Steven L. Spitalnik, MD
Overview
Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated
Academic Appointments
- Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology
Administrative Titles
- Vice-Chair for Laboratory Medicine
- Director of Clinical Laboratories, Columbia University Medical Center Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital
Dr. Steven Spitalnik, MD is the Co-Director of the Laboratory of Transfusion Biology, which pursues NIH-funded research aimed at improving transfusion practice. Dr. Spitalnik is a Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology and the Vice-Chairman of Laboratory Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). As the Medical Director of the Clinical laboratories on the CUMC campus of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, he coordinates the clinical service, educational, and scholarly activities of the Division. He has been a Member of Scientific and Medical Advisory Board at Theranos, Inc. since April 7, 2016. He is a long-standing member of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians & Scientists, serving as its President in 2002-03 and, in 2005, receiving its Gerald T. Evans Award for outstanding leadership and service to the Academy. In addition to being board certified in both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Dr. Spitalnik is a member of the Editorial Boards of Transfusion, Transfusion Medicine Reviews, and Current Opinion in Hematology, and is the lead author of Clinical Pathology Board Review.
Email: ss2479@cumc.columbia.edu
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia
Gender
- Male
Insurance Accepted
Aetna
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- NY Signature
- POS
- PPO
- Signature Administrators
- Student Health
Cigna
- EPO
- Great West
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
Emblem/GHI
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Emblem/HIP
- ConnectiCare
- EPO
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
- Select Care (Exchange)
- Vytra
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Priority
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare (Mediblue)
- NYP Employee Plan
- Pathway (Exchange)
- POS
- PPO
Local 1199
- Local 1199
MagnaCare
- MagnaCare
Multiplan
- Multiplan
Oxford Health Plans
- Freedom
- Liberty
- Medicare Managed Care
UnitedHealthcare
- Columbia University Employee Plan
- Compass (Exchange)
- EPO
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid (Community Plan)
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- University of Chicago Pitzker School of Medicine
- Internship: University of Rochester
- Residency: University of Rochester
- Fellowship: University of Rochester
- Fellowship: National Institutes of Health
Board Certifications
- Pathology-Anatomic/Pathology-Clinical
Honors & Awards
1974 Phi Beta Kappa
1974 Honors in Mathematics, Princeton University
1981, 1982, 1983 Young Investigator Award, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
1987-1990 Junior Faculty Research Award, American Cancer Society
1987-1992 FIRST Award, National Institutes of Health
1989-1992 Mallinckrodt Scholar
1989 Class of `92 Commendation for Outstanding Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1990 Class of `93 Commendation for Outstanding Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1991 Dean's Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1991 US-Poland Individual Health Scientist Exchange Program Fellowship, Fogarty International Center
1992 Class of `95 Commendation for Outstanding Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1994 Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation
1995 Peter C. Nowell Teaching Award, University of Pennsylvania
1995 FASEB Visiting Scientist; Barry University, Miami Shores, FL. The role of glycosylation of ß-amyloid precursor protein in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
1996 Penn Pearls Teaching Award, University of Pennsylvania
1996 Leonard Berwick Memorial Teaching Award, University of Pennsylvania
1996 Class of `99 Commendation for Outstanding Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1997 Class of `00 Commendation for Outstanding Teaching, University of Pennsylvania
1997 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks, Denver, CO. Workshop organizer and speaker: A Transfusion Medicine Primer
1998 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Teaching Award, University of Pennsylvania
1999 Sherwood Smith Memorial Lectureship, New York Association of Blood Banks Annual Meeting, Rochester, NY. The impact of molecular biology on the practice of transfusion medicine.
2002 Faculty Mentor Award, 4th Annual Marvin J. Hoffman Day, University of Rochester
2002 Short course on the biochemistry of the red blood cell membrane, Annual Meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks, Orlando, FL. Glycobiology of the red blood cell membrane
2002 Short course on human carbohydrate blood group antigens, Annual Meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks, Orlando, FL. The Lewis blood group system
2003 Eric A. Schenk Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Rochester
2005 Gerald T. Evans Award for outstanding leadership and service to the academy, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians & Scientists
2013 Graham A. Jamieson Memorial Lectureship, American Red Cross
2013 Emily Cooley Award and Lectureship, American Association of Blood Banks
2016 Elected to Hall of Fame, National Blood Foundation
2016 Inaugural Class, Academy of Clinical Mentoring and Excellence, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Research
My research program in the Laboratory of Transfusion Biology uses in vitro systems, mouse models, and human studies to investigate important problems related to red blood cell biology. We are particularly interested in improving the quality of red blood cell transfusions, and preventing or ameliorating the adverse effects resulting from this therapeutic intervention. As a result, we study the consequences of refrigerated storage, alloimmunization, and hemolytic transfusion reactions. We have a particular interest in the role of oxidative stress during refrigerated storage of red blood cells and its effects on red blood cell storage quality. In addition, we study the role of iron deficiency, iron supplementation, and iron metabolism in the biology of malaria, bacterial infections, and co-infections of malaria with bacterial pathogens. Results from these studies provided the impetus for the “iron hypothesis” to explain some of the adverse effects of red blood cell transfusion, particularly with regard to infectious disease.
