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photo of J. Levi Chazen, MD

J. Levi Chazen, MD

Radiology
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About Dr. Chazen

Dr. Chazen is a board certified radiologist specializing in Neuroradiology. He is an Associate Attending Radiologist at HSS and an Associate Professor of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

After earning his BS degree, with departmental and university honors, in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in 2002, he was awarded his MD degree, magna cum laude, in 2007 from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA. He graduated top 5 in his class and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society.

Following an internship in Internal Medicine, Dr. Chazen completed a Diagnostic Radiology residency (2008 – 2012) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine. He achieved board certification in Diagnostic Radiology from the American Board of Radiology in July 2012. Dr. Chazen went on to complete a Neuroradiology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. He joined the Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Radiology faculty in August 2013 where he served as the Neuroradiology fellowship program director and was promoted to Associate Professor of Radiology on a track recognizing clinical excellence, academic achievement, and innovation. Dr. Chazen joined the HSS faculty in 2021 as the Director of Spine Imaging.

Dr. Chazen's clinical expertise is in Neuroradiology with a focus on spine imaging and imaged-guided spine interventions. He interprets a variety of studies including radiographs, CT, and MRI involving the brain, spine, and the head and neck as well as performing neuro-interventional procedures such as CT and fluoroscopic guided nerve blocks, facet blocks, epidural injections, epidural blood patch, lumbar punctures and myelography. 

Dr. Chazen has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal CSF leak (spontaneous intracranial hypotension) and multiple publications on the topic. In addition to brain and spine MRI, he performs CT myelograms (including dynamic CTM), MR myelograms, and digital subtraction myelograms to precisely localize the site of spinal fluid leak. He also delivers a variety of targeted image-guided treatments such as CT guided epidural blood patches and fibrin glue injections. Dr. Chazen treats patients with a variety of CSF leak etiologies including post lumbar puncture headache, dural tears, spinal meningeal diverticula (perineural cysts), and CSF-venous fistula.

Dr. Chazen's research interests include the diagnosis and treatment of CSF leaks and CT-guided minimally invasive spine procedures. He serves as a peer reviewer for many prestigious journals and serves on the editorial board for the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR). In addition to clinical and research activities, Dr. Chazen is actively engaged in the education of medical students, residents, and fellows at HSS.

Profile Video

Departments

Special Expertise

Computed Tomography (CT)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Neuroimaging
Neuroradiology
Spine imaging and interventions

Procedures

Fluoroscopic and CT-guided spine and head/neck interventions

Patient Stories

Insurance

If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.

Credentials

Appointments

Director of Spine Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Attending Radiologist, Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Professor of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine

Affiliations

American Medical Association (AMA)
American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS)
American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)
American Society of Spine Radiology (ASSR)
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

Certification

American Board of Radiology, Diagnostic Radiology
Certificate of Added Qualification, Neuroradiology

Awards

New York Super Doctors, 2018-2021
Weill Cornell Radiology Teaching Award Nominee, 2014-2020
Best Mentored Scientific Abstract, Radiologic Society of North America, 2017
Best Mentored Paper, American Society of Spine Radiology, 2015
Jefferson Medical College Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) National Medical Honor Society, 2006
Jefferson Medical College Hobart Amory Hare Medical Honor Society, 2005
Jefferson Medical College Foerderer Scholarship for Medical Study Abroad, 2004
John Hopkins University Departmental and General University Honors, 2002

Education

Jefferson Medical College, 2007

Internship

St. Vincent Hospital, 2008

Residency

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, 2012

Fellowship

University of California at San Francisco, 2013

State Licensure

Languages

English

For My Patients

Publications by Dr. Chazen

Selected Journal Articles

Selected Books/Chapters

Roytman M and Chazen JL. CT-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation in Treatment of Spine Disease in the Elderly: Cutting Edge Techniques and Technologies, edited by Kai-Ming Fu and Michael Virk. New York, NY: Springer Publishing; 2021.

Chazen JL, Phillips CD, Shatzkes D. Orbit and Eye in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine, 5th ed, edited by Scott Atlas, MD. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015.

Chazen JL and Phillips CD. Parathyroid imaging and evaluation of primary hyperparathyroidism in Rotations in Neuroradiology, edited by Zoran Rumboldt, Clifford Eskey, Giulio Zuccoli, Timothy Amhrein, and Benjamin Huang. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2015.

Chazen JL in Case-Based Brain Imaging, 2nd ed, edited by Tsiouris J, Sanelli P, Comunale J. New York, NY: Thieme; 2013 (704 pgs).

Selected Presentations

Chazen JL. MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Cranial Ablation: What's the Evidence? American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) 2021 Oral Presentation. Virtual Meeting. May 23, 2021.

Chazen JL. MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Ablation: Cranial Applications. Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) 2020 Featured Presentation. Virtual Meeting. November 30, 2020.

Chazen JL. MR Myelography in Detection of CSF Leak. American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) 2020 Oral Scientific Presentation. Virtual Meeting. June 1, 2020.

Ebani EJ, Kaplitt MG, Chazen JL. Improved Targeting of the Globus Pallidus Interna Using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Prior to MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Ablation in Parkinson's Disease. American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) 2019 Oral Scientific Presentation. Boston, MA. May 22, 2019.

Chazen JL. "Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury." Invited Lecture at American Society of Spine Radiology 2019 Annual Symposium. Miami, FL. February 22, 2019.

Chazen JL. "Spinal Cord Demyelinating Disease." Invited Lecture at the American Society of Spine Radiology 2018 Annual Symposium. Scottzdale, AZ. February 14, 2018.

Chazen JL and Kaplitt M. Targeted interruption of the DRT on DTI following MRgFUS for essential tremor. American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) 2017 Scientific Paper Oral Presentation. Long Beach, CA. April 26, 2017.

Chazen JL. "Image-Guided Spine Interventions." Invited Faculty Lecture at the Open Medical Institute Salzburg Weill Cornell Seminar on Diagnostic Imaging. Salzburg, Austria. November 12, 2015.

Chazen JL. "MR Neurography: Imaging and Interpretation." Invited Faculty Lecture at the Open Medical Institute Salzburg Weill Cornell Seminar on Diagnostic Imaging. Salzburg, Austria. November 12, 2015.

Chazen JL. "Advanced MR and CT Angiography of the Brain and Spine." Invited Faculty Lecture at the Open Medical Institute Salzburg Weill Cornell Seminar on Diagnostic Imaging. Salzburg, Austria. November 13, 2015.

Research

Research Interests

Advanced MR imaging guidance for MRgFUS cranial ablation
Novel image guided spine interventions
Neuroimaging of cerebrospinal fluid leaks and kinetics
Magnetic resonance neurography imaging.

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. Chazen as of August 25, 2023.

  • American Journal of Neuroradiology- Senior Editor
  • Lexeo Therapeutics - Consultant

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.