The 20 Best Cerebral Palsy Doctors in Maryland, US

"Dr. Melissa K. Trovato is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She also is the director of inpatient rehabilitation for the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The unit serves children and adolescents with decreased function due to issues that include brain and spinal-cord injuries, complex medical conditions, orthopedic surgery and chronic pain. She earned her undergraduate degree from Salem College and her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital, as well as a two-year pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She joined the Johns Hopkins and Kennedy Krieger Institute faculties in 2001. Dr. Trovato is a member of the American Association of Physiatrists, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. Contact for Research Inquiries 707 North Broadway Baltimore, MD 21205 Phone: (443) 923-9440 trovato@kennedykrieger.org Selected Publications Kramer ME, Suskauer SJ, Christensen JR, DeMatt EJ, Trovato MK, Salorio CF, Slomine BS. “Examining acute rehabilitation outcomes for children with total functional dependence after traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.” J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2013 Sep-Oct;28(5):361-70. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0b013e31824da031. Trovato MK, Bradley E, Slomine BS, Salorio CF, Christensen JR, Suskauer SJ. “Physical Abilities and Mobility Scale: reliability and validity in children receiving inpatient rehabilitation for acquired brain injury.” Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Jul;94(7):1335-41. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.12.004. Epub 2012 Dec 16. Suskauer SJ, Trovato MK. ""Update on pharmaceutical intervention for disorders of consciousness and agitation after traumatic brain injury in children."" PM&R. 2013 Feb;5(2):142-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.08.021. Tailor YI, Suskauer SJ, Sepeta LN, Ewen JB, Dematt EJ, Trovato MK, Salorio CF, Slomine BS. “Functional status of children with encephalitis in an inpatient rehabilitation setting: a case series.” J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2013;6(3):163-73. doi: 10.3233/PRM-130248. Suskauer SJ, Trovato MK, Zabel TA, Comi AM. “Physiatric findings in individuals with Sturge-Weber syndrome.” Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Apr;89(4):323-30. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e3181ca23a8.". Dr. Trovato is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Moebius Syndrome, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, and Rett Syndrome.

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 Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Myelomeningocele, Hydrocele, Cerebral Palsy, and Neurogenic Bowel.

Dr. Sara Mixter is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise are internal medicine, pediatrics, and primary care for adults with developmental disabilities and other complex childhood-onset conditions. She is the director of the Hopkins PACT (Pediatric-informed Adult Care and Transition) Clinic. Dr. Mixter is also the medical director of the Pediatric Complex Care Collaborative (PC3) for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Dr. Mixter received her A.B. from Harvard College. She earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins as part of the inaugural group of trainees in the Urban Health Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program. Her research interests include transitions of care for adolescents with special healthcare needs and education for residents and medical students, especially in primary care and complex care. Dr. Mixter has served as the Assistant Chief of Service for the Longcope firm of the Osler Medical Housestaff Training Program (2015-16), as well as Assistant Program Director for Ambulatory Education (2014-15). Dr. Mixter is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Gastroparesis, Orbital Cellulitis, and Sickle Cell Disease.

Dr. Nancy Yeh is a pediatric physiatrist and the medical director of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Yeh is also an assistant professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Yeh received a bachelor’s of science degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas and medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwell Health in New York. Following residency, she completed a fellowship in pediatric rehabilitation medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2017 and later that year joined the faculty. Selected Publications Yeh, N., Slomine, B.S., Paasch, V. et al. Rehabilitation in Children with Disorder of Consciousness. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 7, 94–103 (2019). Dr. Yeh is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, Encephalitis, and Recessive Chondrodysplasia Punctata 1.

Dr. R. Samuel Mayer is an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical interests include complications of critical illness, spine disorders, pain management, disorders of muscle tone and cancer rehabilitation. Dr. Mayer serves as the director of cancer rehabilitation, director of undergraduate medical education and residency program director for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He graduated from the honors program in medical education at Northwestern University School of Medicine and completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush Medical College. He was chair of the Committee on Medical Education for the American Medical Student Association while he was a medical student. After completing his residency, he remained on faculty at Rush Medical College, eventually becoming the residency program director and acting chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins in 2001. Dr. Mayer serves as director of the Medical Student Summer Clinical Experience in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Association of Academic Physiatrists. He is Editor in Chief of Knowledge NOW, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation's online encyclopedia of the field. In 2014, he was named Distinguished Clinician by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Mayer is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. His top areas of expertise are Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma (pLGG), Hemiplegia, Miller-Fisher Syndrome, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Katharine Alter is a Pediatrics provider in Largo, Maryland. Dr. Alter is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Spasticity, Cerebral Palsy, Focal Dystonia, Drug Induced Dyskinesia, and Fasciotomy.

