Dr. Brian Matlaga is a Professor of Urology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and also is the Director of the Stephens Center for Stone Disease as well as the Executive Vice Chair of the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute. Dr. Matlaga is an internationally recognized expert in the medical and surgical management of patients with urinary stone disease. A frequent contributor to the medical press, with over 180 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Matlaga’s research has received national and international awards. Dr. Matlaga sits on numerous editorial boards as well as advisory committees and guidelines panels for the American Urological Association, the American Board of Urology, the Endourological Society, and the National Institutes of Health, amongst others. Dr. Matlaga serves as Executive Medical Director of Clinical Affairs for Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the arm of Johns Hopkins Medicine that manages its global presence. In this capacity, he delivers clinical care as well as project leadership across the globe. Dr. Matlaga is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Kidney Stones, Bladder Stones, Boils, Ureteroscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Gastroenterologist Mouen Khashab specializes in therapeutic endoscopy, and he oversees this group of practitioners across the Johns Hopkins enterprise. Nationally and internationally known in the field of interventional endoscopy, Dr. Khashab has contributed immensely to the field’s advancement as a minimally invasive means to treat gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary disorders. Dr. Khashab earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine, and subsequently completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at Indiana University. He then completed a two-year fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital before joining the faculty in 2011. A busy researcher, Dr. Khashab has published more than 600 papers in peer-reviewed journals. In 2013, he described the procedure called gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (known as G-POEM) and was able to disseminate and teach it all over the world. Other procedures that he expanded include peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), peroral endoscopic myotomy with fundoplication (POEM-F), Zenker’s peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM) and full thickness resection. In 2022, he received the Master Endoscopist Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for his numerous contributions to the field. His procedural expertise includes endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), interventional EUS, submucosal endoscopy, POEM/achalasia, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection, luminal stenting, large polyp resection and Barrett’s therapy, among others. Dr. Khashab is involved with multiple gastrointestinal societies and has served on many committees, including the ASGE Standards of Practice Committee, which is in charge of formulating guidelines for the practice of endoscopy. He has also served as an associate editor for the journal Endoscopy, a premier journal in the field. Khashab is a highly sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, and he has participated in multiple live endoscopy conferences. Outside of academic medicine, Dr. Khashab is an entrepreneur. His major interest is in new technology and medical devices, and his goal is to disrupt the field by introducing technology that makes endoscopic procedures safer, easier, efficient and more scalable. Dr. Khashab is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Bile Duct Obstruction, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

Ronald Sroka is a primary care provider, practicing in Family Medicine in Crofton, Maryland. Dr. Sroka is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Varicose Veins, Acute Intermittent Porphyria, Warts, Lithotripsy, and Ureteroscopy.

Julio Davalos is an Urologist in Fulton, Maryland. Dr. Davalos is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Kidney Stones, Perirenal Abscess, Carbuncle, Ureteroscopy, and Lithotripsy. Dr. Davalos is currently accepting new patients.

Jian Li is a Holistic Medicine provider in Rockville, Maryland. Ms. Li is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. Her top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Febrile Neutropenia, Trichinosis, Endoscopy, and Bone Graft.

Jing Liu is a Holistic Medicine provider in Rockville, Maryland. Ms. Liu is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. Her top areas of expertise are Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), Menopause, Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP), Endoscopy, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Ms. Liu is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Akshintala received his medical degree from the Andhra Medical College in India in 2011. Following this, he completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he established himself as a dedicated researcher. Dr. Akshintala completed his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2016. He completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2019. Dr. Akshintala then completed additional fellowships in Advanced Endoscopy and Medical Pancreatology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2021. As of July 1, 2021, Dr. Akshintala is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Akshintala’s research is focused on the medical as well as endoscopic evaluation and treatment of inflammatory disorders of the pancreas. He is also interested in developing new devices and technologies for the care of patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Akshintala has conducted multi-national randomized-controlled trials and has won numerous awards at major national and international conferences for his research. He also has authored more than 60 original articles, editorials, book chapters and review articles. Dr. Akshintala has received grant funding from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Maryland State to support his research. As an innovator, Dr. Akshintala has patented new therapies for gastrointestinal bleeding and pancreas necrosis, a complication of acute pancreatitis. An internationally recognized researcher conducting multi-national clinical trials, Dr. Akshintala holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor position at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in India, one of the largest gastroenterology hospitals in the world. Dr. Akshintala is a Ph.D. candidate with the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group in the Netherlands, who have been pioneered landmark clinical trials related to pancreatitis. Dr. Akshintala offers in-person clinic visits at the Baltimore location and also provides telemedicine visits for patients located in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Dr. Akshintala is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, Endoscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Ahmed Ghazi is an associate professor of urology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the Director of Surgical Simulation Training and the Division of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery within the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute. Dr. Ghazi specializes in urologic surgical oncology using the latest techniques of minimally invasive surgery for prostate, kidney, bladder, ureteral and other genitourinary organ cancers. He also as specializes in minimal invasive treatment of complex stones of the urinary tract. Dr. Ghazi is a pioneer in the field of patient-specific surgical simulation, which has applications for training future surgeons as well as improving outcomes for patients through individualized modeling. When planning for a complex surgery, Dr. Ghazi constructs 3D models of the patient’s anatomy in order to plan and rehearse surgery prior to the actual surgery. These models span from digital renderings to tangible models used to practice the critical components of your surgery. Dr. Ghazi received his medical degree from Cairo University in Egypt in 2000, where he also completed his surgery training and urology residency. From there, Dr. Ghazi completed a laparoscopic fellowship in Paris, France in 2008, followed by a second laparoscopic fellowship in Austria in 2009. While practicing in Europe, Dr. Ghazi was accepted to the European Board of Urology. Dr. Ghazi continued his training at the University of Rochester, New York through a two-year fellowship in the robotic treatment of various urologic cancers. He then joined the staff at the urology department of University of Rochester in 2012 where he continued to practice until joining Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Ghazi believes in a reciprocal relationship between innovation, surgery & research where each informs and strengthens the others. He strives to adopt innovative surgical technologies that are evidence-based, benefit his patients and translate directly to improved patient outcomes. Dr. Ghazi is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Prostate Cancer, Kidney Stones, Boils, Prostatectomy, and Nephrectomy.

