Matthew S. Robbins, MD, FAAN

President

Dr. Robbins earned his B.S. from Yale University and his M.D. from SUNY-Downstate College of Medicine. He completed his neurology residency, chief residency, and headache fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore. He served on the faculty at Montefiore-Einstein for nearly a decade in roles including chief of neurology at the Jack D. Weiler Hospital and director of inpatient services for the Montefiore Headache Center. He joined Weill Cornell in 2018, where he is the neurology residency program director, the Louis and Rachel Rudin Foundation Education Scholar, and an Associate Professor of Neurology.

Dr. Robbins is the President of the New York State Neurological Society. He is the President-Elect of the American Headache Society (AHS) and co-directs the AHS Resident Education Program. He has served on the editorial boards of multiple neurology journals including Continuum and Headache, and has won teaching awards from the American Academy of Neurology, AHS, National Headache Foundation, Einstein, and Weill Cornell. He has led organizational initiatives related to headache including guidelines, consensus statements, and quality measures. He is active in advocacy activities including the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, serving multiple times as an advisor and faculty member.

Melissa Rayhill, MD, FAAN

Vice President / President-Elect

Melissa Rayhill, MD, FAAN is a neurologist and headache specialist who is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo.  She is board certified, with an additional certification from the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties in Headache Medicine. Doctor Rayhill is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and served her residency at the Boston University/Boston Medical Center.  She did a Harvard Headache Medicine Fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Nilay Shah, MD, FAAN

Treasurer

Doctor Nilay Shah is a clinical neurologist with special interest in Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis.  Doctor Shah received his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, followed by his medical degree at St. George’s University. He then completed his training in Neurology at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, followed by further subspeciality training in Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Pittsburgh-Presbyterian Medical Center. 

Doctor Shah has helped to establish several MS support groups in Upstate New York, where he continues to remain an active member of the MS community.  He currently serves as an Advisor to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society – New York Chapter. Dr. Shah is a co-founding member of the New York State Neurological Society, of which he is now a member of the Board of Directors.

Doctor Shah also serves as the Medical Director for the Brain Research Institute of NY and NJ.  He has created several technology startups and sits on the board of several non-profits organizations as well as the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Ballet.

In his philanthropic efforts, Doctor Shah has helped to provide major donations to seed the formation of two hospitals, each serving underserved communities of over 100,00 people.  Dr. Shah aided in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and is currently working on additional projects for the disenfranchised and poor of the world.  

In his personal time, Doctor Shah enjoys exploring cultures throughout the world and has traveled to over sixty countries.  He also enjoys biking, downhill skiing, and scuba diving.  More about Doctor Shah can be found at: www.nilayshah.md

Colleen Tomcik, MD, FAAN

Secretary

Dr. Colleen Tomcik is originally from the Albany area. She received her M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2003 and completed her Adult Neurology residency at Indiana University in 2007. She then joined the Neurology Department at University Hospitals of Cleveland, first serving as their Clinical Neuroscience Clerkship Director then as Associate Director of their Adult Neurology residency program. In 2016, Dr. Tomcik accepted a faculty position at University of Rochester. She is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Adult Neurology Residency Program director at URMC. She has experience in creating educational materials for teleneurology at the local and national level and is a member of the AAN Telehealth Subcommittee. Dr. Tomcik is a general neurologist with special interests in headache medicine, medical education, and DEI initiatives in Neurology.

Allan B. Perel, MD, FAAN

Immediate Past President

Joshua A. Budhu, MD

Dr. Joshua A. Budhu is a neuro–oncologist and the inaugural Nicholls–Biondi Diversity Clinical Scientist Faculty Scholar at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He is a health equity researcher and a Public Voices Fellow at Academy Health through the OpEd Project. His work focuses on increasing healthcare access for underserved patients and improving diversity in clinical trials. His mission to eliminate health disparities stems from the death of his eldest brother in police custody from a preventable pulmonary embolus. Doctor Budhu also writes articles for a wide audience about his experience as a physician and other health-related matters. He coauthored op–eds for the Washington Post and Brookings Institution denouncing the pseudoscientific concept “excited delirium.” He won the Society for Neuro–Oncology Healthcare Equity Award in 2022 and is the diversity, equity, and inclusion editor for the Neurology journal. Doctor Budhu received his BA in economics from New York University, his MS in biomedical sciences from Rosalind Franklin University, his MD from Morehouse School of Medicine, and his MPH in health policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow in minority health policy. He completed his neurology and neuro–oncology training at Harvard within the Mass General Brigham and Dana–Farber Cancer Institute system.

