Oncologists in New York

Biography: Dr. Jennifer H. Kuo is a board-certified surgeon-scientist nationally recognized for her expertise in the surgical treatment of thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal diseases. Dr. Kuo is an accomplished, high-volume surgeon in minimally invasive surgical techniques, including trans-oral thyroidectomy and robotic adrenalectomy. She is one of the leading international experts in ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules and spearheaded the new Interventional Endocrinology program at Columbia. Dr. Kuo also serves as Program Director of the Endocrine Surgery Fellowship Program and the Endocrine Surgery Research program. Her research focuses on the use of predictive algorithms to improve and optimize care for endocrine patients, and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the safe adoption of new technology in surgical care. She serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research, and serves on the Editorial Board for The World Journal of Surgery and VideoEndocrinology. Her commitment to excellent, innovative, and personalized care has been repeatedly recognized by Super Doctors and New York Magazine's Top Doctor Awards.

Biography: Dr. James Lee is an internationally recognized endocrine surgeon who specializes in the care of patients with thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal disorders. Dr. Lee is the Chief of Endocrine Surgery and the Edwin K. and Anne C. Weisskopf Professor of Surgical Oncology at Columbia University and the Physician Director of the Endocrine Service Line at the NY Presbyterian Hospital. He serves as Co-Director of the multidisciplinary Columbia Thyroid Center, Parathyroid Center, and Adrenal Center. He has been rated as one of the Best Doctors in America and is one of the highest volume endocrine surgeons in the country. Dr. Lee received his medical degree from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, completed his residency in General Surgery at Columbia and went on to a fellowship in Endocrine Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Lee is actively involved in the leadership of Endocrine Surgery at the national and international level. He serves on the Executive Council of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and Standing Faculty of the international Endocrine Surgery University. He co-created the inaugural Postgraduate Course in Endocrine Surgery at the American College of Surgeons and is a featured lecturer in the biannual Masters of Endocrine Surgery Course. He has authored over 100 articles and book chapters, including the AAES Parathyroidectomy Guidelines which sets the international standard for the care of patients with parathyroid disease. He is also the Co-Editor of Surgical Endocrinopathies and the Founding Figures which details state of the art care for patients with endocrine disorders as well as the rich history of discovery in the field. Dr. Lee has given over 100 invited lectures and visiting professorships at institutions around the world. He has travelled extensively to teach other endocrine surgeons advanced techniques such as minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery as well as laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy. He has mentored dozens of clinical and research fellows over his career, many of whom are now leaders in their own institutions and abroad. Dr. Lee also serves as the Vice Chair of New Media in the Columbia University Department of Surgery and Chair of the ColumbiaDoctors Communications Committee. In this role, he oversees the digital strategy for multiple groups across the medical center with the mission of providing the highest quality education on health and wellness to the global audience.

Care Philosophy: Pancreatic cancer has been my area of clinical and research focus for the past 15 years. I participated in the process of recognition that outcomes of complex surgery such as that for pancreatic cancer are better in high volume centers when performed by experienced surgeons. In 2006, I conceived, funded and built a multidisciplinary unit with the mission of improving overall outcomes in pancreatic cancer care by integrating the care of multiple medical specialists.

Biography: Dr. Kurra, Co-Director of the Columbia Adrenal Center, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University. She received her undergraduate degree in biology magna cum laude from Brown University and attended medical school at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine as well as a fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at the Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Kurra serves as Endocrinology section director for the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons medical student course, "The Body in Health and Disease". She is also a member of both the Columbia University Internal Medicine and Endocrinology Fellowship Recruitment & Selection Committees. Her clinical responsibilities include treating patients at the Columbia Adrenal Center, the New York Thyroid Center, the Metabolic Bone Diseases Program and the Columbia Hypertension Center.

