Dr. Berkowitz is an internationally known expert in fetal diagnosis and therapy. He joined the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons after serving for 18 years as the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Berkowitz is a pioneer in the use of obstetrical ultrasound, management of Rh isoimmunization, treatment of fetal urinary tract obstructions and development of several invasive procedures for fetal diseases in utero. He has special expertise in the management of high order multiple pregnancies, including those with one or more abnormal fetuses, and is noted for his skill in performing a wide range of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Dr. Berkowitz has trained a generation of MFM Fellows, many of whom have gone on to become national leaders in the field. He was a senior Board examiner in general OB/GYN and MFM for many years, as well as the past president of the New York Obstetrical Society. In 2005, Dr. Berkowitz also assumed the responsibility of Resident Education. Dr. Berkowitz is an experienced researcher and has published over 200 articles in peer review journals, as well as authoring or editing more than 35 books and book chapters.

Dr. Clarissa Bonanno is a high risk obstetrician who received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency training at New York University. Dr. Bonanno also completed a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Columbia University where she conducted research on the genetics of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and placenta accreta.

Dr. Bonanno is a part of our Maternal Medicine Program and enjoys caring for women who have complicated pregnancies related to health issues with the mother. She has a special interest in placenta accreta, diabetes in pregnancy, and pregnancy after organ transplantation.

Dr. Cleary's specialty areas of interest include perinatal epidemiology, maternal medical complications of pregnancy and amniocentesis.

Mary D'Alton, MD, is a leader in the field of maternal fetal medicine and nationally recognized for advancing scientific techniques, research and policy development. She is an expert clinician renowned for her skills in prenatal diagnosis, multiple pregnancies and medical complications in pregnancy. Dr. D'Alton has used her extensive experience in managing academic divisions to establish the highest standards in high-risk care in the Division at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has worked to create a multidisciplinary team to take care of the highest risk pregnancies diagnosed with malformations. She has trained over thirty Fellows, many of whom have become national leaders. Among many roles, Dr. D'Alton was principal investigator for the (NICHD) FASTER trial and a member of the NICHD Council. Dr. D'Alton has published, edited and presented more than 150 publications including medical articles, book chapters and books and is the co-author of Fetology, a reference book for fetal diagnosis and treatment.

In 2003, Dr. D'Alton became the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her main priorities are: to enhance patient care through developing innovative, patient-oriented, multidisciplinary programs; to conduct cutting-edge clinical and basic science research; to provide exemplary education for future leaders in obstetrics and gynecology.

Dr. Patricia Devine's experience encompasses a wide variety of the services offered by the Division of MFM, including prenatal screening and diagnosis, ultrasound and amniocentesis. Her expertise also extends to managing multiple pregnancies and medical conditions, such as diabetes, that may complicate a pregnancy. Dr. Devine was awarded the David Dickerson Alumni Prize for Academic Excellence and the Oliver Smith Award for Extraordinary Services from New England Medical Center. She has conducted research on multiple pregnancies and congenital abnormalities and has been published in a number of medical journals.

Karin M. Fuchs, MD, is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology / Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown University / Women and Infants' Hospital, and a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Columbia University.

Dr. Fuchs' clinical interests include prenatal diagnosis, ultrasound, and 3D-imaging. Her research interests include first-trimester screening for fetal structural malformations and use of 3D ultrasound for detection of fetal anomalies. She also currently serves as a co-investigator on the NICHD-funded National Fetal Growth Study (NFGS). Dr. Fuchs has presented numerous abstracts at national conferences, and has authored several articles on subjects including first-trimester screening, prenatal diagnosis, medical complications in pregnancy, and late preterm birth.

Sreedhar Gaddipati, MD, provides all forms of prenatal diagnosis and therapy for high-risk pregnancies including invasive procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), amniocentesis, fetal cordocentesis, fetal transfusions and shunt procedures. In addition to ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis procedures, his interests lie in the care of pregnant women with complicated medical conditions, especially HIV in pregnancy and infectious diseases. Prior to joining Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian, Dr. Gaddipati was co-director of the Obstetric Infectious Disease service at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, a multidisciplinary group which provided HIV testing and counseling services as well as prenatal care to HIV positive women. Dr. Gaddipati will be serving as the Director of Labor and Delivery as of January 2004. In addition to his excellent clinical skills, Dr. Gaddipati has been recognized for academic excellence in his teaching skills and was twice awarded the National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education by CREOG.

As a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Gyamfi offers her expertise in the area of complications of pregnancy. These include preterm labor, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. She also focuses on prenatal diagnosis, with an interest in ultrasound and procedures such as amniocentesis and CVS, as well as preterm birth prevention. She has a special interest in the management of pregnant Jehovah's Witnesses.

One of her focuses at Columbia University is clinical research. She is an integral part of Columbia's team of investigators for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of the National Institutes of Health. Her clinical research is focused on preterm birth and thyroid disease. She has published in numerous peer reviewed journals, and has been an invited speaker at numerous institutions.

Anita LaSala, MD, brings to the Division of MFM extensive expertise in prenatal screening and diagnosis including the performance of amniocentesis. She specializes in treating patients with infectious diseases and incorporates this work as a session in the Perinatal Clinics. Her current clinical research concerns tuberculosis treatment in pregnant patients.

