Kristen Welch
Adult Medicine<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
Adult Medicine<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
<p>Jeffrey Weiss, MD is a senior clinician-executive who has taken on progressive leadership positions at Montefiore Health System. Dr. Weiss earned a bachelor of science in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University, a medical degree from Stony Brook School of Medicine, and the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Montefiore, where he was chief resident.</p>
<p>In 2007, Dr. Weiss was named Institutional Medical Director for Montefiore Health System. His role is to help optimize the performance of the Montefiore health delivery network by ensuring a smooth interface between its various components - the doctors, hospital, medical group, home health agency, nursing homes, and the CMO. Dr. Weiss's responsibilities included leadership of nationally recognized patient safety, quality and peer review programs, management of a medical staff with 3,500 employed and voluntary physicians, supervision of GME activities for 1,200 residents in the second largest house staff program in the country, all under the coordinated umbrella of the "Office of the Medical Director" (OMD). As part of a restructuring of organizational clinical leadership in 2012, Dr. Weiss was named Vice President for Medical Affairs. In this role, he has retained many of his previous responsibilities, and is now leading a team of five newly appointed hospital medical directors in driving physician alignment and creating a horizontally integrated approach to quality and clinical performance across the system.</p>
<p>Dr. Weiss is an active clinician, teacher and researcher. He lectures nationally on topics including leadership, physician alignment, and patient safety in several forums, including as a faculty member for the AAMC and National Patient Safety Foundation.</p>
Adult Medicine<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Childhood cancer research laboratory</strong></span></p>
<p>Our laboratory is focused on childhood cancer research with a goal of elucidating the underlying biology of the most aggressive malignancies. In such patients with typically incurable cancer, we are striving to identify new approaches to and types of treatment. We have multiple ongoing projects:</p>
<p><strong>+ Identification of biologic drivers of ultra-high-risk neuroblastoma</strong>. Neuroblastoma is one of the most common and deadly childhood cancers. Despite intensive research, there are limited therapeutic strategies for patients with <em>de novo </em>chemotherapy resistance that leads to particularly poor outcomes. We have been studying neuroblastoma since 2009 and are identifying additional biologic drivers of highly lethal tumors.</p>
<p>We compare tumor features from patients with early death from tumor progression compared to those with a maintained complete response. We assess unique histo-morphologic and proteomic features and computationally integrate these data with genomic and transcriptomic datasets to develop a combined predictor of primary refractory disease. Patients with this entity require non-standard and/or intensified treatment. Oncogenic drivers are being characterized in the lab which will facilitate strategies for novel pharmacologic intervention.</p>
<p><strong>+ Characterization of neuroblastoma development from neural crest cells</strong>. We are studying pathways and interactions that results in uncontrolled cell proliferation early in neuroblastoma development with an ultimate goal of identifying new targets and approaches for pharmacologic intervention.</p>
<p><strong>+ Evaluation of novel combinatorial targeted therapeutic approaches in neuroblastoma</strong>. With expected outcomes lagging behind those of more common childhood cancers, children with neuroblastoma require new approaches to treatment. Our lab works with multiple international clinical and research consortium groups to perform preclinical studies that substantiate human clinical trials. </p>
<p><strong>+ Detection of circulating tumor DNA in osteosarcoma</strong>. With no reliable non-invasive approach for disease monitoring during and after treatment, we are applying cutting edge next-generation sequencing approaches to identify solid tumors with a blood-based “liquid” biopsies. This will allow clinicians to assess tumor responsiveness to chemotherapy and predict likelihood of recurrence.</p>
<p><strong>+ Assessment of accelerated aging using miRNA-seq in survivors of childhood cancer</strong>. Chemotherapy has many untoward effects on healthy cells and leads to many signs of accelerated aging in children treated for cancer. Using a known microRNA “aging” signature discovered at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, we are studying what causes this phenotype in childhood cancer, with a goal of offering improved intervention to minimize long-term toxicity of treatment.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Physician Summary</span></strong></p>
<p>Daniel A. Weiser, MD, is board-certified in pediatric hematology/oncology with clinical expertise in neuroblastoma and other tumors of the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, and gonads. He is the medical director of the intra-abdominal solid tumor program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and brings together a highly specialized multi-disciplinary care team to provide comprehensive treatment for diverse pediatric malignancies. In addition, Dr. Weiser directs a childhood cancer research laboratory that focuses on the identification of new targeted agents for cancer therapy, especially in the treatment of rare and aggressive malignancies such as neuroblastoma. His research goals are to understand the role of certain genes in the risk, development, and treatment of cancer. The approaches taken and agents studied hold promise for improving management of all patients with solid tumors.</p>
