Foot Drop
Howard Geyer
<p>Dr. Howard Geyer is Director, Division of Movement Disorders, Montefiore, and Assistant Professor, Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He was chief resident in Neurology at Montefiore, where he also completed a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology. He completed an additional fellowship in Movement Disorders at Beth Israel Medical Center. Dr. Geyer regularly lectures and contributes to book chapters and journal articles on a variety of neurologic topics.</p>
Yaroslav Gelfand
<p>Yaroslav (Jacob) Gelfand, MD, is an attending physician and Assistant Professor at Montefiore-Einstein. Dr. Gelfand’s clinical specialty is in the use of minimally invasive approaches to diagnose and treat a wide variety of spine pathologies and problems. With extensive training in both minimally invasive and complex spine surgery, Dr. Gelfand offers the latest treatment options to patients, using cutting-edge technology including intraoperative image guidance, fluoroscopy, endoscopy and pre-operative computer planning.</p><p>After completing his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering at University of California, Davis, Dr. Gelfand studied his Doctor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, earning the degree in 2013. His time at Weill Cornell included a yearlong Howard Hughes Medical Fellowship at the institution’s neurobiology and behavioral science lab. From 2013 to 2018, Dr. Gelfand pursued a residency in neurosurgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He then completed a research fellowship at Columbia University as well as a nonclinical research fellowship with Globus Medical's Musculoskeletal Education and Research Center in 2019, before returning to be chief resident at Einstein’s Department of Neurological Surgery from 2019 to 2020. In 2021, Dr. Gelfand completed his yearlong minimally invasive and complex spine surgery fellowship at the University of California’s Los Angeles Spine Center.</p><p>Dr. Gelfand’s research focuses on the latest spine technology, surgical techniques and patient outcomes. He has authored and co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters along with many more abstracts and presentations. His research efforts have been presented at numerous national and international conferences and have been recognized with several distinguished awards. He is also a reviewer for Global Spine Journal, Clinical Biomechanics and Spine Journal.</p><p>Dr. Gelfand is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.</p>
Eric D. Fornari
<p>Dr. Fornari earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn and completed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he was recognized as the outstanding chief resident with the Henry H. Banks award. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. </p>
<p>Dr. Fornari’s main focus and passion is the care of his patients and their families. Dr. Fornari’s expertise is in the management of complex pediatric and adolescent hip disorders as well as pediatric and adolescent sports medicine. He has presented his research at numerous national meetings and has been published in major orthopedic journals, including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research. </p>
<p>Dr. Fornari has also volunteered overseas, working with Health Volunteers Overseas and Orthopedics Overseas to provide orthopedic surgical care and training in Malawi, Africa. He is actively involved in the education and training of medical students, residents, and pediatric orthopedic surgery fellows. Dr. Fornari is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA).</p>
<p>Complex pediatric and adolescent hip disorders including congenital hipdysplasia, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, femoroacetabular impingement, adolescent and young adult hip preservation surgery, pediatric and adolescent sports medicine, pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric orthopedic trauma, neuromuscular disorders, scoliosis surgery</p>
<p>Congenital hip disorders, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, femoroacetabular impingement, and the impact of childhood obesity on the pediatric musculoskeletal system</p>
<p><a title="View Dr. Fornari's publications on PubMed" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=eric%20fornari" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=eric%20fornari</a></p>
<p>Eric D. Fornari, MD, is Co-Director of the Division of Pediatric Orthopedics at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein. He is the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, as well as the Well-Being Officer for the department. Dr. Fornari is also Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Fornari is an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in pediatric orthopedics. His clinical focus is on pediatric and adolescent hip disorders and sports medicine. He is passionate about patient care, clinical research and the advancement of the field of pediatric orthopedic surgery.</p><p>After completing his undergraduate training at Colgate University, Dr. Fornari went on to attend medical school at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he graduated <em>magna cum laude</em> and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Tufts Medical Center in Boston where he was awarded the Henry H. Banks Award for the outstanding chief resident. He then went on to complete his fellowship in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and later completed a fellowship in Bern, Switzerland, focusing on hip preservation surgery.</p><p>Dr. Fornari has a robust research portfolio. He is an active member of the International Perthes Study Group, serving as the Patient Reported Outcome Lead. He is also an active part of multicenter research with the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR) and SCFE Longitudinal International Prospective (SLIP) Registry, as well as the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society’s (PRiSM) Hip Research Interest Groups.