Subhash Krishnamoorthy, MD

Dr. Ana Berlin is a dually-trained general surgeon and palliative care physician who thrives on the diagnostic, therapeutic, and ethical dilemmas that so commonly accompany urgent, emergent, and high-stakes surgical problems. Her interest in prognostication, communication, and decision-making in the surgical setting has driven her to forge a unique path at the intersection of surgery and palliative care. Throughout her career, she has worked to promote the incorporation of ethics, professionalism, and palliative care into surgical education and practice. Her research on surgical outcomes, palliative care utilization, and communication in surgical decision making has helped define triggers to aid in the identification of vulnerable patients for whom early concurrent palliative care is most appropriate, and to guide the development and evaluation of tools that help patients, families, and surgeons navigate difficult treatment decisions and formulate goal-concordant care plans. Dr. Berlin’s interest in pursuing systems-based approaches to promoting cultural change and quality improvement in health care has shaped her efforts to develop curricular interventions and clinical pathways to help surgeons provide compassionate, patient-centered care that minimizes the hazards and maximizes the value of surgical treatment.

Dr. Ronald A. Lehman, Jr. is a nationally recognized expert in the treatment of adult and pediatric spine conditions. He specializes in complex spinal deformities including scoliosis, kyphosis, revision spinal surgeries, and minimally invasive applications for deformity surgery, as well as cervical spine, cervical disc arthroplasty/replacement, myelopathy and radiculopathy. Dr. Lehman also focuses on Minimally Invasive Spine surgery (MIS) of the cervical and lumbar spine, and spinal tumors/cancer of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Dr. Lehman received his MD from Jefferson Medical College, and completed his residency at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. He then completed his fellowship training in adult and pediatric spine surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to joining the faculty at Washington University, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) in the Army, receiving three Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs), the “A” Proficiency Designator and the Order of Military Medical Merit. He was the Chief of the Adult and Pediatric Spine Service, and the Consultant to the White House.. Dr. Lehman is the recipient of several Department of Defense (DOD) research grants totaling more than $10 million. He currently serves as the Program Chairman of the Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS), Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), and the Lumbar Spine Research Society (LSRS). Additionally, he will take over as Chairman of the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) next year. Dr. Lehman has over 120 peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Pallavi Utukuri is an associate professor of radiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a chief of radiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. She is board certified in diagnostic radiology and subspecialty certified in neuroradiology. Dr. Utukuri serves as program director for the Diagnostic Radiology Residency and previously served as director of medical student education for the Department of Radiology.