Biography: James McKiernan, MD, is the John K. Lattimer Professor of Urology, and CEO, of ColumbiaDoctors. He also is the interim dean of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. McKiernan graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a BA in biology and received his MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his training in urology and general surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, followed by a urologic surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. McKiernan's clinical practice is focused on urologic oncology and particularly on surgical therapy in high-risk patients with bladder and kidney cancers. Dr. McKiernan evaluates and treats over 1,000 patients with bladder cancer every year. His research, funded by NIH and biotechnology industry grants, focuses on developing novel therapeutics for bladder cancer treatment as well as comparative effectiveness research in urologic oncology. In the management of kidney and bladder cancer, he has special expertise in organ preservation and reconstructive surgery to maximize quality of life. Dr. McKiernan's research has been published in Cancer, Cancer Research, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, JAMA Oncology, Journal of Urology, Urologic Oncology, and Urology. He has authored and co-authored more than 220 scientific articles and book chapters on urologic cancer and related issues. For the past 10 years, he has directed a research team at Columbia University Medical Center investigating quality outcomes and effectiveness in urologic cancer surgery. He has served as the Vice Chairman for the AJCC TNM Staging Task Force, Co-Chair of the AUA Guidelines Panel on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, as well as on the American Board of Urology and Society of Urologic Oncology Examination Committees. In addition, Dr. McKiernan is the principal investigator of the NIH-funded clinical trials program of experimental therapeutics in bladder cancer at Columbia University/NYPH, which is investigating new agents for bladder preservation in patients whose cancer has recurred after standard therapy. In collaboration with researchers at Columbia's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, his team continues to develop new therapeutic strategies for managing bladder cancer.

Biography: Dr. Pamela Freda is Associate Professor of Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Dr. Freda received her undergraduate training at Harvard College and her medical training at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed three years of house staff training on the Medical Service at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and her Fellowship in Endocrinology at Columbia, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Freda has been the Clinical Director of the Neuroendocrine Unit of Columbia University since 2000. Dr. Freda belongs to a number of professional societies including the Endocrine Society, the Growth Hormone Research Society (GRS) and the Pituitary Society, of which she has served on the Board of Directors since 2010. She served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2000-2004). Since 2010 she has been an Endocrine Society Self-Assessment Committee Member and since 2003 has been a Quality Reviewer of the Pituitary sections of 'Up to Date Endocrinology'. She served as Chair of the Endocrine Society Task force for the Clinical Guidelines on Pituitary Incidentalomas, which were recently published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Biography: Dr. Salvatore Caruana is the Director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center. He is a widely respected head and neck surgeon in the forefront of the surgical treatment of tumors of the mouth pharynx, larynx and sinuses, parathyroid surgery, thyroid gland, and salivary glands. He is a pioneer in laser microsurgery for pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers. Dr. Caruana is an Associate Clinical Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Caruana graduated cum laude from the University of Buffalo and completed his Doctor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His general surgery training at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center was followed by a residency in Otolaryngology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He then completed an NIH funded two-and-a-half-year fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Caruana's peer-reviewed research has included work centering upon the biological nature of several head and neck cancers and on the role of viruses in malignancies of the paranasal sinuses.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: Nicole Lamanna, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Hematologic Malignancies Section of the Hematology/Oncology Division. Dr. Lamanna is a hematologist/oncologist whose research interests include lymphoid leukemias, specifically chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She is an experienced clinical investigator and her research focus has been the development of combination therapies that include chemoimmunotherapy, immunomodulatory drugs, novel kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. She also is working to find active, safer therapies for older patients with these diseases. She earned her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Biography: NatalieBerger, MD will be joining the faculty as Assistant Professor of Medicine at CUMC, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Associate Director of Breast Medical Oncology at NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital with a focus in breast cancer. Dr.Bergerwill see patients at NYP/HVH and work in collaboration with leadership at NYP/HVH and CUIMC/Hematology and Oncology to develop and grow the breast medical oncology program at NYP/HVH through a patient centered multidisciplinaryapproach and increase access to clinical trials in the community. Dr.Bergerearned her MD from St. George's University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Connecticut and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Prior to joining CUMC/NYP-HVH, Dr.Bergerwas Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai with a focus in breast cancer and gynecologic malignancies.

