Faculty
Cecilia Avila, MD, MPH
Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Avila is a graduate of Universidad Nacional de Columbia School of Medicine in Bogota, Columbia, she did her internship in obstetrics and gynecology at Yale- New Haven Hospital and then completed her residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed by a fellowship in Maternal –Fetal Medicine at Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. Upon completion of her fellowship in 2000, Dr. Avila trained in Obstetric and gynecological ultrasound at New York University before her arrival here at Stony Brook Medicine in 2004.
Her clinical and research interests includes prematurity, medical complications of pregnancy, intrapartum care and perinatal HIV care.
David Baker, MD
Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Associate Professor of Oral Biology and Pathology, School of Medicine
Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
Dr. Baker is a national recognized expert on infectious diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He received his medical training at the State University of Brooklyn and completed his residency at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. He completed his fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, VT.
Dr. Baker is actively involved in basic, and clinical research involving various aspects of women’s health relating to infectious diseases and menopause. Dr. Baker has published over 150 articles, chapters and books in the fields of infectious disease. Recently Dr. Baker has expanded his research into the area of menopause and herbal supplements. He has been recognized as a specialist in diseases of the vulva and vaginitis. In addition, he recently was recognized for work on herbal supplements.
James Bernasko, MD, FACOG, CDE, CDTC
Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine
Director, Suffolk County Regional Perinatal Center and the Stony Brook Diabetes in Pregnancy Center.
Dr. Bernasko is one of few maternal-fetal medicine specialists in the US who are also board-certified in diabetes education. His clinical areas of interest and publications include medical complications of pregnancy, particularly diabetes, preterm birth, and multiple pregnancies. He has published and presented in these fields at several scientific meetings.
Dr. Bernasko is the author of ‘A practical guide to insulin pump therapy for pregnancy.’
He served his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Harlem Hospital Center affiliation of the Columbia University college of Physicians and surgeons and completed a clinical fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Jennifer Choi, DO
Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Jennifer Choi is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. She trained in obstetrics and gynecology at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and completed her fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at WellSpan York hospital. Dr. Choi's clinical and research interests include diabetes in pregnancy, fetal anemia and fetal growth restriction. She has a highly specialized expertise in the management of patients with diabetes. One of Dr. Choi's top goals are to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes in pregnancy by working with other experts at Stony Brook Maternal Fetal Medicine and engaging our patients through every step of their care.
David Garry, DO, FACOG
Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Director, of Maternal Fetal-Medicine
Dr. David Garry is a Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at Stony Brook Medicine University School of Medicine. He is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, who trained in obstetrics and gynecology at Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens and did his clinical fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine New York Medical College. He now serves as the Director of Maternal Fetal- Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine.
In addition, Dr. Garry is actively involved in basic, and clinical research involving various aspects of women’s health. He also has held many leadership and committee positions in many institutions and prestigious professional societies.
Kimberly Herrera, MD, FACOG
Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Herrera is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Her clinical interests include diabetes in pregnancy, in which she has published and presented on in regional and national meetings; as well as preeclampsia, and cerclage in pregnancy.
She completed her residency at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia in obstetrics and gynecology, and subsequently finished her fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City.
Ayesha Hussain, DO
Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Hussain, a perinatologist, is dedicated to providing the highest quality care to expectant mothers with high-risk health conditions, fetal abnormalities, or obstetric complications. She strives to utilize the latest knowledge and technology to deliver the best care in women's health for mother and baby during pregnancy. She practices with a multidisciplinary approach to create a personalized care plan that's right for both mother and baby. As a physician, her goal is to provide well-informed, comprehensive care during pregnancy.
Cassandra Heiselman, DO, MPH, FACOG
Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Cassandra Heiselman is an Assistant Professor at Stony Brook Medicine (NY), where she also completed MFM fellowship. Her schooling includes Boston University (BA with distinction), Tulane's School of Public Health (MPH/Delta Omega Honorary Society), and Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (DO). She completed OB/GYN residency at Cleveland Clinic Akron General and her fellowship at Stony Brook Medicine. Her research interests include fetal heart rate signal processing and machine learning; stress, stigma, social determinants of health and perinatal experiences and outcomes; syphilis in pregnancy; opioid use disorder in pregnancy; birth satisfaction; hypertensive disorder of pregnancy; and maternal mental health. As a committed women's health care physician, her aim is to provide holistic, in-depth medical treatment focusing on personalized care for the unique needs of both mother and baby through an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach. She also acts as Assistant Program Director for Global Women’s Health Fellowship and the Co-Medical Director of the Coordinated Fetal Care Program at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Brittany Roser, MD, FACOG
Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Dr. Roser is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. She is a graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and she did her residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She continued her training as a Maternal Fetal Medicine fellow at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. Dr. Roser served on Weill Cornell’s Ob/Gyn Quality and Patient Safety Committee, and was deeply involved in research throughout her residency and fellowship.
Kristen Alarcon, NP
Nurse Practitioner, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Kristen Alarcon is a Nurse Practitioner in Obstetrics and Gynecology specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. She began working at Stony Brook in 2000 as an RN with experience in maternal/child health and joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2008. Her role here in the department of maternal fetal medicine is primarily direct patient care in women’s health, in particular high-risk pregnancies. Kristen graduated from Pace University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2000 and from Stony Brook University with a Master’s of Family Health in 2004. She holds national certification as a Nurse Practitioner.
Nancy Bowden, NP, CNM
Nurse Practitioner, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Nancy Bowden is a nurse practitioner/nurse midwife in obstetrics and gynecology specializing in maternal-fetal medicine. She is dual certified as a certified nurse midwife and as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner which allows her to care for women with dual diagnosis of substance use disorder and mental health diagnosis.
Fellows
Emily Stetler, MD
PGY-7
Hometown: Spring Hill, Florida
Medical School: Florida State University Medical School
Residency: Orlando Health (Winnie Palmer Hospital)
Tiffany Yang, MD
PGY-7
Hometown: Tustin, California
Medical School: USC Keck School of Medicine
Residency: White Memorial
Publications
Publications:
- Shammas N, Yang T, Abidi A, Amneus M, Hodeib M. Clinical use of PARP inhibitor in recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma with presence of a somatic BRCA2 mutation. Gynecologic Oncology Reports. 2022 July. 42:101044.Hussain FN, Al-Ibraheemi Z, Kaplowitz E, Parikh, B, Feldman K, Chu Lam M, Brustman L, Lewis D. Incidentally found midtrimester shortened cervical length: Practice patterns among American Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists. Am J Perinatol. Published online June 17, 202214.
Zenobia Gonsalves, MD
PGY-6
Medical School: Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
Residency: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
Fellowship: Medical Genetics and Genomics
(Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine - July 2023)
Rachel Lee, MD
PGY-6
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Medical School: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Residency: Flushing Hospital Medical Center
Chaitali Korgaonkar-Cherala, MD
PGY-5
Hometown: South Windsor, CT
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Renaissance School of Medicine
Samantha Gobioff, MD
PGY-5
Hometown: New Rochelle, NY
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health
2010: Daniel Kiefer, MD
2011: Jolene Muscat, MD
2012: Michael Demishev, MD
2013: M. Baraa Allaf, MD
2014: Corinne Yeh, MD
2015: Tracy Adams, DO
2016: Nadia Kunzier, DO
2017: Sevan Vahanian, MD
2018: Malini Persad, MD
2019: Cheryl Dinglas, DO
2020: Jay Davis, DO
2021: Cassandra Heiselman, DO
2022: Anna Fuchs, DO
2023: Omar Abuzeid, MD
2024: Bijal Parikh, MD
