Memorial Sloan Kettering child psychologist Stephen Sands

Stephen A. Sands, PsyD

Neuropsychologist & Pediatric Psychologist

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Cognitive changes
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Attention deficit disorder (ADD)

My Specialties

  • Neuropsychological assessment
  • Social, emotional, and behavioral assessment
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Dr. Sands's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a neuropsychologist and child psychologist on the MSK Kids team. I help children, teens, and young adults with cancer, as well as their caregivers. For example, I work with young patients during and after treatment to help them express their thoughts and feelings, communicate more openly with their family and friends, and develop plans for their life after treatment. I also support parents as they grapple with the many transitions and range of emotions related to their child’s diagnosis and treatment.

When patients come to see me after finishing cancer treatment, they are often concerned about going back to school or work. First, I listen to all their concerns and answer any questions. Next, we identify their cognitive (thinking), academic, social and emotional, and behavioral strengths. These tools can help ease their transition. We also discuss difficult areas and find ways to address them. I actively involve patients, parents, and teachers to smooth the transition to life after cancer and to increase areas of academic and personal strength.

In my research, I am trying to identify children, teens, and young adults who are at an increased risk of reduced neuropsychological functioning due to their medical diagnosis and treatment. We are developing studies to learn which steps can reduce or avoid these problems.

I collaborate closely with many Memorial Sloan Kettering doctors to study and document the late effects of treatments for a wide range of diagnoses. These include pediatric brain tumors, leukemia, neuroblastoma, sarcoma, and others. Specifically, I study the potential impact of proton beam cranial irradiation. This form of radiation therapy to the head and other novel treatments are designed to cure cancer while reducing the risk of side effects later in life. My colleagues in MSK’s survivorship programs and I use this information to improve outcomes for our patients.

It is my goal for children, teens, young adults, and families affected by cancer to have a clear understanding of the possible effects of medical treatments. I also help them learn about their individual strengths and the challenges that often come up. I am honored to provide support, guidance, and empathy for young patients and their families. I am continually inspired by their resilience, strength, courage, and adaptability. 

What I Do at MSK

I'm a neuropsychologist (NOOR-oh-sy-KAH-loh-jist). This is a doctor with special training in evaluating how brain problems affect behavior and cognition (mental processes).

I'm a pediatric psychologist (sy-KAH-loh-jist). I have special training in mental and behavioral health therapies. I treat children and adolescents.

  • Attending Psychologist
  • Director, Pediatric Neuropsychology Program
  • Director, Pediatric Neuropsychology Fellowship Program
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Cognitive changes
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
  • Attentional Disorders
  • Chemo brain

My Specialties

  • Neuropsychological assessment
  • Social, emotional, and behavioral assessment
Education & Honors

Education

  • PsyD, New York University

Residencies

  • St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Medical Center

Fellowships

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Awards and Honors

  • Best Clinical Research, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Research Symposium, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2004)
  • Pediatric Oncology Service Award, the Valerie Fund (2014)
  • Excellence in Quality of Care Award, Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (2016)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

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If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Rockefeller Outpatient Pavilion
160 East 53rd Street New York NY 10022
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Sands SA. Helping Survivors of Medulloblastoma Learn From What We Learn. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2013 Oct 1;31(28):3480-2.

Oberg, JA, Dave AN, Bruce JN and Sands SA. Neurocognitive functioning and quality of life in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas treated on a phase Ib trial evaluating topotecan by convection-enhanced delivery. Neuro-Oncology Practice 2014 Sep;1(3):94-100. 

Bhatia M, Kolva E, Cimini L, Jin Z, Satwani P, Savone M, George D, Garvin J, Paz ML, Briamonte C, Cruz-Arrieta E, and Sands SA. Health-Related Quality of Life after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Sickle Cell Disease. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 2015 Apr;21(4):666-672.

Olson K and Sands SA. Cognitive training programs for childhood cancer patients and survivors: A critical review and future directions. Child Neuropsychology 2016;22(5):509-36. 

Sands SA. Proton Beam Radiation Therapy: The Future May Prove Brighter for Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2016 Apr;34(10):1024-1026.  

Sands SA, Mee L, Bartell A, Manne S, Devine KA, Savone M and Kashy DA.  Group-Based Trajectory Modeling of Distress and Well-Being Among Caregivers of Children Undergoing Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2016 Aug. 

Sands SA, Harel BT, Savone M, Kelly K, Vijayanathan V, Welch JG, Vrooman LM, Silverman LB and Cole P. Feasibility of Baseline Neurocognitive Assessment using Cogstate During the First Month of Therapy for Childhood Leukemia. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2016 Oct. 

Sands SA, Ladas EJ, Kelly KM, Dave A, Weiner M, Lin M, Hughes Ndao D, Vahdat LT and Glade-Bender J. Glutamine for the Treatment of Vincristine-Induced Neuropathy in Children and Adolescents with Cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer 2017.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Sands’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Stephen A. Sands discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.


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