David Langer (neurosurgeon)

David J. Langer is an American neurosurgeon who is chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. In addition, he is a professor of neurosurgery and radiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Langer was a star on two Netflix docu-series, Lenox Hill in 2020, [1] and Emergency: NYC in 2023.[2]

David Jonathan Langer
Born
David Jonathan Langer

(1963-06-18)June 18, 1963
CitizenshipUS
Education
OccupationPhysician
Known for
  • Chair of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital
  • Star in the Netflix docuseries Lenox Hill and Emergency: NYC
Medical career
ProfessionProfessor of Neurosurgery and Radiology
InstitutionsLenox Hill Hospital
Northwell Health
North Shore University Hospital
Sub-specialtiesNeurosurgery
Websitewww.northwell.edu/about/leadership/david-langer-md

Langer has made appearances on several news programs including CNN, Fox News, ABC News, and CBS, and has written articles for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.[3] In addition. Langer is a peer reviewer for the medical journals Neurosurgery and World Neurosurgery.[4]

History

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David Jonathan Langer was born on June 18, 1963, to parents Terry and Joan Langer.

Langer attended the University of Pennsylvania for his bachelor's degree and later attended the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine for his medical degree, graduating in 1991.[5]

As an undergraduate medical student and neurological surgical resident at University of Pennsylvania, Langer worked with Katalin Karikó. Langer published two articles with Karikó, in 1998 and 2001, on their early mRNA delivery research. This ultimately led Karikó to publish the work that led directly to the development of the Moderna and BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.[6]

Langer did his residency in neurological surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1998, later completing fellowships at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and University at Buffalo.[7]

Langer was recruited by Northwell Health in 2013 to establish a neurosurgery department at Lenox Hill Hospital. Since then, the department has evolved to land Lenox Hill Hospital among U.S. News & World Report's top 50 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery. He also maintains an active practice in spinal disease and benign brain tumors, including acoustic neuromas and meningiomas.[8]

In January 2018, Langer co-founded Playback Health with Gregory Odland. Playback is a mobile platform application that allows health care providers to create multimedia reports and medical instructions that are shared directly with patients. As of December 2020, Playback has raised $3 million.[9]

In August 2019, Langer was relaxing on a beach in Amagansett, New York when a fellow beachgoer fell off of his surfboard and could no longer feel his limbs. Langer rushed to help the man and stabilized his neck with boogie boards, motivating the man to try and move his toes. Langer ultimately ended up operating on the man.[10]

In 2020 Langer starred in the Netflix docu-series, Lenox Hill, a Netflix Original that shadowed four doctors in the areas of neurosurgery, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology at the Lenox Hill Hospital.[11] The series provides a real-life look into his role as a neurosurgeon and chief of neurosurgery in a rising New York City neuro program. Langer starred on the docu-series along with his vice-chair of neurosurgery, Dr. John Boockvar.[12][13]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Langer was reassigned to help cover the COVID-19 unit at Lenox Hill.[14] He went to the temporary hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to help out and pick up shifts.[15]

In early 2022, Langer suffered a spinal cord injury in a skiing accident in Colorado, leaving him temporarily paralyzed. He returned to New York, and regained full sensation and mobility.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "David Langer, MD | Northwell Health". www.northwell.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  2. ^ "Emergency NYC: A new Netflix series featuring Northwell". www.northwell.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  3. ^ RAGA, PIPPA (15 June 2020). "Dr. David Langer Is One of Four Doctors Featured on Netflix's 'Lenox Hill'". Distractify. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  4. ^ Vaidya, Anuja (25 February 2016). "4 things to know about Dr. David Langer, Lenox Hill Hospital's new neurosurgery chair". www.beckersspine.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. ^ Dash, Melissa (2020-07-16). "Penn Grads Star in Netflix Hospital Docuseries 'Lenox Hill'". Jewish Exponent. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  6. ^ Johnson, Carolyn (2021-10-01). "A one-way ticket. A cash-stuffed teddy bear. A dream decades in the making". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  7. ^ "Dr. David J. Langer MD". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ^ Anderson, John (2020-06-09). "'Lenox Hill' Review: The Hospital as Operating Theater". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  9. ^ "Dr. David J. Langer, Renowned Neurosurgeon and Star of Netflix's 'Lenox Hill,' to Engage University Community in Conversation on Oct. 19". SU News. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  10. ^ "Hero on the Beach". The Pennsylvania Gazette. 2019-12-18. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  11. ^ BUSSANICH, MARC (24 August 2020). "Lenox Hill Doctor Recounts Netflix Experience". TAPinto. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  12. ^ BERMAN, JUDY (3 June 2020). "Netflix's 'Lenox Hill' Documents Doctors' Everyday Heroism". Time. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  13. ^ Moore, Christopher. "Behind the Scenes of 'Lenox Hill'". www.chelseanewsny.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  14. ^ Grady, Denise (2020-04-20). "The Pandemic's Hidden Victims: Sick or Dying, but Not From the Virus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  15. ^ "David Langer, MD: Answering the Call for COVID-19". Neurology live. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  16. ^ "I'm a Neurosurgeon Who Can't Move. Now What?". Medpage Today. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
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