Academic Appointments
- Lucy G. Moses Professor of Neurology
Current Administrative Positions
- Chief, Division of Neuromuscular Disorders
- Director, H. Houston Merritt Clinical Research Center
- Medical Director, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics/Laboratory of Metabolic and Mitochondrial Disease

Dr. Hirano received his B.A. from Harvard College and M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), he did his neurology residency training and a post-doctoral fellowship in neuromuscular genetics under Drs. Salvatore DiMauro and Eric Schon.
Currently, Dr. Hirano serves as Chief of the Neuromuscular Division, Co-Director of the CUMC Muscular Dystrophy Association clinic, and Director of the H. Houston Merritt Center for Muscular Dystrophy and Related Diseases. He evaluated patients with myopathies and other neuromuscular disorders.
Dr. Hirano's research focuses on mitochondrial diseases and genetic myopathies. He is participating in the clinical trial of idebenone for MELAS patients. Together with Co-Principal Investigators, Drs. Salvatore DiMauro and J.L.P (Seamus) Thompson, Dr. Hirano is co-directing the North American Mitochondrial Disease Consortium (NAMDC).
Dr. Hirano serves on the NIH Therapeutic Approaches to Genetic Diseases (TAG) study section, Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Scientific Advisory Board of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.
Departmental Appointments
- Department of Neurology
Division of Neuromuscular Medicine
Board Certifications
- Neuromuscular Medicine
- Neurology
Areas of Expertise
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myoneural Disorder
- Myopathy
- Neurometabolic Disorder
- Neuromuscular Disease
- Neuromuscular junction disorders
Education and Training
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
- Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
- Fellowship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Locations
CUMC/Neurological Institute of New York
710 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032- For new and current patient appointments, call:
- (212) 305-1319
Centers / Institutes / Programs
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics/Laboratory of Metabolic and Mitochondrial Disease
- H. Houston Merritt Clinical Research Center
- Neuro - ALS/PLS (Amyotrophic/Primary Lateral Sclerosis) Center
Provider Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Insurance Programs
Please contact the provider's office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.
- [UHC/OXF - The Empire Plan, UHC/OXF - The Empire Plan (CD)]
- AETNA [Aetna Signature Administrators, EPO, HMO, Medicare Managed Care, NYP Employee Plan, NY Signature, POS, PPO, Student Health]
- Affinity Health Plan [Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care]
- AgeWell [Medicare Managed Care, Special Needs]
- Amida Care [Special Needs]
- Capital District Physician Health Plan [Capital District Physician Health Plan]
- CIGNA [EPO, Great West (National), HMO, POS, PPO]
- Emblem/GHI [Medicare Managed Care, PPO]
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield [EPO, Medicare Managed Care, PPO]
- Fidelis Care [Child/Family Health Plus, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
- Health First [Child/Family Health Plus, Leaf (Exchange), Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
- Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [ConnectiCare, EPO, Essential Plan, HMO, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care, POS, PPO, Select Care (Exchange), Vytra]
- Health Plus - Amerigroup [Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care]
- Local 1199 [Local 1199]
- MagnaCare (National) [MagnaCare]
- Medicare [Traditional Medicare]
- MVP Health Care [Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, HMO, Medicaid Managed Care]
- Oxford Health Plans [Freedom, Liberty]
- United Health Care [Columbia Employee POS, HMO, Medicaid (Community Plan), Medicare Managed Care, POS, PPO]
- VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth [Medicare Managed Care, Select Health, Special Needs]
- WellCare [Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
This provider accepts new patients
Appointment Phone Number: 646-426-3876
Links
Lab Locations
CUMC/Neurological Institute of New York
710 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
Contact Info
- (212) 305-1319
Honors and Awards
America's Best Doctors
Elected member of the American Neurological Association
Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology
Research Interests
- Investigations of mutations of mitochondrial DNA in human cardiomyopathies
- Molecular biology of neuromuscular disorders
- Positional cloning techniques applied to autosomal disorders affecting the mitochondrial genome
NIH Grants
THE NORTH AMERICAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CONSORTIUM (NAMDC) (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2019 - Aug 31 2024
TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE (Federal Gov)
Aug 1 2020 - Aug 31 2024
INFERENTIAL METHODS FOR FUNCTIONAL DATA FROM WEARABLE DEVICES (Federal Gov)
Apr 15 2019 - Mar 31 2024
SERVICE AGREEMENT (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Mar 5 2019 - Mar 5 2024
SERVICE AGREEMENT (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Mar 5 2019 - Mar 5 2024
APHASE 3 RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PARALLEL-GROUP, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF DAILY SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS OF ELAMIPRETIDE IN SUBJECTS WITH PRIMARY MITOCHONDRIAL MYOPATHY FOLLOWED BY AN OPEN-LABEL (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Mar 1 2018 - Mar 1 2023
MORPHOLOGICAL PROFILING FOR RAPID VARIANT ANNOTATION IN NEUROMUSCULAR CONDITIONS (Private)
Aug 1 2019 - Jul 31 2022
A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Jul 21 2017 - Jul 21 2022
