DO runs marathon with doctor whose life she saved, DO neurosurgeon publishes 100 journal articles

The DO profession is constantly making strides, thanks to the many wonderful DOs and osteopathic medical students who excel in their roles. Following are some notable recent happenings in the osteopathic medical community.

DO marathoner has a unique running partner: A fellow physician whose life she saved

Sauni Perera, DO, and John Harvey, MD, ran together in the 2022 New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, having become running partners after Dr. Perera saved Dr. Harvey’s life while he was on a marathon training run. According to “Today,” in 2019, Dr. Harvey, a surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, collapsed to the ground as he went into cardiac arrest during an 18-mile marathon training run through Central Park. Dr. Perera, an anesthesiologist at the same hospital as Dr. Harvey, happened to see him lying on the ground and ran over to him.

“I started ventilating the patient,” Dr. Perera told “Today,” noting that someone had handed her a handheld device called an Ambu bag, which comes with a mask, bag and oxygen canister. A police officer also arrived with a defibrillator.

“[After he woke up], he literally tried to get up and start running again,” Dr. Perera told Today. “We had to tell him not to.”

Drs. Harvey and Perera stayed in touch during his recovery and have become good friends. The pair ran the marathon together to raise money for their favorite causes, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the American Stroke Association.

DO neurosurgeon celebrates 100^th published journal article

AOA Trustee Brian Fiani, DO, vice chair of the AOA’s Bureau of Emerging Leaders, has surpassed publishing his 100^th peer-reviewed journal publication. Dr. Fiani, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, has strong research interests in cranial and spinal surgery. According to researchgate.com, his 105 publications have reached over 10,000 reads and nearly 700 citations.

Dr. Fiani, who will soon be heading to Livonia, Michigan, to join Mendelson Kornblum in 2023, has used his minimally invasive spine surgery fellowship to learn and apply the latest techniques and advancements in spine surgery. He has shared what he’s learned through his published pieces.