CoagulationDisorders near Cortlandt Manor, NY

Biography: Monica Bhatia, MD specializes in the care of children with noncancerous blood disorders who may benefit from bone marrow transplantation, especially sickle cell anemia. She and her colleagues are working to reduce the toxicity (side effects) and complications of this treatment without compromising its effectiveness, and to make it available to more patients. The field of pediatric hematology brings with it many intellectual challenges, and bone marrow transplantation in particular is especially dynamic. Dr. Bhatia has the opportunity to provide care for the sickest children, potentially curing their disease. She builds strong relationships with her patients and their families that last for years. It is inspiring for her to see young patients grow up to lead healthy, productive lives. NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital has a robust program for bone marrow transplantation for sickle cell anemia - the only cure for this disease. Dr. Bhatia and her team have witnessed remarkable results among children who are cured with bone marrow transplantation and spared from the potentially life-threatening complications of sickle cell disease. Yet despite the advances made, only 15 percent of patients with sickle cell disease have a matched sibling bone marrow donor. Therefore, Dr. Bhatia and her team conduct research to evaluate a procedure called "CD34-selected stem cell transplantation" to remove T-cells from donor bone marrow for patients without a matched sibling donor. This approach reduces the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potential complication of bone marrow transplantation in which T-cells from the donor attack the tissue of the recipient. This approach to harnessing stem cells could potentially make bone marrow transplantation a safer, effective option for many patients who are seeking a cure for sickle cell disease. Dr. Bhatia and her colleagues are currently assessing reduced-intensity transplantation, which uses lower doses of chemotherapy to decrease the risk of side effects and long-term complications without lowering the effectiveness of treatment. She is also interested in looking for ways to further improve the quality of life of patients who have had a bone marrow transplant in addition to fertility preservation.

Biography: Dr. Dominder Kaur received her medical degree from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik in India and completed her pediatric residency at Northwell Health Staten Island University Hospital in New York. She trained in pediatric hematology-oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota while also receiving a Masters in Clinical and Translational Science from the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education. She received further specialized training as the Joan Wallick Pediatric Hemostasis Thrombosis fellow at the Nationwide Children's Hospital. She joined as faculty at Columbia University/Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in December 2018 as an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics. Dr. Kaur was the recipient of the Thrombosis & Hemostasis Societies of North America (THSNA) 2018 Young Investigator Award. Her research focus so far has been on bleeding and thrombotic complications stem cell transplant recipients. She is currently working towards improving screening methodology and approaches to bleeding disorder evaluation in children. She is passionate about improving hematological services for young adults, especially young women with possible bleeding disorders. In collaboration with Adolescent Medicine team, Dr. Kaur staffs the Girls & Young-women's Bleeding Issues Clinic (GYBiC). This clinic is one of only two such centers in New York metropolitan area and offers hematological and adolescent medicine specialty consultations and evaluations in one comprehensive visit. The Girls & Young-women's Bleeding Issues Clinic specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of bleeding (like heavy periods/menorrhagia) and clotting disorders (thrombophilia) and accompanying health issues in young women of reproductive age.

Biography: Margaret T Lee, MD cares for children with blood disorders, such as anemias (sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and iron deficiency), bleeding (including idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP], hemophilia, and von Willebrand disease), and clotting disorders (such as deep vein thrombosis). Dr. Lee's area of interest is a rare group of diseases called vascular anomalies. There is relatively little known about these disorders, and the care of patients with vascular anomalies requires a multidisciplinary group of physicians from several specialties (dermatology, surgery, cardiology, neurology, and hematology/oncology)-all of whom are available at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. Hematologists play a role in the medical treatment of vascular tumors and the supportive care of clotting and bleeding complications that are associated with some types of vascular malformations. Dr. Lee is an active participant in the Vascular Anomalies Group at NYP/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, as well as the Vascular Anomalies Special Interest Group of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, which is looking at novel therapies for vascular anomalies and their complications.