Dr. Habela completed a Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. She received her PhD in Neurobiology in 2008 and her MD in 2010. After medical school, she specialized in child neurology, and completed 2 years of pediatrics residency and 3 years of child neurology residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2015. She then completed another 2 years of training specifically focused on the diagnosis, characterization and medical and surgical management of patients with epilepsy during an Epilepsy Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Habela’s clinic specializes in pediatric neurology and epilepsy. Her clinical focus in on the care of patients with severe epilepsy with or without other neurodevelopmental disorders that have not been easily controlled with medications. She is also focused on the genetic causes of epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities with the hope that increasing our understanding of the genetic causes of epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disabilities will improve treatment. Dr. Habela’s basic science research is focused on the genetic mechanisms regulating appropriate proliferation, migration and integration of neurons and glial cells in both the prenatal and postnatal developing brain and how aberrations in these processes result in neurodevelopmental disabilities. Her hypothesis is that deregulation of pre and postnatal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis contributes to the behavioral phenotypes observed in many forms of intellectual disability, epilepsy and autism. Her research applies what we know from human genetic studies to basic science studies examining how specific genetic changes alter neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and overall excitation / inhibition balance in laboratory model systems. Her goal is to provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these processes and, in turn, possibly identify specific targets for disease modifying treatments for epilepsy. Contact for Research Inquiries 600 N. Wolfe Street Meyer 2-147 Baltimore, MD 21287 Phone: (410) 955-9100. Dr. Habela is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are 15q11.2 Microdeletion, Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Epilepsy, and Endovascular Embolization.

Nicholas Maragakis treats patients with motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This care is coordinated with the Johns Hopkins Center for ALS Specialty Care, a multidisciplinary clinic with expertise in treating patients with ALS and providing support to their caregivers. He serves as medical director of the ALS Clinical Trials Unit, an extension of the multidisciplinary clinic that seeks to facilitate opportunities for patients with ALS to participate in clinical trials that could advance the treatment of this disease. Dr. Maragakis is interested in the basic science of understanding neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the translational potential of therapeutic compounds developed in the laboratory. His fundamental research interest is in using stem cells — more specifically, stem cell-derived motor neurons and glia — for understanding the development and propagation of ALS. His laboratory has been involved in creating and characterizing lines of stem cells from patients with ALS using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) methodologies. The laboratory has a large library of iPSCs from patients with familial ALS and from patients with sporadic ALS. The utilization of this library of iPSCs has facilitated the development of a spinal cord-specific iPSC-astrocyte/motor neuron co-culture system, which has been leveraged for the development of assays that can be used for both the basic understanding of ALS astrocyte and motor neuron biology as well as, eventually, drug screening for ALS therapeutics. His laboratory has taken its long-standing interests in astrocyte biology, as it relates to ALS, to develop a program that investigates astrocyte-specific mechanisms as contributors to the progression (both temporally and anatomically) of disease in ALS. In this vein, there is an interest in astrocytic glutamate transporters and, more recently, astrocyte hemichannels and gap junctions. Dr. Maragakis is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, 15q11.2 Microdeletion, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Arens Taga is a neurologist specializing in neuromuscular diseases, with a particular focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases. His clinical work aims to improve the quality of care for patients with ALS through biomarker-based, precision medicine approaches that refine disease stratification and facilitate more targeted and efficient enrollment in clinical trials. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Taga uses patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to model ALS, uncover novel disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets that are translatable to clinical trials. In recognition of his work in ALS, Dr. Taga was awarded the 2025 Richard Olney Clinician Scientist Development Award, which honors early-career physician-scientists dedicated to advancing ALS research. Dr. Taga earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Parma, Italy, where he also completed his neurology residency. He subsequently trained at The Johns Hopkins University, completing a postdoctoral research fellowship in the neuromuscular division, an internal medicine internship, a neurology residency and a neuromuscular clinical fellowship. Dr. Taga is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are 15q11.2 Microdeletion, Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and Cluster Headache.

Nakiya Showell is a Pediatrics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Showell is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Obesity in Children, Jacobsen Syndrome, 15q11.2 Microdeletion, and Distal 18q Deletion Syndrome.

Mihee Bay is a Pediatrics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Bay is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Delayed Growth, Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy, and CHARGE Syndrome.

Dr. Hilary Vernon is a Professor of Genetic Medicine and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also an attending physician at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Hilary Vernon has expertise in treating inborn errors of metabolism and mitochondrial disorders. She is the director of the Mitochondrial Care Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Barth Syndrome Interdisciplinary Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research interests include understanding intermediary metabolism in Barth syndrome and in disorders of branch chain amino acid metabolism. Dr. Vernon also co-directs the Department of Genetic Medicine Clinical Trials Unit, and is the principal investigator on multiple clinical trials for rare diseases. Dr. Vernon received her medical degree and doctorate from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. She completed residencies in genetics and pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University, and a fellowship in clinical laboratory biochemical genetics at The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vernon was recognized with the 2010 Francis F. Schwentker Award for Excellence in Research at Johns Hopkins University and the 2011 James B. Sidbury Jr. Fellowship in Biochemical Genetics at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vernon is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Methylmalonic Acidemia, Propionic Acidemia, Infantile Neutropenia, Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia, and Gastrostomy.

Dr. Lance received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She did residency in general pediatrics at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and additional specialized residency training in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She received additional research training at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has a Ph.D. in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Selected Publications Gipson TT*, Lance EI*, (*co-first authors), Albury RA, Gentner MB, Leppert ML. Disparities in Identification of Comorbid Diagnoses in Children with ADHD. Clin Pediatr 2015 54(4):376-81. Lance EI*, Sreenivasan AK*, (*co-first authors), Zabel TA, Kossof EH, Comi AM. Aspirin Use in Sturge-Weber Syndrome: Side Effects and Clinical Outcomes. J Child Neurol 2013 28(2): 213-218. Lance EI, Casella JF, Everett AD, Barron-Casella E. Proteomic and Biomarker Studies and Neurological Complications of Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease. Proteomics Clin Appl 2014 8(11-12):813-27. Lance EI, Comi AM, Johnston MV, Casella JF, Shapiro, BK. Risk Factors for Attention and Behavioral Issues in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease. Clin Pediatr ahead of print 2015 Jul 6. Lance EI, Dupont BR, Holden KR. Expansion of the Deletion 13q Syndrome Phenotype: A Case Report. J Child Neurol 2007 22(9): 1124-1127. Lance EI, Lanier K, Zabel TA, Comi AM. Stimulant Use in Patients with Sturge-Weber Syndrome: Safety and Efficacy. Ped Neurol 2014 51(5): 675-680. Lance EI, Shapiro BK. Confounding Diagnoses in the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Population: A child with Hearing Loss, Absence Epilepsy, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. J Child Neurol 2013 28(5): 645 – 647. Lance EI, York, JM, Lee LC, Zimmerman, AW. Association between Regression and Self Injury among Children with Autism. Res Dev Disabil 2014 35(2): 408 – 413. Dr. Lance is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Anemia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Distal 18q Deletion Syndrome, and 15q11.2 Microdeletion.

Dr. Couser obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Medical Doctorate from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCU SOM). Dr. Couser’s ophthalmology residency was completed at Howard University where he served as co-chief resident in the last year of his residency. He received fellowship training in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Emory University. Dr. Couser received a master’s degree in biotechnology from the Johns Hopkins University and completed a residency in clinical genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is one of only a few individuals currently board-certified by both the American Board of Ophthalmology and the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics. CV https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/wilmer/documents/cvs/couser-cv Research Summary My primary research focus involves the identification and management of genetic eye diseases including rare inherited disorders affecting the eyes. Research and scholarly activities have been an integral component of my career path. I have been the principal investigator on 10 clinical trial/IRB studies and a co-investigator on others, participated with several committees or advisory panels related to research activities. I have been credited with over 120 book chapter, journal article and abstract publications. In addition, I served as the primary author/sole editor for a textbook titled Ophthalmic Genetic Diseases: A Quick Reference Guide to the Eye and External Ocular Adnexa Abnormalities, 1st Edition, published by Elsevier in 2018, which is one of only a few textbooks published in this subject area. I also served as a grant review panelist for the National Eye Institute Career Development Awards. Selected Publications *Couser NL, Masood MM, Strande NT, Foreman AKM, Crooks K, Weck KE, Lu M, Wilhelmsen KC, Roche M, Evans JP, Berg JS, Powell CM. 2015. The phenotype of multiple congenital anomalies- hypotonia-seizures syndrome 1: Report and review. Am J Med Genet Part A 9999A:1–6 *Couser NL, Lambert SR. Botulinum toxin: A treatment of consecutive esotropia in children. Strabismus 2012; 20(4):158-161 Couser NL, Lenhart PD, Hutchinson AK. Augmented Hummelsheim procedure to treat complete abducens nerve palsy. J AAPOS 2012;16(4):331-5 *Natario L. Couser, Maheer M. Masood, Arthur S. Aylsworth, and Roger E. Stevenson. Ocular manifestations in the X-linked intellectual disability syndromes. Ophthalmic Genet. 2017, Jan 23:1-12 *Couser NL, Brooks BP, Drack AV, Shankar SP. The evolving role of genetics in ophthalmology. Ophthalmic Genet. 2021 Jan 12:1-4. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2020.1868011. Dr. Couser is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Epicanthal Folds, Strabismus, Brown Syndrome, and Hypotonia.

