About
Specialties and Expertise
Specialties
- Neurology
Expertise
- Stroke
- AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation)
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Transcranial Doppler
- Neurovascular Disease
- Aneurysm
- Carotid Ultrasound
- Cerebral Aneurysm
- Cerebral Vascular Disease
- Doppler Ultrasound
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Biography
Dana Leifer, MD graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude and received his M.D. cum laude from Harvard Medical School. He also received an M. Phil. in Biochemistry from Cambridge University as a Fulbright Scholar. After completing an internship in medicine and a residency in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Leifer joined the staff of the Stroke Service there and served as Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School. He subsequently moved to the Yale University School of Medicine as a member of the Cerebrovascular Center. In 1997, Dr. Leifer became Chief of Vascular Neurology at North Shore University Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology at NYU. In 2005, Dr. Leifer joined Weill Cornell Medical College as Director of the Stroke and Neuroscience Step-Down Unit and Director of the Neurovascular Ultrasound Laboratory. He is board certified in Neurology and is one of the first neurologists to receive subspecialty certification in Vascular Neurology.
Dr. Leifer's research interests include cellular and molecular studies of neuronal growth and regeneration and immunohistochemical studies of stroke and other neurological diseases. His research has focused on the development of new treatments for stroke patients and functional MRI studies of brain activity during recovery from stroke. In 2010, he co-authored a clinical advisory sponsored by both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology about the role for genetic testing in choosing appropriate antiplatelet therapy to prevent strokes and heart attacks -- one of the first practical applications of personalized genetic medicine.
Dr. Leifer also serves as an advisor to the New York State Department of Health and the American Heart Association on the development of guidelines for the certification of stroke centers and on the evaluation of stroke center performance. He is the lead author of a 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Statement establishing procedures for monitoring the quality of care at comprehensive stroke centers.
Research
Credentials
Board Certifications
- American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (Neurology)
- American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (Vascular Neurology)
Clinical and Academic Positions
- Associate Professor of Neurology - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- Associate Attending Neurologist - NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Education and Training
- M.D., Harvard Medical School, 1985
Insurance
Insurance Plans Accepted
The following represents most of the managed care plans accepted by this doctor. If your insurance carrier does not appear here please contact the doctor’s office as they may have individual contracts not included on this site.
* indicates this doctor is no longer accepting new patients with this insurance plan.
- AETNA - HMO
- AETNA - PPO
- AETNA - Medicare
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee Managed Care Plan
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee PPO Plan
- Aetna-NYP - EPO/POS
- Affinity Access
- Affinity Health Plan
- CIGNA
- Emblem Select Care
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - Mediblue (Senior)
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - PPO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - Blue Access
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - Blue Connection
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - EPO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - HMO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield HealthPlus
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield HealthPlus - CHP
- Fidelis Care
- GHI - CBP
- Health First
- Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP)
- Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) - Medicaid
- Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) - Medicare
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Oxford Health Plans - Freedom
- Oxford Health Plans - Liberty
- Oxford Health Plans - Medicare Advantage
- Oxford Health Plans - Metro/Core/Charter
- Rockefeller University - Trustmark
- United Empire
- United Healthcare
- United Healthcare - Community Plan
- United Healthcare - Medicare
- United Healthcare Compass
- VNSNY CHOICE - HMO
- VNSNY CHOICE - Medicare
- WellCare of NY
- WorldWide Medical
Locations and Appointments
External Relationships
External Relationships
Relationships and collaborations with for-profit and not-for profit organizations are of vital importance to our faculty because these exchanges of scientific information foster innovation. As experts in their fields, WCM physicians and scientists are sought after by many organizations to consult and educate. WCM and its faculty make this information available to the public, thus creating a transparent environment.