Overview

North Shore University Hospital is one of the top hospitals in Long Island and its department of neurosurgery is one of the metro area's largest neurosurgical programs. We have an experienced research team and operate clinical trials that are both federal and industry sponsored. As a large academic medical center, we are capable of participating in inpatient trials, as well as outpatient trials at our local physicians’ practices.

Research Experience

Our site has an interest in federal- and industry-sponsored trials for:

• Brain tumors
• Concussion
• Degenerative spine
• Epilepsy
• Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)
• Neurotrauma
• Neurovascular (carotids, endovascular coiling)
• Spasticity
• Stroke
• Subdural Hematoma (SDH)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Surgery for epilepsy
• Surgery for pain
• Traumatic brain injury
• Trigeminal nerve stimulation for balance disorders

We have worked with the NIH and Strokenet and sponsors, including:

• Biogen
• Electrocore
• Fziomed
• Helius
• Hyperfine
• Idorsia
• Imvax
• Lenoss
• Medtronic
• Microvention
• Novartis
• Orbus
• Penumbra
• Pfizer
• Siemens
• Synaptive
• Vesalio

Facility Description

On-site resources include:

• Refrigerated centrifuge
• -70° and -20° freezer (continuous temperature monitoring with alarms)
• MRI
• CT
• Dexa

Our sites have access to locked medication cabinets with thermometers and locked storage for research binders.

There is an ability to utilize research pharmacists for more complex trials.

There is also experience with the utilization of both local and central core labs. All of our laboratories are both CLIA- and CAP-certified. All of our equipment is biomed-inspected. We have a 16-bed, neurosurgical ICU-staffed, 24/7 stroke unit, dedicated epilepsy monitoring unit, four neurosurgical operating rooms, one hybrid operating room and two neuro-interventional rooms.

Investigator Experience

Daniel Sciubba, MD

Dr. Sciubba is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Dr. Sciubba is the senior vice president of neurosurgery at Northwell Health, chair of neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Co-Director of the Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Northwell Health and Chair of Neurosciences at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Specialty/research interests: spine tumors – spinal deformity – scoliosis – kyphosis – spondylolisthesis.

Henry Woo, MD

Dr. Henry Woo is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interest - ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, endovascular (interventional) treatment of cerebral aneurysms - interventional radiology - stenting of carotid artery stenosis - cerebrovascular accident - subarachnoid hemorrhage - neuroradiology - cerebrovascular - cerebrovascular operation - cerebrovascular surgery – stroke. 

Jamie Ullman, MD

Dr. Jamie Ullman is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. She is board certified in neurological surgery, as well as critical care medicine. Specialty/research interest: cerebral hemorrhage - neurocritical care - hematoma, subdural - hydrocephalus, normal pressure - low back pain - traumatic brain injury - trigeminal neuralgia - adult hydrocephalus - brain concussion - trigeminal neuralgia pain - brain and spine surgery - neurotrauma - sciatica - traumatic spinal cord hemorrhage - intracerebral hemorrhage - normal pressure hydrocephalus - concussion - traumatic spinal injury.

Richard Temes, MD

Dr. Richard Temes is a neurologist with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurology. Specialty/research interest: neurosurgery, neurology/ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, neurocritical care.

David LeDoux, MD

Dr. David LeDoux is a neuro intensivist with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine and critical care medicine. Specialty/research interest: neurocritical care and internal medicine - sepsis and septic shock - ARDS - intracerebral hemorrhage - SAH - epilepsy.

Tania Rebeiz, MD

Dr. Tania Rebeiz is a neurologist with North Shore University Hospital. She is board certified in neurology. Specialty/research interest: Neurocritical care - neurology - subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Michael Schulder, MD

Dr. Michael Schulder is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interest: image-guided surgery - intraoperative MRI - brain tumor - outcomes after gamma knife treatments - acoustic neuroma - brain neoplasms - trigeminal neuralgia - brain tumor evaluation - movement disorders and functional neurosurgery - radiosurgery - sterotactic radiosurgery - trigeminal neuralgia pain - functional neurosurgery - image-guided neurosurgery - neurosurgery with intraoperative MRI - base of skull structure - brain tumors - skull base.

Peter Hollis, MD

Dr. Peter Hollis is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interest: brain neoplasms - low back pain - microsurgery - spinal cord diseases - traumatic brain injury - brain tumor evaluation - complex and minimally invasive spine surgery - neurotrauma - skull base disorders in surgery - sciatica - base of skull structure - traumatic spinal cord hemorrhage - spinal disorders - brain tumors - skull base - traumatic spinal injury.

Ashesh Mehta, MD

Dr. Ashesh Mehta is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interest: epilepsy surgery, functional brain mapping - functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation - brain neoplasms - epilepsy - hydrocephalus, normal pressure - seizures - traumatic brain injury - brain and spine tumors - brain tumor evaluation - degenerative spine disease - radiosurgery - surgical treatments for epilepsy - functional neurosurgery - neurotrauma - traumatic spinal cord hemorrhage - brain tumors - normal pressure hydrocephalus - traumatic spinal injury.

