Dr. Harel is a neurologist with experience in both basic and clinical research. His primary interests are in rehabilitation from and treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His lab uses targeted physical exercises and electrical and magnetic stimulation to reactivate weakened nerve circuits. His research group is at the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center, www.scirc.org , located within the Sinai-affiliated James J Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, NY. The lab's webpage is https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/harellab/.
Dr. Harel is a neurologist with experience in both basic and clinical research. His primary interests are in rehabilitation from and treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His lab uses targeted physical exercises and electrical and magnetic stimulation to reactivate weakened nerve circuits. His research group is at the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center, www.scirc.org , located within the Sinai-affiliated James J Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, NY. The lab's webpage is https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/harellab/.
Residency, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia Campus
Internship, Internal Medicine
Pennsylvania Hospital
Residency, Neurology
Columbia University Medical Center-Psychiatry GME
Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Research
Our goal is simple yet challenging - to improve conscious control over movement of neurologically weakened parts of the body.
Our main approach to this challenge uses spinal and brain stimulation. These strategies use the principle of ‘Fire Together, Wire Together’: When nearby nerves fire together repeatedly, connections between those nerves strengthen.
We have multiple ongoing clinical studies below. For more information, please contact Jaclyn.Wecht@va.gov; 718-584-9000 x3128
Cervical Electrical Stimulation for ALS – Preliminary study testing different combinations of magnetic and electrical brain and spinal cord stimulation to better understand how different nerve circuits interact with each other in ALS, and also to see if we can improve hand function by activating spared nerve connections. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03411863
Non-invasive Cervical Electrical Stimulation for SCI - Preliminary study testing different combinations of magnetic and electrical brain and spinal cord stimulation to better understand how different nerve circuits interact with each other in SCI, and also to see if we can improve hand function by activating spared nerve connections. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03414424
Activity-Dependent Transspinal Stimulation in SCI – Clinical trial comparing effects of robotic gait training alone to robotic gait training combined with either low-frequency or high-frequency non-invasive transspinal electrical stimulation over the lumbar spine. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03669302
Effects of Remote Ischemic Conditioning on Hand Use in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury – Clinical trial measuring the effects of transiently restricting blood flow to a 'remote' limb to increase hand motor pathway excitability through a combination of systemic increases in plasticity-promoting factors and inhibition of inflammatory factors. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03851302
MEET OUR RESEARCH TEAM
Yu-Kuang Wu, PT, PhD Assistant Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ola Alsalman, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow
Matthew T. Maher, MS Lead Coordinator for Cardiovascular-Autonomic Program
Jaclyn R. Wecht, BS Lead Coordinator for Neurorehabilitation Program
Grace Fatade-Famodimu, MS Research Coordinator
Eric Bailey, BS Research Assistant
LINKS/WEBSITES
www.scirc.org https://www.facebook.com/pg/Neurorehabva
Accepted insurance may vary by the doctor’s office location. Please contact the office directly to obtain the most up-to-date insurance information.
Patients with Cigna Medicare Advantage or Humana Medicare Advantage insurance: Please read this important message before booking to find out if out-of-network costs may apply to your next visit.
Physicians who provide services at hospitals and facilities in the Mount Sinai Health System might not participate in the same health plans as those Mount Sinai hospitals and facilities (even if the physicians are employed or contracted by those hospitals or facilities).
Information regarding insurance participation and billing by this physician may be found on this page, and can also be obtained by contacting this provider directly. Because physicians insurance participation can change, the insurance information on this page may not always be up-to-date. Please contact this physician directly to obtain the most up-to-date insurance information.
Insurance and health plan networks that the various Mount Sinai Health System hospitals and facilities participate in can be found on the Mount Sinai Health System website.
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.
Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Harel during 2024 and/or 2025. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership
RubiconMD
Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.
Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Harel during 2024 and/or 2025. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership
RubiconMD
Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.
