Dr. Sariah Khormaee is a board certified spine surgeon at the HSS Spine Center.  She is also an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. 

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Khormaee graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Washington as President’s Medalist/Valedictorian.  She then completed her MD at Harvard Medical School-MIT Health Sciences Technology with Honors. She earned her PhD from Cambridge University, United Kingdom in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, receiving the Danckwerts-Pergamon Prize for best PhD.

Completing her orthopedic residency at Hospital for Special Surgery, Dr. Khormaee received multiple awards including the Distinguished Housestaff Award by HSS faculty for best graduating resident.  She then completed a specialized spine fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center, training with orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons to apply the most current, efficacious techniques from both fields.

Dr. Khormaee is committed to advancing global spine care research and education through bioengineering and translational science. In addition to her research and practice in the United States, she has traveled extensively to collaborate with spine specialists in Ghana, Myanmar and Vietnam.  She leads nonprofit efforts to alleviate spine care inequalities and to engage young women with scoliosis in research. 

Dr. Khormaee’s decision to practice spine was influenced by family and friends with spine conditions.  Early on, she observed the debilitating effects that can result from spinal disorders, making it painful to do everyday activities like get out of bed or walk up a flight of stairs.  She understands that injuries and disorders of the spine can also affect her patients’ lifestyles, such as the ability to earn a living or engage in the outdoors or recreational sports. Most importantly, Dr. Khormaee realizes that each patient is unique, and hopes that her surgical skills will help her patients achieve the mobility to resume activities that give particular joy to their lives.