Dr. David Robbins’medical career began in high school at the age of 16 when he studied to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) and joined the volunteer ambulance corps that eight months earlier had rescued him after a bad fall during an ice storm. His passion for medicine was born out of his experiences as the youngest ambulance driver in the sleepy suburban town where he attended high school. As an undergraduate at Columbia College, where he studied the history of medicine, David went on to become a director for the student-run university volunteer ambulance service and worked with a renowned surgeon at Harlem Hospital on community outreach projects to reduce urban pediatric trauma.
Shortly before graduating from Columbia, his dream of becoming a physician was realized when he got his acceptance letter to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After completing his third year of medical school, David was invited to be one of nine medical students in the nation to participate in the newly formed Clinical Research Training Program and spent a year as a research fellow developing novel anti-cancer drugs for rare leukemias. He earned his M.D. degree with Distinction in Research and was inducted into the prestigious national honor medical society, AΩA.
Dr. Robbins completed his residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the country’s top medical centers. The defining moment in his budding career as a gastroenterologist occurred during his internship year at HUP, when his father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Dr. Robbins returned to the top-ranked Mount Sinai Hospital in New York for a fellowship in digestive diseases and undertook additional training during a speciality fellowship in advanced, therapeutic endoscopy in Charleston, South Carolina. He also completed a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in clinical research and biostatistics from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr. Robbins is a board-certified gastroenterologist practicing on the upper east side in Manhattan at Lenox Hill Hospital and is the fellowship director for the training program in gastroenterology at Lenox Hill.
He is also the medical director for Manhattan’s largest endoscopy center and oversees a large team of gastroenterologists, nurses, technicians and physician trainees. Dr. Robbins is an expert in both routine endoscopic procedures (such as endoscopy and colonoscopy) and complex, therapeutic procedures (endoscopic ultrasound, fine-needle aspiration and early cancer therapies). He has a special interest in gastrointestinal cancer screening, diagnosis and staging as well as routine digestive disorders. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine and enjoys a diverse career as a clinician, researcher and educator.
Dr. Robbins has been inducted as a fellow in the three major professional societies, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American College of Gastroenterology. He has been repeatedly recognized as a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly and a Best Doctor by New York Magazine. He lectures nationally and internationally on ways to improve the quality of healthcare and directs academic courses across the country for physicians and nurses. Dr. Robbins has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, editorials and book chapters. He frequently contributes his expertise to print and television media and has been featured as a medical expert for the major television networks and news outlets. See. Dr. Robbins in action In The Press.
Dr. Robbins is probably best known for his reassuring bedside manner, clinical competence, and sense of humor. You may read patient reviews of Dr. Robbins’ work at Google and Northwell Health. Read Dr. Robbins’ favorite editorial, “Unsedated colonoscopy: just add water?“.
New York Magazine Best Doctors
Top Doctors, Castle Connolly
Best Doctors in America, Castle Connolly
Distinguished Service, ASGE Cairo Ambassador
Outstanding Endoscopy Mentor Award, Beth Israel Medical Center
ASGE Young Investigator Award
NIH National Research Service Award (NIH T32 #DK07792-01)
Distinction in Research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Seymour Kaplan Academic Scholarship, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
Medical Student Research Day Award, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
1. Kreitman, R.J., Wilson, W.H., Robbins, D.H., Margulies, I., Stetler-Stevenson, M., Waldmann, T.A., Pastan, I.: Responses in Refractory Hairy Cell Leukemia to a Recombinant Immunotoxin. Blood, Vol. 94. No. 10 (Nov. 15): 3340-3348, 1999.
2. David H. Robbins, Inger Marguiles, Maryalice Stetler-Stevenson, Ira Pastan, Robert Kreitman: Hairy Cell Leukemia, A B-cell Neoplasm Which is Particularly Sensitive to the Cytotoxic Effect of Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE38. Clin. Ca. Res., Vol. 6: 693-700, Feb. 2000.
3. S Ogita, D Robbins, L Harris, R Blum: Endoscopic Ultrasound Fine-Needle Aspiration in the Staging of non- Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review. Oncology 20(11): p. 1419, Oct 1, 2006.
4. Y Chen, B Zheng, D Robbins, D Lewin, K Mikhitarian, A Graham, L Rumpp, W Gillanders, D Cole, X Lu, B Hoffman, M Mitas: Accurate Discrimination of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Chronic Pancreatitis Using Multi-Marker Expression Data and Samples Obtained by Minimally Invasive FNA. In J Cancer. 2007 Apr 1;120(7):1511-7.
