Nancy E. Epstein, MD

As the daughter of a spinal neurosurgeon, I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. Visiting recovery rooms in hospitals on weekend rounds with my father furthered my interest, and I decided to pursue a career as a neurosurgeon. During rotations in medical school, I found spinal neurosurgery to be the most exciting, interesting, and intellectually challenging specialty. I was the first woman to train as a neurosurgeon at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue under Dr. Joseph Ransohoff.

I evaluate patients with spinal conditions who have MRI or CT scans and sometimes both. Based on their scans and their complaints and symptoms, I determine whether surgery is warranted. The operations I perform include laminectomies, discectomies, and spinal fusions.

I am chief of neurosurgical spine and education at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. In the past, I’ve served as president and program chair of the Cervical Spine Research Society and program chair of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Spine Section. I am now editor-in-chief of Surgical Neurology International, and am on the editorial boards of Spine, The Spine Journal, and Clinical Spine Surgery. I continue to publish approximately 20 peer-reviewed papers annually on spinal neurosurgery.