Harvard Health Experts and Contributors

John Sharp, MD

Contributor

Dr. John Sharp is a board-certified psychiatrist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is renowned for clearly conveying evidenced-based messages regarding health and well-being. Dr. Sharp is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has been voted by his peers for inclusion in Best Doctors in America for the past 10 years. His first book, The Emotional Calendar: Understanding Seasonal Influences and Milestones to Become Happier, More Fulfilled, and in Control of your Life, was published in 2011 by Times Books and translated into five languages. His second book, The Insight Cure: Change Your Story, Transform Your Life, was published in 2018 by Hay House. Website: johnsharpmd.com Twitter: @JohnSharpMD

David A. Shaye, MD, MPH

Contributor

David A. Shaye, MD, MPH, is a dual board-certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. His practice includes rhinoplasty, aging face surgery, skin cancer reconstruction, and facial reconstruction after trauma. Dr. Shaye is active in the field of global surgery, which focuses on delivering surgical services to areas with limited resources. He is a volunteer with Doctors Without Borders, where he performs pediatric facial reconstruction.

Scott Sheehan, PT, DPT, OCS

Contributor

Scott Sheehan obtained his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and doctorate of physical therapy from Sacred Heart University. He is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy, and co-authored APTA-accredited Clinical Hip/Knee and Clinical Shoulder courses. Scott also co-instructs the Spinal Manipulation and Mobilization course series. Proficient in interpreting shoulder, spine, and knee MRI studies, he specializes in managing various spinal conditions, advancing his expertise in diagnostic imaging, and practicing manual therapy at the Spaulding outpatient facility in Salem, MA.

Martha E. Shenton, PhD

Contributor

Dr. Martha Shenton is professor of psychiatry and radiology at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She and her team have pioneered in developing neuroimaging tools to understand brain and behavior alterations in neuropsychiatric disorders, including severe mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and individuals at risk for psychosis. She has extensive experience in psychology, and in applying neuroimaging techniques to better understand brain and behavior associations in clinical populations.

Amy C. Sherman, MD

Contributor

Amy Sherman, MD, is an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, associate physician in the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a clinician-scientist with the Precision Vaccines Program. Her research focuses on immune responses to vaccination, and she has been a co-investigator in Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials for the Moderna and Janssen Biotech (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines.

Eric G. Sheu, MD, PhD

Contributor

Dr. Eric Sheu is an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and chief of the section of bariatric and foregut surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). His clinical practice focuses on bariatric, foregut, and hernia surgery. He also leads research investigating how bariatric surgery leads to resolution of type 2 diabetes via changes in the gut microbiota and the immune system. Dr. Sheu obtained his doctorate in immunology as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at BWH, followed by a fellowship in advanced laparoscopy and bariatric surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Jan L Shifren, MD

Contributor

Jan L Shifren, MD, MSCP, is the Vincent Trustees Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. She is a reproductive endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and director of the MGH Midlife Women’s Health Center. Dr. Shifren attained her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals. She then completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Shifren currently divides her time among patient care, teaching, and research. She focuses her research on menopause, including the effects of estrogens, androgens, and alternative therapies on menopausal symptoms and sexual function. Dr. Shifren has served as principal investigator and co-investigator for several important studies related to menopause. She has published numerous articles, abstracts, and book chapters, and has delivered national and international presentations on menopausal hormone therapy, androgens for women, female sexual function, and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Dr. Shifren is active in numerous professional societies and is a past president of the Menopause Society.

Alison Shmerling, MD, MPH

Contributor

Alison Shmerling, MD, MPH, is a family physician practicing full-scope family medicine, including low-risk obstetrics. She completed her medical degree and master of public health at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is now affiliated with the University of Colorado Hospital, where she sees patients and teaches in the family medicine residency.

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. As a practicing rheumatologist for over 30 years, Dr. Shmerling engaged in a mix of patient care, teaching, and research. His research interests center on diagnostic studies in patients with musculoskeletal symptoms, and rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. He has published research regarding infectious arthritis, medical ethics, and diagnostic test performance in rheumatic disease. Having retired from patient care in 2019, Dr. Shmerling now works as a senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing.

Shan Siddiqi, MD

Contributor

Dr. Shan Siddiqi is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a neuropsychiatrist at the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His research centers on techniques to map the brain circuitry involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, with the goal of identifying treatment targets for therapeutic brain stimulation. Dr. Siddiqi received his medical degree at the University of Sydney, followed by residency in psychiatry at Washington University. He also completed two fellowships at Harvard Medical School, one at Massachusetts General/McLean Hospitals and another at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD

Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Ronald D. Siegel is an assistant professor of psychology (part-time) at Harvard Medical School; serves on the board of directors and faculty of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy; is author of The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems, coauthor of Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Halting the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain, and Sitting Together: Essential Skills for Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy; and coeditor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition.

Julie Silver, MD

Chief Editor of Books, Harvard Health Publishing

Julie Silver, M.D., is the Chief Editor of Books at Harvard Health Publishing and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is an award-winning writer who has written many books that focus on healing including After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger and What Helped Get Me Through: Cancer Survivors Share Wisdom and Hope. Her work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The CBS Early Show, The Today Show, Parade, NPR, USA Today, The Boston Globe and Prevention Magazine. Dr. Silver is also the director of an annual 3-day Harvard course that is open to all healthcare providers and others, titled “Publishing Books, Memoirs and Other Creative Nonfiction”. To learn more about Dr. Silver’s work, visit her website at JulieSilverMD.com.

Deborah Simmons, OT

Contributor

Deborah Simmons is a clinical specialist at Spaulding Cape Cod, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, where she provides occupational therapy to patients recovering from injuries and illness. She holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Boston University and an advanced practice certificate in upper quarter and upper extremity rehabilitation from Drexel University. As a certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS), she brings specialized knowledge in helping individuals maintain and maximize independence and safety in their homes. Deborah combines clinical expertise with advanced training to deliver evidence-based, client-centered therapy and consultation services that optimize functional outcomes and quality of life.

David K. Simon, MD, PhD

Contributor

Dr. David K. Simon is a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and chief of the movement disorders division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), as well as director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at BIDMC. He earned MD and PhD degrees from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993, and completed the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Residency in Boston, followed by a movement disorders fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to providing clinical care for people with Parkinson’s, Dr. Simon also is involved in clinical studies, as well as laboratory research to test potential strategies to slow progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Harvey B. Simon, MD

Editor, Harvard Health

Harvey Simon founded the Harvard Men’s Health Watch in August 1996 and was its editor in chief until retiring in May 2012. Dr. Simon is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Health Sciences Technology Faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A graduate of Yale College and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Simon completed his post-graduate training at the National Institutes of Health and the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he provided primary medical care to patients for more than 30 years. Dr. Simon was a founding member of the Harvard Cardiovascular Health Center. He also served on the Massachusetts Governor’s Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports and was elected to Fellowship in the American College of Physicians. As author of more than 100 scientific articles and medical textbook chapters, including many on diet and exercise, Dr. Simon has been an active contributor to medical research. He is also committed to medical education, and he was honored to receive the London Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Harvard and MIT. As the author of many consumer health publications, Dr. Simon is dedicated to informing people about health and medicine. He has written scores of articles for newspapers and magazines ranging from the Boston Globe and Washington Post to Scientific American and Newsweek. He has also authored six health books, including The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men’s Health, Staying Well, Conquering Heart Disease, and The No Sweat Exercise Plan. Dr. Simon has received many national awards for his consumer health writing.

David A. Sinclair, AO, PhD

Contributor

David A. Sinclair is a tenured professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. His pioneering work in genetics and aging biology has shaped understanding of the mechanisms of aging and age-related diseases, including research on sirtuins, NAD+ metabolism, and epigenetic reprogramming. His Information Theory of Aging is now a leading hypothesis for why we age. Professor Sinclair served as founding director of the Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School from 2005 to 2023. He is an Officer of the Order of Australia, inventor on more than 50 patents, has co-founded numerous successful companies, and is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Lifespan.

Aneesh Singhal, MD

Contributor

Aneesh B. Singhal, MD, is Vice-Chair of Neurology Quality and Safety at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. He is a Board Certified Neurologist, Vascular Neurologist and, Neurosonologist. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Partners Continuing Care and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, is advisor to Partners HealthCare International and Neurology Foundation India. He is an elected Fellow to the American Neurological Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Heart Association, and Past President of the Association of Indian Neurologists in USA. Dr. Singhal’s areas of research include stroke clinical trials, stroke in young adults, cerebral arteriopathies, advanced brain imaging for acute ischemic stroke, and stroke neuroprotection. He is internationally recognized for his work on characterizing the reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) and cerebral vasculitis. He is Deputy Principal Investigator of the New England Regional Coordinating Center (NERCC) for the NIH StrokeNet. He has served as the Principal Investigator of the NIH funded Indo-US Collaborative Stroke Project, the NIH funded Phase 2 trial of Normobaric Oxygen Therapy in Acute Stroke, and as site PI of several Industry funded stroke clinical trials. Dr. Singhal has authored or co-authored over 200 articles and book chapters.

