Mary R. Welch, MD, MS

Dr. Claassen is a Professor of Neurology and the Director of Critical Care Neurology at Columbia University. He is an Associate Attending Physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Medical Director of the Neurocritical Care Unit. Dr. Claassen received his medical degree from the University of Hamburg, Germany, and completed residency training in Neurology, and Fellowship training in Neurocritical Care and Epilepsy at Columbia University. He is board certified in Neurology and Neurocritical Care. Dr Claassen is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the treatment of neurological intensive care. He is an expert in coma, status epilepticus and brain hemorrhages. He served on the board of directors and as the co-chair for guidelines development for the Neurocritical Care Society. He has championed the use of innovative brain monitoring techniques including continuous EEG monitoring. His sits on the editorial board of Annals of Neurology and Neurocritical Care. Dr Claassen’s research characterizes physiologic changes following acute brain injury, focusing on novel treatment approaches to potentially improve patient outcomes. He is a widely recognized expert on disorders of consciousness. He has published more than 300 journal articles, book chapters, and reviews. He is the co-editor of the seminal monograph Plum and Posner’s: Diagnosis and Treatment of Stupor and Coma. His research is supported by federal R01 and foundation grants

Rebecca Straus Farber, MD, is Medical Director of the MS Center at CUIMC, where she sees patients with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune central nervous system conditions such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. After earning her BA in psychology from Yale University, Dr. Farber completed medical school and neurology residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. She then completed a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for MS at Mount Sinai, during which time she was a recipient of the Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship from the National MS Society. Dr. Farber is board certified in neurology by the American Academy of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Farber has published multiple journal articles on MS and has presented at international meetings. She conducts clinical trials of novel therapeutics for refractory multiple sclerosis, including Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and cell-based therapies/ CAR-T therapy. Topics of research include optimizing timing and sequencing of MS therapies, assessing modifiable risk factors/ lifestyle interventions for MS, and exploring the role of MS therapies on the immune system's response to vaccines. Dr. Farber directs the MS/ Neuroimmunology Fellowship program at CUIMC. Columbia University's Multiple Sclerosis Center is a premier treatment and research facility for individuals living with multiple sclerosis. Our center remains dedicated to providing the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic care available to our patients.

Marla Hamberger completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, and earned her Masters and Doctorate from the City University of New York. After completing her internship in Neuropsychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, she obtained postdoctoral training at UCLA, specializing in the neuropsychology of epilepsy. She has been with the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University Medical Center since 1992, where she is the Director of Neuropsychological Services within the Epilepsy Division, and holds the position of Professor of Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University.