Andrew Eisenberger, MD
Director – Benign Hematology Service
Adult Hematology, Program Clinical Lead – NYP-Columbia Sphere
Care of individuals with sickle cell disease has been a major part of Dr. Eisenberger’s practice for two decades. Early in his career he was a team member at Newark Beth Israel’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Care Program, where he learned the importance of integrated multidisciplinary care. Several years ago he spearheaded efforts to create a dedicated inpatient adult sickle cell service at Columbia. Led by two nurse practitioners, the adult sickle cell service strives to provide seamless inpatient and outpatient expert management, fostering patient trust in the medical team. Dr. Eisenberger is currently focusing on developing an enterprise-wide sickle cell disease program, with an eye on ensuring that patients have adequate access to clinical trials of medications in development and curative stem cell transplant therapies.
Shipra Kaicker, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Director of the Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Program at New York- Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital at Weill Cornell Medicine
Pediatric Hematology, Program Clinical Lead – NYP-Cornell Sphere
Dr. Shipra Kaicker is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Director of the Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Program at New York- Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Kaicker brings with her two-decades of clinical experience in taking care of children with sickle cell disease. Prior to joining the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Kaicker was one of two pediatric hematologists at the Infant and Children’s Hospital at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY where she took care of a large population of children with sickle cell disease. Upon joining Weill Cornell Medicine in 2015, Dr. Kaicker built up and expanded the comprehensive pediatric sickle cell program with patients now being referred for care from adjoining NYC boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Through the Dalio Center for Health Justice’s enterprise-wide sickle cell initiative, she and her team hope to provide the necessary infrastructure required to overcome any social deterrents to care and to provide patients access to clinical trials and newer curative therapies.
Margaret T. Lee, MD, MS
Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Pediatric Hematology, Program Clinical Lead – NYP-Columbia Sphere
Dr. Lee joined the faculty of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 1998, focusing her career in the care of children with sickle cell disease. She is currently the Director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell Program at Columbia. She served as the site Principal Investigator and contributed to the publications of several landmark national multi-center clinical trials in stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease, including the STOP I/II, SWiTCH and TWiTCH trials, all of which have profoundly led to advancements in the care of children with sickle cell disease. Dr. Lee’s current research is focused on the effect of vitamin D on the respiratory complications of sickle cell disease. Her current clinical focus is to develop an integrated comprehensive program for transitioning pediatric sickle cell patients to adult medical care at Columbia by providing a structured transition service with reliable community health navigation and support to ensure the best outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease. Along with the Integrative Therapies program at Columbia, Dr. Lee is also exploring the use of acupuncture for treatment of sickle cell pain. As a testament to her dedication to patients with sickle cell disease, the Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Patient Network honored Dr. Lee with a Distinguished Service Award in 2019.
Sheera Minkowitz, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Pediatric Hematology, Program Clinical Lead – NYP-Cornell Sphere
Dr. Sheera Minkowitz is a board-certified pediatric hematologist oncologist and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYP BMH). In addition to practicing general hematology, Dr. Minkowitz co-leads the comprehensive sickle cell program at NYP BMH. The comprehensive sickle cell program at NYP BMH takes a multidisciplinary and integrative approach when caring for people living with sickle cell disease. Within the program, physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, physical and occupational therapists work as a team to provide comprehensive care. In addition to providing patients with access to the most advanced evidence based medical care including bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy, the program offers support groups and hosts educational activities for patients and families. Dr. Minkowitz is grant funded by The New York State Department of Health to implement a transition of care program that allows people living with sickle cell to seamlessly transition from pediatric to adult care.
Revathy Sundaram, MD
Chief of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Pediatric Hematology, Program Clinical Lead – NYP-Cornell Sphere
Dr. Revathy Sundaram is the Chief of Pediatric Hematology Oncology at NY Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Sundaram graduated from the Madras Medical College in India and completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology at the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn NY. She has devoted her professional career to the care of children afflicted with blood disorders, in particular sickle cell anemia and other hemoglobinopathies. She has participated in clinical trials and published and presented her work. She is involved in the teaching and training of pediatric residents as well as medical students. She is a member of several committees within the division of Pediatrics as well as hospital wide at NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She served as the president of the Brooklyn Pediatric Society and has been a member of the Executive Committee of the National Cooley’s Anemia Foundation as well as the Sickle Cell Advisory Committee of NY. She is the recipient of several awards for her teaching and mentorship and was listed in the Castle Connolly Guide of Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area. She was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation as well as the SCAC. She is enthusiastic about her collaboration with colleagues within the NY Presbyterian Network to improve outcomes in patients with sickle cell anemia and proud to continue to serve the children and families of Brooklyn.
Serena Brown, BA
Patient Transition Coordinator – NYP-Columbia Sphere
Serena Brown, BA is a Patient Transition Coordinator for the Dailo Center for Health Justice Sickle Cell Program. In this role, she is responsible for facilitating transition of care from pediatric to adult health care and supporting the successful integration into adult care. Prior to joining NYP, Serena served as a Follow Up Coordinator and Options Counselor within Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Special Services Department. Serena graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
