Alex F. Manini

Alex F. Manini, MD, MS, is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he practices clinically at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City. He serves as the Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Research on Emerging Substances, Poisoning, Overdose, and New Discoveries (RESPOND Center), and the Associate Program Director of the T32 Clinician Scientist Training Program focused on emergency care research.

Dr. Manini earned his Bachelor of Science from MIT, Doctor of Medicine from UCSF School of Medicine, completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (Brigham & Women's Hospital / Massachusetts General Hospital), and Medical Toxicology Fellowship at NYU/Bellevue where he also earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Manini's research focuses on emergency medicine and medical toxicology, with particular expertise in drug overdose, opioid-related emergencies, cardiovascular complications of drug overdose, and novel substances of abuse. His work aims to develop clinical tools to individualize prevention strategies for curtailing the national rise in drug overdose fatalities through risk prediction instruments, laboratory biomarkers, and genetic analyses. He has published over 110 peer-reviewed articles in the emergency medicine and medical toxicology literature.

Analysis of Dr. Manini's recent publications reveals a strong focus on emerging drug threats, particularly novel synthetic opioids like nitazenes and fentanyl analogs, as well as the increasing prevalence of xylazine and other adulterants in the illicit drug supply. His research spans emergency department management protocols, health disparities in overdose treatment, and the intersection of mental health and substance use disorders.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology (FACMT)
• Young Investigator of the Year, Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)
• NIH Study Section Member, CEBRA (Cutting Edge Basic Research Awards)
• NIH Early Career Reviewer (ECR), Center for Scientific Review
• Young Investigator Award WINNER, XXXIII International Congress EAPCCT
• The Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Dr. Manini has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2009, totaling over $10 million as a principal investigator. He has mentored over 40 pre- and post-doctoral students, residents, and junior faculty who have secured millions in federal grant funding. His major grants include an R01 from NIDA studying risk prediction for overdose fatalities, an R56 as Site PI for the NIDA National Early Warning System Network (iN3), and a K23 Career Development Award.

As Director of the RESPOND Center (Research on Emerging Substances, Poisoning, Overdose, and New Discoveries), Dr. Manini leads a multidisciplinary team focused on identifying emerging drug threats and developing evidence-based approaches to manage novel substances of abuse. His work bridges emergency medicine, toxicology, cardiology, and public health to address the evolving overdose epidemic.