Internal Medicine Residency Program
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Faculty Profiles

Ellen Cohen, MD - Program Director Robert G. Lahita MD, PhD, FACP, FACR, FRCP - Chairman Theresa Liao, MD - Associate Program Director and Primary Care Track Director Doris Koduah, MD - Associate Program Director and Student Clerkship Director Eliahu Bishburg, MD Alice J. Cohen, MD, FACP Marc Cohen, MD, FACC Christian A. Engell M.D.- Attending Division of Infectious Diseases Jennifer A. LaRosa, MD, FCCP Robert A. Levinson, MD Sadanand Palekar, MD Theresa Redling, DO Jon Sicat, MD, Med-Peds Program Director, and AOA Track Director Sean M. Studer, MD

Ellen Cohen, M.D., Program Director

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Robert G. Lahita MD, PhD, FACP, FACR, FRCP - Chairman

Dr. Lahita is the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He also serves as a Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical School and is currently a senior attending physician at Saint Vincent’s Medical Center in NYC as well and an adjunct Professor of Medicine at the New York Medical College.

Dr. Lahita earned his medical degree from the Jefferson Medical College and his doctorate in microbiology from the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He received his postgraduate training in internal medicine at New York Hospital- Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases. He later joined the laboratory of Henry G. Kunkel at the Rockefeller University as Research Associate and Post Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Immunology. Dr. Lahita rose to the rank of Associate Professor at Rockefeller and subsequently became the Chief of Rheumatology at Saint Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York and Associate Professor at Columbia University. Later, he left Saint Luke’s Hospital and became Professor of Medicine at the New York Medical College.

In addition to his academic and medical appointments, Dr. Lahita has written, co written, edited, and co edited numerous books on the topic of lupus, including Lupus: Everything You Want to Know. His most recent work is a book entitled Women and Autoimmune Disease, your body betrayed, from Harper Collins. He serves as the Editor of the Yearbook of Rheumatology, Associate Editor of the Journal Lupus and is on numerous other editorial boards. He is also the editor of the standard textbook called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (4th edition) and the Textbook of Autoimmune Diseases.

The recipient of numerous research grants from the Primus Foundation, the Lupus Foundation of America and the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Lahita is internationally recognized for his clinical research in systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune diseases. His findings have been the subject of more than 170 published research articles and book chapters and over nine books. Currently, Dr. Lahita’s interests include the role of sex hormones on apoptosis, the association of gonadal pathology in women with the onset of autoimmunity, and autoimmunity in men.

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Theresa Liao MD joined the NBI faculty in 2009.  She is an Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, Director of the Primary Care Track and a Clinical Assistant Professor at UMDNJ.  Dr. Liao graduated from Princeton University, received her medical degree from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at NYU-Bellevue.  She subsequently began a career in Community Health, working in federally qualified community health centers with underserved populations.  During this time, she served in several leadership positions within these health centers.  She was also a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, supervising the community health center-based Resident Continuity Clinic of the Yale Internal Medicine program.   Dr. Liao’s interests include health care disparities, patient-physician communication, evidence-based primary care and resident education. 

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Doris Koduah, MD - Associate Program Director and Student Clerkship Director

Dr. Koduah has been a faculty member of the Internal Medicine residency program since 2003. She is currently an Associate Program Director as well as student Clerkship Director for internal medicine. She had her Medical Degree from the School of Medical Sciences, KNUST  in Ghana and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. She then worked for one year at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Newburg, New York serving an under-served community. She has been a clinical instructor in internal medicine and is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UMDNJ and St. Georges University in Grenada.  Dr. Koduah’s current interests are in clinical education and  preventive health care.

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Eliahu Bishburg, M.D., is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Bishburg received his medical degree at Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Dr. Bishburg directs the Infectious Diseases consultation service and the HIV outpatient clinic. Dr. Bishburg has been involved in the NBIMC internal medicine residency program since 1989. Prior to his current position he worked as the medical director for the AIDS program at the New Jersey State Department of Health. Dr. Bishburg is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Society of Microbiology. His main interests are AIDS and tuberculosis.

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Alice J. Cohen, M.D., F.A.C.P., is Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and oversees the Flo Okin Oncology and Blood Disorders Center and the Comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Center. Board certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology, Dr. Cohen received her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her medical degree from Chicago Medical School in Illinois. Dr. Cohen completed her postgraduate training in internal medicine at New York University and completed research fellowships in hematology and oncology at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Cohen is an investigator for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.  