Arun Rai, M.D., M.B.A., M.S., is a urologist who specializes in minimally invasive surgery and endourology and has extensive training to treat patients with adrenal cancer, kidney cancer, ureteral cancer and prostate cancer. In addition, he also specializes in treating patients with BPH, kidney stones and bladder stones. Dr. Rai earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees through the highly selective seven-year accelerated medical education program at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Rai went on to complete a general surgery internship at Baylor College of Medicine, where he then also completed his urology residency. Dr. Rai continued his training at the Northwell Health’s Smith Institute for Urology by completing a fellowship in Endourology and Minimally Invasive Surgery. During this time, he also received a dual MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Cornell University. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Rai serves as Clinical Director for the Brady Urological Institute's Quantitative Data Sciences division. His research focuses on developing the next generation of surgical technology, focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning for optimizing clinical care. He strongly believes that surgeons should have an active role in the development of the next generation of tools for the optimal treatment of patients. He has authored several publications, with topics including patient safety in the operating room, long-term outcomes of subcapsular renal hematoma, pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction and featured in journals such as Urology and the Journal of Endourology. Dr. Rai is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Kidney Stones, Horseshoe Kidney, Boils, Ureteroscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Vikesh Singh is a gastroenterologist who specializes in pancreatology and pancreaticobiliary endoscopy. He evaluates and treats patients with inflammatory diseases of the pancreas, including acute and chronic pancreatitis and autoimmune pancreatitis as well as the complications of these diseases. After earning his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Singh remained at Johns Hopkins to complete residency training in internal medicine. He pursued fellowship training in gastroenterology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and earned a master’s degree in epidemiology from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He then returned to Johns Hopkins, where he completed a two-year advanced endoscopy fellowship with a focus on pancreaticobiliary endoscopy. Dr. Singh has been on the faculty at Johns Hopkins since 2008, and rose to the rank of professor in 2021. His research interests include acute and chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and novel methods to evaluate and treat abdominal pain. Dr. Singh is a member of the board of directors of the National Pancreas Foundation, chair of the Pancreatic Disorders Section of the American Gastroenterological Association, a councilor for the International Association of Pancreatology and a member of the inaugural medical advisory board for the Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome Foundation. Dr. Singh is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Pancreatectomy, and Endoscopy.

Anup Shah is an Urologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Shah is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Kidney Stones, Perirenal Abscess, Carbuncle, Lithotripsy, and Ureteroscopy. Dr. Shah is currently accepting new patients.

Xin Chen is a Holistic Medicine provider in Frederick, Maryland. Mr. Chen is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Periodontitis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Microtia, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Endoscopy.

Gastroenterologist Saowanee Ngamruengphong specializes in the endoscopic diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal malignancies, premalignant and malignant lesions in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., early gastric cancer, Barrett's esophagus-associated neoplasia), esophageal cancer, colon polyps or early colorectal cancer, and pancreatic and biliary disease. Dr. Ngamruengphong earned a medical degree from Chulalongkorn University and completed residency training at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She undertook fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education and further fellowship training in therapeutic endoscopy at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her research interests include endoscopic resection and the management of precancerous or cancerous gastrointestinal lesions. Dr. Ngamruengphong is a member of several professional organizations, including the Thai Medical Council, the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. Videos Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) — Eileen’s Story Recent News Articles and Media Coverage A Rare, Stomach-Saving Endoscopic Procedure, Inside Tract (Spring 2021) Case Presentation: ESD-TAMIS, Inside Tract (Spring 2019) Innovative Approaches to Colorectal Surgery Benefit Patients, Surgery (Winter 2019) For Colorectal Polyps: Early Detection and Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Resection, Inside Tract (Winter, 2019) The Cutting Edge of Endoscopic Resection, Inside Tract (Spring, 2017) Stomach Cancer: Know Your Risks & Treatment Options, Johns Hopkins Surgery (4/26/2017). Dr. Ngamruengphong is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. Her top areas of expertise are Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Stomach Cancer, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

Aloke Finn is an Interventional Cardiologist and a Cardiologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Finn is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Atherosclerosis, Coronary Heart Disease, Pulmonary Hypertension, Angioplasty, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).

