Since I was five years old, I knew I wanted to become a doctor and help people. I was inspired by my father, who was a dentist and trained at NYU College of Dentistry. I was interested in becoming a pediatrician or a psychiatrist, until I worked with bones and joints during my orthopedics rotations in medical school.
I’ve been a foot and ankle surgeon for more than 25 years. During that time, my patients have included people of all ages, athletic abilities, and walks of life. When people come to me, they can expect to be treated like members of my own family. I partner with each person and customize treatment plans to meet each one’s specific needs. Treatment plans can include medication, physical therapy, injections, shoe modifications, braces, prosthetics, or surgery.
As a foot and ankle specialist, I treat traumatic injuries, overuse injuries, tendon injuries, ligament disorders, joint disorders, rheumatic conditions, and deformities in adults at Joan H. and Preston Robert Tisch Center at Essex Crossing. I also treat congenital conditions in children at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. At NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, I perform total ankle replacements. Because I’m particularly interested in ankle and hindfoot arthritis, I have invented an artificial ankle joint that corrects deformity and restores function.
My clinical work drives my biomechanical and basic science research. I have researched nearly every condition that affects the foot and ankle. I have published more than 180 peer-reviewed papers and 110 other publications. I have trained approximately 500 students, researchers, residents, and fellows worldwide. I am a former president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and a consultant to professional and collegiate sports teams and dance companies. I am also a co-inventor of several medical devices used to help treat challenging musculoskeletal conditions.
I have earned numerous awards, including the 2012 Johns Hopkins University Professors Award for Excellence in Teaching, AOFAS Humana Award, AOFAS Roger Mann Award, AOFAS Goldner Award, the MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Golden Apple Award, and the 2015 Johns Hopkins University Biomedical Engineering Clinical Innovator Award. I was made an honorary member of the German Foot and Ankle Society and the Israeli Foot and Ankle Society.
