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Lisa R. Callahan, MD

Primary Sports Medicine

About Dr. Callahan

Lisa R. Callahan, MD, is a board-certified primary care and sports medicine physician and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Along with Jo Hannafin, MD, PhD, Dr. Callahan co-founded the Women’s Sports Medicine Center (WSMC) at HSS, the first of its kind in the United States. She served as the WSMC’s Medical Director for 25 years, shepherding the multidisciplinary center’s growth to a team of more than 25 clinicians, including physicians, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, and sports psychologists dedicated to treating female athletes of all ages and abilities.

In addition to her work with the WSMC, Dr. Callahan served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Player Care at Madison Square Garden Sports, where she oversaw the care of the Knicks (NBA), Rangers (NHL), Westchester Knicks (NBA D-League), and Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). The first female head team physician in the NBA, she served two terms as President of the NBA Team Physicians Association and was awarded NBA Team Physician of the Year in 2014. As team physician for USA Basketball from 2014 to 2021, Dr. Callahan was with both the men's and women's gold-medal winning teams in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Dr. Callahan’s extensive experience has also included serving as a team physician for the New York Power (WUSA), New York Giants (NFL), Stanford and San Jose State Universities, and as medical coordinator and event physician for triathlons; biathlons; multiple soccer World Cups; running, rowing, Olympic-level gymnastics and collegiate-level golfing championships; and an international sumo wrestling tournament.

Dr. Callahan has been a member of the HSS Sports Medicine team since 1994. In 2023, she transitioned from actively treating patients into an advisory/mentoring/educational role for the WSMC and Primary Sports Medicine Service.

Departments

Specialized Centers

Women's Sports Medicine Center

Patient Stories

Credentials

Appointments

Associate Attending Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine (Family), Weill Cornell Medical College

Affiliations

Past two-term Member of the Board of Directors, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President Player Care, Madison Square Garden Sports
Vice President and past Secretary/Treasurer NBA Team Physicians Association
Advisory Board Member, American Ballet
Editorial Advisor, Journal of Women's Health
Advisory Board Member, Women's Health Advisor and Food and Fitness Advisor, Weill Cornell Medical College Center for Women's Healthcare

Certification

Diplomat, American Board of Family Practice
Certificate of Added Qualification, Sports Medicine

Awards

Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 20 Years
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2002-2022
National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association Physician of the Year, 2014
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2011, 2019-2022

Education

MD, East Carolina University , Greenville, North Carolina, US

Residency

Stanford University School of Medicine, US

Fellowship

Stanford University School of Medicine, US

State Licensure

Languages

English

Publications by Dr. Callahan

Selected Journal Articles

Research

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.

Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Callahan as of February 21, 2023.

  • Up-to-Date, Inc. (Wolters Kluwer Health) - Author

HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.

Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.

Dr. Callahan in the News