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Marc Cohen, M.D., F.A.C.C., is Chief of the Division of Cardiology, and Director of the Cardiology fellowship at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Previously, he was the Director of Clinical Research at the Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and was the Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Hahnemann University Hospital for 10 years. He received his medical degree with honors from New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Cohen completed his internship, residency and fellowship in cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Board of Cardiovascular Diseases, and subspecialty of the Board of Interventional Cardiology.

Dr. Cohen is a fellow of numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians, and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. He serves on the Council on Clinical Cardiology, and the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology of the American Heart Association. He has served as a consultant on the Clinical Trial Review Committee of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and has participated in numerous clinical trials, serving as the lead investigator of the international, multi-center ESSENCE trial, ACUTE I and II, and the TETAMI trial, and was the co-lead investigator for the PRISM trial.

Dr. Cohen has authored or co-authored more than 170 articles including 95 peer reviewed original papers. He has consulted on manuscripts for peer-reviewed  journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology and others. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the American Journal of Cardiology, and the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolyis. He also has contributed chapters on cardiology for several books including, "Unstable Angina: Antithrombotics and Thrombolytics" and "Prevention and Treatment of Unstable Angina."

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Dr. Engell joined NBIMC faculty in 2008 after completing his fellowship in infectious diseases at NYU. His main interests include HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and transplant related infections. Dr. Engell is actively involved in teaching the fellows and in the department’s clinical research projects. He is board certified in internal medicine and infectious disease. Dr Engell is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and many other professional organizations.

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Jennifer A. LaRosa, M.D., F.C.C.P., is the Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program and the Director of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.  She studied Medicine at The George Washington University and completed her postgraduate training at The University of Arizona, The University of Alabama, and New York University. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. Prior to accepting this position, she worked as the director of the medical ICU at The Brooklyn VA Medical Center, an intensivist at Staten Island University Hospital and served as teaching faculty at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Her major interests include the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and end-of-life care.

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Robert A. Levinson, M.D., is Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and an attending physician at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from New York University and his medical degree with honors in medicine and psychiatry at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Levinson is a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Gastroenterology, and is a member of the New Jersey Gastroenterological Association, the New York Academy of Science, and the Health Care Advisory Committee in Livingston. The recipient of the Gip A. Hudson Memorial Award for the Study of Liver Disease, Dr. Levinson has published numerous articles about his specialty.

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Dr. Sadanand Palekar is the Chief of the Division of Nephrology, Director of the Nephrology Fellowship Program, and Director of the Renal and Pancreas Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology, Dr. Palekar received his undergraduate degree from Bombay University’s Chauhan Institute of Science and received his medical degree from the University’s Grant Medical College. Dr. Palekar completed his residency training at St. Elizabeth Hospital – Seton Hall University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

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Theresa Redling, D.O., received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, NJ. Dr. Redling went on to finish a Geriatric Fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical School in NYC under the directorship of the Founding Director of the National Institute on Aging, the world-renowned Dr. Robert Butler. She is board certified in both internal medicine and geriatrics.

Presently, Dr. Redling is the Chief of the Geriatric Division at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She joins the staff in New Jersey after running the Geriatric Division at NYC's Beth Israel Medical Center where she was also Assistant Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her interests include geriatric education, productive aging and improving hospital care for the elderly.

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Jon F. Sicat, DO, Med-Peds Program Director, and AOA Track Director, graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and received his Doctorate degree at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. After an internship at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center he continued on in the Med-Peds Residency Program. He is currently Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Osteopathic Internists, the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Osteopathic Pediatricians.

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Sean M. Studer, M.D., is the Director for the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and the Medical Director of Lung Transplantation and Director of Pulmonary Hypertension, came to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center from the University of Pittsburgh where he served as Associate Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program and Director of the Pulmonary Transplant Medicine Fellowship. Prior to that, Dr. Studer was Chief of Pulmonary Transplant Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY.

Respected as an expert in the field, Dr. Studer is a principal investigator for numerous clinical research initiatives. In addition to being the author of many articles, book chapters and abstracts, Dr. Studer serves as a manuscript reviewer for several medical journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Transplantation, and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant. He lectures nationally and internationally on lung transplant and advanced lung diseases.

Board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, Dr Studer completed fellowships in Pulmonary and Critical Care as well as Advanced Lung Disease at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

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