Our Physicians
Our physicians are technically proficient in diagnosing, and compassionate in treating a broad range of rheumatological and musculoskeletal disorders. Each doctor's extensive individual training, along with the collaboration and consultation with their RALI colleagues, contributes to the ultimate environment that assures patients receive the highest quality and most comprehensive care.
Howard Blumstein, M.D.
Dr. Howard Blumstein joined Rheumatology Associates of Long Island in 2005. Dr. Blumstein graduated summa cum laude from Binghamton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He attended SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His internal medicine residency was completed at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2003. He completed his rheumatology fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in NY in 2005.
Dr. Blumstein is in full-time clinical practice at RALI. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital and participates in the Rheumatology Fellowship Program. Dr. Blumstein has authored scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals on topics, including geriatric rheumatology and temporal arteritis. He has a wide range of clinical interests and cares for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and other collagen vascular diseases. Dr. Blumstein has been recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Rheumatology since 2016.
Dr. Blumstein is very involved in political advocacy for patients with rheumatic diseases and regularly represents NY State rheumatology patients for the American College of Rheumatology as well as the NY State Rheumatology Society. Dr. Blumstein is active in the American College of Rheumatology and has served as a volunteer on a variety of councils, committees and task forces. He is currently a member-at-large for the Board of Directors at the American College of Rheumatology.
Outside of work, Dr Blumstein enjoys spending time with his family, creating music and trying to keep up with his two dogs.
Dr. Blumstein currently sees patients in Smithtown and Port Jefferson locations.
Max I. Hamburger, M.D. F.A.C.P.
Dr. Max Hamburger is Senior Partner of Rheumatology Associates of Long Island (RALI). He served as RALI Managing Partner from 1980 until 2022. He founded and then served as President of the New York Rheumatology Society from 2004, until 2017. He founded and served as President of the American Society of Clinical Rheumatologists from 2007 until 2017. ASCR's mission was to develop continuing medical education curricula to support the education of primary care physicians and rheumatologists. He served as Chief of Rheumatology at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center from 1988 until 2006. He served as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook between 1979 and 2016. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology, where he served as the first representative for New York State to the College's Affiliated Societies Council. He served on the Board of Directors of the Long Island Arthritis Foundation from 1981 until 2020. He is a member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has been named "Top Doctor" for more than 20 years by Castle Connolly, and one of Long Island's Top Doctors by Newsday again for more than twenty years, both most recently in 2025.
Dr. Hamburger earned his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude in 1969. He earned his medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, in 1973. He served as an intern and resident in Internal Medicine at the NYU Bellevue Hospital Center from 1973-76. He served as a Clinical Associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and also on the Arthritis Branch, National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, from 1976-79. He served in the Public Health Service, retiring at the grade of Lieutenant Commander. He joined the full-time teaching faculty at SUNY Stony Brook in 1979, and then entered full-time private practice in 1981. He is board certified in rheumatology and internal medicine. He has been the author or lead author of over 50 publications. He has been an invited speaker presenting more than 500 lectures on rheumatology topics in the United States. He has also delivered invited lectures on rheumatology topics to rheumatologists in Madrid, Leiden, Bogota and Medellin, Toronto, and Moscow! He has been honored by the Arthritis Foundation for his service to the Long Island community, receiving the Regina Quick Award for Medical Excellence. In 2023, he was awarded the title of Master of Rheumatology by the American College of Rheumatology, which the College deems as one of its highest honors.
Dr. Hamburger is married, and has three children and five grandchildren. His interests include travel, reading, playing the guitar, skiing and golf.
Dr. Hamburger sees patients in the Rheumatology Associates Melville location.
L. Manuela Marinescu, M.D.
Dr. Luiziana Manuela Marinescu joined Rheumatology Associates of Long Island in 2009 . She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, where she contributes to the education of rheumatology fellows.
Dr. Marinescu completed her internal medicine residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center/Northwell Health, where she was honored to serve as Chief Resident. She went on to complete a fellowship in rheumatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. During her training, she conducted significant research on the effects of Vitamin D in autoimmune diseases, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and has authored multiple articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Widely respected by her peers, Dr. Marinescu has been consistently recognized as a Castle Connolly and Newsday Top Doctor. She is also deeply committed to patient advocacy and professional advancement in her field, serving as a volunteer member of the American College of Rheumatology's Committee on Rheumatology Care and actively participating in the New York State Rheumatology Society.
