Tristan T. Sands, MD, PHD

Pediatric Neurology
Neurology: Epilepsy
More specialties
Accepting New Patients
Treats Children
Virtual Visits/Telehealth
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Overview

tristan_sands_md_phd_-_neonatal_neurologist_and_genetic_epileptologist

Tristan Sands, MD, PhD is an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in the Division of Child Neurology.

Dr. Sands completed his child neurology residency at the University of California, San Francisco under the mentorship of Dr. Roberta Cilio and epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology fellowships at Columbia University Irving Medical Center under the tutelage of Dr. Cigdem Akman and Dr. James Riviello.

Dr. Sands is a pediatric and neonatal neurologist and epileptologist with clinical and research focus on seizures, epilepsies and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies resulting from genetic causes. His work has described how de novo KCNQ3 variants are responsible for a novel form of neurodevelopmental disability. His research into treatments for genetic epilepsies has demonstrated that benign neonatal seizures caused by mutation of the KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 genes show a universal response to carbamazepine and that early use of carbamazepine reduces the length of hospital admission for these newborns.

Dr. Sands will be evaluating epilepsy patients with putative genetic etiologies in a new Translational Medicine Clinic for the Genetic Epilepsies and conducting research on precision medicine for the genetic epilepsies with the IGM.

Boards and other certifications:

ABPN – Epilepsy, Clinical Neurophysiology & Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology

Additional clinical expertise:

Genetic causes of epilepsy, including but not limited to, variants in KCNQ3, KCNQ2, NBEA, CSNK2B, GNB1, SCN1A, SCN2A, SCN8A, KCNT1, STXBP1, CHD2, SYNGAP1, CDKL5, PCDH19, KCNH1, DEPDC5, PIGA, PIGW, GNAO1, UBE3A, DYRK1A, PRRT2, ARX, DNM1, TSC1, TSC2, KANSL1, GRIN2A, ZEB2, MECP2, MEF2C, SMC1A, etc.

Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated

  • Aicardi syndrome
  • Benign Neonatal Epilepsy
  • Dravet syndrome
  • Electrical Status Epilepticus during Sleep (ESES) and the Landau–Kleffner syndrome
  • Epilepsy
  • Epilepsy with Myoclonic-Atonic Seizures (Myoclonic-Astatic Epilepsy, Doose syndrome)
  • Epileptic Encephalopathies
  • Epileptic Seizures
  • Genetic Epilepsies
  • Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
  • Neonatal and Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathies
  • Neonatal Epilepsy
  • Neonatal Neurology
  • Neurogenetics
  • Ohtahara syndrome and Early Myoclonic Encephalopathy
  • Pediatric Epilepsy
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • West syndrome

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics

Hospital Affiliations

  • NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital

Gender

  • Male

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Virtual Visits/Telehealth

Virtual Visits allow you to connect with your provider from the comfort, convenience, and safety of your own home.

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Phone Appointments

New and Existing Patients:

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Location(s)

710 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
Primary
180 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032

Insurance Accepted

Aetna

  • Aetna Signature Administrators
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • NYP Employee Plan
  • NY Signature
  • POS
  • PPO
  • Student Health

Affinity Health Plan

  • Essential Plan
  • Medicaid Managed Care

Amida Care

  • Special Needs

Cigna

  • EPO
  • Great West (National)
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • POS
  • PPO

Emblem/GHI

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • PPO

Emblem/HIP

  • ConnectiCare
  • EPO
  • Essential Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • POS
  • PPO
  • Select Care (Exchange)
  • Vytra

Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield

  • EPO
  • HMO
  • Local 32BJ
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • PPO

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Essential Plan
  • Medicaid Managed Care

Fidelis Care

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Essential Plan
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

Healthfirst

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Leaf (Exchange)
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

Local 1199

  • Local 1199

MagnaCare (National)

  • MagnaCare

Medicare

  • Railroad
  • Traditional Medicare

Multiplan

  • Multiplan

MVP Health Care

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Essential Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid Managed Care

Quality Health Management

  • Quality Health Management

UnitedHealthcare

  • Compass (Exchange)
  • Empire Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid (Community Plan)
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • Oxford Freedom
  • Oxford HMO
  • Oxford Liberty
  • POS
  • PPO

VNSNY CHOICE

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • SelectHealth
  • Special Needs

WellCare

  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

World Trade Center Health Plan

  • World Trade Center Health Plan

*Please contact the provider’s office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Residency: University of California San Francisco Medical Center
  • Residency: 2015 University Of California At San Francisco
  • Fellowship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

Board Certifications

  • Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology

Honors & Awards

American Epilepsy Society Young Investigator Award, 2017
Exceptional Physician (P.R.I.D.E.) Award, UCSF, 2012

