Dr. Richard J. Hershcopf

Dr. Oberfield, a professor of pediatrics, has been the director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Columbia University Irving Medical Center since 2004. Throughout her career, Dr. Oberfield has been dedicated to educating the next generation of pediatric endocrinology sub-specialists. She was for many years director of the fellowship training program in pediatric endocrinology, and is currently associate program director. Since 2005 she has been the principal investigator of a T32 training grant in pediatric endocrinology from the NIH National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, one of only a handful of such programs in the country. Since 1998, she has mentored more than 35 fellows and more than 30 pre-doctoral students including Endocrine Society, DERC, and Doris Duke summer fellows.From 2021-2022 Dr. Oberfield served as president of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES), an international organization of more than 1,300 members, that provides resources for healthcare professionals and trainees and affords educational support for patients and families affected by disorders of the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands; growth disturbances; and conditions of bone metabolism and diabetes. Her priorities as president, she says, were “to maintain and expand the relevance of bench, translational and clinical researcher as well as the importance of the practicing pediatric endocrinologist, even in an era when delivery of health care and research related to children and adolescents is being dramatically eroded.”Dr. Oberfield has been engaged in patient-oriented research for her entire career, with a particular focus on disorders of adrenal hormone synthesis, adrenarche, and PCOS. She has conducted studies of body composition in children and continues to be involved in multiple studies of childhood obesity.Her clinical research has centered around the developmental/pediatric endocrinology, specifically the HPA axis which intimately affects metabolic function, interacting with adiposity, including studies of body composition in adrenarche and PCOS. She has been the author or co-author of more than 225 articles, multiple chapters and reviews, and is an invited speaker at national and international meetings, including the 2012 NIH-sponsored Evidence Based Methodology Workshop on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. She is currently an editor for the Journal of Pediatrics and is an associate editor for Hormone Research in Pediatrics. She continues to be listed in Castle Connelly’s “America’s Top Doctors” and NY Magazine’s “Best Doctors."". Dr. Oberfield is highly rated in 10 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Intersex, Precocious Puberty, Obesity, and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Dr. Oberfield is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology. Dr. Oberfield is currently accepting new patients.

I became a pediatric endocrinologist because of my desire to make a difference in the lives of children with obesity. The subspecialty training gave me tools to understand the complex systems of hormones and environmental influences on weight control, to better help my patients. My journey took me to Boston Children’s Hospital followed by return to New York and my current position at Columbia University.I provide care for children of all ages with obesity and type 2 diabetes. In addition, I have expertise in other endocrine conditions, such as thyroid disease, growth hormone disorders, adrenal disorders, and bone related abnormalities. I enjoy working at Columbia West Side Pediatrics on 86th Street with a close-knit group of clinicians and staff who care deeply about the health and well-being of children and their families.There are many ways to manage endocrine conditions, and input from the family is one of the key pillars of care. I believe in empowering patients and their families with knowledge about their conditions so that they can share in decision making. Working together, we make it easier to navigate tough decisions and challenging paths.My research is focused on the genetic causes of early onset severe weight gain in children and adults. We are aiming to identify novel genetic causes of excessive weight gain, with a special focus on children from diverse backgrounds. We invite families to join in research efforts that require a large number of participants. Additionally, we are studying a rare condition called ROHHAD (rapid onset obesity, hypothalamic dysregulation, hypoventilation and autonomic dysfunction) syndrome, where children have severe weight gain early in life and a variety of other issues. My work extends into the study of physiological changes after weight loss surgery in adults and adolescents. The long-term goal of this work is to improve our understanding of weight gain and loss, to allow development of new therapies.Aside from clinical practice and research, I teach doctors in training, students from Institute of Human Nutrition, and students from the Mailman School of Public Health. I coach children from middle and high school in science and scientific methods. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and teenage children exploring the woods and mountains in New York and New England. Dr. Thaker is highly rated in 5 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Obesity, Obesity in Children, Lowe Syndrome, Neonatal Hypothyroidism, and Gastric Bypass. Dr. Thaker is board certified in Pediatrics. Dr. Thaker is currently accepting new patients.

After graduating medical school, in University of Athens, Despoina Galetaki, MD, worked in clinical research and epidemiology for a year. She then completed her residency in pediatrics at SUNY Downstate in NYC, and is currently completing her fellowship in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes. Fellows are fully credentialed, board-certified providers who can independently practice medicine but are in further training in their specialty. This specialty training is under the supervision of an attending physician. Dr. Galetaki is highly rated in 4 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Hypochondroplasia, Short Stature (Growth Disorders), Turner Syndrome, and Acromicric Dysplasia. Dr. Galetaki is currently accepting new patients.

Alaa Hussain is a Pediatric Endocrinologist practicing medicine in Hackensack, New Jersey. Dr. Hussain is highly rated in 3 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Short Stature (Growth Disorders), Familial Short Stature (FSS), Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS), and Panhypopituitarism. Dr. Hussain is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics and American Board Of Pediatrics . Dr. Hussain is currently accepting new patients.

I am a pediatric endocrinologist with interests that include polycysytic ovary syndrome (PCOS), bone health, disorders of puberty, thyroid disorders, pituitary disorders and growth disorders. In addition to my training in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, I have Master of Science degrees in Nutrition (1999) and in Patient Oriented Research (2014) and have completed a research fellowship at the Body Composition Unit of Columbia University Medical Center (2003). I comleted the TRANSFORM KL2 program sponsored by the Irving Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, a mentored career development program. My responsibilites include my clinical practice, overseeing clinical and research fellows, mentoring students, and running a clinical study. I have been certified as a clinical densitometrist by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry and interpret pediatric bone mineral density studies performed at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.My research project, “A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of metformin for hepatic fat in adolescents and young adults with polycystic ovary syndrome” has the primary goal of exploring the use of novel and noninvasive testing and a pilot double-blind placebo-controlled trial of metformin with the intention of identifying and potentially treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescents and young adults with PCOS. My research is unique in that it uses minimally invasive body composition methodology, which makes it particularly attractive for use in adolescents and young adults. My overall clinical research goal is early identification and treatment of metabolic and body composition abnormalities associated with PCOS and to prevent lifelong morbidity associated with this disorder in a young population. Dr. Sopher is highly rated in 2 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Precocious Puberty, Nephrocalcinosis, and Amenorrhea. Dr. Sopher is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology. Dr. Sopher is currently accepting new patients.

Robert Rapaport is a Pediatric Endocrinologist practicing medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Rapaport is highly rated in 18 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency, Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), Short Stature (Growth Disorders), and Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS). Dr. Rapaport is currently accepting new patients.