Neurologist and NYS Certified Acupuncturist
Pain Management Specialist
Photo: Dr. Gao (center) with patients
Dr. Gao is a Neurologist and a New York State Certified Acupuncturist. Her unique background allows her to combine traditional East Asian medical philosophy and Western technical training to bring a thoughtful, effective approach to pain treatment and management.
Dr. Gao received her medical degree from Norman Bethune University of Medical Science in Jilin Providence in 1982. She was a neurology attending for 9 years before she moved to the United States in 1991.
Dr. Gao completed her residency in Neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she was the chief resident in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Gao has also completed a fellowship in pain medicine and palliative care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. At Beth Israel Medical Center, she served as the neurology attending for three years (2002-2005). She also served as an attending in neurology at Premier Health Care from 2002-2015.
Dr. Gao was the recipient of the Jacqueline Du Pré Fellowship at the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, London in 1992. After arriving in the U.S., Dr. Gao went on to do research in Neuropathology for 5 years in Department of Pathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
In addition to her clinical experiences, Dr. Gao’s research has been published in the Neurology, Journal Immunology, PNAS, J Neurosciences Research and Journal of Neuro-immunology, and Chinese J.Neuropsychiatry, widely considered the most respected Chinese Medical Journal.
Dr. Gao was born in China and grew up during the Cultural Revolution. She started to learn acupuncture at the age of 11, when she used it to successfully to treat a condition she suffered from.
After graduating from high school, she worked in the countryside for four years. During that time, she worked as a farmer by day, and was called upon to treat farmers and their families with acupuncture. Dr. Gao treated a variety of illnesses including headaches, low back pain, sciatica, neck pain and more.
Dr. Gao opened her private practice in Croton-on-Hudson in 2005, where she has treated 1,180 patients over 10,740 sessions as of October 2020. Dr. Gao continues to welcome patients seeking treatment for neurology and acupuncture.
Dr. Gao and her husband live in Croton-on-Hudson. She enjoys gardening, watching tennis, swimming, and hiking in the Hudson Valley. She has one daughter who lives in Manhattan.