Marisa Flavin is a Pediatrics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Flavin is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, Myotonia Congenita, Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, and Rhizotomy.

Heather Riordan is a Pediatric Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Riordan is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Focal Dystonia, Transient Tic Disorder, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, and Rhizotomy.

Dr. Hilary E. Gwynn is an instructor on the medical staff at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine. She teaches medical trainees and provides patient care at the Center for Development and Learning and on the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit. She is also the site coordinator for the Johns Hopkins pediatric resident developmental disabilities rotation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Gwynn earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland in 2000 and completed her pediatrics residency there in 2003. She subsequently joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2003 to attend the fellowship in neurodevelopmental disabilities through the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Since graduation from the fellowship program in 2007, she has been an active member of the medical staff at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She teaches medical trainees and provides patient care at the Center for Development and Learning and on the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit. She is also a member of the clinical staff of the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Contact for Research Inquiries 801 N. Broadway Baltimore, MD 21205 Phone: (443) 923-3246 Research Summary Dr. Gwynn's clinical and research interests include diagnosis and treatment of the child with developmental disability. She is also investigating medical training methodology as it applies to resident and fellow training in the practice of developmental medicine and child neurology. Dr. Gwynn is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Focal Dystonia, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, and Moebius Syndrome.

Laura Black is a Physiatrist and a Pediatrics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Black is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Diplegia Infantile Type, Recessive Chondrodysplasia Punctata 1, and Chondrodysplasia Punctata with Steroid Sulfatase Deficiency.

Dr. Comi graduated from SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and received her training in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo and her child neurology training at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Her clinical specialization is in the treatment of the neurological aspects of Sturge-Weber syndrome and other disorders related to capillary malformation. Dr. Comi's clinical research interests focus on improving the early diagnosis and treatment of brain involvement in Sturge-Weber syndrome in order to prevent ischemic brain injury in affected infants and young children, and on studies to understand what causes Sturge-Weber syndrome. Her laboratory research work deals with the pathogenesis of Sturge-Weber syndrome, recently shown to be caused by a somatic mutation, and on developing new drug targets, screening assays, models and therapeutic strategies for Sturge-Weber syndrome. Her lab group also works on developing better neuroprotective and neuroregenerative responses to brain injury resulting from impaired blood flow to the brain. Dr. Comi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Parkes Weber Syndrome, Stork Bite, Epilepsy in Children, and Endovascular Embolization.

Dr. Albert Recio is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include spinal cord injury, spasticity management, wound healing, paralysis restoration and aquatics medicine. He is a physician in the paralysis restoration program at the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and medical director for the aquatics medicine program there. Dr. Recio received his medical degree from the Perpetual Help College of Medicine in the Philippines. He began internship training there and completed it at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Recio did his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which is associated with Harvard Medical School. He then performed a fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at University of Washington Medical Center. His research interests include functional electrical stimulation, activity-based restoration therapy and electrical stimulation for wound healing. For more than 15 years, Dr. Recio has been a volunteer physician for medical missions in the Republic of the Philippines. He is a member of the American Paraplegia Society, the Association of Academic Physiatrists, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the International Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Recio is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. His top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Neurogenic Bowel, Transverse Myelitis, and Spasticity.

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 Cerebral Palsy. 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.

Dr. Cristina L. Sadowsky is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include spinal cord injury and paralysis restoration. Dr. Sadowsky is also a founder and the clinical director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This program was built on the philosophy that functional restoration is possible for a long time after an injury, utilizing structured medico-rehabilitative interventions through activity-based restorative therapies (ABRT). She serves as a section editor for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports and is a recurrent invited reviewer for several peer-reviewed medical journals and government and privately funded competitive grant awards for spinal cord injury related research. Dr. Sadowsky has organized numerous courses and seminars, and has been invited to lecture in different universities and at national and international meetings, such as the American Academy of PM&R, American Spinal Cord Injury Association, International Spinal Cord Society and many more. She has published several manuscripts in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals and chapters in prominent specialty books. Dr. Sadowsky is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), Spasticity, Neurogenic Bowel, and Osteotomy.

