(833) 666-6066Locations in West Islip, Holbrook, Huntington, and East Hills
(833) 666-6066Locations in West Islip, Holbrook, Huntington, and East Hills
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About Dr. Salvatore Zavarella

Salvatore M. Zavarella, DO, FACOS

Director of Spine Surgery at NeuroCare Long Island
Board-certified Neurological Surgeon

Dr. Salvatore M. Zavarella, DO, FACOS, is a board-certified neurosurgeon, Co-Founder of NeuroCare Long Island, and Director of Spine Surgery at NeuroCare Long Island. He also serves as Vice Chairman at South Shore University Hospital and Director of Business Development for Neurosurgery for Northwell Health’s Eastern Region.

About Dr. Zavarella

Dr. Salvatore M. Zavarella is a board-certified neurosurgeon dedicated to providing advanced and compassionate care for patients with complex neurological and spinal conditions. His approach focuses on conservative and minimally invasive treatment options whenever possible, ensuring that surgery is recommended only when truly necessary.

 

When surgical intervention is required, Dr. Zavarella offers a wide range of modern neurosurgical techniques, including both open and minimally invasive procedures. Each treatment plan is carefully tailored to the individual patient, with the goal of achieving the best possible outcomes while minimizing recovery time.

 

Dr. Zavarella is the Co-Founder of NeuroCare Long Island, where he serves as Director of Spine Surgery, leading a multidisciplinary team focused on delivering innovative, patient-centered neurosurgical care. He also serves as Vice Chairman at South Shore University Hospital, part of the Northwell Health system, where he contributes to the advancement of neurosurgical services and clinical leadership across the region. In addition, Dr. Zavarella serves as Director of Business Development for Neurosurgery for the Eastern Region of Northwell Health, helping expand access to specialized neurosurgical care throughout Long Island.

Prior to these roles, Dr. Zavarella served as Chief of Spine Surgery and Associate Chief of Neurosurgery at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, New York, where he played an important role in developing the hospital’s neurosurgical program.

 

Dr. Zavarella remains deeply committed to delivering compassionate, patient-focused care and providing every patient with the highest standard of treatment and surgical expertise. With locations across Long Island, New York, patients have access to Dr. Zavarella’s care in both Nassau and Suffolk County.

 

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Zavarella is passionate about giving back to the global medical community. Through his work with The Butterfly Foundation, he has participated in multiple humanitarian missions to the Dominican Republic, where he collaborates with local surgeons and performs life-changing spinal deformity surgeries for patients in underserved communities.

EDUCATION

Undergraduate Degree

Biomedical Science
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

Medical Degree

New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
Old Westbury, NY

Internship/ Residency in Neurological Surgery

Hofstra North Shore LI School of Medicine
Hempstead, NY
 

Fellowship in Neurosurgical Oncology

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American College of Osteopathic Surgeons

Fellow

Good Samaritan University Hospital

Chief of Spine Surgery
Associate Chief of Neurosurgery
West Islip, NY

Roswell Park Cancer Center Institute

Laboratory Manager
Buffalo, NY

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

White T, Zavarella S, Jarchin L, Nardi D, Schaffer S, Schulder M. “Combined Brain Mapping and Compact Intraoperative MRI for Brain Tumor Resection.” Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2018; 96 (3), 172-181.

Shamik C, Zavarella S, Salas, S, Schulder M. “Intraoperative MRI for Resection of Intracranial Meningiomas.” J Exp Ther Oncol. 2017 Nov;12 (2), 157-162.

Zavarella S, Lee SH, Tatsui C, Ghia A, Amini B. Li J, Tannir N, Brown P, Rhines L. “Can the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score Prior to Spinal Radiosurgery Predict Compression Fractures Following Stereotactic Spinal Radiosurgery for Metastatic Spinal Tumor?: A Post Hoc Analysis of Prospective Phase II. J Neurooncol. 2016

Coniglio S, Zavarella S, Symons M. “Pak1 and Pak2 mediate tumor cell invasion through distinct signaling mechanisms.” Mol Cell Biol. 2008 Jun;28(12):4162-72.

Zavarella S, Nakada M, Belverud S, Coniglio SJ, Chan A, Mittler MA, Schneider SJ, Symons M. “Role of Rac1-regulated signaling in medulloblastoma invasion. Laboratory Investigation.” J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2009 Aug;4(2):97-104.

Zavarella S, Schulder M. “Role of MRI in the resection of meningioma.” (in press)

Zavarella S, Schulder M. “Awake craniotomy with low field iMRI guidance.” (in progress)

CHAPTERS

Salvatore M Zavarella and Michael Schulder. “Intraoperative Anatomical Imaging.”Principles and Practice of Neuro-Oncology. Ed. Mehta et al. Demos Medical Publishing. NY 2011

