About
Personal Statement
Dr. Crystal has 40 years of experience as a pulmonary physician, with a primary focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fibrotic lung disease, asthma, lung cancer and hereditary lung disease. Before joining the Weill Cornell Faculty, Dr. Crystal was Chief, Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, where he and his colleagues characterized the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and developed the FDA-approved therapy for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. From 1993 to 2012, he served as Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He presently is Chairman, Department of Genetic Medicine, and continues to have an active pulmonary clinical practice.
Specialties and Expertise
Specialties
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease Medicine
Expertise
- Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Interstitial Lung Disease
Biography
Post-doctoral Training:
Internship: Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Residency: Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Fellowship: Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Research Associate, Section on Molecular Hematology, NHLI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
Head, Section on Pulmonary Biochemistry, NHLI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
Clinical Fellow, Chest Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA
Chief, Pulmonary Branch, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
Special Volunteer, Pulmonary Branch, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
Military: Surgeon, Commissioned Corps, USPHS; Senior Surgeon, Commissioned Corps, USPHS; Medical Director, Commissioned Corps, USPHS;
Present, Medical Director (Retired), Commissioned Corps, USPHS
Research
Honors and Awards
Honors and Awards
Honors (selected):
Elected member:
Alpha Omega Alpha; American Society for Clinical Investigation; Association of American Physicians;
Awards:
Public Health Service Commendation medal (1983)
Outstanding Service medal (1988) Meritorious Service Award (1991) Honorary Fellow, American College of Chest Physicians (2001)
Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (2005)
Honorary Degree: Doctor of Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany (1992)
Credentials
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine (Pulmonary Disease)
Clinical and Academic Positions
- Chair of Genetic Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- Professor of Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- The Bruce Webster Professor of Internal Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- Attending Physician - NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
- Professor of Genetic Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
Education and Training
- M.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1968
- M.S., University of Pennsylvania, 1963
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 - Medicare
- AETNA - PPO
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee Managed Care Plan
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee PPO Plan
- Aetna-NYP - EPO/POS
- Affinity Access
- Affinity Health Plan
- AgeWell New York
- Amida Care
- CIGNA
- Emblem Select Care
- 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 - Mediblue (Senior)
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - PPO
- 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 - Medicare Advantage
- Oxford Health Plans - Metro/Core/Charter
- Oxford Health Plans - Liberty
- Oxford Health Plans - Freedom
- Rockefeller University - Trustmark
- United Empire
- United Healthcare
- United Healthcare - Community Plan
- United Healthcare - Medicare
- United Healthcare Compass
- VNSNY CHOICE - HMO
- VNSNY CHOICE - Medicare
- WorldWide Medical
Locations and Appointments
News and Media
News
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.