Dr. Stephen D. Sisson is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Sisson’s area of clinical expertise is internal medicine. He serves as vice president of clinical operations for the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians, and as director of the Johns Hopkins Physician Education and Assessment Center (PEAC). He is the Philip A. Tumulty Professor of Medicine. Dr. Sisson holds a B.S. in chemistry from Duke University. He earned his M.D. (Alpha Omega Alpha, with research honors) at Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Johns Hopkins, serving as assistant chief of service for the Barker Firm. He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1996. He served for 15 years as the associate director of the Osler Medical Housestaff Training Program. His research interests include community outreach, medical education and ambulatory care. This provider is registered with the Florida Department of Health to perform telehealth services for patients in Florida. Dr. Sisson is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. His top areas of expertise are COVID-19, Cerebral Palsy, Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia, and Hypereosinophilic Syndrome.

Dr. Philippines Cabahug is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Cabahug completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins and got her clinical fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), where she joined the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury as a full-time physician. Dr. Cabahug has worked on several publications regarding Lean Six Sigma Quality Improvement Project focused on improving discharge paperwork. She is also an online contributor to “PM&R Knowledge Now,” the online resource of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Cabahug is the director of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSK-US) at KKI. She runs two MSK-US clinics at KKI: a musculoskeletal diagnostic clinic and an ultrasound-guided intrathecal pump access clinic. Dr. Cabahug is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Spasticity, Opisthotonos, and Muscle Spasms.

Dr. Tracy Friedlander is a clinical associate specializing in neurological rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Her focus is on helping patients manage spasticity (a muscle control disorder) through a variety of treatment approaches. Dr. Friedlander graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She interned at Mercy Medical Center and completed her residence in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Videos Dr. Tracy FriedlanderNeurological Rehabilitation Selected Publications Henrikson CA , Howell EE , Bush DE , Miles JS , Meininger GR , Friedlander T , Bushnell AC , Chandra-Strobos N. Prognostic usefulness of marginal troponin T elevation. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2004 Feb; 93(3): 275-279. Henrikson CA , Howell EE , Bush DE , Miles JS, Meininger GR , Friedlander T , Bushnell AC , Chandra-Strobos N. Chest pain relief by nitroglycerin does not predict active coronary artery disease. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2003 Dec; 139(12): 979-986 Courses & Syllabi Inpatient Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injury, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Friedlander is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Hemiplegia, Miller-Fisher Syndrome, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and Spasticity.

I am a pediatric neurologist with expertise in epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG). My clinical and research interests include genetics of epilepsy, medical management of patients with intractable epilepsy and presurgical evaluation of patients who are candidates for epilepsy surgery. Dr. Gupta is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. His top areas of expertise are Benign Rolandic Epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), Seizures, and Memory Loss.

Dr. Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez is a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She specializes in rehabilitation after amputation, neurorehabilitation, prosthetics, orthotics, and the treatment of swallowing disorders and speech and language disorders after stroke. Dr. Gonzalez-Fernandez received her medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. She completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and a PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Association of Academic Physiatrists, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Dysphagia Research Society. Dr. Fernandez is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Foot Drop, Stroke, Phantom Limb Pain, Leg or Foot Amputation, and Gastrostomy.

Catherine Chu is the director of the Division of Pediatric Neurology and the John M. Freeman Pediatric Epilepsy Center in the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, as well as the vice president of child neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. As a child neurologist, epileptologist and clinical neurophysiologist, Dr. Chu cares for children diagnosed with epilepsy and disorders of the nervous system (neurophysiology). She specializes in electroencephalogram (also known as EEG) analysis, seizure localization, surgical planning and neuromodulation for adult and pediatric patients with difficult to control epilepsy. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her work identifying causes of and treatment options for cognitive dysfunction and seizures in epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Chu’s team specializes in identifying and developing tools to detect and understand brain rhythms that support complex cognitive functions throughout development, including how these rhythms are disrupted by seizures and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Chu earned her medical degree and a master’s degree in social anthropology from Harvard University. She completed an internship in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, and then a residency in neurology and child neurology at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After completing two fellowships at Massachusetts General, one in epilepsy and another in clinical neurophysiology, Dr. Chu earned a master’s degree in medical science, focused on clinical investigation, from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chu is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy. Her top areas of expertise are Benign Rolandic Epilepsy, Epilepsy in Children, Seizures, and Epilepsy.