Rami Naaman

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Lung nodules
  • Lung cancer
  • Pleural effusion

My Specialties

  • Robotic bronchoscopy
  • Rigid bronchoscopy
  • Laser bronchoscopy
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Get to Know Me

I am an interventional pulmonologist who has special training in minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat lung cancer, or other diseases or conditions related to the airways, and the pleural space surrounding the lungs.

I see patients in the clinic at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). I also see patients admitted to Memorial Hospital for any side effects or complications related to the lungs or airways during their cancer treatment.

My expertise includes a wide range of procedures including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to biopsy lung nodules, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), lung cryobiopsy, rigid bronchoscopy for airway disease, thoracentesis, pleural catheter insertion, and pleuroscopy. These are all minimally invasive procedures that help diagnose lung cancer, treat airway problems, and remove fluid around the lungs.

I meet patients at various points in their journey for cancer treatment. They often come to see me to obtain a diagnosis or when have difficulty with breathing. My goal is to partner with patients and their caregivers to create a care plan that is focused on their specific needs and goals.

I truly believe that the best care is delivered when patients are empowered to participate in making decisions about their care. I highly value my role in explaining the various treatment options, detailing the procedure I am about to perform, clarifying my plan for follow-up, and thoroughly answering all questions that come up.

I was drawn to pulmonary medicine early in my medical training because of a desire to help people breathe. As I mastered pulmonary procedures and witnessed our field grow, I found new ways to help patients by establishing an earlier diagnosis and treating complications related to the cancer itself. This includes providing tissue samples for their oncologists to learn more about the cancer, and relieving symptoms related to fluid accumulating around their lungs or cancer obstructing their airways. My goal is to provide guidance based on actual data and work closely with experts across different teams, which is essential to cancer care at MSK.

My clinical work is closely linked to research that helps advance our field and benefits current and future patients. My published work has focused on robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, looking at the factors associated with improved diagnostic accuracy, lower complication rates, and effective sampling of cancers for genetic evaluation.

I plan to evaluate the various tools we use to manage cancer-related central airway obstruction, or cancer blocking the airways. I value working with trainees in the clinic, the procedure room, and the research space.

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling with my wife and exploring new places, cultures, and languages. We love musicals and theater and enjoy going for Broadway shows in New York City. Playing sports, especially basketball, helps me keep active and stay connected with friends.

What I Do at MSK

I'm an interventional pulmonologist (IN-ter-VEN-shun-al pull-muh-NAHL-uh-jist) at MSK. This is a doctor with special training in treating lung problems, such as blocked airways, cancer, and tumors.

  • Assistant Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Lung nodules
  • Lung cancer
  • Pleural effusion
  • Tracheal and bronchial cancers and conditions
  • Benign tracheal and bronchial tumors

My Specialties

  • Robotic bronchoscopy
  • Rigid bronchoscopy
  • Laser bronchoscopy
  • Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)
  • Lung biopsy
  • Lymph node biopsy
  • Complex airway management
  • Airway stents and dilation
  • Endobronchial valves
  • Catheter placement
  • Percutaneous tracheostomy
  • Thoracoscopy
  • Ablation
This list shows some key areas of focus, but it may not cover all expertise. When making an appointment, you will be matched with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Education & Honors

Education

  • Doctor of Medicine, American University of Beirut

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine, Indiana University

Fellowships

  • Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Interventional Pulmonology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Awards and Honors

  • Chief Fellow-in-Training, University of Illinois at Chicago (2023-24)
  • CHEST Foundation Diversity Travel Grant Award (2022)

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.

Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.

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.

Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.

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

Make an Appointment

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY

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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 Pulmonary Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
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

  1. Naaman R, and Kapp CM. Innovations in Bronchoscopy: Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy. touchREVIEWS in Respiratory & Pulmonary Diseases. 2022;7(2):41–3.
  2. Naaman, R., Kapp, C.M., David, O. et al. Assessing the early returns of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy in a patient population at high risk for cancer: factors associated with a diagnostic procedure and pathologic outcomes. Egypt J Bronchol 17, 62 (2023).
  3. Naaman R, Lautenschlaeger T, and Diab K. Feasibility of Performing Transvascular Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration. Clin Lung Cancer. 2021;22(4):e595-e601.
Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Naaman’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

Members of the MSK Community 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. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders 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. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Rami Naaman discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


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, 2025 through disclosure submission in spring 2026). 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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