Mill Etienne, MD, MPH, FAAN, FANA, FAES

Doctor Mill Etienne is board certified in neurology, clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy, brain injury medicine, and public health.  He is director of the Epilepsy and EEG Laboratory at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, part of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.  He is also Vice Chancellor for Diversity and inclusion and associate dean of student affairs at New York Medical College, where he is also Associate Professor of Neurology and Medicine.  Doctor Etienne received his bachelors degree from Yale University and his medical degree from New York Medical College. He completed his neurology residency and epilepsy fellowship at the Neurological Institute of New York (Columbia University).   He obtained his MPH from Columbia University and completed a neuroepidemiology fellowship with a training grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the guidance of Doctor W. Allen Hauser.

Doctor Etienne is the founding director of the Epilepsy Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he also served as director of the Autonomic Nervous System Studies Laboratory. While at Walter Reed, Doctor Etienne was associate program director of the neurology residency program and was on the Clinical Neurophysiology teaching faculty for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the NIH.  He was also Chief of the Ethics Committee on board the USNS Comfort during Operation Unified Response, the US military response to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Doctor Etienne is a recognized expert in disaster medicine, particularly in the area of Ethics and Culture. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society and he has presented multiple times at both their annual meetings. Doctor Etienne has authored numerous book chapters and he has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Fawaz Al–Mufti, MD

Doctor Fawaz Al–Mufti is Associate Chair of Neurology for Research, Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Radiology, Associate Director of the Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship, and Neuroendovascular Surgery Attending and Medical Director of Neurocritical Care at the Westchester Medical Center. Doctor Al–Mufti is one of the few triple–trained Neurologist, Neurointensivist, and Neuroendovascular Surgeons in the country. His research expertise is primarily in subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute ischemic stroke. He strives to synergize his clinical training and research interests; to gain in depth understanding of devastating neurological diseases and to improve patient outcomes by applying early identification of novel treatment targets while enabling innovations in precision medicine.

Doctor Al–Mufti is a member of the board of the Society of the Vascular and Interventional Neurology and member of the core executive committee of Mission Thrombectomy 2020, a non-profit organization advocating for making mechanical thrombectomy available on a global level. He has over 100 research publications, abstracts, book chapters and has presented at numerous reputable scientific meetings. He is also a recipient of the prestigious CNS/AANS Cerebrovascular Fellow’s Award by the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons.

Andrew D. Goodman, MD, FAAN, FANA 

Doctor Goodman is Professor of Neurology, Chief of the Neuroimmunology Unit, and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. His interests include clinical and experimental therapeutics research. He has been a lead investigator (or a member of the steering committee) for various national and international clinical trials of new therapies for multiple sclerosis.

Doctor Goodman is a past Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Section of the AAN. He has served the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in a variety of capacities including Co-Chair of the National Long-term Care Committee, member of the National Client Education Committee, and member of the Executive Committee of the National Clinical Advisory Board. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He served as a resident in internal medicine and neurology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City and as a Medical Staff Fellow in the Neuroimmunology Branch at the National Institutes of Health intramural program in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sweta Goel, MD

Sweta Goel, MD is a board–certified neurologist and the founder of Prime Neurology, a clinical practice located in Hackensack, NJ that is devoted to neurological care of patients in the community and surrounding areas. She is also an Assistant Professor at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY and works with residents and medical students when on service there. Over years of practice, she continues to enjoy what she does and the whole gamut of neurological issues fall under the realm of her interests. She received her medical degree from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, India. Her internship training was at University of Louisville, KY. Prior to pursuing her internship training, Doctor Goel was involved in stroke research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center–Harvard Medical School, and at University of Washington, Seattle. Her research includes work on hematoma and edema volumes and their progression on CT scans and the relationship between clinical outcome in stroke patients and physiological variables. She completed her neurology residency training at University of Texas Medical Center in Houston and was chosen to be one of the chief residents. At the time
of graduation from her residency program, she received the Frank M Yatsu Award for excellence in clinical neurology as well as excellence in teaching award. She was also a department representative for the Resident Patient Safety and Quality Committee. She co–authored a book chapter on Tardive Dyskinesia during her time there. She went on to complete her fellowship training in neurophysiology at Columbia University, NY.

Prior to launching Prime Neurology Doctor Goel worked at a community hospital in NY and was on the quality improvement committee and ethics subcommittee during her time there.

Doctor Goel is a board-certified neurologist who in addition is certified by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Mustafa Mesha, MD

Doctor Moustafa Mesha is an adult neurology resident at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo. He completed medical school at Mansoura University, Egypt.

Afterwards, he served as an epilepsy research fellow at the SUNY at Buffalo. Doctor Mesha is interested in pursuing a career as an epileptologist with an interest in drug-resistant epilepsy and epilepsy surgeries.

He serves as the Junior Resident and Fellows representative on the NYSNS Board.

Amit M. Shelat, DO, FACP, FAAN

Doctor Amit M. Shelat is an attending neurologist with Medsurant Health where he practices intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM). He currently holds an appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

In addition, he is the Vice Chairman of the New York State Medical Board. As member of the State Medical Board, Doctor Shelat is responsible for helping to create public health policies that affect the licensure and practice of medicine in New York State. Doctor Shelat is also appointed to the Board for Professional Medical Conduct of the New York State Department of Health where he is responsible for reviewing matters related to professional misconduct and physician discipline that are being investigated by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC).

