Columbia Sjögren's Center
Welcome to the Columbia Sjögren's Center, a leading facility dedicated to the comprehensive care of individuals affected by Sjögren's syndrome. Located within the renowned Columbia University Medical Center, our center brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to the care of Sjogrens patients. Committed to advancing the understanding and management of this complex autoimmune disease, we provide compassionate care while actively engaging in cutting-edge research to improve outcomes and quality of life for those affected by Sjögren's Disease. We are committed to providing personalized treatment plans that address both the systemic and symptomatic aspects of this complex autoimmune disorder.
Beyond patient care, the Columbia Sjögren's Center is at the forefront of research and education aimed at advancing the understanding of Sjögren's syndrome. We actively participate in clinical trials and studies to explore new therapeutic options and improve existing treatments. Our commitment to innovation and collaboration extends to educating healthcare professionals and raising public awareness about the disease. By integrating compassionate care with cutting-edge research, we strive to enhance the quality of life for our patients and contribute to global efforts to find better treatments.
Sjögren's Center Director | Rheumatology | Teja Kapoor, MD
Dr. Teja Kapoor is the Director of the Columbia Sjogren’s Center. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in the Division of Rheumatology.
Dr. Kapoor has clinical and research interests in Sjogren's Disease and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), with years of experience in managing patients with complex multi-organ involvement of their autoimmune disease. She has lectured on SLE and Sjogren's Disease at regional, national, and international conferences, with a multitude of book chapters and peer-reviewed article publications on the topics of autoimmune diseases. She is a member of the national collaboration network of Sjogren’s specialists “Sjo-Net” and a member of the OMERACT Sjogren’s Working Group.
She is the Fellowship Program Director for the Columbia Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program. She is the Course Co-Director for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology medical student course at the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is the recipient of the 2023-2024 Daniel V. Kimberg Memorial Junior Faculty Award for outstanding teaching of fellows, residents, and medical students. She is also on the Columbia Medicine Grand Rounds Organizing Committee and on the Education Committee of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
Ophthalmology | LeeJee Suh, MD
Dr. Leejee H. Suh, is the Director of the Cornea Service at Columbia University's Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute and the Miranda Wong Tang Associate Professor of Ophthalmology.
She received her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and her medical degree from the New York University (N.Y.U.) School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and received her fellowship training at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Hospitals, where she was a faculty member in the Division of Cornea and Refractive Surgery.
Dr. Suh brings to Columbia her experience from the top ophthalmological institutions in the country, with an extensive background in cataract, corneal, and refractive surgery. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on corneal conditions and is active in clinical research. Her clinical research interests are in keratoconus research and treatments, namely Corneal Collagen Crosslinking. She has been the Principal Investigator for the Corneal Collagen Crosslinking trial for the treatment of keratoconus and post-refractive surgery ectasia at Columbia University. For her work in keratoconus, Dr. Suh has been named a Top Doctor for the National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF). She was instrumental in the early studies of a newer type of partial corneal transplantation, called endothelial keratoplasty, which includes Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), both of which have dramatically changed the face of surgical treatments for corneal diseases.
As a cornea-refractive surgeon by training, she is an expert in the latest in cataract surgery called femtosecond-laser assisted cataract surgery, in which a femtosecond laser can make precise and customized corneal and lens incisions for cataract surgery, which is combined with implantation of standard monofocal, toric, and multifocal/trifocal intraocular lens implants. With her extensive experience in corneal surgery, she is also an expert in laser vision correction and keratorefractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, and PTK).
Dr. Suh has been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She has presented at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Asian-Pacific Association for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS), and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). She is an active reviewer for such journals as Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, Archives of Ophthalmology, Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, Eye, and Cornea. Dr. Suh continues to lecture nationally and internationally on her research and experience.
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology | Elizabeth Philipone, DMD
Dr. Elizabeth Philipone is an Associate Professor of Dental Medicine (in Pathology and Cell Biology) at the Columbia University Medical Center. She is the Division Director and Residency Director for the Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Program. Her clinical and research interests include the diagnosis and treatment oral mucosal diseases including vesiculobullous conditions, viral and fungal infections, Sjogren's syndrome and pre-cancerous/cancerous conditions of the oral cavity. She is board-certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology | Stephanie Purisch, MD
Dr. Stephanie Purisch is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She joined the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Columbia after completing residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Columbia University.
Dr. Purisch is the co-director of the Mothers Center Heart Program, which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical care to women with cardiovascular disease who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy.
Dr. Purisch's primary clinical and research interest is the care of women with medically complicated pregnancies. In addition to cardiac disease in pregnancy, she also has expertise caring for pregnant women with underlying maternal pulmonary, endocrine, rheumatologic, and hematologic diseases.
Pediatric Cardiology | Stephanie Levasseur, MD
Dr. Stephanie Levasseur is the Medical Director of Fetal Cardiology at Columbia and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC.
Dr Levasseur joined the division of Pediatric Cardiology in 2003 after completing her cardiology training at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children and a year of advanced echocardiography at Boston's Children's Hospital.
Dr Levasseur's passion for the prenatal diagnosis of cardiac anomalies and the support of affected families developed early in her cardiac imaging career. Her practice is dedicated to the care of the most complex patients with congenital heart disease before and after birth. The Fetal Cardiac Program at Columbia University Medical Center is one of the largest in the country. In 2012 and became director of the noninvasive imaging laboratory (which includes echocardiography, fetal cardiology as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac computed tomography imaging) in 2016. She is the site PI for the STOP BLOQ study: "Surveillance and Treatment tO Prevent Fetal Atrioventricular Block Likely to Occur Quickly"
Pulmonary | Claire McGroder, MD
Dr. Claire McGroder is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care. She specializes in caring for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary fibrosis. Her clinical and translational research has focused on gaining a better understanding the earliest stages of pulmonary fibrosis. She is also studying the long-term pulmonary effects of COVID-19. Clinically, Dr. McGroder is involved in numerous clinical trials that investigate possible therapeutics for patients with ILD. It is her goal to integrate Columbia's top-tier research and excellent clinical diagnostics and resources to provide patients with the best possible care.
Pulmonary | David Zhang, MD
Dr. David Zhang is a clinician-researcher with a focus on interstitial lung disease. He sees patients in the ILD clinic at Columbia University and manages patients with connective tissue disease related ILD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, IPF, post-COVID fibrosis, among many other conditions. Additionally he is focused on conducting novel basic and translational research using next generation sequencing technology on patients with interstitial lung disease, including those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
ColumbiaDoctors Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology is a leader in the care and treatment of rheumatic disease, offering the latest therapies for patients of all ages. Many of our treatment services are also offered through participation in research studies.
Call (212) 305-4308 for an appointment or referral!