Founder and Director of Autoimmune Brain Disorder and Autoimmune Encephalitis Center, Lenox Hill Hospital
Chairman of Neurology, Lenox Hill Hospital, NY
Chairman of Neurology, Staten Island University Hospital, NY
Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Northwell Health Neurology Service Line
Professional Experience
1994–1996 Director, Epilepsy Program and Neurophysiology Laboratory, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN
1994–1996 Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
1996–1998 Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
1996–1998 Director, Epilepsy Program and Neurophysiology Laboratory, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL
1998–2007 Assistant Professor of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
2007–2014 Associate Professor of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
2005–2008 Director, EEG Laboratory, NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York, NY
2006–2014 Director and Founder, Neuroinflammation Research Group, Epilepsy Center Division, Dept. of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
2009–2014 Director, Epilepsy Quality Assurance, Department of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, NY
2006–2014 Director, Neurosciences, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY
2006–2014 Director, Stroke, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY
Education & Training
1977–1983 M.D., Damascus Medical School, Damascus, Syria
1985–1988 Pathology Residency, Dept. of Pathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
1988–1989 Internal Medicine Internship, New York Infirmary Beekman Downtown Hospital, NY
1989–1991 Neurology Residency, Dept. of Neurology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
1991–1992 Chief Neurology Resident, Department of Neurology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
1992–1993 Neuropathology Fellowship, Dept. of Neuropathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
1993–1994 Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Dept. of Neurology, Hospital for Joint Diseases, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
1993–present Board Certified in Neurology, American Board of Neurology & Psychiatry (indefinite)
Awards
2010 Award of Excellence, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY
2010 Featured in an article in Industry Magazine, Staten Island, NY
2010 Featured on the Today Show, for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis, New York, NY
2010-2012 New York’s Best Doctors, New York Magazine
2012 Featured on Katie Couric, for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis, New York, NY
2013 Featured in the New York Times Best-Selling novel ‘Brain on Fire’ by Susannah Cahalan
2013 New York’s Best Doctors, New York Magazine
2013 Featured, Staten Island Advance Newspaper, Staten Island, NY
2013 Featured in Industry Magazine, Staten Island, NY
2014-2017 New York’s Best Doctors, New York Magazine
Committee & Membership
2013–present Co-Director of Scientific Planning Committee of Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance, Durham, NC
2014-present Board Member of Scientific Planning Committee, Psychoimmunology Expert Meetings, Günsberg, Germany
2016-presentGuest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Psychiatry: Research Topic: Recent Advances in Psychiatry from Psycho-Neuro-Immunology Research: “Autoimmune Encephalitis, Autoimmune Encephalopathy, Mild Encephalitis”.
Selected Publication
Raynowska J, Miskin D, Pramanik B, Asiry S, Anderson T, Boockvar J, Najjar S, Harel A. Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephelopathy (RVCL): a rare mimic of tumefactive MS. Neurology (In Press)
Duh K, Funaro MG, DeGouveia W, Bahlani S, Pappas D, Najjar S, Tabansky , Moldwin R, Stern J. Crosstalk between the immune system and neural pathways in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Discov Med. 2018 May;25(139):243-250.
Tabansky I, Keskin D, Watts D, Funaro M, Petzold C, Sands W, Wright P, Yunis E, Najjar S, Diamond B, Cao Y, Mooney D, Kretschmer K, Stern J. Targeting DEC-205-DCIR2+dendritic cells promoted immunological tolerance in proteolipid-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Mol Med. 2018 May; 24: 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10020-018-0017-6
Najjar S, Steiner J, Najjar A, Bechter K. A clinical approach to new-onset psychosis associated with immune dysregulation: the concept of autoimmune psychosis. J Neuroinflammation. 2018 Feb; 13;15(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1067-y.
Najjar S, Pahlajani S, De Sanctis V, Stern JN, Najjar A, Chong D. Neurovascular unit dysfunction with blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability contribute to schizophrenia: a theoretical integration of clinical and experimental evidence. Front. Psychiatry. 2017 May 23;8:83. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00083.
Schneider RJ, BS; Chakraborty S; Filippi GC; Pramanik KB, MD; Anderson AT, MD; Anand L; Demopoulos MA; Mandel S; Shani D; Najjar S; Boockvar AJ. Severe inflammatory response causing choroid plexitis and acute hydrocephalus in a patient with Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature. Practical Neurology. May 2017
Funaro M, Messina M, Shabbir M, Wright P, Najjar S, Tabansky I, Stern JN. The role of B cells in multiple sclerosis more than antibodies. Discov Med. 2016 Nov;22(122):251-255
Tabansky I, Messina MD, Bangeranye C, Goldstein J, Blitz-Shabbir KM, Machado S, Jeganathan V, Wright P, Najjar S, Cao Y, Sands W, Keskin DB, Stern JN. Erratum to: Advancing drug delivery systems for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Immunol Res. 2016 Apr;64(2):640. doi: 10.1007/s12026-016-8791-0.
