Joerg Leheste
Title: Associate Professor & Director, Center for Health Policy Research
Department: Biomedical Sciences
Campus: Long Island
Area(s) of Expertise: Health Policy, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Education, Program Development and Administration, Cannabinoid research
Education Credentials: Ph.D., M.Sc.
Joined New York Tech: 2005
Joerg Leheste, Ph.D., M.Sc., serves as associate professor and vice chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at New York Institute of Technology's College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). He is also the associate director of NYITCOM's Biomedical Sciences, M.S. program, and founder and director of the medical school's Center for Health Policy.
With a higher education career spanning more than 25 years, Leheste has consistently worked to ensure that his students thrive academically and personally, understanding the many opportunities and obstacles that students face in obtaining a higher education. Building on research-based knowledge of educational technology, Leheste creates online classroom experiences that are interactive, collaborative, and engaging. As Associate Director of the Biomedical Sciences, M.S. program, he is responsible for developing and implementing new educational approaches, including evaluation tools, that cater to the requirements of both students and evolving workforce demands. He maintains his current expertise by being a part of forward-thinking educational communities, such as the COSTIN Institute for Osteopathic Medical Educators.
Throughout his scholarly career, Leheste has collaborated with students at all levels, resulting in over 200 co-authored publications, including posters and oral presentations, 40+ peer-reviewed articles, and other professional scholarly work.
Leheste is a respected neuroscientist who has written extensively on topics like memory, normal brain aging, and neurodegenerative illnesses including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. His most recent projects focus on mind-altering drugs, their effect on brain health and psychopathologic behavior, and predictabilities based on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). With his scientific background and training as an Osteopathic Health Policy Fellow, he can pinpoint areas of poor health, evaluate programs and interventions, and contribute to health policy decisions through publications. One of his recent projects investigates the discrepancies between federal and state marijuana legislation and the consequences for patient care. He has also published an op-ed in Scientific American, which calls for increased research into the effects of marijuana on the body.
In 2020, Leheste launched the Health Policy Education and Research Initiative, which has quickly expanded into the Center for Health Policy (CHP), which currently serves 50-80 New York Tech medical and pre-medical students. The center offers a comprehensive training program that includes a semester-long course on "Current Health Strategies and Policy Development," as well as mentored research opportunities in public and population health and health policy. Overall, the curriculum aims to educate students about the field in which they will work and build intellectual and leadership abilities that will enable them to effectively advocate for their future patients. The program strongly promotes student scholarship and advocacy through presentation and publication in peer-reviewed journals. An elective in "Health Policy and Public Health Research" is now available to fourth-year medical students as part of the program's ongoing expansion to address the increasing demands on healthcare professionals.
Leheste is a strong proponent of interdisciplinary collaboration and furthers this goal through his position as a senator on both the New York Tech and NYITCOM senates, where he aims to help forge connections between faculty and researchers across the university. As a result of his efforts, collaborative research projects on the use of cannabinoids for joint pain in individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome/Hypermobility Treatment Center) and the creation of healthier living spaces (School of Architecture and Design) are currently emerging.
Selected Publications
Professional Honors and Awards
- COSTIN Scholarship, The Costin Institute for Osteopathic Medical Educators Cohort 18, 2022–2023
- AACOM Health Policy Fellowship, 2016–2017
- NYITCOM Standard of Excellence Award, 2016
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship (Award# 52003746), Stony Brook University, NY, 2005
- Honoree, "Who is Who", CUP, Clarion, PA, 1994
- ISEP-Scholarship, CUP, Clarion, PA, 1994
Subjects Taught
- Physiology, Pathophysiology, Biomedical Sciences, Health Policy and Public Health, Neuroscience, Neuroanatomy, Case-Based Facilitation, Anatomy and Physiology (Nursing), Microbiology (Nursing).