CUIMC/Vivian & Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center

Dr. Nir Uriel, an internationally recognized leader in heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation, has been named Director of Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian. Dr. Uriel will oversee heart failure programs at NewYork-Presbyterians campuses in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester, with a goal to increase accessibility of care for those with advanced heart failure throughout the New York area. Dr. Uriel was born and raised in Israel, where he attended medical school. After serving for four years as a physician in the Israeli Defense Forces, he then completed his cardiology residency and fellowship. In 2008, he moved to New York to pursue fellowships at NewYork- Presbyterian/Columbia in cardiology, heart failure, transplant, and mechanical circulatory support and remained here as a faculty member until 2014. He then served as the Louis Block Professor of Medicine and Director of Heart Failure, Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the University of Chicago Medicine, where, in 2018, he and his Chicago team made history performing two tripleorgan transplants within 27 hours.A dedicated researcher with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Uriel has improved treatment protocols for patients with end-stage heart failure and has extended criteria for the use of ventricular assist devices and eligibility for transplant for high-risk patients, including those who are HIV positive. His research continues with a focus on interactions of medical devices, such as VADS, with the human body.

Robert Fee, PhD is a lifespan neuropsychologist who specializes in the evaluation of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning in children. Dr. Fee earned his undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University, Masters from Columbia University, and his doctorate from City University of New York with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology. He completed his internship training in lifespan neuropsychology including pediatrics, epilepsy, aging, movement disorders, stroke, and neurorehabilitation in the Department of Neurology at North Shore University Hospital as well as psychotherapy within the Department of Psychiatry at Zucker-Hillside Hospital (Northwell Health System). His postdoctoral training in Neuropsychology was completed at Columbia University Irving Medical Center within the Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience and Division of Child Neurology, receiving advanced training in the assessment of individuals across the lifespan with various neurological disorders. His clinical activities focus on the assessment of children with neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual disability, learning disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, motor disorders, language disorders, genetic disorders, as well as congenital and acquired brain injuries, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, neuro-oncology and other neurological conditions. He also provides psychotherapeutic consultation to children and families.

Monica Bhatia, MD specializes in the care of children with noncancerous blood disorders who may benefit from bone marrow transplantation, especially sickle cell anemia. She and her colleagues are working to reduce the toxicity (side effects) and complications of this treatment without compromising its effectiveness, and to make it available to more patients. The field of pediatric hematology brings with it many intellectual challenges, and bone marrow transplantation in particular is especially dynamic. Dr. Bhatia has the opportunity to provide care for the sickest children, potentially curing their disease. She builds strong relationships with her patients and their families that last for years. It is inspiring for her to see young patients grow up to lead healthy, productive lives. NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has a robust program for bone marrow transplantation for sickle cell anemia - the only cure for this disease. Dr. Bhatia and her team have witnessed remarkable results among children who are cured with bone marrow transplantation and spared from the potentially life-threatening complications of sickle cell disease. Yet despite the advances made, only 15 percent of patients with sickle cell disease have a matched sibling bone marrow donor. Therefore, Dr. Bhatia and her team conduct research to evaluate a procedure called "CD34-selected stem cell transplantation" to remove T-cells from donor bone marrow for patients without a matched sibling donor. This approach reduces the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potential complication of bone marrow transplantation in which T-cells from the donor attack the tissue of the recipient. This approach to harnessing stem cells could potentially make bone marrow transplantation a safer, effective option for many patients who are seeking a cure for sickle cell disease. Dr. Bhatia and her colleagues are currently assessing reduced-intensity transplantation, which uses lower doses of chemotherapy to decrease the risk of side effects and long-term complications without lowering the effectiveness of treatment. She is also interested in looking for ways to further improve the quality of life of patients who have had a bone marrow transplant in addition to fertility preservation.