5. Wong C, Kreditor M, Rorat E, Robbins D: Multiple Pancreatic Metastases 17 Years in the Making: An EUS-guided Diagnosis. Practical Gastro, Accepted for publication.
6. T Kothari, Robbins D: Acute purulent erosive appendicitis diagnosed during colonoscopy. Dig Endosc. 2012 Jul;24(4):292.
7. Jonathan M. Buscaglia, Satish Nagula, Vijay Jayaraman, David H. Robbins, Deepak Vadada, Seth A. Gross, Christopher J. DiMaio, Shireen Pais, Kal Patel, Divyesh V. Sejpal, Michelle K. Kim: Diagnostic yield and safety of jumbo biopsy forceps in patients with subepithelial lesions of the upper and lower GI tract. Gastrointestinal Endosc 2012 Jun;75(6):1147-52.
1. Robbins DH, Vega DH, Hannon E, Lu Y, Chen A, Manasia A, Leibowitz A, Benjamin E.: In vivo effects of insulin-like growth factor-I on intestinal glucose metabolism in a rat model of mesenteric ischemia. Crit Care Med;24:A85, 1995. Oral presentation.
2. Shinnar M, Fallon JT, Wehrli S, Robbins D, Levin M, Fuster V.: Diffusion weighted MRI better characterizes atherosclerotic plaque and thrombus. Circulation;94(suppl.):I-345, 1996.
3. Robbins DH, Guarino L, Manasia A, Hannon E, Lu Y, Kazlow D, Eliazo P, Oropello J, Leibowitz A, Stein J, Benjamin E.: The effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on survival in a rat model of cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis. Crit Care Med 25:A38, 1997.
4. I.M. Fiel, Robbins D.H., N. Harpaz: Pseudomembranous variant of collagenous colitis. U.S. & Canadian Academy of Pathology, No. 532, 2003.
5. Robbins DH, Ferguson B, Hoffman B, Hawes R: Evaluation of a prototype dual transducer radial echoendoscope. Gastrointest Endosc 59(5): pAB221, 2004.
6. Robbins DH, Hoffman B: Control of traumatic chylothorax with EUS-guided thoracic duct injection sclerotherapy. Gastrointest Endosc 59(5): pAB212, 2004.
7. Michael Mitas, Kaidi Mikhitarian, David H. Robbins, Angela Collier, Peter King, David Cole, William E. Gillanders, Brenda Hoffman: Real-time RT-PCR cluster analysis from a 2-gene marker panel allows for potential molecular diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Presented at DDW 2004.
8. DH Robbins, I Mainie, R Hoda, M Wallace, R Hawes, B Hoffman: EUS-guided FNA of lung masses remote from the esophagus. Digestive Endoscopy 16(suppl.):A60, 2004. Oral presentation.
9. DH Robbins, Yian Chen, Kaidi Mikhitarian, David J. Cole, William E. Gillanders, Michael C. Mitas, and Brenda J. Hoffman: Identification of molecular markers that discriminate between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and chronic focal pancreatitis Using EUS-FNA and real-time RT-PCR. Gastrointest Endosc 61(5): pAB299, 2005. Oral presentation, ASGE Young Investigators Conference.
10. D. Robbins, E. Rorat, G. Sheridan, H. Bodenheimer, B. Wenig: Robotic telecytology and EUS-FNA (EUS 2006, Amsterdam, Holland)
11. E Glazer, V Golla, K Gopal, R Forman, D Robbins, H Bodenheimer: Endoscopic practice and surveillance outcomes for villous polyps. Gastrointest Endosc 63(5):pAB208, 2006.
12. R Kaplan, D Robbins, J Romagnuolo, R Hawes, B Hoffman: The use of a linear ultrasound bronchoscope for transesophageal staging of lung and esophageal tumors Gastrointest Endosc 63(5):pAB265, 2006.
13. G Narasimhan, P Benias, A Awad, E Jimenez, D Robbins, H Bodenheimer, A Min: Gastric outlet obstruction secondary to breast cancer metastasis. Accepted, American College of Gastroenterology, October 2006.
14. G Narasimhan, A Awad, K Bednarek, S Cohen, J Siegel, D Robbins: EUS-guided foreign body extraction. Accepted, American College of Gastroenterology, October 2006.
