Dena Goffman, MD

I am a pediatric endocrinologist with interests that include polycysytic ovary syndrome (PCOS), bone health, disorders of puberty, thyroid disorders, pituitary disorders and growth disorders. In addition to my training in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, I have Master of Science degrees in Nutrition (1999) and in Patient Oriented Research (2014) and have completed a research fellowship at the Body Composition Unit of Columbia University Medical Center (2003). I comleted the TRANSFORM KL2 program sponsored by the Irving Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, a mentored career development program. My responsibilites include my clinical practice, overseeing clinical and research fellows, mentoring students, and running a clinical study. I have been certified as a clinical densitometrist by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry and interpret pediatric bone mineral density studies performed at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. My research project, “A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of metformin for hepatic fat in adolescents and young adults with polycystic ovary syndrome” has the primary goal of exploring the use of novel and noninvasive testing and a pilot double-blind placebo-controlled trial of metformin with the intention of identifying and potentially treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescents and young adults with PCOS. My research is unique in that it uses minimally invasive body composition methodology, which makes it particularly attractive for use in adolescents and young adults. My overall clinical research goal is early identification and treatment of metabolic and body composition abnormalities associated with PCOS and to prevent lifelong morbidity associated with this disorder in a young population

Dr. Katherine Rosenwasser is the Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) / Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York (MSCHONY). She is an expert in the operative and non-operative treatment of lower extremity deformity and musculoskeletal trauma in pediatric patients – from infants to adolescents. Her practice focuses on caring for children with limb-length discrepancies, clubfoot, congenital deformities, and those requiring complex lower extremity reconstructive surgeries. Dr. Rosenwasser’s advanced training allows her to leverage the latest surgical techniques and non-operative therapies to provide life-altering interventions for young patients. After receiving her medical degree from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Dr. Rosenwasser remained at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian where she completed residency training in orthopedic surgery, serving as executive chief resident. Following her residency, Dr. Rosenwasser completed dual fellowships in pediatric orthopedic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and pediatric limb lengthening and reconstruction under the direction of Dr. John Herzenberg at the Sinai Hospital’s Ruben Institute for Advanced Orthopedics in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Rosenwasser is an active member of the academic orthopedic community, both as a member of numerous national organizations and as an active researcher with a variety of ongoing research projects focused on improving patient outcomes for children who require complex orthopedic care.

Monica Velasco is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, NY. Previously, she received her Master of Science in Nursing and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Miami, FL. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society and the Transplant Nurses Association. She earned many awards and honors during her clinical and academic career, including the Mary Dickey Lindsay ’45 Nursing Scholar, 2013 from Columbia University School of Nursing. She has co-authored numerous transplant publications and has served as an international guest speaker. She is considered an expert in the field of Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplant. Monica’s nursing experience spans over 25 years. She began her transplant career in 1998 at the University of Miami, where she worked for 13 years as the Program Manager for the Pediatric Liver and Intestinal Transplant Division and Senior Transplant Clinical Coordinator. During her time there, she helped grow the Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program into one of the top transplant centers in the world. In 2010, she was recruited by the Center of Liver Disease and Abdominal Transplantation at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Currently, she is the Program Manager for the Intestinal and Ex-Vivo Transplant Division and is a Senior Transplant Clinical Coordinator. She has over two decades of clinical experience in pediatrics, taking care of complex liver and intestinal transplant patients. She has vast experience working with nutritionally challenged patients who require enteral and parenteral nutrition. She is a co-investigator on numerous research projects in the areas of liver and intestinal transplantation. She holds a Clinical Faculty Position at Columbia University School of Nursing, where she serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing, Clinical Preceptor and Portfolio Advisor for their Doctorate Program. Fluent in Spanish Visit The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation at columbiasurgery.org/liver