Preventive Healthcare Consultants: 6

Lawrence Amsel, MD, MPH, is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. An Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an Attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY, he specializes in:

• Evidence Based Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders
• PTSD
• Psychological Sequelae of Terrorism

With an MD from Yale University and an MPH in Biostatistics from Columbia University, Dr. Amsel combined his clinical expertise with his analytic mathematics background to become one of the early champions of the application of Decision Science, Game Theory, and Behavioral Economics to Psychiatric Research.

Dr. Amsel has published numerous articles and delivered presentations, symposia, and workshops on Behavioral Economics and Game Theory and other topics on Mathematical Psychiatry. His speaking services are in demand both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Amsel will contribute to the proposed study, “Adolescent and Family Decision Making In Time of Disaster,” as Co-Principal Investigator and will serve as the team expert on decision tasks, helping to incorporate the selected tasks into the overall study design. He will be involved in supervising the collection of data related to these tasks and will help guide study design, data collection and analysis, and assist in the interpretation and publication of research findings.

In 2003, Dr. Amsel organized the first ever American Psychiatric Association symposium on applications of Game Theory to psychiatry. He has published articles and presented posters on Game Theory modeling of suicide, OCD, and PTSD.

After 9/11, Dr. Amsel joined the Trauma Studies and Services division at the New York Psychiatric Institute, and has been involved in treating victims of 9/11 and their families, in training community clinicians in cutting edge treatments for PTSD and Complicated (Traumatic) Grief, as well as in doing research on optimal methods of disseminating this training.

Over the last several years, Dr. Amsel has been collaborating with Dr. Hoven at the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group (CPEG) working on understanding the connection between decision deficits, trauma and psychiatric disorders in the developing brain of children/adolescents. He has extensive clinical expertise within psychiatric research, as well as expertise in applying decision science tasks in psychiatric research settings.

View Dr. Amsel's Expert Witness Profile.

Linnda Durre', Ph.D., Licensed Psychotherapist, (FL License #MH6058) is an expert witness, psychotherapist, family counselor, intern supervisor, international speaker, corporate trainer, author, business consultant, adjunct college professor, and a magazine, Internet, and newspaper columnist. Her four areas of court expertise are Family Law, Personal Injury Law, Employment Law, and Criminal Law. 

Litigation Support: With over 46 years of experience, she consults to attorneys and has been qualified as an expert witness in nine (9) states - Florida. Alabama, California, Arkansas, Georgia, Connecticut, Washington, Tennessee, and Iowa - in the areas of Personal Injury, PTSD, Family and Couples Counseling, Divorce, Child Custody, Relocation, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse by Psychotherapists, as well as Age, Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Discrimination. Her 400-page doctoral dissertation and research in the latter area was cited to pass legislation in several states. 

Dr. Durre' has hosted and produced four radio shows, two of which were call-in advice shows and two are interview shows. Her current show "Linnda Durre' Interviews" airs daily for one hour on www.VegeRadio.com. at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM MT & 1 PM PT.  Dr. Linnda Durre' has hosted and produced two call-in advice TV shows, including being selected in a national search of 200 applicants, to host, "Ask The Family Therapist," on America's Health Network (AHN), which was associated with Mayo Clinic and each show aired daily for two hours from Universal Studios Orlando.

She has appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, O'Reilly (twice), Today Show, Good Morning America, Canada AM, Daytime, Donahue (twice), Sally Jessy Raphael, People Are Talking, Home Show, Hour Magazine, Home and Family Show, Disney Channel, and the local and/or national news on NPR, PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, and Fox.

Dr. Durre' has been interviewed, cited, and/or quoted by the NY Times, LA Times, Forbes, WSJ, IBD, Business Week, SF Chronicle & Examiner, Toronto Globe & Mail, Albany Times Union, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Parade Magazine, Alternative Medicine Magazine, CNN Online, Washington Parent Magazine, Screen Actor Magazine, Florida Magazine, Pasadena Star News, Orlando Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, and others.

View Linnda Durre's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Robert B. Sklaroff, MD, is medical specialist Board-Certified in Internal Medicine since 1977 and in Medical Oncology since 1979. Currently a solo practitioner, Dr. Sklaroff has been an Independent Medical Examiners since 2009.

