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.
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:
- Other, NeuroNEXT Clinical Research Training program fellow, Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) remote lecture series (2021)
- - 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)
- Correctional Facility Neurologist, UBMD Neurology - contract with Wendy Correctional Facility (2022-present)
- Neurology Residency Interviewer, Neurology, UB (2019-present)
- Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology, Neurology, UBMD Neurology Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
- Alternate Voting Member, Faculty Senate, UB Faculty Senate (2023–2024)
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
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- August 2023
NeuroNEXT - NN-111 Trial of Inebilizumab in NMDAR Encephalitis (ExTINGUISH)
NIH, central IRB from another center.
Role: Co-Principal Investigator - A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Effects of SAGE-718 in Participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease
Sage Therapeutics
Role: Co-Investigator - Assessment of Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Donanemab in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease
Eli Lilly
Role: Co-Investigator - Assessment of Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of LY3372689 in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease
Eli Lilly
Role: Co-Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Reeves JA, Bartnik A, Mohebbi M, Ramanathan M, Bergsland N, Jakimovski D, Wilding GE, Salman F, Schweser F, Weinstock-Guttman B, Hojnacki D, Eckert S, Bagnato F, Dwyer MG, Zivadinov R. (2025) Determinants of long-term paramagnetic rim lesion evolution in people with multiple sclerosis. Annals of clinical and translational neurology (Feb), 12(2): 267-279. doi:10.1002/acn3.52253
- Kavak KS, Jakimovski D, Eckert SP, Patrick K, Koury SP, Benedict RHB, Green SA, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2025) Resilience Among Caregivers of People With Multiple Sclerosis: Exploring the Influence of Personality Traits, Coping, and Caregiver Burden. International journal of MS care (Jan), 27(Q1): 15-24. doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2024-004
- Katherine Frustaci, Natasha Qutab, Svetlana Eckert. (2024) The Utility of IVIG in the Management of Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Retrospective Case Series. International Journal of Neurology and Neurotherapy (Oct), 127(11) doi:10.23937/2378-3001/1410127
- Jakimovski D, Kavak KS, Patrick K, Mirmosayyeb O, Eckert SP, Hojnacki D, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2024) Post-Partum Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcome Changes in Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis: Findings from the NAPPREMS Study. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) (Jul), 60(7). doi:10.3390/medicina60071159
- 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).
- 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).
- 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
- Jakimovski D, Zivadinov R, Weinstock Z, Burnham A, Wicks TR, Suchan C, Sciortino T, Schweser F, Bergsland N, Dwyer MG, Eckert SP, Young-Hong D, Weinstock-Guttman B, Benedict RHB. (2024) Cognitive function in severe progressive multiple sclerosis. Brain communications (Jan), 6(4): fcae226. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcae226
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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) Stress-full life events and multiple sclerosis: A population-based incident case-control study. Mult Scler Relat Disord (Nov), 26: 168-172.
- 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.
Books and Book Chapters:
- Y. Karmon, C. B. Vaughn, S. Roy, S. P. Eckert, and B. Weinstock-Guttman. (2018) Chapter 35: Multiple Sclerosis and Associated Comorbidities. In: Clinical Guide to Diagnosis, Medical Management, and Rehabilitation. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders:
- (1900) Diagnosis and Clinical Features of MS. In: Handbook of Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis. Elsevier
Abstracts:
- A. John, Eckert, S. (2025) A Case of CSF1R-Related Leukoencephalopathy: Not a Demyelinating Disease. ACTRIMS Poster presentation, (Feb) Poster
- O. Mirmosayyeb, A. John, Eckert, S. (2025) Paroxysmal Dystonia as a First presentation of Multiple Sclerosis: a case report. Conference Poster Abstract, (Feb) Poster
- Eckert S, Hojnacki DH, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2019) A Case of Aggressive NMOSD-like Event in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Treated with Tofacitinib. AAN conference, (May) Poster
- Kherzi N, Eckert S, Wolfe G, Silvestri N. (2019) Subacute Weakness in the Setting of Non-Hodgkin B Cell Lymphoma. Carrell-Krusen Neuromuscular Symposium, (Mar) Poster
Evaluative Studies and Case Reports:
- Eckert S, Li P. (2018) New onset Epilepsia partialis continua presenting as complex visual hallucinations associated with Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Antibody. North American Journal of Medicine and Science (Jan), 11(1): 28-33.
- Bushra A, Farooq O, Eckert S, Vaughn CB, Aziz RA, Weinstock-Guttman B. (2017) Weinstock-Guttman B. A Pediatric Case of NMOSD with Positive Seroconversion of AQP4-ab after 5 Years and Subsequent Diagnosis of SLE. Journal of Rheumatic Diseases and Treatment (Mar), 3(2)
Professional Memberships:
- American Society of Neuroimaging; Professional society membership (2017–present)
- American Academy of Neurology; Professional society membership (2013–present)
Presentations:
- "American Society Neuroimaging (ASN) Expertise Webinar Series" ASN National Lecture series (2025)
- "Autoimmune Encephalitis" Grand rounds to an outside medical community - Catholic Health Citywide - 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)
- Provided coverage for a fellow attending on the Faculty Senate during absence; Faculty Senate 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 (2022–2024)
- Providing care for inmate with neurologic diseases from regional correctional facilities and holding centers; Regional Medical Unit - correctional facility neurologist (2022–present)
- sole provider for medical cannabis for patients within the department; Cannabis Clinic Attending (2021–present)
- Helped develop hospital protocol for IV thiamine protocols during shortage for treatment of Wernicke's/thiamine deficiency; Hospital Committee for Utilization Optimization (2021–present)
- Advising residents on research project feasibility and reviewing resident research proposals and drafts for quality and improvement; Resident Research Committee Member (2021–2024)
- Teaching the physical exam to M1 medical students in the clinic setting; CPM /clinic shadowingnpreceptor (2020–present)
- Covering attending for infusion for addressing potential infusion reactions; Infusion Coverage (2019–present)
- teach neurology clinic rotators in the clinic setting; Neurology clinical clerkship preceptor (2019–present)
- Teaching preceptor for rotating psychiatry residents.; Psychiatry rotator outpatient neurology clinic preceptor (2019–present)
- Interviewing neurology residency applicants; Residency Applicant Interviewer (2019–present)
- Helped increase efficiency of clinic check out process through development of check out sheets; Check out sheet development