Lucas Nikkel, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. He has experience in treating people who have severe hip and knee arthritis, fractures and related conditions, as well as in performing a variety of joint replacement and reconstruction procedures. He is especially skilled in the minimally invasive anterior hip replacement approach. Dr. Nikkel attended Dartmouth College, and obtained his medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and continued his training with a fellowship in adult reconstruction surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Before joining Johns Hopkins, he worked as an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Penn State College of Medicine for four years. During his training, Dr. Nikkel gained experience as a team physician for several high school and college sports teams, including hockey, soccer and football. He has received multiple awards, including a Merck Award for Academic Excellence and the Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Dr. Nikkel’s research interests include approaches to hip and knee replacement, hip fracture management and outcomes, and fracture risk assessments. He co-authored numerous research publications on these topics, and has received awards for presenting his findings at national conferences. Dr. Nikkel is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Videos Lucas Nikkel, M.D., Biography Hip Replacement Surgery Knee Replacement Surgery Knee Arthritis Treatment Options. Dr. Nikkel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Osteoarthritis, Infectious Arthritis, Hip Replacement, and Lithotripsy.

Dr. Elham Afghani is an assistant professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She joins us from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She received her medical degree from University of California, Irvine. She completed her internal medicine residency as well as an extra year as chief resident at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center. She then completed her gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship with additional training in pancreatic diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. With a unique specialization in pancreatic disease, she has participated in numerous research projects at the Cedars Sinai division of pancreatico-biliary diseases and was involved in a U01 Consortium for the study of chronic pancreatitis, diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Dr. Afghani’s areas of expertise include acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cysts and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. She is an accomplished researcher with multiple publications in prestigious peer-reviewed journals as well as presentations at national meetings. Dr. Afghani is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. Her top areas of expertise are Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, Endoscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Nirmish Singla is an Oncologist in Lutherville, Maryland. Dr. Singla is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC), Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), Urothelial Cancer, Nephrectomy, and Orchiectomy.

Arvin K. George, MD, is a urologic surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and management of genitourinary cancers, with particular sub-specialization in kidney and prostate cancers. His clinical interests and expertise are in image-guided therapeutics, and minimally-invasive ablative/surgical techniques for prostate and kidney cancer. These include laparoscopic and robotic surgery, in addition to cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation, nanoparticle directed laser ablation, laser interstitial thermal therapy, and bipolar radiofrequency ablation. Dr. George obtained his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, followed by a urology residency at the Smith Institute for Urology, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. He remained to complete his endourology/minimally-invasive and robotic surgery fellowship in New York gaining additional subspecialty expertise in robotic, laparoscopic, and percutaneous surgery. Subsequently, he completed a urologic oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. He then joined the clinical facility at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he directed the Prostate Cancer Programs from 2019 through 2023. Dr. George participates extensively in the discovery of urologic science and evaluation of urologic care and has co-authored over 80 peer reviewed publications. Additionally, he has authored 11 chapters in medical education books. Dr. George sees patients in clinic throughout the Baltimore region and also is available for virtual appointments for patients in Maryland, Washington D.C., New York and Michigan. Dr. George is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Prostate Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), Familial Prostate Cancer, Prostatectomy, and Nephrectomy.

Dr. Andrew J. Cohen is an Associate Professor of Urology at Johns Hopkins. He serves as the Division Director of Benign Urology and Director of Advanced Practice Providers at the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute. He has a robust clinical practice focusing on complex genitourinary reconstruction. In particular, he has interest in the management of erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, stricture diseases of the urinary system, peyronie's disease, genital skin conditions, buried penis, urinary diversion, and other benign urologic conditions. He has extensive experience in robotic surgery. He also focuses on issues pertinent to cancer survivorship in men. He is well equipped to perform novel minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic urethroplasty and robotic buccal ureteroplasty. He has an extensive research portfolio, with particular concentration in outcomes and safety research. Dr. Cohen received dual B.S. degrees summa cum laude from the University of Florida in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, followed by an MD from the University of Chicago where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. His urologic training was pursued at the University of Chicago. Furthermore, he completed a fellowship in Genitourinary Reconstruction and Trauma at the University of California, San Francisco. Among many honors, he was invited to join the Trauma and Urologic Reconstructive Network of Surgeons in 2025. He was a also a recipient of the 'Rising Star' Award from the Society of Genitouinary Reconstructive Surgeons in 2025. Dr. Cohen is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Urethral Stricture, Hydronephrosis, Obstructive Uropathy, Prostatectomy, and Lithotripsy.

Adam Kern is an Urologist in Annapolis, Maryland. Dr. Kern is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Lithotripsy. His top areas of expertise are Undescended Testicle, Meatal Stenosis, Hypospadias, Lithotripsy, and Reconstructive Urology Surgery.