Tabansky I, Messina MD, Bangeranye C, Goldstein J, Blitz-Shabbir KM, Machado S, Jeganathan V, Wright P, Najjar S, Cao Y, Sands W, Keskin DB, Stern JN. Advancing drug delivery systems for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Immunol Res. 2015 Dec;63(1-3):58-69. doi: 10.1007/s12026-015-8719-0.
Najjar S, Pearlman D. Neuroinflammation and white matter pathology in schizophrenia: a systematic review. Invited review for special issue on “white matter pathology in schizophrenia”. Schizophr Res. 2015; S0920-9964(14)00254-0. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.04.041.
Pearlman D, Najjar S. Response to Steiner and Bogerts on N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor autoantibodies in schizophrenia and affective disorders. Schizophr Res. 2015 Mar;162(1-3):292-3.
Najjar S, Boockvar A J, Najjar A, Ortiz R, Langer D. Evidence linking neurovascular endothelial dysfunction to first stroke among middle-aged and older people with major depression. JAHA. 2015
Pearlman D, Hernandez F, MacKenzie TA, Brown JR, Najjar S. Association of perioperative changes in serum S100B, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 with acute and delayed worsening of depression after coronary artery bypass surgery: prospective cohort nested within a randomized controlled trial. PLOS One. 2014 Oct 20;9(10):e111110. doi: 10.1371
Pearlman D, Najjar S. Neuroinflammation versus decreased Zif268 mRNA expression as causal mediators of decreased GAD67 mRNA expression within dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Letter to the editor. Am J Psychiatry. 2014; 171(10):1117-8.
Pearlman D, Najjar S. Meta-analysis of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorders. Schizophr Res. 2014 Jun 2. pii: S0920-9964(14)00226-6. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.05.001. [Invited article for a special issue on white matter pathology in schizophrenia].
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Hirsch S, Friedman K, Strange J, Reidy J, Khoukaz M, Ferrell R, Devinsky O, Najjar A, Zagzag D. Brain biopsy findings link major depressive disorder to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurovascular dysfunction: a case report. Biol Psychiatry. 2014; 15;75(12):e23-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.07.041. Epub 2013 Sep 24.
Pearlman D, Vora S, Marquis B, Najjar S, Dudley L. Association between anti-basal ganglia antibodies and primary obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2014;205(1):8-16.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Devinsky O, Najjar A, Zagzag D. Neurovascular unit dysfunction with blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability contribute to major depressive disorder: a review of clinical and experimental evidence. J Neuroinflammation 2013;10:142.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Alper K, Najjar A, Devinsky O. Neuroinflammation and psychiatric illness. J Neuroinflammation 2013 Apr 1;10:43. doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-10-43. [Highly-accessed and cited;Ranked No. 1 for Most Viewed Articles of 2013 in the Journal of Neuroinflammation; Ranked in the 93rd percentile of 1,887,050 articles ever-tracked by Altmetric].
Devinsky O, Schein A, Najjar S. Epilepsy associated with systemic autoimmune disorders. Epilepsy Curr. 2013;13(2):62-68.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Devinsky O, Najjar A, Nadkarni S, Butler B, Zagzag D. Neuropsychiatric autoimmune encephalitis without VGKC-complex, NMDAR, and GAD autoantibodies: case report and literature review. Cogn Behav Neurol. 2013;26(1):36-49.
Devinsky O, Vezzani A, Najjar S, Delanerolle N, Rogawski M. Glia and epilepsy: excitability and Inflammation. Trends Neurosci. 2013;36(3):174-84.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Zagzag D, Golfinos J, Devinsky O. Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody syndrome presenting as schizophrenia. Neurologist. 2012;18(2):88-91.
Devinsky O, Najjar S. Classifying seizures and epilepsies: limits of science and semantics. Epilepsy Curr. 2011;11(5):141-2.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Miller CD, Devinsky O. Refractory epilepsy associated with microglial activation. Neurologist. 2011;17(5):249-54.
Najjar S, Pearlman D, Najjar A, Ghiasian, V, Zagzag D, Devinsky O. Extra-limbic autoimmune encephalitis associated with glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies: an under-diagnosed entity? Epilepsy Behav. 2011;21(3):306-13.
Srour S, Goldberg E, Najjar S. Paraneoplastic myelitis related to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma: two case reports and literature review. Community Oncology. 2010:7(7):323-6.