<p>Dr. Weiser participates in the efforts of a number of professional organizations including the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Association (ANRA), National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He has received numerous awards including the Brigid Leventhal Special Merit Award from ASCO and the Conquer Cancer Foundation, and a prestigious K12 from the National Cancer Institute for the training of the next generation of physician-scientists in pediatric cancer. Dr. Weiser is actively involved in teaching and mentorship of trainees, and takes great pride in providing advanced and compassionate care to his patients and their families.</p>
<p><strong>Clinical Expertise</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Neuroblastoma (adrenal tumors)</li>
<li>Wilms tumor (renal tumors)</li>
<li>Hepatoblastoma (liver tumors)</li>
<li>Germ cell tumors (including testicular and ovarian tumors)</li>
<li>Thyroid and other rare tumors</li>
<li>Experimental therapeutics</li>
<li>Cancer genetics and biomarkers</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Board Certifications</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Pediatrics</li>
<li>Pediatric Hematology/Oncology</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Professional Education</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>M.D. – Stony Brook University, NY</li>
<li>Residency – Children’s Hospital of NY-Presbyterian, Columbia University, NY</li>
<li>Chief Residency – Children’s Hospital of NY-Presbyterian, Columbia University, NY</li>
<li>Fellowship – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA</li>
</ul>
DR. Weiser's clinical focuses are neuroblastoma and adrenal tumors, Wilms tumor and other kidney (renal) tumors, hepatoblastoma, and other liver tumors, germ cell tumors (including testicular and ovarian tumors), Thyroid and other rare tumors, experimental therapeutics, and cancer genetics and biomarkers.
Dr. Weiser’s research goals are to understand the role of certain genes in the risk, development, and treatment of cancer. The approaches taken and agents studied hold promise in the treatment of all solid tumors. Dr. Weiser’s laboratory focuses on childhood cancer research with a goal of elucidating the underlying biology of the most aggressive malignancies. He has multiple ongoing projects, such as identification of biologic drivers of neuroblastoma at ultra-high risk for treatment failure, characterization of neuroblastoma development from neural crest cells, and evaluation of novel combinatorial targeted therapeutic approaches in neuroblastoma, among others.
<p>Daniel A. Weiser, MD, is a Medical Director of the Intra-abdominal Solid Tumor Program in the Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology department at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. He is also Associate Professor in the Pediatrics and Genetics departments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His clinical focuses are neuroblastoma and adrenal tumors, Wilms tumor and other kidney (renal) tumors, hepatoblastoma and other liver tumors, germ cell tumors (including testicular and ovarian tumors), Thyroid and other rare tumors, experimental therapeutics, and cancer genetics and biomarkers. Dr. Weiser is actively involved in teaching and mentorship of trainees and takes great pride in his active participation in patient care.</p><p>Dr. Weiser received his Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology in 1995 at Haverford College, PA. In 2004, he received his Doctor of Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, NY. He is currently earning his Master of Science in Translational Research at the University of Pennsylvania. He began a residency in Pediatrics at the New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University in 2007. Dr. Weiser then completed a three-year fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. </p><p>Dr. Weiser’s research goals are to understand the role of certain genes in the risk, development, and treatment of cancer. The approaches taken and agents studied hold promise in the treatment of all solid tumors. Dr. Weiser’s laboratory focuses on childhood cancer research with a goal of elucidating the underlying biology of the most aggressive malignancies. He has multiple ongoing projects, such as identification of biologic drivers of neuroblastoma at ultra-high risk for treatment failure, characterization of neuroblastoma development from neural crest cells, and evaluation of novel combinatorial targeted therapeutic approaches in neuroblastoma, among others. His research has been published in many reviewed journals. </p><p>Dr. Weiser participates in the efforts of a number of professional organizations including the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He has received many awards including the Brigid Leventhal Special Merit Award through ASCO, and he has been awarded a prestigious K12 from the NCI for the training of the next generation of physician-scientists in pediatric cancer.</p><p>He is board certified in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and General Pediatrics.</p>
<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>
Clinical practice focuses on BPH, endourology, and prostate cancer detection and ablation.<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
