Rebecca Straus Farber, MD

Brian Emmert, MD, is an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in the Division of Epilepsy. Dr. Emmert obtained his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, double-majoring in biology and psychology and minoring in cognitive neuroscience, where he graduated valedictorian of the psychology major. He completed his medical doctorate at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, where he graduated at the top of his class, earning the Dean’s Award, and was also inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Emmert then pursued his medicine internship and neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. During residency, Dr. Emmert was inducted into the Gold Humanism Society at the University of Pennsylvania for his commitment to patient care and humanism. He also won the Galetta Teaching Award for Excellence in Medical Education. After residency, Dr. Emmert completed a fellowship in epilepsy, followed by a fellowship in intracranial EEG. He concurrently completed a fellowship in Medical Education. Dr. Emmert is a member of the board of directors of the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (A.D.R.O.P.), and also serves as an associate editor for the Aquifer Neurology editorial board. He has previously served as the President of the Consortium of Neurology Residents and Fellows (CNRF) and on the Graduate Education Subcommittee (GES) at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Dr. Emmert has a clinical interest in drug-resistant epilepsy and medical education.

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

Mary Welch, MD is an Associate Professor of Neurology at CUMC, in the Division of Neuro-Oncology. Dr. Welch graduated from Chicagos' Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed neurology residency here at Columbia, followed by sub-specialty training in neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In her second year of fellowship, she earned a Comparative Effectiveness Research Award to attend Columbia's Summer Research Institute at Mailman School of Public Health. Upon completing her training, Dr. Welch worked for several years as a practicing neuro-oncologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. There, she served as principal investigator for numerous phase I and II clinical trials for the treatment of primary and metastatic brain cancer. She also developed a strong research interest in improving patient access to both standard and investigational therapies. In addition to seeing both inpatient and outpatient neuro-oncology patients, Dr. Welch maintains an active research program within the Division of Neuro-Oncology.