15. M Lipp, O Pagovich, D Robbins: First use of the EvolutionTM esophageal stent in the United States. Presented at ACG, 2008.
16. D. Hudesman, D Robbins: Pancreatic Cyst and Cancer Risk: Does Size Matter? Does DNA? Presented at ACG, 2009.
17. A Raizner, K Matthes, A Goodman, S Ho, D Robbins, S Stavropoulos, F Gress, W Guthrie, Y Lee: Evaluation of a novel EUS training simulator (EASIE-R) for teaching basic and advanced EUS: A prospective assessment of EUS skills using objective performance criteria. Gastrointest Endosc 71(5), AB296/T1511, 2010.
18. A Raizner, K Matthes, A Goodman, S Ho, D Robbins, S Stavropoulos, F Gress, W Guthrie, Y Lee: Evaluation of a new EUS simulator (EASIE-R) for teaching basic and advanced EUS. Gastrointest Endosc 71(5), AB296/T1512, 2010.
19. Sonpal N, Reddy B, Haber G, Aronoff J, Robbins D: Angiomyolipoma of the Rectum: A Rare Finding In An Even Rarer Location – Diagnosed with EUS. Accepted, ACG, 2010
20. Sonpal N, Reddy B, Haber G, Robbins D: Successful closure of a TE fistula using a metal stent. Accepted, ACG 2010
21. Satchi M, Strachan K, Smith E, Robbins D: Management of Gastrointestinal Bleeding with Heparin – A Paradoxical Treatment Accepted, ACG, 2010
22. Sonpal N, Reddy B, Shah S, Hudesman D, Haber G, Robbins D: A Multicenter Retrospective CEA and Genomic Analysis in 69 Patients with Pancreatic Cysts, Accepted, ACG, 2010.
23. Robbins D, Yu C, Haber G, Hudesman D: Clinical utility of intracystic DNA (PathFinder TG) in very small pancreatic cysts (accepted) for Digestive Disease Week®, Chicago, IL, May 7 – May 10, 2011.
24. Jayaraman V, Nagula S, Kim M, Patel K, Robbins D, Dimaio C, Pais S, Buscaglia J: Jumbo Biopsy Forceps, in Combination with EUS-FNA, Provide a Definitive Diagnosis in the Majority of Cases for Subepithelial Lesions of the Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract (accepted) for Digestive Disease Week®, Chicago, IL, May 7 – May 10, 2011.
25. Niket Sonpal, Anish Mammen, David H. Robbins. Isotretinoin Rechallenge in a Patient with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. A Rare Finding Diagnosed by a Novel Modality. American College of Gastroenterology Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV, October 2012. Am J Gastroenterol 107: S1-S888
26. Joseph Marsano, Demetrios Tzimas, Matthew McKinley, David H. Robbins, Anish Mammen, Edward Sun, Priyanka Chugh, Farid Razavi, Nazia Hasan, Jonathan Buscaglia, Juan Carlos Bucobo, Satish Nagula, Adam J. Goodman, Mark Pochapin, Seth A. Gross: EndoCuff Assisted Colonoscopy Increases Adenoma Detection Rates: A Multi-Center Study. Tu1465 p.422 DDW, 2014
27. Satish Nagula, Kamron Pourmand, Harry R. Aslanian, Juan Carlos Bucobo, Tamas A. Gonda, Susana Gonzalez, Adam J. Goodman, Seth A. Gross, Sammy Ho, Christopher J. DiMaio4, Michelle K. Kim4, Mitchell L. Liverant4, Shireen A. Pais7, John M. Poneros3, David H. Robbins, Felice Schnoll-Sussman, Amrita Sethi, Jonathan Buscaglia: Comparing the performance of EUS-Fine Needle Aspiration and EUS-Fine Needle Biopsy: A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial. Mo1392 p. 362 DDW, 2014.
28. Mammen A, Taunk R, Robbins D: Fellows in the Ambulatory Surgical Center: Impact on Quality, Efficiency, and Training; Accepted ACG, October 2014.
1. David H. Robbins, Steven H. Itzkowitz: The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Colon Cancer. Med Clin North Am 2002 Nov;86(6):1467-95.
2. David H. Robbins, Nadeem Hussain, Brenda Hoffman: Applications and Techniques in Colorectal Endosonography. Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Vol. 5(4): 172-177, October 2003.
