Svetlana Primma Eckert MD
Svetlana Primma Eckert
MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
General Neurology; Multiple Sclerosis; Neuroimaging; Neuroimaging Analysis; Neuroimmunology; Neurology
Contact Information
Patient Care
Patient Care
This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.
View this physician on UBMDProfessional Summary:
Dr. Eckert is a board-certified adult neurologist with specialization in Multiple Sclerosis/Autoimmune Neurology and Neuroimaging. She provides comprehensive care for patients with MS and other autoimmune neurologic diseases at the Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center for Treatment and Research at UBMD Neurology.
She is a first-generation immigrant, and after completing her undergraduate studies in Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Eckert made moved to Buffalo for medical school, and made Buffalo her new permanent home, where she completed medical school and neurology residency training at the University of Buffalo, and subsequently a combined 2-year MS and Neuroimaging Fellowship at UBMD Neurology.
As part of the team of faculty at the UBMD Neurology affiliated with University at Buffalo, Dr. Eckert is very involved in resident and medical student teaching both in the hospital and outpatient settings, and lectures regularly on neuroimaging and autoimmune neurology as well as patients.
Dr. Eckert’s interests include multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, and, very importantly, autoimmune encephalitis. She is also involved in multiple research studies examining the mechanisms and treatments of autoimmune neurologic diseases.
Education and Training:
- - Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology - Neuroimaging, University at Buffalo - UBMD Neurology (2019)
- Fellowship, Multiple Sclerosis and Other Autoimmune Neurologic Disorders, UBMD Neurology - University at Buffalo (2019)
- Fellowship, Neuroimaging, UBMD Neurology - University at Buffalo (2019)
- MD, Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2013)
- Internship, NINDS Clinical Research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders (NIH) (2009)
- BA, Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University - Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (2008)
Employment:
- Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Fellowship Director, Neurology, UBMD Neurology - University at Buffalo (2023-present)
- Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology, Neurology, UBMD Neurology Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
Research Expertise:
- Autoimmune encephalitis: I am currently a co-PI on a study of a multi-center study of inebilizumab in the treatment of NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis. NN-111 EXTINGUISH study. https://neuronext.org/projects/nn111-extinguish
- Multiple Sclerosis and other neurologic autoimmune diseases: I am currently collaborating on several other MS-related research studies. I also mentor medical students interested in medical research and have mentored a high school student on a research project related to the effect of COVID on MS.
- Research mentor for medical and high school students: I really enjoy teaching medical students and working with them on various medical student level research projects and case reports. I have also mentored a high school sstudent in the past who won a prize for excellence in medical research at her local science fair.
Research Centers:
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center
- Jacobs Neurological Institute
Journal Articles:
- Eckert S, Jakimovski D, Zivadinov R, Hicar M, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2024) How to and should we target EBV in MS?. Expert review of clinical immunology (Jul), 20(7): 703-714.
- Jakimovski D, Weinstock-Guttman B, Burnham A, Weinstock Z, Wicks TR, Ramanathan M, Sciortino T, Ostrem M, Suchan C, Dwyer MG, Reilly J, Bergsland N, Schweser F, Kennedy C, Young-Hong D, Eckert SP, Hojnacki D, Benedict RH, Zivadinov R. (2024) Dynamic disability measures decrease the clinico-radiological gap in people with severely affected multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders (Jul), 87: 105630.
- Zivadinov R, Jakimovski D, Burnham A, Kuhle J, Weinstock Z, Wicks TR, Ramanathan M, Sciortino T, Ostrem M, Suchan C, Dwyer MG, Reilly J, Bergsland N, Schweser F, Kennedy C, Young-Hong D, Eckert S, Hojnacki D, Benedict RHB, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2024) Neuroimaging assessment of facility-bound severely-affected MS reveals the critical role of cortical gray matter pathology: results from the CASA-MS case-controlled study. Journal of neurology (May).
