Melodie R. Winawer, MD
Overview
Dr. Winawer's clinical interests are in epilepsy and neurogenetics. Her research focuses on the genetics of epilepsy, working to identify susceptibility genes that play a role in human health and disease. She employs genetic epidemiology techniques to investigate the role of genes in raising risk for specific clinical epilepsy subtypes in human subjects, and also uses mouse models to identify genes that contribute to seizure susceptibility. She is the director of clinical neuroscience education for the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated
- Clinical Neurology
- General Neurology
- Genetic Disorder
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor of Neurology (in the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center) at CUMC
Administrative Titles
- Director of Clinical Neuroscience Education, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Languages
- French
- Spanish
Gender
- Female
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Phone Appointments
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Location(s)
Insurance Accepted
Aetna
- Aetna Signature Administrators
- NYP Employee Plan
- NY Signature
- POS
- Student Health
Affinity Health Plan
- Medicaid Managed Care
Cigna
- EPO
- Great West (National)
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
Emblem/GHI
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Emblem/HIP
- ConnectiCare
- EPO
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
- Select Care (Exchange)
- Vytra
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Essential Plan
Fidelis Care
- Essential Plan
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
Healthfirst
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Leaf (Exchange)
- Medicare Managed Care
Local 1199
- Local 1199
- NYP Employee Plan
MagnaCare (National)
- MagnaCare
Medicare
- Railroad
- Traditional Medicare
Multiplan
- Multiplan
MVP Health Care
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid Managed Care
Quality Health Management
- Quality Health Management
RiverSpring
- Special Needs
UnitedHealthcare
- Compass (Exchange)
- Empire Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid (Community Plan)
- Oxford Freedom
- Oxford HMO
- Oxford Liberty
- POS
- PPO
WellCare
- Medicare Managed Care
- New Jersey Services (Medicaid Managed Care)
World Trade Center Health Plan
- World Trade Center Health Plan
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- Internship: Mount Sinai Medical Center
- Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
- Fellowship: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- Fellowship: Neurological Institute of the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital
Committees, Societies, Councils
- American Neurological Association
Board Certifications
- Neurology
Honors & Awards
- National Headache Foundation, 2014 Seymour Diamond Lectureship Award
Research
Grants
CURE foundation (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy) (PI: Elliott Sherr, UCSF)
Predictors of Neurodevelopmental and Epilepsy outcomes in cryptogenic Infantile Spasms
Goal: To identify clinical, electrographic, and genetic predictors of developmental and seizure outcomes in EPGP, the largest assembled cohort in the world with cryptogenic infantile spasms.
Role: Co-Investigator
Supplement to NIH/NINDS NS053998 (PI: Daniel L. Lowenstein, Subcontract PI: Melodie R. Winawer)
Centralization of The Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project (EPGP) Cohort
Total Direct Costs: $150,000 (one year)
Goal: To centralize contact information and PHI at Columbia University for this large cohort of epilepsy participants with banked DNA to undergo sequencing via the EPI4K center without walls project.
Role: Subcontract Principal Investigator
Supplement to NIH/NINDS R01NS061991 (PI: Winawer)
3/1/13-6/30/13
Genetics of Mouse Seizure Susceptibility
Total Direct Costs: $27,699
Goal: Cryopreservation of Interval Specific Congenic Mouse Strains
Role: Principal Investigator
NIH/NINDS R01NS061991 (PI: Winawer)
7/1/08-6/30/13
Genetics of Mouse Seizure Susceptibility
Total Direct Costs: $1,187,373
Goal: To identify gene variants contributing to mouse seizure susceptibility using QTL mapping and bioinformatics strategies. Candidate genes identified will be tested in a human epilepsy population.
Role: Principal Investigator
The Human Epilepsy Project (Multiple PIs: Kuzniecky, Lowenstein, Shinnar, Dlugos, French, Winawer) 4/1/12-3/30/17 Funded by the Epilepsy Consortium.
Total Costs: $5,000,000 (approximately $4.5M direct)
Goal: To identify clinical, genetic, metabolomic, imaging, and EEG predictors of outcome in a prospective study of new-onset epilepsy
Role: Principal Investigator; Chair, Comorbidity Core
NIH/NINDS NS053998 (PI: Daniel L. Lowenstein)
5/1/07 - 4/30/12 No-cost-extension 5/1/12-4/30/13
The Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project (EPGP)
Total Direct Costs: $19,126,699 Subcontract Direct Costs to Columbia University: $492,256
Goal: A multi-institutional collaborative consortium for gene discovery in human epilepsy.
Role: Co-Investigator
NIH U01 NS077367 (MPI: Berkovic/Ottman/Epstein/Cossette)
Epi4K: Gene Discovery in 4,000 Epilepsy Genomes. 5 of 7: Multiplex Families and Pairs
Total direct costs: $944,946 (subcontract to Columbia University $159,096).
Goal: To identify genetic variation influencing risk for epilepsy in a collaborative study using whole genome and whole exome sequencing in 4,000 epilepsy patients. Project 5 will investigate genomes in multiplex families and affected relative pairs with epilepsy.
Role: Co-Investigator
R01 NS078419 (Ottman) 04/01/12-03/31/16
Psychosocial Impact of Genetics in Epilepsy
Total Direct Costs: $1,486,607
Goal: To investigate psychosocial outcomes and their relations with genetic attributions and actual genetic test results in families containing multiple individuals with epilepsy.
Role: Co-Investigator
Selected Publications
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov