Anca Askanase, MD
Anca Askanase, MD
One of America's Top Doctors - Castle Connolly Top Doctors
Rated one of New York Magazine's Best Doctors

Anca Askanase, MD

Rheumatology
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One of America's Top Doctors - Castle Connolly Top Doctors
Rated one of New York Magazine's Best Doctors
Specialties
Rheumatology, more

Locations and Appointments


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Existing Patients
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Insurances Accepted

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  • AETNA
  • Affinity Health Plan
  • AgeWell
  • Amerigroup of New Jersey
  • CIGNA
  • Emblem/GHI
  • Emblem/Hip
  • Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthplus
  • Fidelis Care
  • Healthfirst
  • Local 1199
  • Magnacare (National)
  • Medicare
  • Multiplan
  • MVP Health Care
  • Quality Health Management
  • RiverSpring
  • UnitedHealthcare
  • VNSNY CHOICE
  • WellCare
  • World Trade Center Health Plan

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About Anca Askanase, MD

Dr. Anca Dinu Askanase recently joined the CUMC Rheumatology faculty where she is the founder and clinical director of Columbia's new Lupus Center and the Director of Rheumatology Clinical Trials. Dr. Askanase is an internationally renowned clinician, diagnostician and researcher with more than 15 years specializing in complex Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Dr. Askanase trained as a rheumatologist at New York University where she remained for more than 15 years on faculty, directing clinical trials, training fellows and residents, and treating challenging cases of SLE at NYU's prestigious Hospitals.


Dr. Askanase's academic career has focused primarily on the care of patients with SLE and other autoimmune diseases.In order to provide better care for patients suffering from these devastating diseases, she embarked on a journey of research and discovery, with the goal of understanding disease outcomes from both the patients' and physicians' perspective while helping to redefine 21st century therapeutic options. It is Dr. Askanase's hope that by helping to establish widely accepted parameters for quantifying the impact of the disease and the response to medications, all doctors will have effective benchmarks and therapeutic options to better treat patients with SLE's often confounding symptoms.


In addition to numerous publications and benchmark clinical trials, Dr. Askanase is a member of the two major international consortia aimed at providing the collaboration between lupus doctors needing to improve outcomes and therapies in Lupus: the SLICC (SLE international Collaborating Clinics) and the LNTN (Lupus Nephritis Trial Network).Dr. Askanase believes that excellent care often involves bringing novel therapies to her patients with Lupus and other autoimmune diseases; thus, she has been involved in every major SLE clinical drug trial and multiple NIH and industry sponsored clinical trials. One of her most rewarding experiences was her involvement as the Site Principal Investigator in the registrational study that led to the FDA approval of Belimumab, the first new Lupus drug in over 50 years. Dr. Askanase also designed and executed the only study looking at a rational approach (based on pharmacogenetics and metabolite measurement) to use Azathioprine in the treatment of Lupus. She is currently evaluating the use of ACTH as a steroid alternative in lupus nephritis. Dr. Askanase is also a proud Columbia Alumnus and still lives in Morningside Heights with her husband and two children.


Board Certifications

  • Rheumatology
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Expertise

  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid

  • Lupus

  • Rheumatic Disease

  • Sjogren's Syndrome

  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

  • Vasculitis

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Education

  • Fellowship: Hospital for Joint Diseases

  • Internship: St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center

  • Medical School: Columbia University School of Public Health

  • Medical School: Instit De Medicina Si Farmacie Carol Davila

  • Residency: St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center

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Languages

  • French
  • Romanian
  • Spanish
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Titles & Positions

  • Professor of Medicine at CUMC

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Hospital Affiliations

  • NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Education

  • Residency: St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center
  • Internship: St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center
  • Fellowship: Hospital for Joint Diseases
  • Medical School: Columbia University School of Public Health
  • Medical School: Instit De Medicina Si Farmacie Carol Davila

Titles & Positions

  • Professor of Medicine at CUMC

Board Certifications

  • Rheumatology

Languages Spoken

  • French
  • Romanian
  • Spanish