Meet Your Program Leadership

Andrew J. Restivo, MD
Dr. Andrew Restivo is the Residency Program Director and Associate Professor for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, with clinical and educational appointments at NYC Health + Hospitals | Jacobi and Montefiore Einstein. Since completing his residency in 2011, Dr. Restivo has played a pivotal role in advancing emergency medicine education through curriculum development, faculty mentorship and simulation-based training. He leads undergraduate and graduate medical education initiatives as a simulation instructor in the second-year Integrations course, directing simulation for acting internships, and advising the Simulation Interest Group. As Director of Simulation Education, he has developed and expanded an innovative experiential learning program that includes monthly resident simulation sessions, interdisciplinary in-situ simulations and national competition successes such as the All New York City Emergency Medicine (ALL NYC EM ) SIMWars. Dr. Restivo also co-chairs the Clinical Competency Committee, vice-chairs the Program Evaluation Committee and supervises the scheduling of over 100 residents annually. He is a founding member of both the Bronx and ALL NYC EM SIMWars Committees, promoting collaboration and excellence in simulation education citywide. His leadership continues to shape the future of emergency medicine training, both locally and nationally.

Andrew E. Chertoff, MD
Dr. Andrew Chertoff serves as Associate Program Director and Director of Curriculum. He leads the longitudinal design and assessment of the didactic and clinical curriculum, aligning educational content with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones and the evolving needs of emergency medicine practice.

Richard J. Scardino, MD
Dr. Richard Scardino is Associate Program Director with leadership in trainee assessment and recruitment. He directs the Residency’s evaluation and feedback systems and plays a central role in the application and interview process. He is committed to resident mentorship, advancement and reflective feedback practices.

Shellyann K. Sharpe, MD
Dr. Shellyann Sharpe serves as Associate Program Director, assisting with resident evaluation, feedback and social emergency medicine. She plays a central role in resident assessment and advancement and is dedicated to integrating social emergency medicine and the social determinants of health into medical education and clinical practice. Within the Department, she is actively engaged in performance improvement projects focused on enhancing care quality and system efficiency. Committed to mentorship, Dr. Sharpe supports the professional development of future physicians and leads a Women in Medicine resident–student interest group that promotes advocacy, leadership and career advancement.

Alexis Cortijo-Brown, DO
Dr. Alexis Cortijo-Brown is Assistant Program Director with a focus on resident wellness, mentorship and professional identity formation. She leads initiatives that support the well-being of trainees, psychological safety and equity-centered advising across all stages of training.

Michael P. McGregor, MD
Dr. Michael McGregor serves as Assistant Program Director, with responsibilities that include curriculum development, clinical scheduling and residency site operations. He works closely with clinical and administrative teams to integrate operational education into resident workflows and enhance inter-site continuity.

Mai Takematsu, MD
Dr. Mai Takematsu serves as the Assistant Program Director, supporting resident engagement in research and curriculum implementation. She mentors residents on scholarly projects and facilitates alignment between clinical learning and academic inquiry, with a focus on integrating research into day-to-day practice.

Michael Halperin, MD, MPH
Dr. Michael Halperin is Director of the Advanced Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship at Jacobi and a national leader in point-of-care ultrasound education. He oversees advanced training in diagnostic and procedural ultrasound, faculty development, ultrasound program administration and clinical research in ultrasound. His academic interests include ultrasound-guided resuscitation, quality improvement and the integration of ultrasound in underserved settings.

Maninder Singh, MD
Dr. Maninder Singh serves as Director of the Simulation and Education Fellowship, leading innovation in faculty development, team-based training and procedural education. He designs advanced simulation curricula focused on crisis resource management, communication skills and clinical decision-making. His work emphasizes simulation-based assessment, including in-situ simulations to identify latent safety threats, as well as interprofessional collaboration in emergency care.