Dr. Barañano earned her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she also completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology, along with a fellowship in neurogenetics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Barañano is an Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology. She specializes in the diagnosis and management of rare neurogenetic disorders. She has a particular interest in the genetic control and function of the cerebellum and expertise in childhood-onset and inherited ataxias. She is a member of the multidisciplinary Fetal Management group and is available for prenatal consultations. Dr. Barañano's research includes collaborative efforts with the Johns Hopkins Department of Genetic Medicine and the Division of Neurogenetics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Baranano is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Hypotonia, Ohdo Syndrome, Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson Variant, Focal or Multifocal Malformations in Neuronal Migration, and Hereditary Ataxia.

Sarah Korth, M.D. is an instructor at the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She serves as an attending physician at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Korth’s interests include neuroplasticity of the developing brain, maximizing mobility, spasticity management, neurogenic bowel and bladder management, and a whole-person approach to management of children and adults with congenital conditions, including cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Dr. Korth’s rehabilitation-focused care aims to help people with congenital and acquired disabilities reach their maximum function. Dr. Korth also has an ongoing interest in methods of decreasing health disparities in developing countries. While in medical school, Dr. Korth initiated and developed a sustainable-changes health program called The Paraiso Project in rural Dominican Republic that she actively continues to direct. Dr. Korth is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Myelomeningocele, Hydrocele, Cerebral Palsy, and Neurogenic Bowel.

Carl E. Stafstrom is a pediatric neurologist, caring for children with epilepsy. Dr. Stafstrom received his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, with residencies at the University of Washington Medical Center and Tufts New England Medical Center, as well as fellowships at Harvard for neurology research and Boston Children’s Hospital in clinical neurophysiology, electroencephalography, and epilepsy. Dr. Stafstrom previously served as Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and Chief of Pediatric Neurology at American Family Children’s Hospital at UW Madison. Dr. Stafstrom is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Epilepsy, Seizures, West Syndrome, Endovascular Embolization, and Deep Brain Stimulation.

Ruth Bissell practices in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Her top areas of expertise are Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and Major Depression. Dr. Bissell is currently accepting new patients.

After completing her bachelors of science degree in biochemistry from the City College of New York (CUNY), Dr. Smith-Hicks entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she obtained her M.D., Ph.D. in 2000. She trained in Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her Neurology and Pediatric Neurology training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2005. Dr. Smith-Hicks trained as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Paul Worley. She joined the faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2010 where she now sees patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Rett Syndrome, while conducting basic science research exploring disorders of learning and memory. Dr. Smith is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Rett Syndrome, Ruvalcaba Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy.

Robert Ursano is a Psychiatrist in Kensington, Maryland. Dr. Ursano is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depression, Traumatic Brain Injury, and 15q11.2 Microdeletion.

Aldo Londino is a Pediatric Otolaryngologist and an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Londino is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Enlarged Adenoids, Laryngomalacia, Otitis, and Stridor.

Lynda Brady is a Pediatrics provider in Maryland Heights, Maryland. Dr. Brady is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Lissencephaly 2, Hydranencephaly, Coach Syndrome, and Lissencephaly 1. Dr. Brady is currently accepting new patients.

Megan Bone is a Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Bone is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Autism Spectrum Disorder, HNRNPH2-Related Disorder, Jacobsen Syndrome, and Distal 18q Deletion Syndrome.

Stephen Cooper is a Pediatrics provider in Princess Anne, Maryland. Dr. Cooper is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Obesity in Children, Asthma in Children, Delayed Growth, and Scarlet Fever. Dr. Cooper is currently accepting new patients.

Ethan Hochheiser is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Hochheiser is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. His top areas of expertise are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Distal 18q Deletion Syndrome, Jacobsen Syndrome, and 15q11.2 Microdeletion.

Dr. Jaqueline Weissman is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Department of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins Hospital and Institute of Genomic Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is also director of the Center for Tuberous Sclerosis and Related Disorder at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She focuses on genetic and epigenetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders - particularly intellectual disability - and how specific genetic and epigenetic changes lead to specific neuroanatomic, neurophysiologic and cognitive phenotypes. She is also interested in developing specific cognitive profiles in genetic syndromes as potential outcome measures for trials and to help localize deficits. Currently most of her research is centered around Kabuki Syndrome. Dr. Weissman received her B.A. with. Dr. Harris is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of 15q11.2 Microdeletion. Her top areas of expertise are Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann Syndrome, Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, Galactosialidosis, and Odontotrichomelic Syndrome.