Biography: Benjamin Samstein, MD is Chief of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery in the Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University. Dr. Samstein is the Surgical Director of the Living Donor Liver Transplant Program at NYP. Dr. Samstein is a renowned pioneer in minimally invasive liver surgery and state-of-the-art laparoscopic techniques for liver cancer. Dr. Samstein is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Dr. Samstein heads up the multidisciplinary liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery team at NYP/Weill Cornell. His specialties include the most advanced laparoscopic procedures for liver cancer, benign liver tumors and hepatobiliary pancreatic disease. He has been invited to talk about minimally invasive liver surgery throughout the world. He is a member of many surgical societies including a founding member of the International Laparoscopic Liver Society (ILLS), American Society of Transplant Surgery, American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA). He is the Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of LiveOnNY and served as the Regional representation to the Liver and Intestine Committee of UNOS from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Samstein is well-published in the field, authoring more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious medical and surgical journals, books and book chapters. Other areas of clinical expertise include hepatic adenoma, hepatic hemangioma, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal metastasis, live donor nephrectomy, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, and pediatric liver and organ transplant. Dr. Samstein received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1992 and earned his MD at the State University of New York at Stonybrook in 1997. He did his internship and residency in general surgery at NYP/Columbia, and completed a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in 2001. He completed a fellowship in ASTS Multi-organ transplant at NYP/Columbia in 2006. He was Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center from 2006 to 2015. He served as Program Director of the transplant surgery fellowship at Columbia University from 2007 to 2015. He is a reviewer for American Journal of Transplantation, Transplantation, Liver Transplantation, Pediatric Transplantation, Clinical Transplantation among other journals. List of Publications by Dr. Samstein PubMed

Biography: Paul Chapman, MD is currently the Chief Medical Research Officer for the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Chapman received his M.D. degree from Weill Cornell Medical College in 1981 and trained in internal medicine as an intern and resident at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics from 1981-1984. After that, he returned to New York as a medical oncology Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer where he focused on immunotherapy of melanoma in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Houghton. He joined the faculty of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in 1988 and worked there through 2023 as a tenured Attending Physician. During this time at MSKCC, Dr. Chapman led many clinical and laboratory studies designed to develop new and improved treatments for melanoma. This included the first BRAF targeted therapy trial and several immunotherapy trials. His research continues to focus on developing new treatments for melanoma.

Biography: Dr. S. Sunghyun Yoon is the Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Vice-Chair of Surgical Oncology Research and Education in the Department of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). Dr. Yoon is a national and international expert in the treatment of patients with sarcomas and other soft tissue tumors, gastric (stomach) and gastroesophageal cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), and melanoma. He also has over 18 years of experience in the treatment of other gastrointestinal and abdominal tumors, hepatobiliary tumors, neuroendocrine/adrenal tumors, lymphomas, and spleen tumors. He has been the principal investigator of several clinical trials examining novel treatment strategies and given numerous invited national and international lectures in relation to these cancers. Several of these trials have investigated the treatment of sarcomas, especially abdominal/retroperitoneal sarcomas, with advanced radiation techniques such as proton beam radiation and aggressive surgical resection to minimize local recurrence. Read More About These Treatments: https://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/retroperitoneal-sarcomas-and-pelvic-sarcomas Dr. Yoon was an early advocate for minimally invasive robotic surgery and has performed over 300 robotic procedures including robotic gastrectomies (stomach removal). He has one of the world's largest experiences in performing prophylactic total gastrectomies for patients with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC syndrome) secondary to germline CDH1 mutation. He pioneered a technique for connection of the small bowel to the esophagus after total gastrectomy that is used by former surgical trainees and colleagues throughout the country due to its extremely low leakage rate. Dr. Yoon graduated from Harvard University and received his M.D. from the University of California at San Diego. He completed his residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and his fellowship in surgical oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was an Associate Professor of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School before joining the staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 2012. Dr. Yoon was an Attending Surgeon in the Division of Gastric and Mixed Tumors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College before joining CUIMC in 2021. Dr. Yoon's main research interests are in cancer stem cells and targeted biological agents in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. His laboratory has been funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute for 18 years and strives to translate new research discoveries into the clinic. Dr. Yoon is also part of multi-institution research groups funded by Stand Up To Cancer and the DeGregorio Family Foundation to discover early diagnostics and new therapies for gastric cancer. His clinical and research efforts have led to over 150 original research articles, book chapters, and reviews. For a complete list of publications, please visit NCBI.