Scoliosis & Spine Lunch & Learn Seminar Series

Dr. Christen Russo, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the non-operative and operative care of pediatric patients, from pre-natal to adolescent care and consultation. She has particular interests in bone health and nutrition, conservative management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and trauma.

Dr. Russo approaches care holistically, recognizing that pediatric patients are not just little adults – they have different needs based on their unique family, education and athletic dispositions. She promotes a commitment to education, so that at the end of the visit, parents and patients are comfortable and understand the pathology and treatment plans.

Dr. Russo graduated from Manhattan’s Stuyvesant High School at the turn of the millennium. She completed her B.A. in English Literature & Literary History from Georgetown University, while serving as a student athletic trainer for their prestigious Division I athletics program. She then earned her Doctor of Medicine from the State University of New York-Downstate. Dr. Russo completed an internship in general surgery at Brown University, and returned to SUNY Downstate for her residency in orthopedic surgery. After completing residency, Dr. Russo pursued a fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, part of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She learned and participated in cutting edge techniques in modern pediatric orthopedics, completed research in the field of growing spine instrumentation, and was trained in the conservative management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Outside of her clinical practice, Dr. Russo is focused on quality improvement, mentoring and bone health. She serves as the Chair of Quality & Patient Safety for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Dr. Russo specifically mentors to the population underrepresented in orthopedics – women and minorities. Currently, she serves as the Chair of Mentoring Committee for the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society, and as a mentor for her alma maters, SUNY Downstate and Columbia University. She loves spending time with patients who are surprised she is an orthopedic surgeon and looks forward to inspiring and guiding others into this great field. Dr. Russo is a member of the Pediatric Bone Health Committee, a study group of POSNA, which is working towards guidelines and recommendations regarding calcium and Vitamin D supplementation in the pediatric orthopedic population.

Dr. Russo is a Brooklyn, New York native, and currently lives, works, and parents in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Michael, who is also a physician, and their two children. An avid foodie, she enjoys both cooking and visiting the New York restaurant scene and balances her lifestyle with as much fitness as she can squeeze in whether it is spinning, running, yoga or cross training.

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