Dr. Bart Liabaud
Dr. Bart Liabaud
His passion for musculoskeletal function, and his future spouse, led him to New York Presbyterian-Columbia University (NYC, USA) for an orthopedic research fellowship, and later to join both the world-renowned spine surgery research teams at NYU Langone Medical Center and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Barthélemy has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and utilized this academic period to perfect his knowledge of complex spinal anatomy and function.
His passion for the neuromuscular system and functional optimization led him to a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at SUNY Downstate, where he served as the program’s chief resident. He then completed his interventional pain management training at the Zucker School of Medicine Hofstra/Northwell and the Spine & Pain Institute of New York fellowship program.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Barthélemy Liabaud, his expertise in research, function, and performance, and his European flare to our team of forward-thinking, state-of-the-art physicians at the Spine & Pain Institute of New York.
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Dr. Ajax Yang
Dr. Ajax Yang
Dr. Ajax Yang is a board-certified physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) with subspecialty training in Pain Medicine. Prior to becoming a physician, Dr. Yang practiced as a physical therapist at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.
Determined to improve his ability to help others, he pursued a Doctor of Medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine before entering postgraduate training at The Mount Sinai Hospital in the heart of New York City. After completing his internship in General Surgery, he spent two years in a research laboratory at Bronx Veteran Affairs Medical Center (a Mount Sinai affiliate) studying the potential application of robotic and neuromodulatory technology in pain reduction, functional mobility improvement, and neuronal recovery among individuals living with spinal cord injuries. During the final year of his PM&R residency, he was elected as one of the Chief Residents by his peers and faculty.
Dr. Yang embarked on his Pain Medicine fellowship training at The Spine and Pain Institute of New York. He then continued to expand his training with cutting-edge cancer and noncancer interventional pain medicine armamentarium at the Weill Cornell Tri-Institutional fellowship; consisting of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Hospital for Special Surgery. With his diverse training background in rehabilitation, musculoskeletal, and complex pain, he is a contributing author in numerous pain medicine textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, and other scientific publications.
Dr. Yang is committed to providing care that is individualized, comprehensive, and backed by science, to bring pain relief and guide you on your journey to recovery. Dr. Yang also speaks Mandarin Chinese.
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Dr. Robert Otterbeck
Dr. Robert Otterbeck
Dr. Robert Otterbeck is a board-certified anesthesiologist and specialist in Pain Medicine. He is a native New Yorker, born and raised on Staten Island. He graduated with a doctor of medicine degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
He then completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital and subsequently a residency in anesthesiology at New York University (NYU) Medical Center in Manhattan. In his final year of residency, he was selected among his peers to be a chief resident in the NYU anesthesiology program. After residency, he remained at NYU, where he completed a fellowship in Pain Medicine, which is the focus of his clinical practice and research interests today.
Throughout his training in anesthesiology and pain medicine, he rotated through the various NYU campuses learning from experts in various fields including anesthesiology, maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and radiology to create a multi-modal, comprehensive pain management plan to address each patient individually to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. With this approach – which is often multidisciplinary — he establishes a diagnosis and uses various techniques such as physical therapy, medication management, lifestyle changes, and, if required, minimally invasive interventional techniques to address pain.
Dr. Otterbeck’s specific areas of interest include low back pain, neck pain, atypical facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia, chronic migraine, spinal stenosis, acute pain after surgery, chronic surgical pain, osteoarthritis, and various neuropathic pain states. In his spare time, Dr. Otterbeck enjoys exercising, reading, travel, and visiting family and friends.
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Dr. Latrice Akuamoah
Latrice Akuamoah, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Latrice A. Akuamoah, M.D., M.P.H is originally from Chicago. She is a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management physician at The Spine and Pain Institute of New York.
She graduated from The University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Science in molecular genetics prior to earning her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in anesthesiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City followed by a fellowship in interventional pain management at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Akuamoah uses an evidence-based multimodal approach often recommending behavioral therapy, physical therapy, medications, and cutting edge minimally invasive procedures, when necessary. She takes the time to carefully listen to her patients, so that she can help them reach their goals. She is committed to improving her patients’ quality of life, helping them return to work and other activities that they enjoy. She has a particular interest in helping historically undertreated groups including women and people of color.
Presenting at and frequently attending national academic conferences allows Dr. Akuamoah to offer her patients new and targeted treatment options that take into account their diverse needs and lifestyles. Dr. Akuamoah has expertise in the treatment of painful conditions of the back and neck, including sciatica, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and continued pain after spine surgery. She also specializes in treating chronic joint pain, headaches, and neuropathic pain.
Dr. Akuamoah has been named to the New York Times Magazine Super Doctors - Rising Stars list. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Assistant Attending at the NYU Langone Hospitals. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, watching the latest popular TV show, and spending time with her family. While Dr. Akuamoah enjoys a New York pizza slice, she still prefers Chicago-style deep dish.
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Dr. Uel Alexis
Uel J. Alexis, M.D.
Dr. Uel J. Alexis, M.D. is a board certified anesthesiologist and a specialist in minimally invasive spine and pain procedures. He graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, he performed graduate level research with the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Neuroscience Department. Upon graduation, he enrolled in medical school at the University of Texas in San Antonio.
After medical school he completed his internship in surgery and his residency in anesthesiology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, in New York City. He mastered ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks for orthopedic surgeries on shoulders, hips, knees and the upper extremity. Dr. Alexis completed his medical training with an Invasive Pain Management Fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital, where he served as the Chief Administrative Fellow.