3. David H. Robbins, Rebecca Stalek, Henry Bodenheimer: Requesting a consultation. Questions Patients Need to Ask – Getting the Best Healthcare. Ed. David Shulkin, Xlibris, 2008.
4. David H. Robbins, Mohammed Eloubeidi: EUS: Applications in the Mediastinum, in Endoscopic Ultrasonography by Frank Gress et al, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
5. David H. Robbins, Babitha Reddy, Mohammed Eloubeidi: Mediastinal EUS, in Endoscopic Ultrasound by Vanessa Shami and Michel Kahaleh, Humana Press, 2010.
6. David H. Robbins, Mohammed Eloubeidi: Atlas of EUS: Applications in the Mediastinum, in Endoscopic Ultrasonography by Frank Gress et al,Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
1. Robbins DH, Hoffman B: Hindsight is not 20/20: a Cautionary Tale in Pancreatic Cancer. Endoscopy; Vol. 36(5):453-54, 2004.
2. Robbins DH: Snare trumps scalpel for the adenoma-like DALM: It’s no longer a 4 letter word. Evidence-Based Gastroenterology; 6(1):20-21, 2005.
4. Robbins DH: Parasitic panacea? T. Suis for Ulcerative Colitis. Evidence-Based Gastroenterology; 6(3):66-67, 2005.
5. Robbins DH: One stop pre-op shop for pancreatic cancer? Is there a best buy? Evidence-Based Gastroenterolog
6. Robbins DH: Depressed polyps and the happy endoscopist: Is the world flat? Evidence-Based Gastroenterolog
7. Robbins DH: Unsedated colonoscopy: just add water?” Gastrointest Endosc, 2010.
Focal Points (published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy):
1. A case of esophageal ulcer caused by alendronate sodium tablets, May 2011
2. Obstructive jaundice caused by grenade splinter migration, June 2011
3. Duodenal stent placement: a tale of two halves, July 2011
4. An unusual EUS finding of a gastric extraluminal compression, August
5. A case of gastric aberrant pancreas diagnosed with EUS-guided FNA, August 2011
6. Biliary leiomyoma diagnosed by Spyglass cholangioscopy (with video), August 2011
7. Biliary stent migration with colonic perforation: a very rare complication and the lesson that should be learned from it, October 2011
8. Carcinoid of the minor duodenal papilla causing upper GI bleeding, November 2011
9. Gastric perforation caused by a pancreatic pseudocyst, December 2011
10. Squamous cell carcinoma complicating chronic ulcerative colitis, January 2012
11. Unusual presentation of MALT lymphoma as diffuse gastric erythema
12. Weck clip migration into the rectum, February 2012
13. 3-dimensional endoscopic optical coherence tomography imaging of cervical inlet patch, March 2012
14. A rare cause of hematemesis: gastric metastases from renal cell carcinoma, April 2012
15. Diagnosis of Whipple’s disease by EUS-FNA and endoscopic biopsy at the same procedure, April 2012
16. Therapeutic challenge of ERCP for biliary decompression in a patient with ADPKD and PLD and pancreaticoduodenectomy anatomy, April 2012
17. Oncocytic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with carcinomatous degeneration, April 2012
18. Hepatobiliary cystadenoma of the liver prolapsing into the extrahepatic bile duct (with video), May 2012
19. Duodenal perforation due to plastic stent migration successfully treated by endoscopy, June 2012
20. Gastric lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma mimicking a SEL treated by ESD, August 2012
21. Pleural effusion caused by a pancreatic pleural fistula, August 2012
22. A case of celiac artery dissection diagnosed with EUS, August 2012
23. Biliary stent with a tied suture! September 2012
24. Endoscopic diagnosis of endovascular filter migration, October 2012
25. Use of an endobronchial US endoscope in a nearly obstructing esophageal tumor, November 2012
26. Ectopic spleen presenting as a gastric submucosal tumor,, November 2012
27. Pancreatitis from stone impaction of the minor duct in the setting of pancreas divisum, November 2012
28. Total gastrectomy complicated by esophageal fistula: rescue by over-the-scope clip, March 2013
29. EUS-guided rendezvous pancreaticogastrostomy in a patient with central pancreatectomy, March 2013
30. Intrapapillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas (with video), March 2013
31. An unusual double-balloon enteroscopy finding: duodenal perforation by an IVC filter, April 2013
32. Vanishing rectal subepithelial mass, April 2013
33. Endoscopic removal of a bullet after mediastinum gunshot injury, June 2013.
34. Total Necrosis of Rapid Growing Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma, June 2013.
35. A case of primary pancreatic Burkitt lymphoma diagnosed by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration, 6/13.