Dr. Mark Eisenberg, MD

Dr. Mark Eisenberg is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital.  He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interest: acoustic neuroma - brain neoplasms - hematoma, subdural - hydrocephalus, normal pressure - low back pain - meningioma - pituitary neoplasms - spinal cord diseases - spinal cord neoplasms - chordoma - complex and minimally invasive spine surgery - procedure on spinal cord (procedure) - minimally invasive endoscopic skull base surgery (pituitary and skull base tumors) - endoscopic intracranial and skull base neurosurgery - skull base disorders in surgery - sciatica - base of skull structure - skull base surgery for tumor - skull-base surgery - spinal disorders - brain tumors - meningiomas - normal pressure hydrocephalus - pituitary tumor - skull base - spinal tumors - spine surgery.

Athos Patsalides, MD, MPH

Dr. Athos Patsalides is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in diagnostic radiology. Specialty/research interest: minimally invasive treatment for pulsatile tinnitus - idiopathic intracranial hypertension - dural ateriovenous fistula - spinal tumors - head and neck tumors - ophthalmological diseases.

Thomas Link, MD, MS

Dr. Thomas Link is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board eligible in neurosurgery. Specialty/research interests: subarachnoid hemorrhage - endovascular (interventional) treatment of cerebrovascular disorders - ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke - surgical and endovascular management of subdural hematoma - cerebral aneurysms - cerebral arteriovenous malformations and fistulas - cavernous malformations - neuroprotection in ischemic stroke - carotid and intracranial atherosclerotic disease - traumatic brain injury - brain tumors - endovascular management of head/neck disorders - spinal vascular malformations -trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm.

Amir Dehdashti, MD

Dr. Amir Dehdashti is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurosurgery. Dr. Dehdashti is further trained in cerebrovascular neurosurgery and skull base surgery. Specialty/research interests: intracranial arteriovenous malformation - cerebrovascular disorders - brain aneurysm - Moyamoya disease - acoustic neuroma - Arnold Chiari malformation – subdural hematoma - meningioma - pituitary neoplasms - trigeminal neuralgia - chordoma - skull base neoplasms - carotid endarterectomy - glossopharyngeal neuralgia - hemifacial spasm - cerebral cavernous malformations - endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery.

Albert John Fenoy, MD

Dr. Albert John Fenoy is a neurosurgeon with North Shore University Hospital. He is board certified in neurological surgery. Specialty/research interests: deep brain stimulation – Parkinson’s disease – tremor – dystonia – obsessive-compulsive disorder – depression – chronic pain management – surgery for neck and back degenerative disease – spinal cord stimulation – complex spine surgery – minimally invasive spine surgery.

Staff Expertise

All investigators and research staff are required to be trained in good clinical practice, which is accomplished through CITI (www.citiprogram.org ). Our research staff is IATA certified and our research director is a certified research coordinator through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

The staff has a vast amount of experience in many EDC systems: Medidata Rave, IBM clinical development, eCaseLink, InForm, iMedNet, Axiom Fusion, etc. Research staff is also experienced with using IWRS/IVRS, electronic diaries, and central readers.

All new research hires go through internal research training via a fundamentals research class and are able to learn through e-learning modules. They shadow experienced coordinators and are assigned a mentor.

Patient Demographics

Annually, the Department of Neurosurgery sees 2,000 neurosurgical cases, 1,100 neuro-interventional cases, 1,100 cranial cases and 900 spinal cases and has 14,000 patient visits.

Other Information

Department of Neurosurgery Brochure

We have the ability to use central IRBs for our industry-sponsored trials. Northwell Health also utilizes Florence to digitize and manage study binders, workflows, documents, data and to provide remote access to our sponsors. Our institution has central research support services that we are able to utilize: Office of Clinical Research, Office of Research Compliance, Human Research Protection Program, Clinical Trials Office (CTO), and Center for Research Informatics. The CTO manages all clinical trial contracts, budgets and billing. Our office will review, negotiate and complete confidential disclosure agreements (CDAs), sometimes called nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), master clinical trial agreements (MCTAs), clinical trial agreements (CTAs), sometimes called clinical study agreements, and data-use agreements (DUAs)

Our site has a low number of lost-to-follow-up and early-withdrawal subjects of less than 5 percent. We follow protocol specific guidelines for data entry and query resolution. We aim to complete data entry seven to 10 days after the study visit has occurred.

Additional resources/services

• Center for Cerebrovascular and Neuroendovascular Surgery, which offers aneurysm coiling, stent placement, arteriovenous malformation embolization, microneurosurgical aneurysm clipping and cerebral bypass
• Advanced services for the treatment of brain tumors, including stereotactic radiosurgery, intraoperative MRI and minimally invasive surgery
• Comprehensive epilepsy program: the first on Long Island to offer laser interstitial thermal therapy and to implant the AspireSR device, which delivers vagus nerve stimulation to the brain to predict oncoming seizures.
• Neurotrauma services, including minimally invasive treatment for intracerebral hemorrhages, concussions and traumatic brain injuries
• Surgical and nonsurgical treatments for all spinal conditions
  • Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, which offers the full slate of medical, social and surgical treatments including deep brain stimulation