Kristen Debisceglie, FNP

Dr. Geirsson is a renowned cardiac surgeon and the Director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Director of the Surgical Heart Valve Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. With an upbringing and medical education in Iceland, he honed his skills in General Surgery at Yale University and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania between 1998 and 2007. During his tenure at Yale as the Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery from 2007 to 2013, he made significant contributions to the field. Dr. Geirsson then returned to Iceland from 2013 to 2016, serving as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik. Driven by his passion for innovative approaches, he returned to Yale in 2016 and was appointed as the Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery in 2017. Dr. Geirsson's clinical practice focuses on minimally invasive cardiac surgery and valve surgery, specializing in robotic mitral valve repair and aortic valve repair. He achieved notable milestones by performing the first minimally right thoracotomy mitral valve surgery at YNHH in 2009 and the first robotic mitral valve surgery at YNHH in 2018. Moreover, his research endeavors encompass both basic and clinical science, concentrating on mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm disease. With his expertise, dedication, and commitment to advancing cardiac surgery, Dr. Geirsson continues to make significant contributions to the field and improve patient outcomes.

Koji Takeda, MD, PhD is a cardiac surgeon and Surgical Director for Adult Heart Transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Takeda has a focus on heart failure, heart transplant surgery and mechanical circulatory support through ventricular assist devices (VADs). In addition to his clinical work, he is an active researcher in all of these areas, as well as in cardiac regeneration therapy. Dr. Takeda completed his medical training, post-graduate training, residency and fellowship in Osaka, Japan, after which he completed an advanced cardiovascular surgery fellowship at Northwestern University, Chicago. He is the recipient of multiple honors and awards including the American College of Chest Physicians Award, Japan Branch, 2009; and chief resident award and best resident award, 2005, at the National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan.

Renu Lalwani, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She practices at ColumbiaDoctors Medical Group in our Hawthorne & White Plains office. Dr. Lalwani received her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College. She completed her internship at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center and her residency at California Pacific Medical Center. Dr. Lalwani is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a member of the American College of Physicians.