</p><p>Dr. Fornari joined the faculty at Montefiore Einstein and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx, NY, in 2012. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has been heavily involved with the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) since starting his practice. He previously served on the Children’s Orthopaedics in Underdeveloped Regions (COUR) Committee and, while chair of this committee, he led the transition to the Pediatric Orthopedic Global Outreach committee. He has also served on the Communications Committee as well as the Bylaws Committee. He is a founding member of PRiSM and has been active with a number of committees and research groups within the organization. He is also an active member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.</p><p>In 2023, Dr. Fornari was awarded the Angela Kuo Award by POSNA for his research on the impact of mental health on adolescents undergoing scoliosis surgery. He has won numerous awards and accolades, including being chosen as the Department of Orthopedic Surgery 2017 Attending of the Year by the graduating chief residents. He was selected to be part of the inaugural cohort for the Montefiore Physician Leadership Program and subsequently completed The Health Management Academy Physician Leadership Program.</p><p>Dr. Fornari is an active volunteer, administering orthopedic surgical care and training worldwide. He has partnered with Health Volunteers Overseas and Orthopedics Overseas in Malawi, Africa. For the last decade he has partnered with Project Perfect World, traveling annually to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to provide comprehensive pediatric orthopedic care to children in need and training to local residents and surgeons.</p>
Ananth S. Eleswarapu
<span style="color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">Dr. Eleswarapu’s clinical focus is on the operative and non-operative treatment of disorders of the spine, including scoliosis, infections, tumors, fractures and degenerative disease. </span><quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
<span style="color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">Dr. Eleswarapu’s research focuses on clinical outcomes, patient safety and the role of nonoperative care. </span><quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>
<p style="box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;margin-bottom:1.875rem;color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">Ananth Eleswarapu, MD is an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and Assistant Professor at Montefiore-Einstein. Dr. Eleswarapu’s clinical focus is on the operative and non-operative treatment of disorders of the spine, including scoliosis, infections, tumors, fractures and degenerative disease. </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;margin-bottom:1.875rem;color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 2006, Dr. Eleswarapu attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, earning his Doctor of Medicine in 2011. He began his postdoctoral training as a resident in orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center, completing his residency in 2016. Dr. Eleswarapu then attended University of California Davis Medical Center for a yearlong fellowship in orthopedic spine surgery.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;margin-bottom:1.875rem;color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">Dr. Eleswarapu’s research focuses on clinical outcomes, patient safety and the role of nonoperative care. His work has been shared in peer-reviewed journals, as well as through conferences, posters and podium presentations. He also has served as a reviewer for the <em style="box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;">Journal of Medical Economics</em>.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;margin-bottom:1.875rem;color:#333333;font-family:'Basis Grotesque Regular', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;background-color:#ffffff;">He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society and the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.</p>
Nagma Dalvi
Frances Cuomo
<p>Open and arthroscopic surgery for shoulder disorders, including arthritis, instability, rotator cuff and fractures</p>
<p>Improving the treatment and outcomes of disorders about the shoulder including fracture management and fixation; outcomes of rotator cuff, instability and replacement surgery</p>
<p>Dr. Cuomo received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. She went on to complete a general surgery internship at Beth Israel Medical Center and an orthopedic surgery residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. She then completed the Charles S. Neer, II, Fellowship in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.</p><p>A prolific author and speaker, Dr. Cuomo has published more than 40 scientific articles and 20 book chapters on the diagnosis and management of shoulder disorders, and she has made over 150 national and international scientific presentations. She currently serves as secretary of the editorial board of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and is a reviewer for many orthopedic journals.</p><p>The first female orthopedic surgeon to be elected to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Association, its first woman president, and the first woman ever to serve as president of any subspecialty society in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Frances Cuomo, MD, joined the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Montefiore in October 2016 as Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Service.</p>
Lauren Crocco
Dr. Crocco’s clinical focus is on fractures and soft tissue injuries of the upper and lower extremities.