- Wallick RF, Chakrabarti S, Burke JH, Gnewkow R, Chae JB, Rossi TC, Mantouvalou I, Kanngießer B, Fondell M, Eckert S, Dykstra C, Smith LE, Vura-Weis J, Mirica LM, van der Veen RM. (2024) Excited-State Identification of a Nickel-Bipyridine Photocatalyst by Time-Resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. The journal of physical chemistry letters (May), 15(18): 4976-4982. doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00226
- Eckert S, Berner N, Kramer K, Schneider A, Müller J, Lechner S, Brajkovic S, Sakhteman A, Graetz C, Fackler J, Dudek M, Pfaffl MW, Knolle P, Wilhelm S, Kuster B. (2024) Decrypting the molecular basis of cellular drug phenotypes by dose-resolved expression proteomics. Nature biotechnology (May).
- Stäuber A, Hoppe MW, Lapp H, Richter S, Ohlow MA, Dörr M, Piper C, Eckert S, Coll-Barroso MT, Stäuber F, Abanador-Kamper N, Baulmann J. (2024) Comparison of cardiac output estimates obtained from the Antares oscillometric pulse wave analysis algorithm and from Doppler transthoracic echocardiography. PloS one (Jan), 19(5): e0302793. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0302793
- Morrow SA, Weinstock ZL, Mirmosayyeb O, Conway D, Fuchs T, Jaworski MG, Eckert S, Hojnacki DH, Dwyer MG, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B, Benedict RHB. (2023) Detecting isolated cognitive relapses in persons with MS. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) (Dec), 29(14): 1786-1794. doi:10.1177/13524585231201219
- Pennington P, Weinstock-Guttman B, Kolb C, Jakimovski D, Sacca K, Benedict RHB, Eckert S, Stecker M, Lizarraga A, Dwyer MG, Schumacher CB, Bergsland N, Picco P, Bernitsas E, Zabad R, Pardo G, Negroski D, Belkin M, Hojnacki D, Zivadinov R. (2023) Communicating the relevance of neurodegeneration and brain atrophy to multiple sclerosis patients: patient, provider and researcher perspectives. Journal of neurology (Feb), 270(2): 1095-1119.
- Jakimovski D, Eckert SP, Mirmosayyeb O, Thapa S, Pennington P, Hojnacki D, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2023) Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab (Evusheld™) Prophylaxis Prevents Breakthrough COVID-19 Infections in Immunosuppressed Population: 6-Month Prospective Study. Vaccines (Feb), 11(2). doi:10.3390/vaccines11020350
- Jakimovski D, Zakalik K, Awan S, Kavak KS, Pennington P, Hojnacki D, Kolb C, Lizarraga AA, Eckert SP, Sarrosa R, Vineetha K, Edwards K, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2022) COVID-19 Vaccination in Multiple Sclerosis and Inflammatory Diseases: Effects from Disease-Modifying Therapy, Long-Term Seroprevalence and Breakthrough Infections. Vaccines (Apr), 10(5). doi:10.3390/vaccines10050695
- Jakimovski D, Kavak KS, Zakalik K, Bromley L, Ozel O, Qutab N, Eckert SP, Kolb C, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2022) A prospective study to validate the expanded timed get-up-and-go in a population with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis journal - experimental, translational and clinical (Jan), 8(2): 20552173221099186. doi:10.1177/20552173221099186
- Jakimovski D, Awan S, Eckert SP, Farooq O, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2022) Multiple Sclerosis in Children: Differential Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Disease-Modifying Treatment. CNS drugs (Jan), 36(1): 45-59. doi:10.1007/s40263-021-00887-w
- Morrow SA, Conway D, Fuchs T, Wojcik C, Unverdi M, Yasin F, Pol J, Eckert S, Hojnacki DH, Dwyer M, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B, Benedict RH. (2021) Quantifying cognition and fatigue to enhance the sensitivity of the EDSS during relapses. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) (Jun), 27(7): 1077-1087.
- Jakimovski D, Eckert SP, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2021) Considering patient age when treating multiple sclerosis across the adult lifespan. Expert review of neurotherapeutics (Mar), 21(3): 353-364.
- Benedict RH, Pol J, Yasin F, Hojnacki D, Kolb C, Eckert S, Tacca B, Drake A, Wojcik C, Morrow SA, Jakimovski D, Fuchs TA, Dwyer MG, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2021) Recovery of cognitive function after relapse in multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) (Jan), 27(1): 71-78.
- Hildesheim FE, Ramasamy DP, Bergsland N, Jakimovski D, Dwyer MG, Hojnacki D, Lizarraga AA, Kolb C, Eckert S, Weinstock-Guttman B, Zivadinov R. (2021) Leptomeningeal, dura mater and meningeal vessel wall enhancements in multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders (Jan), 47: 102653.
- Jakimovski D, Dujmic D, Hagemeier J, Ramasamy DP, Bergsland N, Dwyer MG, Eckert S, Kolb C, Lizarraga A, Hojnacki D, Weinstock-Guttman B, Zivadinov R. (2020) Late onset multiple sclerosis is associated with more severe ventricle expansion. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders (Nov), 46: 102588.
- Ghione E, Bergsland N, Dwyer MG, Hagemeier J, Jakimovski D, Ramasamy DP, Hojnacki D, Lizarraga AA, Kolb C, Eckert S, Weinstock-Guttman B, Zivadinov R. (2020) Disability Improvement Is Associated with Less Brain Atrophy Development in Multiple Sclerosis. AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology (Sep), 41(9): 1577-1583. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A6684
- Jakimovski D, Vaughn CB, Eckert S, Zivadinov R, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2020) Long-term drug treatment in multiple sclerosis: safety success and concerns. Expert opinion on drug safety (Sep), 19(9): 1121-1142.
- Ozel O, Vaughn CB, Eckert SP, Jakimovski D, Lizarraga AA, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2019) Dimethyl Fumarate in the Treatment of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Patient Reported Outcomes and Perspectives. Patient related outcome measures (Jan), 10: 373-384. doi:10.2147/PROM.S168095
- Abdollahpour I, Nedjat S, Mansournia MA, Eckert S, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2018) Stress-full life events and multiple sclerosis: A population-based incident case-control study. Mult Scler Relat Disord (Nov), 26: 168-172.
- Weinstock-Guttman B, Eckert S, Benedict RH. (2018) A decline in cognitive function should lead to a change in disease-modifying therapy - Yes. Mult Scler (Nov), 24(13): 1681-1682.
- Abdollahpour I, Nedjat S, Mansournia MA, Eckert S, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2018) Infectious exposure, antibiotic use, and multiple sclerosis: A population-based incident case-control study. Acta Neurol Scand (Oct), 138(4): 308-314.
- Cizza G, Primma S (Eckert S), Coyle M, Gourgiotis L, Csako G. (2010) Depression and osteoporosis: a research synthesis with meta-analysis. Horm Metab Res (Jun), 42(7): 467-482.
- Cizza G, Primma S (Eckert S), Csako G. (2009) Depression as a risk factor for osteoporosis. Trends Endocrinol Metab (Oct), 20(8): 367-373.
Professional Memberships:
- American Academy of Neurology; Professional society membership
- American Society of Neuroimaging; Professional society membership
Presentations:
- "Autoimmune Encephalitis" Grand rounds presentation to an outside medical community on autoimmune encephalitis (2024)
- "American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN) Expertise Webinar Series" Online talk related to updates in neuroimaging in multiple sclerosis and future directions (2022)
- "Neurosurgery Grand Rounds on MS and NMOSD" Neurosurgery educational grand rounds (2020)
- "Emergency medicine grand rounds" Educations grand rounds on Neuroimaging (2019)
- "Invited Internal Medicine Morning Report" Interactive online teaching sessions to the internal medicine residents reviewing neuroimaging.
Service Activities:
- Alternate while another member was on leave; Alternate (2023–2024)
- Development of infusion protocols for new MS infusion medications; Development of infusion protocols (2023–2024)
- I have given several talks related to MS in the black and hispanic populations to raise awareness and provide education and improve recognition of MS disease and treatment of symptoms in these populations; Educational programs related to raising awareness in the black and Hispanic MS population (2022–present)
- Advising residents on research project feasibility and reviewing resident research proposals and drafts for quality and improvement; Resident Research Committee Member (2021–present)
- ; CPM preceptor (2020–present)