faculty
The faculty who participates in this course truly love what they do, and their passion resonates in their teaching. Don’t just take our word for it, read some testimonials from participants.

Jeffery T. Laitman, PhD
Jeffrey Laitman, Distinguished Professor at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is a world-renowned anatomist recognized as one of the most creative and engaging teachers of human structure and function. As the Course Director of Gross Anatomy at Mount Sinai, he has trained a generation of leading physicians and surgeons and pioneered new and dynamic ways to uncover and appreciate the structure of the human body. He has received numerous international and national recognitions for his science and teaching, including being elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, being honored with the Basmajian Award of the American Association of Anatomists, and recently, The Jacobi Medallion of the Mount Sinai Alumni, the highest honor Mount Sinai bestows. Additionally, Dr. Laitman is a co-author of the upcoming text Gray’s Anatomy for Fitness Professionals. Among his many other goals in the near future are to both see and touch his toes!

Carrie McCulloch, MD
Carrie McCulloch is a graduate of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a former STOTT PILATES® certified instructor, and co-founder of Kinected. With a background in both movement and medicine, Carrie is committed to bridging the gaps between these two worlds and is passionate about musculoskeletal anatomy education. She frequently lectures on anatomy and injuries for fitness professionals, co-created the award-winning living anatoME™ program (which incorporates Pilates and yoga into the teaching of anatomy in medical school), and is a co-author of the upcoming text, Gray’s Anatomy for Fitness Professionals. She is also an avid running, biking, and ice-cream enthusiast. Read more…

Matt McCulloch
Matt McCulloch is an educator of fitness and movement professionals and co-founder of Kinected. A classically trained dancer, he began studying Pilates 20 years ago as part of his own rehabilitation program from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He is trained in both original and contemporary approaches, and formerly lead certifications for STOTT PILATES® as well as directed the education program at Pilates Academy International. Over the past decade, Matt has educated several hundred instructors, creating pragmatic resources for fitness professionals, such as the upcoming text, Gray’s Anatomy for Fitness Professionals, of which he is a co-author. Additionally, Matt is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified trainer, a GYROKINESIS® & GYROTONIC® instructor, and in the near future, hopes to assist Dr. Laitman in his toe-reaching goals. Read more…

Stephanie Pieczenik Marango, MD
Stephanie Pieczenik Marango is a graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a certified Sivananda yoga instructor. She recently completed her internship in psychiatry at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Her dual background speaks to her interest in mind-body medicine, and subsequent specialization in yoga-based therapy. She is a co-author of the upcoming text, Gray's Anatomy for Fitness Professionals, as well as a co-creator of the award-winning living anatoME™ program, which incorporates Pilates & yoga into the teaching of anatomy in medical school. Additionally, Stephanie has served as a yoga teacher-trainer for Exhale Spa in New York City, instructing the anatomy portions of certifications. Mama Cat is her favorite four-legged furry feline, and red velvet cake is just one of her favorite desserts.

Adam Bender, MD
Adam Bender is a Board Certified Neurologist and an Associate Clinical Professor at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he has been a faculty member since 1975. He is also an attending neurologist at the Lenox Hill Hospital. After receiving his medical degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, he did an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Columbia University service at the Harlem Hospital Center followed by residency training in neurology at the Columbia University New York Neurological Institute. He then was a Clinical Associate at the National Institutes of Health, Medical Neurology Branch. His clinical interests include general neurology, neuromuscular diseases, myasthenia gravis, and polymyositis. He is a strong proponent of using exercise to prevent and treat many musculoskeletal injuries.

Edmond Cleeman, MD
Edmond Cleeman is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with specialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. After receiving a Bachelors degree from New York University, he went on to obtain both his medical degree and residency training from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Hospital, respectively. During his fellowship in sports medicine at Virginia Hospital Center, he specialized in arthroscopic surgery and reconstructive shoulder and knee surgery. Dr. Cleeman is an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai and is an active member of the shoulder and sports medicine service. He performs the newest techniques for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic shoulder instability repair, and shoulder replacement. Dr. Cleeman is also a sculptor and an accomplished painter; his work has been displayed at several art exhibits.

