I was born and raised in Russia. In the 1970s, Russia was still a communist country and there was no financial incentive to become a doctor—but I had a strong ethical drive.
After completing my residency, I was accepted into a pediatric pulmonary fellowship in Saint Petersburg, where I obtained in-depth training in pediatric bronchoscopy. I have been a pediatric pulmonologist ever since then, treating children with chronic cough, asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions.
I often see children with complex, or difficult-to-diagnose conditions, and I take care of them with my team from NYU Langone’s Pediatric Aerodigestive Center.
A lot of my practice involves pediatric endoscopy—specifically, bronchoscopy—a technique used to look inside the airway in order to make a diagnosis. I perform more bronchoscopies than many pediatric pulmonologists in the country. The technique helps me to be certain of a child’s diagnosis before deciding on a treatment option.
My research, also focusing on endoscopy, analyzes the causes of chronic cough in children and how a bacterial infection in the airway can contribute to a chronic cough.
