Meet our Team

Laury A. Cuddihy, M.D. is a fully trained spine surgeon, having completed her fellowship in spine surgery under Dr. Randall Betz and Dr. Antonacci at the prestigious Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She currently practices as a member of the Institute for Spine and Scoliosis, and is a primary surgical assistant to Dr. Antonacci performing surgery at both the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and the University Medical Center at Princeton. Having Dr. Cuddihy as the first surgical assistant to Dr. Antonacci further emphasizes the level of surgical care his patients receive. This means that Dr. Antonacci does not use residents or fellows in training, or physician assistants as his first assistant in surgery, thus providing a standard of expertise in surgical care not typically matched elsewhere.

Dr. Cuddihy also evaluates patients in our New York location of the Upper East Side at 79th and Madison, as well as the Institute's location near Princeton, New Jersey.

Dr. Cuddihy earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York. She also completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Since her medical training, Dr. Cuddihy has focused on specializing in spine surgery and received fellowship training in treating complex scoliosis and spinal deformities.

Dr. Cuddihy is continually involved in research and with Dr. Antonacci has contributed to the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS), International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in Copenhagen, the North American Spine Society, the medical journal SPINE, and the Scoliosis Research Society in Kyoto, Japan.



Joel Gorenstein, PA-C is a nationally certified Physician Assistant, registered in both New York and New Jersey. Joel received his Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Pennsylvania State University in 1988, and graduated from Brooklyn Hospital/Long Island University Physician Assistant program in 1997. He started working as a surgical PA at Lenox Hill Hospital in 1998, and worked in the Departments of General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Neurosurgery. Over the course of more than 10 years, Joel had the opportunity to specialize in these different areas of surgery and observed numerous different surgeons at work, including several other spine surgeons. Joel has the knowledge and experience to provide patients with a uniquely qualified insight to the level of quality surgical spine care that Dr. Antonacci provides. Since 2006, Joel has been working for Dr. Antonacci both in surgery and in the office, serving as his "right hand man". As a patient, you will find him involved in all facets of your care--from the operating room, to pre and post-operative care, answering any questions you may have along the way.



Allison Rovillos is a Registered Nurse, with clinical operative expertise in spine surgery. She was most recently the Surgical Nurse Coordinator at the University Medical Center at Princeton for the Spine and Neurosurgery Divisions. Allison is now the dedicated private surgical scrub nurse for Dr. Antonacci in the operating room at both Mount Sinai in New York and UMCP, as well as the clinical nurse coordinator in his office. As a privately employed operating room scrub nurse for Dr. Antonacci, Allison is one of only a handful of surgical nurses in the field of spine surgery nationwide who works directly for their surgeon. This continuity of care from office to operating room demonstrates a level of precision and expertise that Dr. Antonacci strives to provide each of his patients and is rarely found anywhere else. Allison is a graduate of The Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing. She obtained her CNOR certification for OR nurses in 2010 which demonstrates superior knowledge, expertise, and dedication to the field of perioperative nursing. Allison works with patients in the office to manage and coordinate the details of their surgical plan and does teaching demonstrations on exercise and spine health restoration.



Christine Gergo is one of our most valued team members, serving as head medical assistant. She is the essential puzzle piece that keeps everything together. She graduated from the Delaware Valley Academy for Medical and Dental Assistants and has since gained 38 years of experience in the office practices of spine surgery. Chris began her career with Dr. Antonacci's original practice partner, Dr. Parviz Kambin in Philadelphia. Chris now travels more than 65 miles each way every day from her home outside Philadelphia to our Princeton Office, and has done so for the last eleven years. She is dedicated to helping the Institute run smoothly and carries out countless responsibilities. She works behind the scenes to process insurance paperwork, fill out forms, write notes, and check patients out of the office to ensure they have everything they need before leaving. She is the friendly voice that often answers the phone and is happy to help with care-related questions. Chris is a happily married wife and proud mother of her daughter, whom has a Master's Degree in Forensic Medicine and is also currently pursuing a degree in Nursing.



Karen Massaro is the Executive Personal Assistant to Dr. Antonacci. Karen has the enormous task of keeping the Institute's corporate life organized. She offers a wealth of valuable experience, with a degree in Office Systems Technology and over thirty-nine years of experience in her field. In the past, she has served as the Executive Personal Assistant to bank and pharmaceutical company CEOs both in New York and locally in Princeton. She currently serves as the liaison for the Institute and corresponds with other companies to arrange meetings and corporate functions. Karen manages all of the travel arrangements and itineraries to society meetings as well as keeping track of established goals for our practice. She played an intricate role in the ground work associated with designing our office space, making it technologically functional for staff and warm and inviting for patients.



Michele is an invaluable part of our team as the office secretary for the Institute for Spine and Scoliosis. She has over ten years experience in her field and has worked for Dr. Antonacci for the last year. Michele helps coordinate the office schedule and direct phone calls. She makes appointments to see the doctors in the office and helps answer patients' questions over the phone. She is in charge of filing and organizing charts as well as radiology films. Michele is the friendly face patients see when checking in and are brought back to the exam rooms. While not in the office, Michele spends her time caring for her family and is a proud (and busy!) mom of three daughters.