Doctor Shelat received his medical doctorate from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency training in neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY. In addition to his doctorate, he also holds a Master of Science in Health Care Management from Harvard University and the Master of Public Administration in Health Policy and Management from New York University. Doctor Shelat completed his undergraduate studies at New York University where he graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and with departmental honors in psychology. Doctor Shelat is certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.

Doctor Shelat is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN), the American College of Physicians (FACP), the New York Academy of Medicine (FNYAM), the Federation of State Medical Boards (FFSMB) and the American Association of Osteopathic Examiners (FAAOE).

Anuradha Singh, MD

Doctor Anuradha Singh is a Professor of Neurology, Director of Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital (Main Campus), and Vice Chair of Outreach of the Mount Sinai Health System (Neurology Division). She has been at Mount Sinai since October 2018. She works with the dedicated team of epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists at Mount Sinai Level–4 Epilepsy Center to provide the most compassionate care to epilepsy patients with novel medical and surgical treatments for epilepsy.

Doctor Singh came to Mount Sinai from NYU Langone Health, where she served as a distinguished
faculty member in the Department of Neurology from 2002 to 2018. Dr. Singh made several
contributions to NYU over the course of her career. She founded Bellevue Epilepsy Center and
directed the Continuous EEG Monitoring Program at Bellevue Hospital for almost ten years. She was appointed as the Chief of Neurology and Clinical Professor of Neurology at NYC H+H/Bellevue in 2014, and served as a Chair of Credentialing and Bylaws Committee at Bellevue. As one of the core teaching faculty members, she served as a program director of both Adult Neurology and Combined Neurology and Psychiatry programs at NYU Langone Health.

Doctor Anuradha Singh completed her medical school at Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India. She completed her internship training in internal medicine at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, a three–year residency in adult neurology, and a two-year fellowship in Epilepsy/EEG at NYU Langone Health. She is board certified in three specialty/subspecialties: neurology and psychiatry, clinical neurophysiology (emphasis on EEG), and epilepsy.

Nirali Shah Varod, DO

Doctor Nirali Shah Varod is a fourth-year neurology resident and chief resident at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. She completed her bachelor’s at New York University and her DO degree at Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine. She serves as the Senior Resident and Fellows representative on the NYSNS board.

Gil I. Wolfe, MD, FAAN 

Doctor Gil I. Wolfe is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY, where he serves as the Irvin and Rosemary Smith Endowed Chair. Prior to January 2012, Dr. Wolfe was a Professor of Neurology at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. In September 2004, he was named as the Dr. Bob and Jean Smith Foundation Distinguished Chair in Neuromuscular Disease Research. He served as Co-Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinics and Director of the Myasthenia Gravis and Peripheral Neuropathy Clinics at UT Southwestern. He was also the Clinical Vice Chair for the department.

Doctor Wolfe completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University and attended medical school at UT Southwestern. He completed an internal medicine internship and trained as a neurology resident and neuromuscular/electromyography fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in neurology, neuromuscular medicine, and clinical neurophysiology.

Doctor Wolfe is the immediate past chair of the Medical/Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA). His main research interests include idiopathic and immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies and myasthenia gravis. He co-directs the MDA Clinic and also directs intraoperative monitoring for the Univ. at Buffalo Dept. of Neurology. He has authored or co-authored over 100 papers and 20 chapters on neuromuscular disorders. His research has been sponsored by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Muscular Dystrophy Association, MGFA, and Food and Drug Administration. He is actively involved in the training of younger physicians. He was director of the neuromuscular medicine and clinical neurophysiology fellowships and the neurology residency training program at UT Southwestern. He has received excellence in residency teaching awards on several occasions both at UT Southwestern and Univ. at Buffalo. He serves on the medical advisory boards for the MGFA, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, GBS-CIDP Foundation International and Neuropathy Association and has been elected to Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association.

Elliott G. Gross, MD, FAAN

President Emeritus 

After graduating from Columbia College in NYC in 1958, and graduating from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1962, I then completed my residency as Chief Resident at Einstein in1966. During my residency I managed to complete a research project in visual saccadic suppression which was published in Clinical Neurophysiology. I also had published a case in the NEJM on Hypokalemic Myopathy in1966. Then I entered the US Navy, first with a stint in the US Marines and then as Chief Neurologist at San Diego Naval Hospital from 1966-1968, during the Vietnam War. Then I returned to Einstein to be on the faculty as the lead instructor for the medical students and as a researcher in Motor Learning. I was active on several committees for the AAN including the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum of the AAN and founded this NYSNS organization. I belong to several Neurological societies notably the Society of Clinical Neurologists. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. I had a private practice in Neurology in Manhattan and then in Westchester County for a total of 63 years.  I am currently retired and reside in Westchester County, NY.