Noam Y. Harel,
MD, PhD
     

Getting to know Dr. Harel...

Dr. Noam Y. Harel is an Associate Professor of Neurology and of Rehabilitation & Human Performance at James J. Peters VA Medical Center and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Harel focuses on identifying spared nerve fibers after spinal cord injury and strengthening those spared fibers with combinations of targeted exercises and neural stimulation. To conduct these studies, his lab uses surface electromyography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and various other interesting technologies.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: A tie between The Selfish Gene and Eating Animals

Q: What do you do to keep fit?
A: Running - outdoors way more than treadmill

Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: Freedom to think independently.

Q: Three adjectives that best describe you?
A: Impatient, Deadpan, Self-Deprecating

Q: One bucket list item you absolutely must do?
A: Antarctica

Q: Who had the greatest influence on you during your childhood?
A: Parents

Q: What factors influenced your career choice?
A: Interested in research and health since childhood. Obviously, the most interesting topic is nervous system function and recovery.

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Field of Dreams

Q: Who is your favorite musical artist?
A: Eminem

Q: If you could be or do anything else for a career – what would it be?
A: A catcher for the New York Yankees, an astronaut, or a truck driver

Q: If you could live in any other time, what would that be?
A: 1996-2000

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone, living or not, who would that be?
A: A tie between Derek Jeter and Leonardo DaVinci

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Cereal 

Q: Least favorite food?
A: Meat

Q: Best advice anyone has given you?
A: You know you're making the right decision when you don't have to think about it.

Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up/start your day?
A: Cold water in the eyes.

Q: What is one important skill every person should have?
A: Arithmetic.

Q: Share a personal fact no one would ever guess about you.
A: I like Rom-Com movies.

Q: What's your favorite holiday?
A: Thanksgiving.

Q: What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
A: Blood sausage. Once.