Hicham Skali, MD, MSc, FACC

Contributor

Hicham Skali, MD, MSc, FACC, is a staff cardiologist, a member of the Non-invasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and at Brigham and Women’s/ Massachusetts General Health Care Center at Foxborough. He is also the Associate Medical Director of the BWH Cardiac Rehabilitation program. Dr. Skali is an instructor in Medicine and Radiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Skali received his medical degree from University Hassan II/Faculté de Medicine de Casablanca in Morocco. He completed an internal medicine residency and a cardiovascular medicine fellowship at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, followed by a cardiac imaging fellowship at BWH. Dr. Skali is certified as a diplomat in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases, as well as board certified in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography. Dr. Skali is also an associate director of the Cardiac Imaging Core Laboratory, and a senior member of the Clinical Endpoints Center at BWH. His research focuses on understanding the complex interactions between clinical and imaging biomarkers, as well as cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in high-risk populations with diabetes or kidney diseases. He has authored over 90 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Skali is working with ABT associates and AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) as the Principal Investigator on the TAKEHeart Project designed to help increase referral to and utilization of Cardiac Rehab.

David M. Slovik, MD

Contributor

David M. Slovik, MD, is an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) who specializes in osteoporosis, and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is currently chief of the division of endocrinology at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and former chief of medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Slovik did his internship in internal medicine at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, and then went into the Indian Health Service for two years. He then came to Boston to complete his internal medicine residency and endocrine fellowship at MGH, and has remained on staff there in endocrine practice for over 40 years. Since 1991, Dr. Slovik has acted as the medical editor for Osteoporosis: A Guide to Prevention and Treatment, a Harvard Health Publishing Special Health Report.

Jeremy T. Smith, MD

Contributor

Dr. Jeremy T. Smith is an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. He cares for patients with a wide variety of foot and ankle problems, and has a particular interest in sports medicine, traumatic injuries, ankle and foot deformity, arthritic conditions, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Smith graduated from Harvard Medical School, completed his orthopaedic training at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, and then a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Smith is the director of the Harvard MGB Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Fellowship. He is also an accomplished researcher and has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, many of these related to the conditions he treats.

Caroline Sokol, MD

Contributor

Dr. Caroline Sokol is a physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she is a practicing allergist/immunologist as well as the principal investigator of a laboratory focused on determining the initial immunologic steps leading to allergic diseases. Her laboratory has made fundamental discoveries linking the sensory nervous system with allergen detection and the allergic immune response. She is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, where she teaches immunology to medical and graduate students. She is also the associate program director of the Stanbury Physician-Scientist Program, which is part of the internal medicine residency program at MGH. Dr. Sokol earned her medical degree and doctorate degree in immunology from Yale University School of Medicine. She then completed her internal medicine residency and fellowship in allergy/immunology at MGH.

Matthew Solan

Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch

Matthew Solan is the former executive editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch. He previously served as executive editor for UCLA Health’s Healthy Years and as a contributor to Duke Medicine’s Health News and Weill Cornell Medical College’s Women’s Nutrition Connection and Women’s Health Advisor. Matthew’s articles on medicine, exercise science, and nutrition have appeared in Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Runner’s World, and Yoga Journal. He earned a master of fine arts in writing from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor of science in journalism from the University of Florida.

Jessica Solodar

Health Writer

Jessica Solodar is an award-winning medical writer and editor. Her content for consumers and clinicians has been published by Massachusetts General Hospital, the American Heart Association, psychologytoday.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, the International League Against Epilepsy, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and others. Jessica is a past president of the American Medical Writers Association New England Chapter.

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD

Contributor

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD is the director of the bladder cancer program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He completed his medical oncology fellowship at Indiana University. His primary focus is on clinical trials to develop new drugs and combinations to treat urologic cancers, particularly bladder cancer. He also has led translational projects and developed prognostic classifications and endpoints focused on bladder cancer. He is a member of the Genitourinary Committee of Southwest Oncology Group and the Bladder Cancer Task Force of the National Cancer Institute Genitourinary Steering Committee.

Celia Smoak Spell

Assistant Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Celia is an assistant editor at Harvard Health Publishing. Celia received her B.A. from Wake Forest University where she studied Biology and Classical Studies, and she recently earned her Masters in Science in Science Journalism from Boston University.

Harvard Health Experts and Contributors

List of Experts

John Sharp, MD

David A. Shaye, MD, MPH

Scott Sheehan, PT, DPT, OCS

Martha E. Shenton, PhD

Amy C. Sherman, MD

Eric G. Sheu, MD, PhD

Jan L Shifren, MD

Alison Shmerling, MD, MPH

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Shan Siddiqi, MD

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD

Julie Silver, MD

Deborah Simmons, OT

David K. Simon, MD, PhD

Harvey B. Simon, MD

David A. Sinclair, AO, PhD

Aneesh Singhal, MD

Hicham Skali, MD, MSc, FACC

David M. Slovik, MD

Jeremy T. Smith, MD

Caroline Sokol, MD

Matthew Solan

Jessica Solodar

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD

Celia Smoak Spell