Jodi Lerner, MD, has a national reputation in the field of gynecologic sonography. Her specialties include ultrasound guided puncture procedures, benign and malignant ovarian masses, and early fetal evaluation. Dr. Lerner is currently collaborating on a program that provides endometrial and ovarian surveillance for patients with breast cancer. As the director of the Residency Program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, she applies her teaching and management skills to the graduation of quality professionals. Dr. Lerner has authored many publications, book chapters and abstracts and is frequently invited to speak at national and international meetings.

Jack Maidman, MD, brings many years of clinical and research experience to his work in high-risk obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive genetics. He is a respected advisor in complex genetic issues. Dr. Maidman has held leadership positions in several institutions and professional associations nationwide, including his current role as co-director of obstetrical services at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Allen Pavilion. As a researcher and project director, he has secured numerous grants from the March of Dimes, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other national organizations. His primary research interests are genetic screening in obstetrics and medical complications in pregnancy.

As a specialist in obstetric and gynecologic ultrasonography, Dr. David McLean performs advanced obstetric sonography, fetal echocardiography, all prenatal diagnostic procedures and advanced gynecologic sonography for patients of the Division of MFM. He has published extensively on ultrasound prenatal diagnosis, cesarean birth and cervical sonography in pregnancy.

Hamid Mootabar, MD, has provided quality care to patients in New York City and the surrounding region for more than 30 years. He specializes in a full range of service for the care of high-risk pregnancies including prenatal evaluations, diagnostic ultrasound and fetal echocardiography. Dr. Mootabar is a well-established MFM specialist in Westchester and he delivers quality care to patients both in New York City and at the Prenatal Testing Center at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York. Dr. Mootabar is the recipient of many awards, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Presidential Award and the Staten Island University Hospital Humanitarian Eagle Award. He has repeatedly been mentioned in New York Magazine's "The Best Doctors in New York" listing and is frequently invited to speak at national and international seminars.

As a graduate of the MFM Fellows Program, Dr. Annette Perez-Delboy has been an integral part of the MFM team for several years and has gained expertise in all prenatal diagnosis procedures such as amniocentesis and fetal reduction and fetal blood transfusions with a particular focus on ultrasound. Dr. Perez-Delboy has been involved in a wide range of research projects on subjects including congenital heart disease in pregnancy, cerclage and cervical insufficiency, fetal ventriculomegaly and neurological outcomes. Her professional presentations have addressed the research, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of obstetrical conditions. During her residency, Dr. Perez-Delboy won the Chief Resident Award and participated in the ACOG Leadership and Legislative Workshops. Her ability to speak Spanish fluently enables her to provide care to a diverse population.

Lynn Simpson, MD, is a dedicated professional in high-risk obstetrics. In the area of prenatal diagnosis, she provides ultrasound and fetal echocardiography as well as all special procedures such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), amniocentesis and fetal blood sampling. Dr. Simpson's patients benefit from her expertise in multiple gestations and the treatment of maternal conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease and advanced maternal age. Her research interests include congenital heart disease, multiple pregnancies and complications of labor and delivery. She has published in numerous medical journals and has been invited to speak at both national and international conferences. Dr. Simpson has received teaching awards from medical students and residents for her commitment to medical education.

As a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Smok's specialties and areas of interest include genetic counseling, prenatal ultrasound, critical care obstetrics, as well as invasive ultrasound-guided procedures including CVS and amniocentesis. In addition as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Smok is responsible for mentoring and educating a new generation of physicians.

Before joining Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Smok was a registered pharmacist with expertise in drug safety, surveillance, and regulations. She is currently a member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Smok and her colleagues in their new location at the New Jersey Center for Healthy Living in Montclair will work with patients and their obstetricians to manage complications that may arise from pregnancy. For especially complicated pregnancies, her team can assume complete care of patients including management of labor and delivery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. In addition, the practice offers screening for low-risk pregnancies through ultrasound and first trimester screening for common birth defects such as Down syndrome.

Before joining Columbia as the Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dr. Wapner was at Drexel University College of Medicine as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Prior to Drexel, he was at Thomas Jefferson University for 22 years where he was also the Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Dr. Wapner is a nationally known clinician specializing in first trimester screening and invasive procedures, such as CVS, PUBS and amniocentesis. He was instrumental in developing CVS and multi-fetal reduction procedures. He has also authored or co-authored over 120 publications. He has been an active investigator in the area of Maternal-Fetal Medicine throughout his career and has been, or is, either a principal or co-investigator for a number of multi-center studies including much of the original work on chorionic villus sampling and multi-fetal pregnancy reductions. He served as the PI for the Philadelphia Center in the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network for the past eight years and will continue that work at Columbia. He also served as Co-PI of the NICHD sponsored NIFTY trial investigating the retrieval of fetal cells from the maternal circulation. He is Co-PI of the EATA trial in which 13 centers in the US and Europe performed a randomized comparison of amniocentesis and CVS in weeks 13 and 14 of gestation. This study also evaluated the efficacy of first trimester screening for fetal aneuploidy in a multicentered fashion for which Dr. Wapner served as PI. He has had a significant role in the development of multidisciplinary research studies and clinical research centers throughout his career. Dr. Wapner continues to practice clinical Maternal-Fetal Medicine and has approximately 25% of his time protected for research activities.