Vitrak, Alexei

ColumbiaDoctors provides patients with the expertise of more than 1,800 highly regarded physicians, surgeons, dentists, and nurses, coupled with the prestige of Columbia University, one of the nation’s oldest and finest universities.

Dr. Michael Saulle is an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and the Medical Director for Sports Medicine – Westchester Division. He is a dual board-certified physician in Sports Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He specializes in non-operative Spine and Sports Medicine with a particular interest in minimally invasive image-guided procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. He uses fluoroscopy and musculoskeletal ultrasound to provide real-time diagnosis and precise delivery of medications. His clinical interests also include regenerative treatments, such as platelet rich plasma injections. His goal is to restore proper movement and optimize quality of life through a comprehensive treatment plan including personalized therapy prescriptions, nutrition, exercise, medications, injections and education. Dr. Saulle received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, where he studied Health Sciences. He received his medical degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internship at North Shore LIJ Hospital in Internal Medicine. He subsequently completed his residency training program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York-Presbyterian-Columbia and Cornell, where he served as Chief Resident. He went on to complete a bi-campus fellowship in interventional Spine and Sports Medicine at New York-Presbyterian - Columbia and Cornell. Prior to his start at Columbia, Dr. Saulle worked as an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College where he served as Associate site Director for the Cornell Sports Medicine Fellowship. He was awarded the Faculty Teacher of the Year Award for his dedication to the education and mentorship of medical trainees of both Columbia and Cornell. Dr. Saulle is a New York Magazine SuperDoctors Rising Star in Sports Medicine (2019, 2020). He lectures to audiences at the local, national and international level and is an author of multiple journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Saulle is a current member of multiple academies and acts as a peer reviewer for the PM&R Journal and the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He has cared for many recreational and professional athletes, and has been a team physician for high school, college and professional sports teams. Dr. Saulle has participated in competitive sports for over twenty years and uses his personal experiences with injury to provide a unique comprehensive perspective on recovery and rehabilitation. He believes patient education is the cornerstone to successful treatment and ensures each patient understands their condition, treatment options and lifestyle modifications to optimize health and well-being. Dr. Saulle hails from Yonkers New York and enjoys a variety of sports, music, cooking and backpacking.

Dr. Hiral Shah is an assistant professor of neurology at CUMC in the Division of Multispecialty Neurology. Dr. Shah completed her undergraduate at MIT and her medical doctorate at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Shah completed her neurology residency at Columbia, serving as chief resident in her final year. Dr. Shah subsequently spent a year at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, working in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse on public health aspects of neurological illnesses. She has been a Global Mental Health Scholar and served as coordinator for WHO's project on dementia prioritization and G7 Dementia Research Agenda portfolio analysis. In addition, Dr. Shah is a Global Health and Aging Policy Fellow. Dr. Shah is most interested in learning how to overcome barriers of stigma and discrimination to improve care access for vulnerable individuals who suffer from mental health conditions and neurodegenerative disorders. This includes the assessment of cognition and mental health among those with neuropsychiatric conditions.