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 Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Epicanthal Folds, Strabismus, Brown Syndrome, and Hypotonia.

Jennifer Chu is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Chu is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Spinal Tumor, Hemangioblastoma, Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors (DNET), and Deep Brain Stimulation.

Jason Shen is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Shen is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors (DNET), Brain Stem Cancer, and Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET).

Reza Kanani is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Kanani is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Spinal Tumor, Brain Stem Cancer, and Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors (DNET).

Jonathan Johnson is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Johnson is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Hemangioblastoma, Spinal Tumor, and Subependymoma.

Evgeny Tsimerinov is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Tsimerinov is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors (DNET), Invertebral Disc Disease, and Brain Stem Cancer.

Ankit Nayyar is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Nayyar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cervical Myelopathy, Spinal Tumor, Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors (DNET), and Brain Stem Cancer.

Jennifer Klein is a Pediatrics specialist and an Emergency Medicine provider in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Klein is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Croup, Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis, Arteriovenous Malformation, and Rasmussen Encephalitis. Dr. Klein is currently accepting new patients.

Javier Quant-Gonzalez is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Quant-Gonzalez is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Cellulitis, Hypothyroidism, Obesity in Children, and Dementia.

Ngozi Agwuna is an Adolescent Medicine specialist and a Pediatrics provider in Ellicott City, Maryland. Dr. Agwuna is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Hypochondroplasia, Painful Menstrual Periods, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Roseola. Dr. Agwuna is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Julie Hoover-Fong is a Professor of Genetic Medicine and Pediatrics and Director of the Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasias at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Hoover-Fong holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition from The Ohio State University, where she also completed her medical degree. She received her Ph.D. in the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Hoover-Fong completed a pediatric internship and residency at Washington University in St. Louis and a fellowship in medical genetics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She joined the Johns Hopkins University faculty in 2002 and progressed to Professor of Genetic Medicine and Pediatrics in 2019. She practices and oversees the clinical operations, research and educational ventures for the patients, families and healthcare providers served by the Greenberg Center. Her clinical team develops and improves diagnostic and treatment guidelines for comprehensive care of patients with all types of bone conditions including dwarfism, orofacial clefting, craniosynostosis and more. Dr. Hoover-Fong also mentors and teaches medical students, residents and genetic medicine trainees. As an active clinical researcher, Dr. Hoover-Fong is the Principal Investigator of multiple global clinical trials for achondroplasia, the first multi-center, investigator-initiated natural history study for achondroplasia, and multiple clinical studies for patients with orofacial clefting, hypophosphatasia and other conditions. She is also a co-investigator on the ELSI and Phenotype Review Committees for the Mendel Project, a whole exome sequencing venture to identify the genetic cause of Mendelian conditions. From an institutional service perspective, Dr. Hoover-Fong serves on the Johns Hopkins Associate Professor Promotions Committee and the Advisory Committee for the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation. She serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the Little People of America, is a member of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence at Johns Hopkins University and is a charter member of the International Skeletal Dysplasia Management Consortium, publishing best practice guidelines for patients with skeletal dysplasias. Dr. Hoover is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Achondroplasia, Rhizomelic Syndrome, Spondyloepimetaphyseal Dysplasia Strudwick Type, Adenoidectomy, and Myringotomy.

Mari Groves is a Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon who cares for children with brain and spinal cord tumors (benign and cancerous), skeletal dysplasia, and spinal deformities such as neuromuscular and early scoliosis. She also sees patients diagnosed with Chiari malformations, spasticity and epilepsy. She specializes in treating patients with all types of spina bifida, including myelomeningocele. As part of the Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, she is an expert in prenatal closure techniques such as minimally invasive fetoscopic repair of myelomeningocele (when the spina bifida defect is repaired before birth). Offering a transitional practice model of care, she follows patients diagnosed with spina bifida from birth to adulthood. Dr. Groves chose to pursue neurosurgery because it allows her to treat patients with complex conditions and help improve the quality of children’s lives. Her research interests focus on pediatric spinal disease and how surgical intervention can impact growth and neurological function during a child’s life. She is committed to building programs that support patients with congenital disorders as they age. Pediatric patients often age out of existing programs and have difficulty locating physicians and treating teams that understand their conditions. At Johns Hopkins, we have a unique ability to provide this type of comprehensive care. Dr. Groves earned her medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2007. She completed residency training in 2014 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she remained for a neurosurgery fellowship, which she finished in 2015. She also completed a spinal deformity fellowship at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia. Dr. Groves is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Spinal Tumor, Myelomeningocele, Tethered Cord Syndrome, Osteotomy, and Laminectomy.

