Lauren H Redler, MD

Dr. Michael G. Vitale specializes in the non-operative and operative treatment of complex pediatric scoliosis and other spinal disorders, and performs approximately 200 scoliosis procedures every year, half of which are in children less than 8 years of age. Dr. Vitale has a special interest in innovative treatments for younger children with scoliosis, including the use of a magnetic spine lengthening device (“MAGEC”) which eliminates the need to perform repeat spinal surgeries every 6-9 months on growing children, non-fusion procedures such as vertebral stapling and vertebral tethers, “growing rods,” and the “Shilla” procedure. As part of his commitment to innovation in Scoliosis treatment, Dr. Vitale helps to lead the Children’s Spine Study Group, which conducts extensive multicenter international research focused on improving the care of young people with scoliosis. Dr. Vitale also leads the Conservative Treatment of Scoliosis Center, with Co-Director Hagit Berdishevsky. One of the only programs of its kind, the Center focuses on avoiding surgery with attention to scoliosis specific Schroth physical therapy and state-of-the art expert brace options including the Rigo System Cheneau brace. For the youngest children with scoliosis, Dr. Vitale runs an active Mehta casting program and has successfully used this method to reverse spinal curvature in numerous patients. For those who need surgery, Dr. Vitale, also the Chief Quality Officer for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, has a focus on making sure every procedure is done in the safest possible way. In fact, Dr. Vitale has written extensively on best practices in the care of patients with scoliosis. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Vitale serves as director of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Research Group and leads the clinical research team in their efforts, which are often funded by multi-year grants, published in leading medical journals, and presented at national and international conferences. Under Dr. Vitale’s leadership, the group has published over 150 peer reviewed publications in the field. In recognition of his clinical and academic leadership, Dr. Vitale has received numerous national awards from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America including the Arthur H. Huene Memeorial Award, the Angela M Kuo Award Young Investigator Award, the Robert Hensinger Scientific Paper Award, as well as the Hansjorg Wyss Research Award, the Frank Stinchfield Research Award, the Rosamond Kane Award in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Harrison Mclaughin Award. Dr. Vitale also serves numerous roles in the national governance of the field – currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, chairing the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Society, leading the efforts of the Scoliosis Research Society on Advocacy for Unmet Needs of Children for Pediatric Medical Devices, serving on the Executive Committee of the Children’s Spine Study Group, and is a Member of the prestigious International Pediatric Orthopaedic Think Tank. Dr. Vitale is the recipient of the Castle Connolly Top Doctors award for 5 consecutive years and has been named Top 50 Physicians in the US in the area of Scoliosis Care by Becker’s Spine Review. An avid skier, marathon runner and recreational triathlete, Dr. Vitale’s biggest pleasure is spending his free time with his wife and four Sons.

Dr. Charles A. Popkin specializes in pediatric, adolescent, and collegiate sports medicine, with an emphasis on the operative and non-operative treatment of complex knee disorders. His specific clinical interests involve primary and revision ACL reconstruction, patellar instability, cartilage injuries and disorders, meniscal tears, and recalcitrant patellar tendinopathy. With dual fellowships in Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Dr. Popkin has dedicated his career to the comprehensive treatment and prevention of injury in developing athletes. He has a particular interest in the management of ice hockey injuries, serving as a team physician for USA Hockey, and on the USA Hockey National Safety and Protective Equipment Committee. Dr. Popkin is also the head team physician for: Fordham University, Mercy College, and the Hackley School in Tarrytown. In addition to his academic practice, Dr. Popkin conducts research on ACL injury prevention, ACL reconstruction techniques in the pediatric athlete, overuse injuries in youth sports, refractory patellar tendonitis, and shoulder instability in ice hockey. He pens a monthly "Ask Dr. Hockey" column for USA Hockey Magazine. Dr. Popkin lives in Westchester and enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.

Joshua Milner is a leader in the field of discovery and immunopathogenesis of genetic diseases that lead to allergic symptoms. Among the disorders he has described and/or found major mechanistic insight are PLAID—an immune disorder that leads to lifelong cold urticaria, the glycosylation disorder PGM3 deficiency, ERBIN mutation, CARD11 dominant negative mutations, STAT3 gain-of-function, Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia Syndrome, IL-6 receptor deficiency, and others. Dr. Milner graduated with an SB in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1995 and an MD with distinction in immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and, as the recipient of the Pediatric Scientist Development Program Fellowship, did his fellowship in allergy and immunology at NIAID. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. William E. Paul, NIAID, examining issues of mouse T-cell receptor repertoires before beginning as an investigator in the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases in the NIAID, where he was eventually named chief. Dr. Milner's vision is to establish how genetic variation can help inform diagnosis and care of all patients with allergic disease—rare and common, severe and mild. This is achieved by performing genetic sequencing on samples from patients with allergic disease of all sorts, as well as performing functional studies on the same patient samples, which together help point to specific immune pathways that may be fundamentally causing disease. This comprehensive analysis, when performed in larger populations, will help personalize medicine so that patients can be better categorized for targeted care. Furthermore, this type of research and care requires a coordinated and comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, taking advantage of the expertise across the department of pediatrics and at multiple outpatient sites.