<span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px;">Dr. Crocco’s research areas of interest focus on the management of geriatric hip fractures as well as resident education.</span>
<p>Dr. Lauren Crocco is an attending physician in orthopaedic surgery and Assistant Professor of orthopaedic surgery at Montefiore-Einstein. Dr. Crocco’s clinical focus is on fractures and soft tissue injuries of the upper and lower extremities. These include fractures of the ankle, tibia, knee, femur, hip, wrist, forearm, elbow and humerus. She additionally manages soft tissue injuries of the extremities including sprains, strains and contusions. Her expertise also includes post traumatic deformity and infection. </p><p>After earning her Bachelor of Science in biology at Boston College in 2003, Dr. Crocco attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine for her medical school training. She earned her Doctor of Medicine in 2008 and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She began her post graduate training at Montefiore Einstein completing an orthopaedic surgery residency in 2013. She then went on to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital to complete her Harvard orthopaedic trauma surgery fellowship. Finally, she completed a prestigious AO traveling trauma fellowship in Berlin, Germany in 2015. </p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:'Calibri',sans-serif;">Dr. Crocco’s research areas of interest focus on the management of geriatric hip fractures as well as resident education. She is a member of several professional organizations including the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. </span>
Phyllis L. Bieri
<p>Dr. Phyllis Bieri sees patients in the EMG Laboratory of the Department of Neurology at Montefiore Medical Center. Her area of interest is the diagnososis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases, including diseases of nerve, muscle, neuromuscular junction and anterior horn cell. She participates in the training of EMG and EEG fellows, and has particular expertise in performing electromyography and nerve conduction studies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scelsa, S.N., Ghali, V., Herskovitz, S., <strong>Bieri, P.L.</strong>, Shank, D.L., MacGowan, D.D.J., and Liau, S., “Blood gd T Cells, <em>Campylobacter jejuni</em>, and GM1 Titers in Guillain-Barré Syndrome,” <em>Muscle & Nerve,</em> <strong>30</strong>:423-432,2004.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Verghese, J., <strong>Bieri, P.L.</strong>, Gellido, C., Schaumburg, H.H., and Herskovitz, S., “Peripheral Neuropathy in Young-old and Old-old Patients,” <em>Muscle & Nerve,</em> <strong>24</strong>:1476-1481, 2001.</p>
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<p><strong>Bieri, P.L., “</strong>Botulism,” Spencer, Schaumburg, Ludolph eds., <em>Experimental and Clinical Neurotoxicology</em>, 2<sup>nd</sup> edition. Oxford University Press, 2000.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Scelsa, S.N., Herskovitz, S., <strong>Bieri, P.L.,</strong> and Berger, A.R., “Median Mixed and Sensory Nerve Conduction Studies in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” <em>Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology,</em> <strong>109</strong>:268-273 (1998).</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Bieri, P.L.,</strong> Arezzo, J.C., and Weinstein, D.E., “Abnormal Nerve Conduction Studies in Mice Expressing a Mutant Form of the POU Transcription Factor SCIP,” <em>Journal of Neuroscience Research</em>, <strong>50</strong>:821-828, (1997).</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Maycox, P.R., Ortuño, D., Burrola, P., Kuhn, R., <strong>Bieri, P.L.,</strong> Arezzo, J.C., and Lemke, G., “A Transgenic Mouse Model for Human Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies,” <em>Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience</em>, <strong>8</strong>, 405-416 (1997).</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Liedtke, W., Edelmann, W., <strong>Bieri, P.L.,</strong> Chiu, F-C, Cowan, N.J., Kucherlapati, R., and Raine, C., “GFAP Is Necessary for the Integrity of CNS White Matter Architecture and Long-Term Maintenance of Myelination,” <em>Neuron</em>, <em>17</em>, 607-715, 1996.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Chandross, K.J., Kessler, J.A., Cohen, R.I., Simburger, E., Spray, D.C., <strong>Bieri, P.</strong>, Dermietzel, R., “Altered Connexin Expression after Peripheral Nerve Injury,” <em>Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience,</em> <strong>7</strong>, 501-518, 1996.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Michaelson, M., <strong>Bieri, P</strong>., Mehler, M., Xu, H., Arezzo, J., Pollard, J., and</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kessler, J., “CSF-1 Deficiency in Mice Results in Abnormal Brain Development.” <em>Development</em>, <strong>122</strong>, 2661-2672, 1996.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Herskovitz, S., <strong>Bieri, P.,</strong> and Berger, A., "Depressor Septi Nasi Myokymia," <em>Muscle and Nerve</em>, Jan., 1994.</p>
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<p>Phyllis Bieri, MD, is an attending physician at Montefiore Einstein and Assistant Professor, Neurology at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Bieri's clinical focus centers on the accurate diagnosis of neuromuscular disease through careful history, neurologic examination and electrodiagnostic tools such as electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction study (NCS) and neuromuscular ultrasound. She sees adults and pediatric patients referred to the EMG laboratory for consultation.</p><p>After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology from Antioch College in 1982, Dr. Bieri earned her Doctor of Medicine at Ohio State University in 1988. She then attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine, completing an internal medicine internship in 1989 and her neurology residency in 1992, where she was Chief Resident in her final year. Following her final year of residency, Dr. Bieri completed an EMG/neuromuscular disease fellowship at the same institution.</p><p>Dr. Bieri's research is focused on diseases that present to the EMG laboratory, including hereditary and acquired peripheral neuropathies, disorders of the anterior horn cell, myopathies, muscular dystrophies and polyradiculopathies and entrapment neuropathies. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and abstracts.</p><p>Dr. Bieri is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Neuromuscular Medicine and Neurology with added qualifications in Clinical Neurophysiology. She is also certified in Electromyography by the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Dr. Bieri is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. In 1989, she received the Leo M. Davidoff Award for excellence in teaching.</p>