Mitochondrial Center

Bruce H. Cohen, MD, FAAN

Dr. Cohen is a pediatric neurologist and chair of the NeuroDevelopmental Science Center at Akron Children’s Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed a pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a pediatric neurology residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and a pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Cohen has a special interest in child neurology, mitochondrial disease, brain tumors, neurofibromatosis, clinical trials, neurometabolic diseases and pediatric neuro-oncology and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in mitochondrial diseases thanks to his extensive work to uncover treatments for patients. He is an active member of a number of professional and volunteer organizations, including the Sigma Xi North American Scientific Society, Child Neurology Society, Mitochondrial Medicine Society and the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Cohen is a fellow of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, boarded in neurology with special competence in child neurology. He has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, published dozens of book chapters, and given more than 600 invited lectures and presentations. Additionally, he is a professor of pediatrics and integrative medical sciences at Northeast Ohio Medical University and is residency director for Neurology at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital and Pediatric Neurology at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Meet Bruce H. Cohen, MD, FAAN

Abdulrazak Alali, MD

Dr. Alali is a clinical and biochemical geneticist at Akron Children’s Hospital where he’s been practicing since 2019. After graduating from the University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine in Aleppo, Syria, he completed a pediatric residency at Woodhull Mental and Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. He also completed two fellowships, one in clinical genetics and genomics at Montefiore Medical Center and the other in medical biochemical genetics at Emory University. Dr. Alali has a special interest in newborn error of metabolism and other metabolic disorders. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Clinical Genetics and Genomics and the American Medical Biochemical Genetics. He has published research and is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Meet Abdulrazak Alali, MD

John Clark, MD, FAAP

Director, Pediatric Arrhythmia Center; Pediatric Cardiologist

Meet John Clark, MD, FAAP

Richard Hertle, MD, FAAO, FACS, FAAP

Dr. Richard Hertle is an investigator in the areas of nystagmus and eye movement disorder.  His current titles include, Professor of Ophthalmology, Northeast Ohio Medical College, SUMMA Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology, Director, The Children’s Vision Center and Chief of Ophthalmology, Akron Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Akron, Ohio, USA.

Dr. Hertle received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University and his Medical Degree from Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine.  Following medical school, Dr. Hertle completed fellowships and residencies in Ocular Motility, Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, and Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at a variety of medical centers around the country.  Dr. Hertle came to Akron in 2010 to grow the Pediatric Ophthalmology service after six years as Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Professor of Ophthalmology and Bioengineering at The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

He has been principal investigator on a number of NIH-funded research projects, including ongoing studies on the treatment of strabismus, nystagmus and amblyopia. An avid researcher and publisher, Dr. Hertle has over 200 referred publications and almost as many abstracts, editorials, reviews and invited lectures.  He currently serves as a reviewer for multiple journals and has been a recipient of over a million dollars of research funding.

Meet Richard Hertle, MD, FAAO, FACS, FAAP

Reinaldo Garcia-Naveiro, MD

Dr. Garcia-Naveiro is a gastroenterologist at Akron Children’s Hospital. He’s been practicing since 2005. He earned his medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Faculty of Medicine in Bogotá, Colombia and completed a residency in pediatrics at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He went on to complete a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, La. Dr. Garcia-Naveiro has a special interest in irritable bowel syndrome, short gut, celiac disease, organic and functional gastrointestinal problems and liver disease. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatric gastroenterology and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Additionally, he’s a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He is fluent in English and Spanish.  

Meet Reinaldo Garcia-Naveiro, MD

Sarah Elizabeth Friebert, MD

Dr. Friebert is founder and director of the Haslinger Family Pediatric Palliative Care Center and the Emily Cooper Welty Expressive Therapy Center at Akron Children’s Hospital. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, she completed a residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pa. and a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Under her direction, the Haslinger Center features an accredited palliative care fellowship program and has achieved Advanced Certification in Palliative Care from The Joint Commission. Dr. Friebert is also the founding director of the hospital’s addiction services program, which addresses addiction in collaboration with community resources. She is a professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where she is also a founding member of the university’s Office of Palliative Care. Board-certified in pediatric hematology/oncology and hospice and palliative medicine, Dr. Friebert is past president of Akron Children’s medical staff and the inaugural chair holder of the Sarah Elizabeth Friebert Pediatric Palliative Care Endowed Chair. She’s also the founder, past chair and ongoing member of the Ohio Pediatric Palliative and End-of-Life Care Network (OPPEN). She is the author of multiple articles and book chapters and is an active research scientist, serving as program director for palliative care research at the Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute. She was co-principal investigator for a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Health Care Innovation Award, and is principal investigator for multiple palliative care-related research initiatives, Dr. Friebert is also active in multiple local, regional, state and national educational, philanthropic and palliative care organizations.   

Meet Sarah Elizabeth Friebert, MD

Kimberly Martin, MD

Dr. Martin is a pediatric endocrinologist in the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Akron Children’s Hospital. She’s been practicing since 2009 and with Akron Children’s since 2013. She also serves as the director of pediatric endocrinology for Akron Children’s Hospital’s Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program, Pediatric Brain Tumor Program and the Mitochondrial Care Network. She earned a master’s degree in biomedical ethics from Case Western Reserve University and her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed a pediatric residency and a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Dr. Martin has a special interest in endocrine complications in cancer survivors and others exposed to cancer therapies during childhood. She is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a sub-specialty certification in pediatric endocrinology. She is a member of the Pediatric Endocrine Society, and is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University.  

Meet Kimberly Martin, MD

Ian Rossman, MD, PhD

Pediatric Neurologist

Meet Ian Rossman, MD, PhD

Stephen Steiner, MD, PhD

Dr. Steiner is a pediatric neurologist at Akron Children’s Hospital, where he’s been practicing since 2018. He earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Va. and a doctorate in toxicology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Mich. He completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in child neurology at Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Steiner has a special interest in childhood epilepsy, pediatric headache disorders, genetic and metabolic disorders and movement disorders. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in neurology with a special qualification in child neurology.

Meet Stephen Steiner, MD, PhD

Kristin Cole, MSN, APRN-CNP

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Meet Kristin Cole, MSN, APRN-CNP

Matthew Ginsberg, MD

Dr. Ginsberg is a pediatric neurologist at Akron Children’s Hospital where he’s been practicing since 2019. A graduate of Cornell University and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, he completed a pediatric neurology residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and a neuromuscular fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ginsberg specializes in neuromuscular neurology and neurofibromatosis and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with a special qualification in Child Neurology and the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He provides services including EMG/NCS (electromyogram and nerve conduction studies) and neuromuscular ultrasound. He is a member of American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Additionally, he is a published researcher and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Meet Matthew Ginsberg, MD