Dr. Angie Jelin is the assistant director of prenatal genetics at the Prenatal Diagnostic Center in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and an assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Her areas of clinical expertise include prenatal genetic counseling, fetal imaging, chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, with a focus on fetal complications in pregnancy. Dr. Jelin earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She did her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, and then remained there to complete a maternal-fetal medicine and genetics fellowship. In 2015, Dr. Jelin joined the Johns Hopkins faculty, at which time she also received a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health grant to study fetal genetic disorders. Dr. Jelin’s research involves fetal imaging and genetic diagnoses, including whole exome sequencing. Dr. Jelin is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis. She currently serves on the IRB committee of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Jelin has published many articles in obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine journals. Dr. Jelin is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Polyhydramnios, Bilateral Renal Agenesis Dominant Type, Lung Agenesis, and Atresia of Small Intestine.

Pediatric otolaryngologist David Tunkel specializes in the treatment of airway disorders in children, including obstructive sleep apnea, congenital or acquired abnormalities of the larynx and trachea, and infections of the upper airway, as well as common infections of the ears, nose and throat. He also treats children who need surgery for chronic otitis media, conductive hearing loss and cholesteatoma, and is nationally known for treating children with special needs, including those with cleft palate, Down syndrome, short-stature skeletal dysplasias and neuromotor diseases. A leader in developing evidence-based guidelines to provide optimal care for children with ear, nose and throat diseases, Dr. Tunkel has conducted research that showed the success of new methods of subtotal tonsillectomy in treating sleep-disordered breathing, with improved recovery for many children. Dr. Tunkel earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he remained for residency training in otolaryngology. He completed fellowship training in pediatric otolaryngology at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and served as the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins for 30 years. He is chair of the Guideline Taskforce for the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and was the lead developer for guidelines on tinnitus and nosebleed management. In addition, he is an editorial board member for JAMA Otolaryngology. Dr. Tunkel has served as chair of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and was the chairperson of the otolaryngology section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been a board member for the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, and has participated in clinical practice guideline development for major national organizations, recently serving on committees for acute otitis media and the use of tympanostomy tubes. Dr. Tunkel has been recognized by Baltimore magazine as a “Top Doctor,” and has received various accolades, including honor awards from the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Tunkel is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Tongue Tie, Otitis Media with Effusion, Otitis, Myringotomy, and Adenoidectomy.

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 Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Gastroparesis, Orbital Cellulitis, and Sickle Cell Disease.

Dr. Mark Luciano is the director of the Johns Hopkins Hydrocephalus and Cerebral Fluid Center. A renowned leader in treating hydrocephalus, Dr. Luciano is distinguished both nationally and internationally for his research and educational and clinical work in neuroendoscopy. Dr. Luciano treats adults with hydrocephalus, pseudotumor cerebri, intracranial hypotension, Chiari malformations, and cerebral and spinal cysts. He has significant expertise treating children and adults with cerebrospinal fluid leaks and congenital disorders. Among his accomplishments in neuroscience research and biomedical engineering are his investigation of the cerebrovascular response to hydrocephalus and the invention of a unique device for control of intracranial pressure (ICP) pulsatility to increase blood flow. His National Institutes of Health-funded studies have explored prolonged compression and hypoxia in the brain as a result of hydrocephalus, as well as the interaction between cerebrospinal fluid and vascular systems. Dr. Luciano is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Increased Intracranial Pressure, Posterior Fossa Decompression, and Gastrostomy.

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

Shawn Standard is an Orthopedics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Standard is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Congenital Femoral Deficiency, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD), Achondroplasia, Absence of Tibia, and Osteotomy. Dr. Standard is currently accepting new patients.

Arash Foroughi is a Neurologist in Randallstown, Maryland. Dr. Foroughi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Seizures, Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure, Memory Loss, Epilepsy, and Gastrostomy.

Perry Foreman is a Neurologist in Randallstown, Maryland. Dr. Foreman is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypochondroplasia. His top areas of expertise are Seizures, Partial Familial Epilepsy, Partial Seizure, Memory Loss, and Gastrostomy.