Work on quality improvement in healthcare and active surveillance and focal ablation in prostate cancer.<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
<p>Dr. Kara L. Watts, Associate Professor of Urology, joined the urology faculty at Montefiore in 2016. She completed a fellowship in Quality and Performance Improvement in Healthcare and an extended observership in focal ablation for prostate cancer in the UK. She serves as the Director of Quality Assurance and Improvement for the Department of Urology and leads the prostate cancer screening program.</p><p>Dr. Watts' clinical practice focuses on BPH, endourology, and prostate cancer detection and ablation. She also offers image-guided focal ablation for localized prostate cancer. She has a particular interest in active surveillance of prostate cancer and incorporating imaging modalities, particularly MRI imaging, into the diagnosis and treatment of localized prostate cancer.</p><p>Dr. Watts has numerous peer-reviewed publications, written several book chapters and co-edited a textbook. She has presented both nationally and internationally at various conferences and with the AUA regarding her work on quality improvement in healthcare and active surveillance and focal ablation in prostate cancer. She is involved in several national and international committees and editorial boards, including the AUA Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee, the Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance Research Initiative Advisory Committee, and the Urology Times Editorial Board.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang is an Attending Physician in the Division of Rheumatology at Montefiore Medical Center, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is board certified in both internal medicine and rheumatology and currently sees patients at the Montefiore Westchester Practice at Taxter Road. Dr. Wang has an expertise in lupus and lupus related kidney disease. She is also skilled to see a wide range of other rheumatologic diseases, including but not limited to antiphospholipid syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, <span style="color: black;">spondyloarthropathy</span> and psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, scleroderma and osteoarthritis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang graduated from McGill University with a major in Physiology and Statistics in 2009. Dr. Wang received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in 2013. She subsequently completed her internal medicine residency training at New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell in 2016, followed by a fellowship in Rheumatology at New York University Hospital in 2018. Dr. Wang obtained a MS in clinical research from the Albert Einstein Clinical Research Training Program in 2021. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Dr. Wang's research interest is in lupus, focused on the role of the complement system in lupus related kidney disease. Dr. Wang is supported by the NIH KL2 Mentored Clinical Research Scholar Grant and the Rheumatology Research Foundation K-Bridge Grant to investigate complement biomarkers in lupus nephritis using various translational approaches including immunohistochemistry, urine proteomics and single cell RNA sequencing. Dr. Wang has experience working with large cohorts and databases, recruiting patients for the Einstein Rheumatic Disease Registry and serve as sub-investigator for lupus clinical trials. She has published first author papers in prestigious journals, presented her academic work at national meetings and served on NIH and CDC study sections. She was recognized by American College of Rheumatology as a Distinguished Fellow nationally for translational research and clinical excellence in 2018.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wang Shudan</span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">, Wu M, Chiriboga L, Zeck B, Goilav B, Wang Shuwei, Jimenez-Londono A, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Putterman C, Schwartz D, Pullman J, Broder A, HM Belmont. Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) Deposition in Renal Tubules is Associated with Interstitial Fibrosis/Tubular Atrophy: A Pilot Study. <em>Lupus Science & Medicine. </em>2022 Jan; 9(1). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Tagoe, CE, Wang W, <strong>Wang S</strong>, Barbour K. Association of anti-thyroid antibodies with radiographic knee osteoarthritis and chondrocalcinosis: a NHANES III study. <em>Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease. </em>2021 Aug 4; 13. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Guerrero, MS, Londono, A, Dobrowolski C, Mowrey WB, Goilav B, <strong>Wang S</strong>, Broder A. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity and Hydroxychloroquine Use Before and After End-Stage Renal Disease. <em>BMC Nephrology</em>. 2020 Oct 28; 21(1): 450.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Wu M, Pillinger MH, Krasnokutsky, S, and Barbour K. The Association between Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia and Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. <a title="Osteoarthritis and cartilage." href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+Association+between+Asymp… class="highlight"><em><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Osteoarthritis</span></em></span><em> Cartilage.</em></a> 2019 Sep;27(9):1301-1308. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wu M, Chiriboga L, Zeck B, HM Belmont. Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) Deposition in Lupus Nephritis is Associated with Hypertension and Poor Clinical Response to Treatment. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018; 48(2): 256-262.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Wang S, </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Broder N, Marchetta P, Nowatzky J. Myelodysplastic syndrome presenting as a Behcet’s like syndrome with aortitis. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BMJ Case Rep. 2018 March 15. </em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;">Oshima-Takane Y, <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wang S</strong>, Takane M and Takane, Y. T</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">he Acquisition of Personal Pronouns in English: Neural Network Stimulations. S<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tudies in Language Sciences. 2014, Jan: 13 (53-69).</em></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;">Sleat DE, Ding L, <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wang S, </strong>Zhao C, Wang Y, Zheng H, Moore DF, Sims KB, Lobel P<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </strong>Mass spectrometry-based protein profiling to determine the cause of lysosomal storage disease of unknown etiology. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mole Cell Proteomics</em>. <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2009 Jul; 8(7): 1708-18.</em> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 24.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong></p>
<p>Dr. Wahezi attended medical school at the University of Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, where she stayed on as the inaugural fellow in Pediatric Rheumatology. She subsequently joined the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Montefiore and completed a Master’s Degree in clinical research through the Einstein-Montefiore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Program. Dr. Wahezi is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and serves as the Program Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program. </p>
<p>Dr. Wahezi has a special interest in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and was awarded the Cure JM Foundation Early Investigator Award for her research in premature atherosclerosis. She has additionally established a pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Cohort and participates in a dedicated, multi-disciplinary pediatric Lupus Nephritis Clinic. Dr. Wahezi is currently engaged in several research projects within the domains of JDM and SLE, contributing to over 40 peer reviewed manuscripts, reviews and scientific abstracts.</p>
<p>Dr. Wahezi is an active member of both the JDM subcommittee and SLE subcommittee within the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) and has participated in numerous observational and comparative effectiveness research protocols through this research consortium. </p>
<span style="color:#4d4d4d;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, source-code-pro, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace;font-size:16px;background-color:#ffffff;">Pediatric Rheumatology</span>
Dr. Wahezi has a particular research interest in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and was awarded the Cure JM Foundation Early Investigator Award for her research in premature atherosclerosis.
<p></p>Dawn Wahezi, MD, MS, is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. She is also Associate Professor of Pediatrics at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine.<br /><br />Dr. Wahezi received her Bachelor of Science from Loyola College and earned her Doctor of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and did her residency and fellowship training at CHAM.<br /><br />Dr. Wahezi’s clinical and research interests include juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). At CHAM, she established an interdisciplinary clinic and comprehensive patient registry for children with JDM and SLE.. Dr. Wahezi is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Rheumatology Advisory Board and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA).<p></p>
<p><strong>Education</strong></p>
<p>Medical School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University<br />Residency: New York Presbyterian Hospital</p>
<p><strong>Professional Activity</strong></p>
<p>Resident advising, medical student supervision, CQI, HIV CQI and care coordination resident teaching, inpatient medicine/resident supervision.</p>
Family Medicine
<p>Ana Y. Valdivia, MD, is an attending physician at Montefiore Einstein and Assistant Professor, Diagnostic Radiology at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Valdivia’s clinical focus involves all aspects of nuclear medicine, with a particular focus on positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT).</p><p>After receiving her Bachelor of Science in chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico in 1990, Dr. Valdivia attended Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, earning her Doctor of Medicine in 1994. She completed her internal medicine residency at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 1997, followed by her nuclear medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in 1999.</p><p>Dr. Valdivia’s research involves PET-CT, frequently focusing on brain imaging. She has shared her research through peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, abstracts, exhibits, and oral and poster presentations. She is also an invited reviewer for the International Journal of Surgery.</p><p>Dr. Valdivia is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. She is a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and the American College of Radiology.</p>