Research

Selected Publications

Original Research

  • Autism and developmental disability caused by KCNQ3 gain-of-function variants. Ann Neurol. 2019 Jun 8. Sands TT, Miceli F, Lesca G, Beck AE, Sadleir LG, Arrington DK, Schönewolf-Greulich B, Moutton S, Lauritano A, Nappi P, Soldovieri MV, Scheffer IE, Mefford HC, Stong N, Heinzen EL, Goldstein DB, Grijalvo Perez A, Kossoff EH, Stocco A, Sullivan JA, Shashi V, Gerard B, Francannet C, Bisgaard AM, Tümer Z, Willems M, Rivier F, Vitobello A, Thakkar K, Rajan DS, Barkovich AJ, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC, Taglialatela M, Cilio MR.

  • The Epilepsy Genetics Initiative: Systematic reanalysis of diagnostic exomes increases yield. Epilepsia. 2019 May;60(5):797-806. Epilepsy Genetics Initiative.

  • Long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of cannabidiol in children with refractory epilepsy: results from an expanded access program in the US. CNS Drugs. 2019 Jan; 33(1):47-60. Sands TT, Oldham MS, Caminha Nunes E, Tilton N, Cilio MR.

  • The ClinGen Epilepsy Gene Curation Expert Panel-Bridging the divide between clinical domain knowledge and formal gene curation criteria. Hum Mutat. 2018 Nov;39(11):1476-1484. Helbig I, Riggs ER, Barry CA, Klein KM, Dyment D, Thaxton C, Sadikovic B, Sands TT, Wagnon JL, Liaquat K, Cilio MR, Mirzaa G, Park K, Axeen E, Butler E, Bardakjian TM, Striano P, Poduri A, Siegert RK, Grant AR, Helbig KL, Mefford HC.

  • NBEA: Developmental disease gene with early generalized epilepsy phenotypes. Ann Neurol. 2018 Sep 30. Mulhern MS, Stumpel C, Stong N, Brunner HG, Bier L, Lippa N, Riviello J, Rouhl RPW, Kempers M, Pfundt R, Stegmann APA, Kukolich MK, Telegrafi A, Lehman A; CAUSES study, Lopez-Rangel E, Houcinat N, Barth M, den Hollander N, Hoffer MJV, Weckhuysen S; EuroEPINOMICS-RES-MAE working group, Roovers J, Djemie T, Barca D, Ceulemans B, Craiu D, Lemke JR, Korff C, Mefford HC, Meyers CT, Siegler Z, Hiatt SM, Cooper GM, Bebin EM, Snijders Blok L, Veenstra-Knol HE, Baugh EH, Brilstra EH, Volker-Touw CML, van Binsbergen E, Revah-Politi A, Pereira E, McBrian D, Pacault M, Isidor B, Le Caignec C, Gilbert-Dussardier B, Bilan F, Heinzen EL, Goldstein DB, Stevens SJC, Sands TT.

  • Refining the phenotype associated with GNB1 mutations: Clinical data on 18 newly identified patients and review of the literature. Am J Med Genet A. 2018 Sep 8. Hemati P, Revah-Politi A, Bassan H, Petrovski S, Bilancia CG, Ramsey K, Griffin NG, Bier L, Cho MT, Rosello M, Lynch SA, Colombo S, Weber A, Haug M, Heinzen EL, Sands TT, Narayanan V, Primiano M, Aggarwal VS, Millan F, Sattler-Holtrop SG, Caro-Llopis A, Pillar N, Baker J, Freedman R, Kroes HY, Sacharow S, Stong N, Lapunzina P, Schneider MC, Mendelsohn NJ, Singleton A, Loik Ramey V, Wou K, Kuzminsky A, Monfort S, Weiss M, Doyle S, Iglesias A, Martinez F, Mckenzie F, Orellana C, van Gassen KLI, Palomares M, Bazak L, Lee A, Bircher A, Basel-Vanagaite L, Hafström M, Houge G; C4RCD Research Group; DDD study, Goldstein DB, Anyane-Yeboa K.

  • Lack of response to quinidine in KCNT1-related neonatal epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2018 Sep 4. Numis AL, Nair U, Datta AN, Sands TT, Oldham MS, Patel A, Li M, Gazina E, Petrou S, Cilio MR.

  • De novo variants in the alternative exon 5 of SCN8A cause epileptic encephalopathy. Genet Med. 2018 Feb;20(2):275-281. Epilepsy Genetics Initiative.

  • Rapid and safe response to low dose carbamazepine in neonatal epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2016 Dec; 57(12):2019-2030. Sands TT, Balestri M, Bellini G, Mulkey SB, Danhaive O, Bakken EH, Taglialatela M, Oldham MS, Vigevano F, Holmes GL, Cilio MR.