Research Interests
- The biology of red blood cells
Grants
COLUMBIA/CORNELL/HARLEM HOSPITAL PRECISION MEDICINE INITIATIVE HPO (Federal Gov)
Jul 6 2016 - Dec 31 2021
NEUROCOGNITIVE EFFECTS OF IRON DEFICIENCY IN BLOOD DONORS. (Federal Gov)
Dec 15 2017 - Nov 30 2021
RED BLOOD CELLS FROM IRON-DEFICIENT DONORS: RECOVERY AND STORAGE QUALITY (Federal Gov)
Aug 15 2016 - Apr 30 2021
MECHANISMS UNDERLYING IMPAIRED BACTERIAL CLEARANCE FOLLOWING TRANSFUSION OF STORAGE-DAMAGED RED BLOOD CELLS (Federal Gov)
Jul 3 2017 - Jul 2 2020
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RED BLOOD CELL TRANSFUSIONS ARE MEDIATED BY IRON (Federal Gov)
Jun 15 2013 - Apr 30 2018
NEW YORK COLUMBIA COLLABORATIVE SPOTRIAS (Federal Gov)
Aug 1 2010 - Jul 31 2016
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF TRANSFUSION OF OLDER STORED RED CELLS: IRON AND INFLAMMATION (Federal Gov)
Sep 16 2009 - Jul 31 2014
VASCULAR EFFECTS OF INFECTION IN PEDIATRIC STROKE (Federal Gov)
Aug 5 2009 - Jul 31 2014
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF G6PD DEFICIENCY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Private)
Jun 1 2013 - May 31 2014
TRAINING PROGRAM IN MOLECULAR BASIS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE (Private)
Apr 1 2010 - Mar 31 2014
MECHANISMS OF EFFECT OF IRON STATUS & INTERVENTIONS ON MALAR IA & OTHER INFECTIONS (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2009 - Aug 31 2013
VASCULAR EFFECTS OF INFECTION IN PEDIATRIC STROKE (Federal Gov)
Aug 5 2009 - Jul 31 2013
TACROLIMUS ASSAY PROFICIENCY STUDY (Private)
Apr 12 2010 - Apr 11 2011
Selected Publications
Zimring JC, Smith N, Stowell SR, Johnsen JM, Bell LN, Francis RO, Hod EA, Hendrickson JE, Roback JD, Spitalnik SL. Strain-specific red blood cell storage, metabolism, and eicosanoid generation in a mouse model. Transfusion 54:137-148, 2014.
LaRocca TJ, Stivison EA, Hod EA, Spitalnik SL, Cowan PJ, Randis TM, Ratner AJ. Human-specific bacterial pore-forming toxins induce programmed necrosis in erythrocytes. mBio 5(5):e01251-14, 2014.
Prestia K, Bandyopadhyay S, Slate A, Francis RO, Francis KP, Spitalnik SL, Fidock DA, Brittenham GM, Hod EA. Transfusion of stored blood impairs host defenses against Gram-negative pathogens in mice. Transfusion 54:2842-2851, 2014.
Wojczyk BS, Kim N, Bandyopadhyay S, Francis RO, Zimring JC, Hod EA, Spitalnik SL. Macrophages clear refrigerator storage-damaged RBCs and subsequently secrete cytokines in vivo, but not in vitro, in a murine model. Transfusion 54:3186-3197, 2014.
LaRocca T, Stivison E, Mal-Sarkar T, Hooven T, Hod E, Spitalnik SL, Ratner A. CD59 signaling and membrane pores drive Syk-dependent erythrocyte necroptosis. Cell Death and Disease 6:e1773; doi:10.1038/cddis.2015.135, 2015
Xu JZ, Francis RO, Lerebours Nadal LE, Shirazi M, Jobanputra V, Hod EA, Jhang JS, Stotler BA, Spitalnik SL, Nicholas SW. G6PD Deficiency in an HIV Clinic Setting in the Dominican Republic. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 93:722-729, 2015.
Waterman HR, Kapp LM, Howie HL, Hod EA, Spitalnik SL, Zimring JC. Analysis of 24-h recovery of transfused stored RBCs in recipient mice of distinct genetic backgrounds. Vox Sanguinis 109:148-154, 2015.
L’Acqua C, Bandyopadhyay S, Francis RO, McMahon DJ, Nellis M, Sheth S, Kernie SG, Brittenham GM, Spitalnik SL, Hod EA. Red blood cell transfusion is associated with increased hemolysis and an acute phase response in a subset of critically ill children. American Journal of Hematology 90:915-920, 2015.
Zimring JC, Spitalnik SL. Pathobiology of haemolytic transfusion reactions. Annual Review of Pathology 10:83-110, 2015.
Spitalnik SL, Triulzi D, Devine DV, Dzik WH, Eder AF, Gernsheimer T, Josephson CD, Kor DJ, Luban NLC, Roubinian NH, Mondoro T, Welniak LA, Zou S, Glynn S for the State of the Science in Transfusion Medicine Working Groups. 2015 Proceedings of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s State of the Science in Transfusion Medicine Symposium. Transfusion55:2282-2290, 2015.
Calabro S, Gallman A, Gowthaman U, Liu D, Chen P, Liu J, Krishnaswamy JK, Nascimento MSL, Xu L, Patel SR, Williams A, Tormey CA, Hod EA, Spitalnik SL, Zimring JC, Hendrickson JE, Stowell SR, Eisenbarth SC. Bridging channel dendritic cells induce immunity to transfused red blood cells, Journal of Experimental Medicine 213:887-896, 2016.
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov