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Memorial Sloan Kettering radiologist Joseph Nathaniel Stember

Joseph Nathaniel Stember, MD, PhD

Radiologist

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Imaging of the brain, spine, head, and neck
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Dr. Stember's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

In an age of remarkable technological advances, including artificial intelligence (AI), our ability to treat cancer must show similar progress. It feels as though technology can accomplish anything. Therefore, it is unacceptable for patients to hear, “There is no hope to cure your disease” — and this is something that patients won’t hear at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. What MSK represents to me is a continuous search for new and better ways to treat, and hopefully cure, cancer. My small part of this mission centers on neuro-oncological image interpretation, with research focusing on radiology AI.

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Ever since my childhood, spent watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and playing computer games, I was hooked on science and technology. I followed this passion to a PhD in computational physical chemistry and postdoctoral research in structural biology. I always knew that I wanted to find a way to accomplish something meaningful while doing what I love. Now, I get to live my dream of helping people with cancer as a board-certified neuroradiologist who conducts technology-centered research to combat cancer.

We are learning that everybody’s cancer is unique. When we look at tumor genetics, we see that cancer is not one disease, but rather thousands of diseases. As such, each subtype of cancer affects small numbers of patients, meaning that AI in cancer care must adapt to and learn from more modestly sized groups of people than is typical for AI. To this end, my recent research focuses primarily on forms of AI that can learn from these small groups. In my clinical work, I perform diagnostic image interpretation of cancers of the brain, spine, head, and neck. Additionally, I perform and supervise image-guided spinal interventions for diagnosis and treatment.

What I Do at MSK

A radiologist is a doctor with special training in using imaging to diagnose and treat disease. Imaging includes X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

  • Assistant Attending Radiologist
Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Imaging of the brain, spine, head, and neck
Education & Honors

Education

  • MA, Cornell University
  • PhD, Cornell University
  • MD, New York University School of Medicine

Residencies

  • Diagnostic Radiology - NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Fellowships

  • Neuroradiology - NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Board Certifications

  • Diagnostic Radiology
  • Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology

Awards and Honors

  • Semi-finalist, American Society of Neuroradiology Cornelius Dyke Research Award (2022)
  • American Society of NeuroRadiology Research Grant in Artificial Intelligence (2021-2022)
  • Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc./Radiological Society of North America Research (2020–2021)
  • Seed Grant Best Research/Scientific Paper Award, Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine, 2020 Annual Meeting (2020)
  • New Investigator Travel Award, Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine Helen and Paul Chang Foundation (2020)
  • Early Career Achievement Award, Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (2020)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Dr. Stember sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Neuroradiology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Stember’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Joseph Nathaniel Stember discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Authera, LLC
    Equity; Intellectual Property Rights
  • Teladoc Health, Inc.
    Equity

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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