Dr. Alexis first appreciated the significant consequences of chronic pain in cancer patients while performing clinical research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The close relationships he built with his patients provided an intimate look on how the burdening nature of chronic disease can affect a patient’s quality of life, interfere with their ability to perform basic activities of daily living and result in physical disability. This stirred a unique passion in him to serve this overlooked population and focus his medical pursuits to provide these distinct patients with the finest care.
Dr. Alexis performs an individualized, top-down approach for every patient. He utilizes evidence-based practices in cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychiatry, neuroscience, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pharmacotherapy, pain medicine, and surgery to comprehensively treat the pain and care for the patient. Furthermore, his extensive experience in interventional pain management provides a clear vantage point to directly target and treat each specific problem using the latest minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Alexis avers his goal is to “reduce pain to allow patients to do what they enjoy the most”.
He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of neck and back pain, degenerative disc and joint disease, herniated disc, sciatica, spinal stenosis, failed back surgery, vertebral compression fractures, headache, neuropathy, arthritis, cancer pain, chronic post-surgical pain, muscle spasms, trigger points, occipital neuralgia, atypical facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I & II. As an enthusiastic patient advocate, Dr. Alexis is ready to help you start feeling better now. Dr. Alexis is proud to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Bronx Medical Society and as the Chair of the Young Physicians Committee. Dr. Alexis also speaks Amharic.
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Dr. Keyvan Jahanbakhsh
Keyvan Jahanbakhsh, M.D.
Dr. Keyvan Jahanbakhsh is an interventional pain management physician with The Spine and Pain Institute of New York. Dr. Jahanbakhsh specializes in minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes. He has extensive experience in spinal procedures, neuromodulation, spinal pump therapies, cancer pain and comprehensive pain management.
While at The Spine and Pain institute of New York, Dr. Jahanbakhsh has established himself as a “Top 10” doctor in both the New York Metro Area and State. He has received multiple Patients’ Choice Awards and earned the distinction of Super Doctors Rising Star in his field by the New York Times Magazine.
Prior to his arrival, Dr. Jahanbakhsh completed his anesthesia residency at Montefiore Hospital, followed by a fellowship in interventional pain management at Beth Israel Medical Center. He earned his Doctor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine after graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Jahanbakhsh’s practice focuses on compassionate care and state-of-the-art interventional pain management therapies. Every consultation begins with a face to face visit and development of a personalized treatment plan for each patient. He is a proponent of a multi-disciplinary approach in pain management to improve outcome and increase quality of life. Education, self-management and functional restoration are cornerstones of the care he provides.
Dr. Jahanbakhsh is affectionately referred to as “Dr. J” by his patients. He is actively involved with both medical and civic organizations in New York such as the New York County Medical Society and the Central Park Conservancy. In his free time he likes to exercise, read and spend time with his dog, Renegade. Dr. J. also speaks Persian/Farsi.
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Dr. Kenneth Chapman
Kenneth B. Chapman, M.D.
Dr. Kenneth Chapman is a board-certified physician in Pain Management and Anesthesiology. He completed his Interventional Pain Management Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and his Anesthesiology residency at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, New York.
Dr. Chapman has privileges at Staten Island University Hospital and NYU Langone Medical Center. He is the director of pain management at Staten Island University Hospital, part of the Northwell Health System, where he leads a team of seven pain physicians. Dr. Chapman directs the fellowship program at the Spine and Pain Institute of NY and is actively involved in teaching and lecturing both nationally and internationally. Dr. Chapman also frequently serves as a pain management Board Examiner for certification on the Fellowship of Interventional Pain Practice Pain Boards.
He has won numerous peer validated awards including ‘America’s Best Anesthesiologists’ and ‘Most Compassionate Doctors,’ and was one of the youngest physicians to ever be named as both a NY Times ‘Super Doctor’ and NY Magazine ‘Top Doctor’ when he first received the recognition in 2014. While at the Cleveland Clinic Dr. Chapman also received the “Ethlene R. Smith’s Most Outstanding Fellow” award. He is Vice President of the NYS Interventional Pain Society and on the advisory board to the NYS Worker’s Compensation Board responsible for writing the NYS Worker’s Compensation Guidelines, which all injured workers in the state are treated by.
Dr. Chapman volunteers two days a month at clinics for uninsured or underinsured patients on Staten Island and the Medical Arts Pavilion clinic at Staten Island Hospital North and in Brooklyn at the Family Health Center at NYU Langone. As a native Staten Islander, he gets great satisfaction in helping in the care of the underserved communities of Staten Island and Brooklyn. When treating pain patients, he works in close collaboration with referring physicians including neurologists, internists, and surgeons in an effort to avoid or potentially delay surgery, as well as to facilitate in making an unavoidable surgery more precise. Through his technical expertise, his goal is to provide all interventional options performed in the most accurate manner possible.
Dr. Chapman is most recognized for his expertise in spinal cord stimulation, vertebral compression fractures, and radiofrequency ablative treatments and speaks on these topics regularly around the world. He also heads a research team at the Spine and Pain Institute of New York which has published multiple papers, articles, and book chapters over the years. With his research coordinator and research assistants they are working on multiple projects to improve clinical practice and outcomes as well as with new innovative treatments. Dr. Chapman also speaks Mandarin Chinese.
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