surgical and laser techniques for glaucoma therapy. Her work has been shared through peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, abstracts and poster presentations.</p><p>Dr. Yao is board certified and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society. She was listed as a Castle Connelly Top Doctor in 2021, 2022 and 2023.</p>
Jacqueline Weingarten-Arams
Nutrition
Pulmonary hypertension
Sepsis
<p>Jacqueline Weingarten-Arams, MD, is an attending physician and Professor, Pediatrics at Montefiore Einstein. Dr. Weingarten-Arams’ pediatric critical care expertise focuses on cardiac critical care, acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, nutrition in critical illness and energy expenditure, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (quality CPR) and extracorporeal life support (ECMO).</p><p>After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University in 1982, Dr. Weingarten-Arams earned her Doctor of Medicine at the same institution in 1986. She then completed her pediatric residency at Columbia University in 1990, where she was Chief Resident in her final year. Following this, Dr. Weingarten-Arams completed a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at New York Hospital Cornell University Medical College in 1996.</p><p>Dr. Weingarten-Arams research focus includes the use of deliberate simulated practice in improving outcomes in pediatric critical illness, pediatric resuscitation and pediatric airway management. Her other projects involve chronic critical illness, bioethics in pediatric critical care and oxidative injury in respiratory failure. She has been principal investigator and co-investigator on several research projects, and her work has been shared through numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited presentations.</p><p>Dr. Weingarten-Arams is a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Pediatrics. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Chest Physicians. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Weingarten-Arams has been named in Castle Connolly’s “Top Doctors: New York Metro Area” for multiple years. In 2006, she was inducted into the Leo M. Davidoff Society and in 2019, Dr. Weingarten-Arams won the William Obrinsky Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education.</p>
Henry M. Ushay
Pediatric critical care medicine with a special emphasis on respiratory failure; shock resuscitation; cardiac intensive care; intensive care of pediatric oncology patients; extracorporeal support for children with respiratory and cardiovascular failure
Leadership and direction of the 16-bed Pediatric Critical Care Unit of The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore; improving medication safety; respiratory physiology; advances in the management of respiratory failure in children; shock; medical ethics
<p>Dr. Ushay is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. </p><p>After obtaining a PhD in Chemistry from Columbia University, Dr. Ushay received his MD from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and completed a Pediatrics residency in the Montefiore-Jacobi-Einstein program. After serving as Chief Resident and a Fellow in Pediatric Pulmonology at Montefiore, he completed a Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center in 1993. He was a faculty member at NewYork-Presbyterian and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospitals from 1993 to 2005, and he served as Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program Director and Medical Director of the Pediatric Observation Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. </p><p>In 2005 Dr. Ushay became Director of the Pediatric Critical Care Unit in The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Dr. Ushay is involved in increasing pediatric ICU surge capacity through the New York City Pediatric Disaster Coalition, serving on its Central Leadership Council and teaching the Pediatric Fundamental Critical Care Support Course. Through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Dr. Ushay works on employing medical countermeasures safely for children in the event of chemical, biological or radiological disaster. Sponsored by Surgeons of Hope and Children’s HeartLink, Dr. Ushay has worked as a cardiac intensivist in Cambodia, Africa, China and Nicaragua. </p>
Alecia M. Thompson
Dr. Thompson-Branch's research has focused on the role of cytokines in bronchopulmonary dysplasia and use of ultrasound to diagnose necrotizing enterocolitis.
<p>With an emphasis on general pediatrics and neonatology, Dr. Thompson completed her residency at NYU Medical Center in 2007 and fellowship at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 2010. During her fellowship, Dr. Thompson also audited the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, with an interest in performing clinical research. Her research has focused on the role of cytokines in bronchopulmonary dysplasia and use of ultrasound to diagnose necrotizing enterocolitis. She plans to conduct research on the use of near-infrared spectroscopy to delineate central nervous system pathology in preterm infants and predict short-term neurologic outcomes.</p>
Alex B. Theventhiran
<p>Medical and surgical management of glaucoma, anterior segment surgery and complex cataracts.</p>
<p>Focus on optimization of diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma; analyzing and optimizing patient outcomes post surgery; analysis of post-operative treatment modalities; minimally invasive glaucoma surgery outcomes and analysis of post surgical findings/complication.</p>
Brian D. Spund
Luke R. Sponholz
Anurag Shrivastava
<p>Glaucoma/Anterior Segment</p>
<p>Dr. Shrivastava is fellowship trained in glaucoma, and provides comprehensive eyecare for patients primarily with anterior segment disease.</p>
<p><span style="color:red;"> </span></p><p>Dr. Shrivastava’s clinical research is primarily focused on structural and functional deficits in glaucoma, along with advancements in drug delivery and trials involving novel molecules and therapeutic targets. As the former Program Director for the Ophthalmology Residency Program, and as the current Assistant Dean for Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Shrivastava is additionally very active in developing and researching advancements in medical educational resources.</p>
<p>Anurag Shrivastava, MD serves as Assistant Dean, Montefiore Medical Center and Associate Designated Institutional Officer, Graduate Medical Education. He is an attending physician, Glaucoma and Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Montefiore Einstein. Dr. Shrivastava is fellowship trained in glaucoma, and provides comprehensive eye care for patients primarily with anterior segment disease.</p><p>In 1996, Dr. Shrivastava received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology and his Bachelor of Science in neuroscience from University of Rochester with high honors. He later pursued his medical education at State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, earning his Doctor of Medicine in 2003. After completing a transitional year internship at Weill Cornell New York Hospital Queens, Dr. Shrivastava completed his ophthalmology residency at Einstein in 2007, acting as Chief Resident in his final year. He continued his medical training with a yearlong glaucoma and advanced surgical technique fellowship at Stanford University, completing it in 2008.</p><p>Dr. Shrivastava’s clinical research is primarily focused on structural and functional deficits in glaucoma, along with the interplay between cataract surgery and glaucoma management and advancements in drug delivery and trials involving novel molecules and therapeutic targets. He is very active in developing and researching advancements in medical educational resources. Dr. Shrivastava is active in the Office for Clinical Trials, and has been highly involved in cutting edge clinical trials at the forefront of glaucoma management, including early phase drug and device trials along with sustained release drug delivery technologies.</p><p>Dr. Shrivastava has been recognized many times for his contributions to excellence at Montefiore Einstein, receiving the Montefiore Annual President’s Award in 2015 and being inducted into Leo M. Davidoff Einstein Society for highest tier of medical educators at the College of Medicine in 2022. He is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society.</p>