Mark Klion, MD
Mark Klion is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with specialty training in sports medicine. After receiving a Bachelors degree from St. Lawrence University, he went on to obtain both his medical degree and residency training from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Hospital, respectively. He completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of Chicago, specializing in arthroscopic surgery and reconstructive knee and shoulder surgery. Dr. Klion is a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai and is an active member of the shoulder and sports medicine service. Dr. Klion performs the newest techniques for knee ligament reconstruction, cartilage repair, regeneration, and meniscal transplantation. Dr. Klion’s outside interests in training has led him to complete six marathons and three iron man triathlons, including Hawaii Iron Man 2000.

Anthony Pagano
Anthony Pagano is a graduate student working at the Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He earned a Masterʼs degree from the CUNY Graduate Center in October of 2009 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. His research revolves around the growth and evolution of the upper respiratory tract and skull anatomy in human and non-human primates. He also studies fossil humans and is interested in the reconstruction of their soft tissue anatomy from skeletal landmarks. At Mount Sinai, Anthony is an instructor of gross anatomy. He enjoys flamenco music and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Joy Reidenberg, PhD
Joy S. Reidenberg is a Professor of Anatomy and Functional Morphology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Reidenberg received a BA in 1983 from Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her M.Phil. in 1985 and her Ph.D. in 1988 in Anatomy from Mount Sinai's Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, and joined the faculty later that year. Dr. Reidenberg studies the comparative anatomy of the mammalian head and neck, and has examined a variety of animals ranging from mice to humans. Her particular fascination is with whales, especially in understanding how they produce sounds. She is the comparative anatomist for Inside Nature's Giants, which recently won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (the equivalent of an Emmy Award!). Teaching is a passion for Dr. Reidenberg, and her energies in this regard have made her one of our most respected educators. She was recently honored by the American Association of Anatomists for her excellence in teaching and research.

Jason Saleh, MD
Jason Saleh is a resident in Orthopedic Surgery at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His extensive experience in musculoskeletal science and medicine began with his work as a trainer at a large fitness center. He soon moved to working in a number of physical therapy clinics, most notably at the Sports Physical Therapy Institute, where he worked with injured athletes of the United States Rowing Team. Since then, Dr. Saleh has worked in emergency medicine as an EMT, researched novel ACL reconstruction techniques at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and served as a senior teaching assistant for the Gross Anatomy course at Mount Sinai. Most recently, he has completed clerkships in orthopedic oncology at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital as well as musculoskeletal radiology and pathology at Hospital for Special Surgery. Outside of medicine, he enjoys kayaking, teaching guitar, rock climbing, photography, and short walks on the beach (he has a bad knee).

Aaron Weiss
Aaron Weiss is a fourth-year medical student at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and is applying for residency in either general or cardiothoracic surgery. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, and subsequently studied type 2 diabetes in mouse models at the Washington University School of Medicine. Currently at Mount Sinai, he is partaking in multiple clinical research projects, including using network analysis to develop a metabolic model of mortality in post-operative cardiothoracic ICU patients, characterizing outcome in post-operative thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm patients, and eliciting the effects of parenteral nutrition in pre- and post-operative patients who underwent placement of a left ventricular assist device. In addition, he is active in both the Student Council and admissions department. Aaron greatly enjoys teaching and was the head teaching assistant for the first-year Gross Anatomy and Physiology courses. When not busy with schoolwork, Aaron enjoys exercising, exploring NYC, traveling, surfing, and of course, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Matthew Wilkinson
Matthew Wilkinson is a 5th year MD/PhD student at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina, he moved to Dallas to begin his MD and PhD and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. After completing two years of medical training and one year of graduate training, he moved to NYC with his PhD mentor, who now chairs the neuroscience department at Mount Sinai. He is currently finishing his PhD, and will return to medical school in the fall of 2010.  For his PhD, he studied molecular mechanisms of depression in animal models, and he would eventually like to apply to triple-board residencies in pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry, and general psychiatry.  He has a deep commitment to education, having served as a senior TA for the anatomy course at MSSM and as an instructor and teacher trainer for Kaplan Test Prep for the last five years.  When not busy with school, he enjoys traveling, reading, and video games.