Nine surgeons from Stony Brook Medicine's Department of Surgery have been selected to the 2025 Super Doctors list. This 18th annual list features physicians from several Stony Brook surgical divisions who have been chosen as a Super Doctor or a Rising Star, including one selected as a first time Hall of Fame Honoree.
MSP Communications, an independent researcher and publisher, has honored exceptional doctors for more than twenty years. MSP surveys doctors from around the country, asking them to nominate a physician that they would choose for medical care. These nominees are evaluated via independent research and the Super Doctors list is then chosen. Doctors cannot pay to be added to the list, nor are the surveyed doctors paid for their nominations. The process is the same for the Rising Stars selections, with the exception that these doctors have been practicing medicine for ten years or less.
The following Stony Brook Surgery doctors have been selected for this year's Super Doctors and Rising Stars lists (page number where they are listed in the New York Times 2025 New York Super Doctors section appears next to their name):
Super Doctors
Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos, MD, FACS - (Page S-19)
Clinical Professor of Surgery and Chief in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Chairman, Department of Surgery
Dr. Tassiopoulos' clinical interests and expertise include Minimally invasive endovascular surgery for the management of aortic aneurysms (including treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysm, lower extremity vascular disease, carotid disease and venous disease); minimally invasive percutaneous closure for varicose veins, treatment of spider veins (laser and sclerotherapy), surgery for stroke prevention carotid endarterectomy and transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), aortic aneurysms, lower extremity vascular reconstruction and dialysis access. Dr. Tassiopoulos completed his medical degree at Aristotle University Medical School Medical School in 1989, a cardiothoracic surgery post-doctoral Fellowship in 1993 at Baylor College of Medicine, a surgery internship at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in 1994, a surgical residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in 1999 and vascular surgery Fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center in 2001.
Deborah Nagle, MD - (Page S-3)
Visiting Professor of Surgery and Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Nagle's clinical interests and expertise include laparoscopic (including robotic) and conventional surgery for colon and rectal cancer, familial polyposis, diverticulitis and rectal prolapse; inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; transanal excision of rectal polyps, treatment of anorectal abscess, fistula, fissure, anal condyloma, hemorrhoids, constipation and fecal incontinence; incisional/ventral hernia, colonoscopy, anorectal physiology/manometry studies and anorectal ultrasound. Dr. Nagle completed her medical degree at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1988, a surgical residency at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1993 and a colon and rectal surgery Fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in 1994.
First Time Hall of Fame Honoree (Doctors named for at least 10 years to the Super Doctors list)
Paula I. Denoya, MD - (Page S-3)
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Denoya's practice include all aspects of colon and rectal surgery, anal surgery and pelvic floor dysfunction. She also performs anal physiology studies such as anal ultrasound and anal manometry at Stony Brook's GI Motility Center. Dr. Denoya completed her medical degree at Icahn School of Medicine - Mount Sinai Medical Center Medical School in 2002, her surgical residency at Icahn School of Medicine - Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2007 and Fellowships in Colon and Rectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida in 2008 and 2009.
First Time Super Doctors Selection
Angela A. Kokkosis, MD, FACS - (Page S-19)
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Program Director, Vascular and Endovascular Residency; Director, Center for Vein Care; Director, Carotid Interventions; and Co-Medical Director, Non-Invasive Laboratory
Dr. Kokkosis' clinical interests and expertise include open and endovascular approaches to aneurysmal disease, carotid disease, peripheral arterial disease, dialysis access and venous disease. Dr. Kokkosis completed her medical degree at Stony Brook University in 2009 and a vascular surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York) in 2014.
Rising Stars
Nicholas J. Ahn, MD - (Page S-3)
Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Ahn clinical interests and expertise include robotic, laparoscopic and conventional surgery for colon and rectal cancer, familial polyposis, diverticulitis and rectal prolapse; high-resolution anoscopy for anal cancer screening and prevention, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; robotic and minimally invasive transanal excision of rectal polyps or cancer, treatment of anorectal abscess, fistula, fissure, anal condyloma, hemorrhoids, constipation and fecal incontinence; and screening and diagnostic colonoscopy. Dr. Ahn completed his medical degree at Penn State University College of Medicine Medical School in 2013, a research Fellowship in 2018 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center of Fetal Research; a surgical residency at Albany Medical College in 2020 and a colon and rectal surgery Fellowship at Stony Brook University Medical Center in 2021.
Ankit Dhamija, MD - (Page S-19)
Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Director of Robotic Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Dhamija clinical interests and expertise include thoracic robotic surgery, mediastinal tumors, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, chest wall disease and reconstruction, airway diseases, benign foregut, heart diseases and ECMO with a focus on outcomes analysis and database research in those interests. Dr. Dhamija completed his medical degree at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in 2011, a surgical residency at Morristown Medical Center in 2018, a thoracic surgery Fellowship at the Swedish Medical Center in 2019 and a cardiothoracic surgery Fellowship at West Virginia University School of Medicine in 2021.
Isadora Botwinick, MD - (Page S-4)
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery in the Division of Trauma Surgery/Surgical Critical Care
Dr. Botwinick's clinical interests and expertise include pre- and post-operative critical care of surgical patients, management of diseases involving the liver, spleen, upper/lower gastrointestinal systems; basic and advanced minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery, hernia repair, surgical treatment of benign soft-tissue tumors; tracheostomy and tracheotomy. Dr. Botwinick completed her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Medical School in 2011, a surgical internship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine @ Montefiore Yeshiva University in 2012, her residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center in 2016 and a critical care surgery at University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in 2017.
Rising Star Newbie
Kristen A. Calabro, MD, MBS - (Page S-13)
Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Calabro's clinical interests and expertise include improvement in patient care, pediatric surgical oncology and general pediatric surgical conditions. Dr. Calabro completed her medical degree at St George's University School of Medicine Medical School in 2011, a surgical residency at Mercy Health Youngstown Hospital in 2017, a John R. Oishei Children's Hospital Fellowship in pediatric surgery clinical research in 2019, a pediatric surgical oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 2020 and a pediatric surgery Fellowship at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine in 2022.
Rising Star Newbie
Lucyna Z. Price, MD, RPVI - (Page S-19 and S-23)
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Dr. Price's clinical interests and expertise include all areas of arterial and venous surgery (using conventional surgical techniques and minimally invasive endovascular techniques), arterial conditions related to carotid, aortic and lower extremity diseases; venous conditions including varicose veins and venous insufficiency, lower extremity limb salvage and open and endovascular hemodialysis access procedures. Dr. Price completed her medical degree at Stony Brook University Medical Center School of Medicine in 2013, her residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 2018 and a vascular surgery Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2020.
The 2025 Super Doctors supplement was distributed in various locations throughout New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey. To view or download the supplement, please click here.
For more information about Super Doctors, please visit their Website.
Visit the Stony Brook Department of Surgery Website to learn about their extensive services and full lineup of highly skilled and experienced physicians.
To find out more about each of this year's Stony Brook Super Doctors, please click on their names in the story above.