The Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, is recognized in Long Island, New York for its diagnosis and consultations on disorders of the brain and central nervous system. The division provides the tissue diagnosis for all specimens which come from North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in conjunction with The Brain Tumor Center, a multidisciplinary program that focuses on the management of brain tumors and the Cushing Neuroscience Institutes.

This Institute has organized the neurosciences services into institutes, programs and centers that focus our world-class staff and resources on the various aspects of neuroscience — the study of the brain, nervous system and spine. Various hospitals throughout the North Shore-LIJ Health System are capable of performing neurosurgery for the treatment of brain aneurysms, chiari malformation, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, hemorrhage, trauma, spinal disorders, brain tumors and all surgeries which require tissue diagnosis are examined by our very capable neuropathologists trained at the finest institutes in the United States. We provide service to the Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Center in the Children Hospital located at New Hyde Park. The Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Center at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York is committed to providing comprehensive, innovative, state of the art care for children diagnosed with tumors of the nervous system. Their multidisciplinary team is dedicated to treating the broad spectrum of benign, malignant, primary and metastatic tumors in young patients whose bodies and brains are still developing.

We provide support to the Movement Disorders Center, which is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of these neurological conditions through clinical treatment and research. Movement disorders are neurological conditions that can result in spasticity, rigidity, tremor, involuntary movement and ataxia. We provide muscle biopsy reporting with the help of State University of New York, Stony Brook campus. We have a dedicated Electron microscopy department at North Shore University Hospital which examines all of our muscle biopsies for disease.

In the 2009-2010 edition of US News and World Report’s “America's Best Hospitals” issue, LIJ Medical Center and Staten Island University Hospital were ranked 46th and 47th respectively in the specialty area of Neurology/Neurosurgery. This can be only accomplished by providing a high excellence in neuropathology diagnosis that leads to better management options.

We have the capability to provide latest tests, like 1p/19q co-deletion and O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation assays for Oligodendroglioma tumors and Glioblastoma respectively. These assays are not provided in every Hospital and this is great asset to provide Molecular Pathology testing for the patients who get treated in the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

We consult with referring physicians on issues related to patient care and can also offer family members information about the causes or the genetic components of a disease.

Experience

Neuropathology was established in the Department of Pathology for at least 30 years. Dr. Peter Farmer, MD, at North Shore University Hospital, provided service for both campuses before 2008. Dr. Jian Yi (Jim) Li, MD, PhD, joined North Shore University Hospital in 2008. Dr. Mansoor Nasim, MD, PhD, joined Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 2008. We all provide depth and research capabilities in the diagnosis of CNS disease and brain tumors and are involved in experimental studies of diseases of the brain. The division is working with Marc Symons, PhD, Investigator, Center for Oncology and Cell Biology, Director, Light Microscopy Facility on medulloblastomas and glioblastomas at the Feinstein Institute of Medical Research, Dr. Michael Schulder, Vice Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, and the Director of Harvey Cushing Brain Tumor Center and Betty Diamond, MD, Investigator, Head, Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Disease at Feinstein Institute of Medical Research. Ongoing experience with state-of-the-art research ensures that faculty members remain at the forefront of their fields, with access to the most recent methodologies for diagnosis and continuing experience with many cases of unusual diseases.

Our diagnostic expertise in neuropathology includes such specialties as adult and pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors, cerebrovascular disease, trauma, forensic neuropathology, AIDS; and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 

Expertise

Expert Consultation

• Dr. Peter Farmer (Board Certified Neuropathologist) is an experienced Neuropathologist. He did his training in neuropathologist, trained for Clinical Neurology and Anatomic Pathology at Jefferson Medical College Hospital in Philadelphia and did his fellowship in Neuropathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is also well trained and has vast expertise in brain tumor and consults to the Nassau County Medical Examiner for Forensic Neuropathology a great responsibility.
• Dr. Jian Yi (Jim) Li (Board Certified Neuropathologist) is interest in brain tumors. He completed his residency in Anatomic Pathology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center and a Neuropathology fellowship at The Methodist Hospital/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Neuropathology Fellowship Program. He provides surgical neuropathology and autopsy neuropathology service.
• Dr. Mansoor Nasim (Board Certified Neuropathologist) is interested in Brain tumors and in neurodegenerative CNS diseases. Trained at State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center and has a Fellowship in Oncologic Pathology from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Dr Nasim provides cover for the Children Hospital for pediatric neurooncology service with Dr Edelman. He covers the Adult neuro-oncopathology service at Long Island Jewish Hospital Center.
• Dr. Morris Edelman is pediatric pathologist with vast experience in pediatric neuropathology.

Special Capabilities and Services

Our laboratory is fully equipped to perform the special diagnostic tests needed to study tumor and degenerative diseases of the brain, and has vast experience doing the special stains required for these studies. We are skilled in interpreting stereotactic needle biopsies of brain lesions and can perform in-situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, light microscopy, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy, as necessary.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Unstained Slides Requirement

Note that all tissue (unstained slides) must be submitted on a plus charged slide. The Immunopathology Laboratory recommends a white plus charged slide that is available from Cardinal Health. The catalogue number for the white plus slide is M6159-6, however one must specify to the vendor whether to order as one gross (pack of 144 slides), one case (10 packs per case).

Timely Results

The consultation service aims to respond to requests within 24 hours of the receipt of material. Our neuropathologists personally provide a verbal report to the requesting physician and send the final report by fax. All neuropathologists are available for phone consultations. Pathology material can be returned, if requested.

Written reports on post-mortem evaluations are generally provided within two to four weeks. The final written report is sent by fax. Our neuropathologists are also available for phone consultation. Autopsy specimens are returned promptly upon request.

Surgical specimens will be returned promptly after the evaluation and report are completed.

Tests

For Biopsy Specimens and Surgical Neuropathology Consults

Dr. Jian Yi (Jim) Li, MD, PhD
Division of Neuropathology
Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine
North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center
North Shore University Hospital
300 Community Drive
Manhasset, New York 11030
Jli2@nshs.edu
Tel: 516-562-4160
Fax: 516-562-4591

Dr. Peter Farmer, MD
Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine
North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center
North Shore University Hospital
300 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY, 11030
pfarmer@nshs.edu
Tel: 516-562-4193
Fax: 516-562-4591

Dr. Mansoor Nasim, MD, PhD
Surgical Pathology Office
Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine
North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center
Long Island Jewish Medical Center
270-05 76th Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
mnasim@nshs.edu
Tel: 516 934 0220
Fax: 516 -562-4591