36. Gastric Carcinoma with Lymphoid Stroma Resembling a Hypoehoic Submucosal Tumor, 7/13.
37. Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor: An Unusual Pancreatic Mass Diagnosed by EUS-FNA, 7/13.
38. Endoscopic submucosal dissection for primary malignant esophageal melanoma (with videos), 8/13.
39. Acute pancreatitis complicated by an abdominal mass, 9/13.
40. Pulmonary embolism diagnosed with EUS on a patient with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, 9/13.
41. Incidentally discovered left atrial thrombus during EUS, 9/13.
42. Severe Laceration in a PEJ Placement Resolved with Over-the-Scope Clips, 11/13.
43. En bloc resection of large gastric submucosal tumor with endoscopic submucosal dissection, 12/13.
44. EUS-guided Drainage Of Liver Abscess Using A Lumen-Apposing Metal Stent, 12/13.
45. Biliary stricture secondary to portal biliopathy, 12/13.
46. Metastatic gastric tumor arising from ovarian cancer, 2/14.
47. Liver cancer presenting as a pancreatic mass, 2/14.
48. Successful hemostasis using EBL for uncontrolled post-endoscopic sphincterotomy bleeding, 2/14.
49. EUS-guided tissue adhesive as rescue for post-adhesive variceal-related gastric wall bleeding, 3/14.
50. Preoperative vis. of mucin-producing GB cancer by peroral transcatheter cholecystoscopy, 3/14.
51. Pancreatic vascular tumor or AVM? Utility of EUS in diagnosis of HHT, 3/14.
52. GI bleeding and jaundice caused by giant cell tumor of pancreas eroding into the duodenum, 4/14.
53. CBD compression caused by cyanoacrylate injection into bleeding duodenal varices: a rare event, 5/14.
54. Novel Use of EUS to treat bleeding parastomal varices with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, 5/14.
Publicity:
1. Interviewed for MSNBC special feature on digestive health; MSN.com, August 2004.
2. Television interview on Globo TV (Brazil) on obesity and adenovirus infection, February 2006.
3. Television interview on Fox News (national) on nutrition and alcohol consumption, February 2006.
4. Interviewed for Forbes.com on supplement sport drinks, March 2006.
5. Television interview, CBS News, on endoscopic ultrasound and lung cancer staging, June 2006.
6. Television interview, NY1 News, on the health benefits of coffee and liver disease, June 2006.
7. Television interview, NBC Nightly News (Brian Williams), on health claims of bottled water, August 2006.
8. Television interview, CBS News, on healthy diet and sodium restriction, September 2006.
9. Comment in Prevention Magazine, on alleged health benefits of cathartics, October 2006.
10. Television interview, ABC News Now, on health benefits and risks of traditional foods, October 2006.
11. Television interview, Channel 11, on misuse of supplemental digestive enzymes, November 2006.
12. Television interview, CBS News, on dyspepsia and holiday binge eating, November 2006.
13. Comment in Self Magazine, on safety and efficacy of detoxification diets, January 2007.
14. Television interview, ABC News, on Salmonella outbreak in peanut butter, February 2007.
15. Interview, CBS Early Morning Show with Harry Smith, on sudden death of Chicago marathoner, 10/07.
16. Interview, CBS, New Endoscopic Therapy for Barrett’s Esophagus, 11/07.
17. Interview, CBS, Obesity and Cancer, 2/08.
18. Interview, ABC, Polyps and Colon Cancer, 3/08.
19. Interview, FOX News, Study Questions Effectiveness of Colonoscopies, 12/08.
20. Comment, Prevention Magazine, Is a Colonoscopy Worth It? May 2009.
21. Interview, MSNBC with Dr. Nancy, Are Colonics Safe? September 2009.
22. Live radio show, Sirius Doctor Radio: Heartburn, Barrett’s & Cancer, 4/12.
23. Interview, NBC with Dr. Sapna Parikh: Nexium may be overused. March 2014.
WHERE DR. ROBBINS TRAINED
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES THAT HAVE RECOGNIZED DR. ROBBINS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