  • Focal seizures in children with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis. Epilepsy Res. 2015 May; 112:31-6. Sands TT, Nash K, Tong S, Sullivan J.

Invited Presentations

  • "Genetic landscape of epilepsy" in Child Neurology: Genetic and Metabolic Testing in Pediatric Epilepsy. American Academy of Neurology. Philadephia, May 2019.

  • "The genetics of epilepsy" 6th Human Genetics in NYC Conference, New York, Oct 2018.

  • "Advances in neurogenetics: epilepsy" in Advances in Neurogenetics. American Academy of Neurology. Los Angeles, April 2018.

  • "The genetics of epilepsy" and "Neonatal seizures" 7th Pedia Dubai International Pediatric Conference, Dubai, April 2018.

  • "The genetics of epilepsy" in Managing Epilpesy: Many Routes on the Journey to Full Control. New York, Sept 2017.

  • "The phenotypic spectrum of KCNQ-associated neonatal epilepsies" in Neonatal Genetic Epilepsies: A Personalized Medicine Approach. Invited Science Session, Pediatric Academic Societies. San Francisco, May 2017.

Review Articles

  • Rasmussen Encephalitis: An Update. Semin Neurol. 2020 Mar 17. Cay-Martinez KC, Hickman RA, McKhann Ii GM, Provenzano FA, Sands TT.

  • Neonatal Epilepsies: Clinical management. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 Jan 31. Cornet MC, Sands TT, Cilio MR.

  • Genetic Testing in Pediatric Epilepsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2017 May. 17(5):45. Sands TT & Choi H.

  • Recent Advances in Neonatal Seizures. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2016 Oct. 16(10):92. Sands TT & McDonough TL.

Book Chapters

  • "Seizures and Epilepsies in Neonates and Children" in Merritt's Neurology, 14th Ed. In Press. Sands TT & Cilio MR.

  • "GNB1 Encephalopathy" in: GeneReviews® [Internet]. Mar 5, 2020. Revah-Politi A, Sands TT, Colombo S, Goldstein DB, Anyane-Yeboa K.

  • "Neonatal Seizures" in Workbook in Practical Neonatology, 6th Ed. In Press. Sands TT & Akman CI.

  • "Neonatal Onset Epilepsies" in Neurology: Neonatology: Questions and Controversies, 3rd Ed. Sept 17, 2018. Cilio MR & Sands TT.

  • "Genetics of Epilepsy" in Swaiman's Pediatric Neurology, 6th Ed. Jun 15, 2017. Cilio MR & Sands TT.

  • "NMDA Receptor Antibody Encephalitis" in Pediatric Demyelinating Diseases of the Central Nervous System and Their Mimics: A Case-Based Clinical Guide, 1st Ed. Oct 27, 2017. Sands TT, Kedzierski K, Makhani N.

Abstracts & Platforms

  • PIGW-associated early-onset developmental & epileptic encephalopathy. Abstract. American Epilepsy Society. Baltimore, Dec 2019. Bhalla S, McBrian D, Tanji K, Sands TT.

  • A novel variant in the S4 voltage-sensor of KCNQ3 implicated in Benign Familial Neonatal Epilepsy. Abstract. International Kv7 Channels Symposium. Naples, September 2019. Sands TT, Miceli F, Stong, N, Goldstein DB, Mandel A, Cilio MR, Heinzen EL, Taglialatela M, Cooper EC.

  • Pediatric longitudinal cortical thickness pipeline maps atrophy in Rasmussen Encephalitis. Abstract. Human Brain Mapping. Rome, June 2019. Provenzano F, Sands TT.

  • Autism with benzodiazepine-responsive electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) caused by KCNQ3 gain-of-function variants. Platform presentation. 3rd Dianalund International Conference on Epilepsy. Denmark, June 2018. Sands TT, Miceli F, Lesca G, Beck A, Cimino M, Stong N, Heinzen EL, Goldstein DB, Lowenstein DB, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC, Taglialatela M, Cilio MR.

  • Autism with benzodiazepine-responsive electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) caused by KCNQ3 gain-of-function variants. Abstract. American Epilepsy Society. Washington DC, Dec 2017. Sands TT, Miceli F, Lesca G, Beck A, Cimino M, Stong N, Heinzen E, Goldstein DB, Lowenstein DB, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC, Taglialatela M, Cilio MR.

  • Apneic seizures in neonates. Abstract. American Epilepsy Society. Vancouver, Dec 2016. Sands TT, Oldham MS, Nunes E, Cilio MR.

  • Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures Exquisitely Sensitive to Carbamazepine. Abstract. American Epilepsy Society. Washington DC, Dec 2015. Sands TT, Balestri M, Bellini G, Mulkey SB, Danhaive O, Bakken EH, Taglialatela M, Oldham MS, Vigevano F, Holmes GL, Cilio MR.