Dr. Sklaroff has testified on the issue of health care before nine governmental bodies including the National Cancer Advisory Board. He has also provided written testimony to the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and delivered over 190 lectures on topics within his area of expertise including smoking cessation. A prolific author, Dr. Sklaroff has written numerous articles on issues involving cancer and smoking.

Professional Societies:

American Cancer Society (Philadelphia Division) American College of Physicians American Society of Clinical Oncology

Henry Ford Hospital Alumni Society Memorial Hospital Alumni Society Thomas Jefferson University Alumni Association

View Dr. Sklaroff's Expert Witness Profile.

Joshua A. Schwimmer, MD, FACP, FASN, is a Columbia-trained, double board-certified, full-time practicing Nephrologist and Internist based in New York City. He is on the medical staff at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. An award-winning physician-teacher of medical students and doctors, Dr. Schwimmer trained at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Schwimmer has published more than 30 scientific papers, abstracts, and book chapters; his scientific publications are cited in the medical literature and in textbooks; and his research has been presented at national and international conferences. Dr. Schwimmer is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Nephrology.

Degrees / Certifications: Nephrology Fellowship, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Internal Medicine Residency, Strong Memorial Hospital. M.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Board Certified in Nephrology. Board Certified in Internal Medicine. New York State Medical License.

Awards / Honors: Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology. Clinical Fellowship Award, National Kidney Foundation of NY and NJ. Clinical Fellowship Award, Kidney and Urology Foundation of America. Medicine Fellow of the Year Award for House Staff Teaching, Columbia University Medical Center. Human Values in Health Care Award, University of Rochester Medical Center. Phi Beta Kappa, Wesleyan University.

Litigation Support - Dr. Schwimmer is a Nephrologist (kidney specialist) and internist (general medical doctor) available for expert witness consultations to both defense and plaintiff attorneys. His services include medical record review, causation determination, thorough reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He has provided expert review and testimony in cases involving:

Acute Kidney Injury Kidney Failure Hyperkalemia Hyponatremia Rhabdomyolysis Electrolyte Disorders

Hypertension Urinary Tract Infections Pyelonephritis End Stage Renal Disease Dialysis Other Medical Conditions

A grandson of tobacco company founder R.J. Reynolds, Patrick Reynolds first spoke out publicly at a 1986 Congressional hearing in favor of a ban on all cigarette advertising. Since then, his advocacy work and appearances in the national press have made him a well known champion of a Smokefree Society. 

Mr. Reynolds' advocacy work and motivational talks to youth and adults have made him a well-known and respected champion of a smokefree society. He has helped remind many thousands of people of the dangers of smoking. Mr. Reynolds is a frequent guest speaker at universities and health conferences, and also middle and high schools. His talks are often sponsored by health departments and hospitals, as a bridge builder to local communities. He is frequently invited to debate on Fox News Channel, CNBC, CNN and other networks, and has been profiled by most of the world's major newspapers and US TV networks

Mr. Reynolds serves as Executive Director of the Tobaccofree Earth, a nonprofit group he founded in 1989. Its mission is to motivate youth around the world to stay tobacco-free, and empower smokers to quit successfully. In 2019 the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial Reynolds wrote against Vaping Products. It congratulated voters for approving the first citywide ban of the sale of all vaping and flavored tobacco products, except menthol and tobacco. New York City passed a similar ban later that year.

Mr. Reynolds was a strong advocate for the Federal tobacco tax hike of 62 cents, signed into law by Obama in 2009 on his 17th day in office. USA Today published an editorial by Reynolds making a compelling case for higher tobacco taxes. He was also a proponent of the Congressional bill for FDA regulation of tobacco. In March, 2009, he met in Washington DC with Rep. Henry Waxman, co-sponsor of the bill, to offer his support. In June the same year, the bill was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama.

In September 2015, the White House and President Obama presented him with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Himalayan Institute was founded in 1971 to teach yoga and meditation as systematic means for developing consciousness and increased awareness of Self in the individual. In the USA, the Institute is situated in a serene, wooded setting on a 400-acre campus near Honesdale in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Combining the best of Eastern wisdom and Western knowledge, the Himalayan Institute offers a wide variety of seminars and programs in hatha yoga, meditation, yoga philosophy, psychology, holistic health, hatha yoga teachers training and other related subjects.

For more information, please contact us or visit our website.