Sleep Disorder Center

Dr. Prager is Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of Clinical Ethics and Chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee at Columbia University Medical Center. He spent two years in the Indian health Service practicing general medicine on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota after his medical internship. Dr. Prager held clandestine medical clinics in the Soviet Union during a visit to Refuseniks in 1986, and later set up the first U.S. - Soviet medical student exchange program between Columbia P&S and the First Moscow Medical Academy. Dr. Prager has been a pulmonologist for over 35 years. He is heavily involved in teaching pulmonology and medical ethics to medical students, house officers and nurses. His writings on medicine and medical ethics have appeared in medical journals and textbooks as well as on the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Prager is a regular guest lecturer in Israel for the Ben Gurion University MD Program in International Health and Medicine in collaboration with Columbia University Health Sciences. He has received honors for his teaching, clinical expertise, contributions to organ donation, and medical humanism.

Jason B. Carmel, MD, PhD, is a child neurologist and motor system neuroscientist dedicated to improving movement and function in individuals with central nervous system injuries. He specializes in treating children, adolescents, and adults with conditions such as cerebral palsy at the Movement Recovery Clinic and evaluates infants with delayed motor milestones in the Infant Movement Evaluation Clinic. Dr. Carmel works closely with patients and their families to develop personalized treatment plans that align with their goals for mobility, independence, and participation in daily life. Dr. Carmel is Chief of the Division of Child Neurology and Executive Director of the Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Additionally, Dr. Carmel directs the Movement Recovery Laboratory, where he leads groundbreaking research on activity-based therapies that harness the body’s own capacity for recovery. His work explores innovative approaches, including brain and spinal cord stimulation and intensive behavioral training, to strengthen neural connections and restore movement. His research has demonstrated that stimulating intact pathways after injury can enhance their function, promote new connections, and improve motor skills. Dr. Carmel is committed to bridging the gap between research and clinical care. By translating discoveries from the lab into more effective therapies, he is shaping the future of treatment for patients with cerebral palsy and other movement disorders, across their lifespan. His ultimate goal as a physician-scientist is to develop and refine therapies that help individuals regain mobility, confidence, and quality of life. A leader in neurorehabilitation, Dr. Carmel is a standing NIH study section member, program chair of the American Society for Neurorehabilitation, and a steering committee member of the Cerebral Palsy Research Network. He also serves as a scientific and medical advisor to companies advancing neuromodulation technologies. His work is supported by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations.

Michael Argenziano, MD, FACS, is Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He also serves as the director of the Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Surgical Arrhythmia programs, director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Laboratory and Clinical Research Program, and program director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency program. Dr. Argenziano received his medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and completed his postgraduate training at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Argenziano is board certified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. He is the immediate past president of the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery. He has authored more than 100 publications, presented at numerous scientific conferences, and received several grants and awards for his research. He has led two national trials of robotic surgery, and his atrial fibrillation research has been supported by the TSFRE's Career Development Award. He currently serves as Columbia's principal investigator in the NIH/NHLBI Network for Cardiothoracic Surgical Investigations.