Jeffrey P. Greenfield, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Greenfield has an international reputation caring for children and adults with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, and their associated conditions. He is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in pediatric neurosurgery. In addition he sees certain adult patients with congenital neurosurgical conditions.
Compassionate clinical care, research, and education are all central to his philosophy as a neurosurgeon and physician.
As creator and director of the Chiari CARE program, Dr. Greenfield has developed an international reputation caring for children and adults with Chiari malformation, tethered cord, syringomyelia, and other associated conditions such as craniocervical instability, CSF leaks, and hydrocephalus as part of a large multidisciplinary team. Dr. Greenfield is also a strong proponent of the unique concept of transitional neurosurgery – caring for patients with specific conditions throughout the continuum of life from childhood through adulthood.
Dr. Greenfield also is an expert in brain and spine tumors; he directs the precision medicine program, which is nationally recognized for sequencing every brain tumor, allowing the team to identify specific therapies for each child. In addition, he directs the pediatric skull base surgery program, evaluating and removing tumors of the pituitary gland region and skull base, such as craniopharyngiomas, with minimally invasive endoscopic tools. Utilizing minimally invasive ventricular endoscopy of the brain also allows him to treat tumors, hydrocephalus, and cysts within the ventricles with minimal incisions and pain.
Teaching and education are also central to Dr. Greenfield’s career in neurosurgery. As the Vice Chairman for Academic Affairs and Associate Program Director for the residency program in neurological surgery, he has won multiple teaching awards from the residents, and he recently designed a novel educational curriculum to augment their seven-year training. He directs the medical student interest groups and the rotations for medical students on the neurosurgery service. Finally, he has written or co-edited three books, including a textbook with a pediatrician designed to facilitate the education of primary care providers of children with the common neurosurgical conditions they may see in their practice.
Training
Dr. Greenfield graduated from Amherst College magna cum laude in Neuroscience before receiving his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Following completion of his neurosurgical residency and chief residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Greenfield received fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before returning as faculty to Weill Cornell Medicine.
Research
In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Greenfield directs multiple research projects pertaining to pediatric brain tumors, including basic research examining brain tumor immunology, brain tumor invasiveness, and the precision medicine program in pediatric neuro-oncology. His research has been externally funded and widely published and he has received national awards from neurosurgical societies. He has lectured internationally on these subjects and together with Dr. Mark Souweidane he co-directs the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, focusing on novel approaches and innovative care for children with rare and inoperable brain tumors.