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

  1. “Rac1-regulated signaling as a novel therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.” Congress of Neurological Surgeons. San Diego, CA. September 2007.
  2. “Rac1-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma.” Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Annual Retreat. Mohonk, NY. October 2007.
  3. “Update on Brain and Spinal Cord Tissue Donation Program and Development of Novel Brain Tumor Stem Cell Isolation Protocol.” Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery Grand Rounds. November 2007.
  4. “Role of Rac1-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma Invasion.” American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Chicago, IL. April 2008.
  5. “GTPase-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma Invasion and Growth.” American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery. April 2008.
  6. “Identification of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors as novel therapeutic targets for medulloblastoma invasion.” Congress of Neurological Surgeons. New Orleans, LA. October 2009.
  7. “Medulloblastoma and Invasion.” New York Neurosurgical Society Resident Research Night. New York, NY. May 2010.
  8. “Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors and medulloblastoma invasion.” International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. Vienna, Austria. June 2010.
  9. “iMRI and the Meningioma.” Intraoperative Imaging Society. Zurich, Switzerland. January 2011.
  10. “Potential Medulloblastoma Therapeutic Targets.” Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery Graduation Symposium. June 2011
  11. “GEF’s in Medulloblastoma Invasion.” Congress of Neurological Surgery. Washington DC. October 2011.
  12. “TRIO as a novel therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.” AOA National Meeting September 2012. 1st Place Neurosurgical Resident Paper Award
  13. “Awake iMRI for dominant hemisphere lesions.” iOIS Annual Meeting. St Louis, Missouri. February 2013.

ABSTRACTS / POSTERS

  1. Zavarella SM, Belverud S, Chan A, Steinberg B, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Rac1-regulated signaling as a novel therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.” Congress of Neurological Surgeons. San Diego, CA. September 2007.
  2. Zavarella SM, Coniglio S, Belverud S, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Rac1-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma.” Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Annual Retreat. Mohonk, NY. October 2007.
  3. Zavarella SM, Belverud S, Chan A, Steinberg B, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Rac1-regulated signaling as a novel therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.” Society for Neuro-Oncology. San Antonio, TX. November 2007.
  4. Zavarella SM, Coniglio S, Belverud S, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Role of Rac1-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma Invasion.” American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Chicago, IL. April 2008.
  5. Zavarella SM, Coniglio S, Belverud S, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Role of GTPase-mediated signaling in Medulloblastoma Invasion and Growth.” American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery. April 2008.
  6. Zavarella SM, Belverud S, Mittler M, Schneider S, Symons M. “Identification of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors as novel therapeutic targets for medulloblastoma invasion.” Congress of Neurological Surgeons. New Orleans, LA. October 2009.
  7. Zavarella SM, Latefi A, Schulder M. “Intraoperative MRI for Surgery of Intracranial Meningiomas.” Joint Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the AANS/CNS Section on Tumors. New Orleans, LA. October 2009.
  8. Zavarella SM, Quinn J, Latefi A, Schulder M. “Stereotactic Brain Biopsy with Low Field Intraoperative MRI.” Joint Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the AANS/CNS Section on Tumors. New Orleans, LA. October 2009.
  9. Zavarella SM, Schneider, S, Symons, M. “Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors and medulloblastoma invasion.” International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. Vienna, Austria. June 2010.
  10. Zavarella SM, Schulder, M. “iMRI and the Meningioma.” Intraoperative Imaging Society. Zurich, Switzerland. January 2011.
  11. Zavarella SM, Didier S, Mittler M, Schneider S, and Symons M. “GEF’s in Medulloblastoma Invasion.” Congress of Neurological Surgery. Washington DC. October 2011.
  12. Schuler M, Zavarella SM, Nardi D, Schaffer S. “Combined brain mapping and Intraoperative MRI for brain tumor resection.” Neuro Oncol. Nov 2011; 13(Suppl 3): iii154-iii163.
  13. Zavarella SM, Schulder M. “Awake Low-field iMRI for dominant hemisphere lesions.” iOIS Annual Meeting. St Louis, Missouri. February 2013.
  14. Zavarella SM, Schulder M. “Intraoperative MRI guidance for laser interstitial thermal therapy.” European Association of Neurosurgical Societies Annual Meeting. Tel Aviv, Israel. November 2013.
  15. Petrizzo R, Zavarella SM, Jarchin L, Nardi D, Schaffer S, Schulder M. “Combined brain mapping and low-field intraoperative MRI for brain tumor resection.” American College of Physicians Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. April 2014.
  16. Zavarella SM, Entz L, Groppe D, Stream S, Kingsley P, Schaffer S, Mehta A. “Predicting of electrical stimulation mapping results with functional MRI: What is the margin of clearance?” Congress of Neurological Surgery. Boston, MA. October 2014.
  17. Zavarella SM, Gandhi S, Nardi D, Schaffer S, Schulder M. “Combined awake brain mapping and low-field intraoperative MRI for brian tumor resection.” Society for Neuro-oncology. Miami, FL. November 2014.

RESEARCH

“Brain and Spinal Cord Tissue Donation Program.” IRB approved clinical trial and GCRC funded. Over 300 patients and 320 brain/spinal cord tumor specimens were enrolled and demographic data chronicled from 2006-present. Brain Tumor Stem Cell Isolation Protocol Developed for Medulloblastoma and Glioblastoma

Initiated the grant-funded Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program in Laboratory for Brain Tumor Biology at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Department of Oncology and Cell Biology.
Primary Investigator: Marc Symons, PhD
2005-Present

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