Dr. Marinescu lives with her husband, son, and their family dog. Outside of work, she enjoys beach walks , reading, playing tennis and traveling.
Dr. Marinescu is fluent in both English and Romanian and is committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care to patients with a wide range of rheumatic conditions.
Paul E. Schulman, M.D.
Dr. Schulman has been a physician with Rheumatology Associates of Long Island since 1988. He serves on the voluntary faculty of University Hospital, SUNY Stony Brook for the last 35 years. He regularly participates in the training program for rheumatology fellows, residents and medical students.
Dr. Schulman came to RALI from origins in Queens, New York, attended NYC's Stuyvesant High School and the accelerated six-year program in liberal arts and medicine at Boston University, graduating in 1983. He completed an internship and medical residency at Beth Israel Medical Center, NYC and fellowship in Rheumatology under Dr. Harry Spiera at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York until 1988. This training resulted in board certification in both internal medicine and rheumatology. His clinical and research interests at RALI include rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and immune disorders, spondlyoarthritides, soft tissue problems, fibromyalgia and other muscle disorders, and osteoporosis; some of this research has led to publication. He is available to see patients at all of our office locations.
Dr. Schulman currently sees patients in Smithtown, Port Jefferson and Melville locations.
Hong Xu, M.D.
Dr. Xu has been a full time physician with Rheumatology Associates of Long Island (RALI) since 2006. Before she joined RALI, she worked as Director of Rheumatology at Jacobi Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she regularly teaches rheumatology fellows, residents and medical students.
Dr. Xu accomplished her clinical and research fellowship in the subspecialty of rheumatology at National Institute of Health (NIH) at Bethesda, MD. She participated in various clinical trials and studies for systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, periodic fever syndrome, myositis, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She has multiple scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals as the lead author. She is actively involved in the clinical research programs at RALI.
Dr. Xu is a fellow member of the American College of Rheumatology. She is board certified in both internal medicine and rheumatology. She takes special interest in the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, gout, scleroderma, myositis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, spondyloarthropathies and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr Xu is married with one daughter. She enjoys baking and loves fashion.
Dr Xu currently sees patients in the Smithtown and Port Jefferson locations.
Daniel Torres Leyva, M.D.
Dr. Daniel Torres Leyva was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He is fluent in both Spanish and English.
After completing his residency at NYU, he went on to Yale School of Medicine for his fellowship training. Dr. Torres joined RALI in 2019. He has special interest on spondyloarthritis. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, as well as board certified in Rheumatology, and is a member of the College of Physicians, ACR. He is the Rheumatology representative for the Medical Society of New York House of Delegates. Dr. Torres is also part of the Medical Policy Committee for Specialty Networks/ Cardinal Health.
He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital. He is actively involved in training medical students, residents and Rheumatology fellows. Dr Torres was also named New York Magazines Best Doctor in 2024.
Dr. Torres is married and has one daughter. On his free time he likes to cook, travel and work out.
He currently sees patients in our Melville, Smithtown and Port Jefferson Station offices.
Kristin MacDougall, M.D.
Dr. Kristin MacDougall is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to her joining RALI, she practiced Rheumatology in Rhode Island where she was involved in the clinical education of medical students and residents from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. While practicing in Rhode Island she received a Lifespan C.A.R.E. award as recognition for excellence in patient care.
Dr. MacDougall received her internal medicine residency training from SUNY Downstate and her rheumatology fellowship training from Columbia University at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. While training at Columbia she performed basic science research in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
She is a contributing author in the textbook Hochberg Rheumatology 7th Edition in the section on managing chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. MacDougall practices general rheumatology and has a special interest in inflammatory arthritis conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
Ashmia Saif, D.O.
Dr. Ashmia Saif was born and raised in Long Island. She graduated from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency and fellowship at Stony Brook University and was selected for Chief Resident in Quality and Safety at the Northport VA Medical Center. Dr. Saif is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. She is also a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She has presented 2 posters at ACR in 2023. Dr. Saif published a manuscript in the Frontiers Journal in Immunology and is currently in the process of publishing another manuscript in peer reviewed journals with subjects in autoinflammatory conditions and psoriatic arthritis.