MARRIOTT MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK (MMDCRN) 2.0: TARGETING MTDNA AS A BASIS OF HUMAN DISEASE (Private)
Nov 1 2018 - Oct 31 2021
OPEN-LABEL EXPANDED ACCESS TRIAL OF DEOXYNUCLEOSIDE THERAPY FOR TK2 DEFICIENCY (Private)
Aug 1 2018 - Jul 31 2021
THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF ENHANCED MITOCHONDRIAL BIOGENESIS FOR PACLITAXEL-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (Federal Gov)
Feb 8 2018 - Jan 31 2021
NEURO MUSCULAR OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH (MOVR) REGISTRY (Private)
Aug 8 2019 - Dec 31 2020
METABOLIC REGULATION OF HUMAN DNA METHYLATION CLOCKS (Federal Gov)
Apr 15 2020 - Dec 31 2020
NAMDC: OVERALL RESEARCH PLAN (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2014 - Aug 31 2020
ADULT MDA AND MDA/ALS CARE CENTERS AT COLUMBIA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (Private)
Jan 1 2017 - Jun 30 2020
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES: APPROACHES TO TREATMENT (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2014 - May 31 2020
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES: APPROACHES TO TREATMENT (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2014 - May 31 2020
THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF ENHANCED MITOCHONDRIAL BIOGENESIS FOR PACLITAXEL-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (Federal Gov)
Feb 8 2018 - Jan 31 2020
NAMDC: OVERALL RESEARCH PLAN (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2014 - Aug 31 2019
NAMDC: OVERALL RESEARCH PLAN (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2014 - Aug 31 2019
AMERICAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CONSORTIUM PATIENT REGISTRY AND BIOREPOSITORY (Private)
Jul 1 2018 - Jun 30 2019
PEDIATRIC NEUROMUSCULAR CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK (Private)
Jul 1 2018 - Jun 30 2019
MITOCHONDRIAL REGULATION OF STRESS REACTIVITY IN HUMANS (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2017 - May 31 2019
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES: APPROACHES TO TREATMENT (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2014 - May 31 2019
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES: APPROACHES TO TREATMENT (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2014 - May 31 2019
MITOCHONDRIAL REGULATION OF STRESS REACTIVITY IN HUMANS (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2017 - May 31 2019
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES: APPROACHES TO TREATMENT (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2014 - May 31 2019
MNGIE STUDY (Private)
Jan 31 2018 - Jan 30 2019
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLETE PIPELINE FOR MELAS DRUG DISCOVERY (Private)
Dec 17 2015 - Dec 16 2018
THE INHERITED NEUROPATHY CONSORTIUM (INC) RDCRC (Federal Gov)
Jan 1 2018 - Aug 31 2018
AMERICAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CONSORTIUM PATIENT REGISTRY AND BIOREPOSITORY (Private)
Jul 1 2011 - Jun 30 2018
SMA FOUNDATION CENTER GRANT (Private)
Jul 1 2015 - Jun 30 2018
NEW YORK COLUMBIA COLLABORATIVE SPOTRIAS (Federal Gov)
Aug 1 2010 - Jul 31 2016
TREATMENT POTENTIAL OF SELECTIVE HDAC6 INHIBITORS IN PAINFUL PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (Private)
Jan 1 2016 - Jul 31 2016
THE USE OF EPI-743 IN ACUTELY III PATIENTS WITH INHERITED MITOCHONDRIAL RESPIRATORY CHAIN DISEASE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Mar 9 2011 - Mar 9 2016
MITOCHONDRIAL ENCEPHALOMYOPATHIES AND MENTAL RETARDATION (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 1996 - Feb 29 2016
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS AND TREATMENT OF MNGIE (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2010 - Jan 31 2016
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLETE PIPELINE FOR MELAS DRUG DISCOVERY (Private)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2015
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPLETE PIPELINE FOR MELAS DRUG DISCOVERY (Private)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2015
METABOLITE BIOMARKER DISCOVERY IN MELAS (Private)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2015
MOLECULAR BYPASS THERAPY FOR TK2 DEFICIENCY (Private)
Aug 1 2012 - Jul 31 2015
AMERICAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CONSORTIUM PATIENT REGISTRY AND BIOREPOSITORY (Private)
Jul 1 2011 - Jun 30 2015
EPI743 TREATMENT OF ONE MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE PATIENT (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Nov 16 2009 - Nov 16 2014
DEVELOPMENT OF A MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE PATIENT REGISTRY (Private)
Nov 1 2012 - Oct 31 2014
MELTIMI STUDY(EVALUATION OF INDEBENONE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERS (P&S Industry Clinical Trial)
Jul 1 2009 - Jul 1 2014
IDENTIFYING MITOCHONDRIAL DNA POLYMORPHISMS THAT CONFER GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ZYVOX TOXICITY (Private)
Jul 1 2006 - Mar 31 2014
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF COENZYME Q10 DEFICIENCY (Federal Gov)
Jan 10 2008 - Dec 31 2013
WINGS OVER WALL STREET - ALS RESEARCH CENTER AT CUMC (Private)
Jul 1 2006 - Jan 31 2013
DEVELOPING A NORTH AMERICAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE CONSORTIUM (NAMDC) (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2009 - Aug 31 2012
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF SCAPULOPERONEAL MYOPATHY DUE TO FH L1 MUTATIONS (Private)
Jan 1 2009 - Feb 29 2012
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF SCAPULOPERONEAL MYOPATHY DUE TO FH L1 MUTATIONS (Private)
Jan 1 2009 - Feb 29 2012
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF SCAPULOPERONEAL MYOPATHY DUE TO FH L1 MUTATIONS (Private)
Jan 1 2009 - Feb 29 2012
HARLEM HOSPITAL AFFILIATION CONTRACT - GENERAL (NY Local Gov)
Jul 1 2005 - Jun 30 2008