The 20 Best Liver Transplant Doctors in Maryland, US

Dr. Cameron is the director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Cameron was born at Johns Hopkins and raised in Baltimore. He attended Harvard College and returned to Johns Hopkins where he obtained his M.D.. and Ph.D. degrees. His surgical training was spent at the Massachusetts General Hospital and then at UCLA for Liver Transplantation. He returned to Hopkins as Head of the Liver Transplant Program in 2006. His laboratory studies stem cells and the liver to promote drug-free transplantation and other pursuits include the use of social media to increase organ donation. He is married to Lisa, a lawyer, and has two children, Charlotte and John. Dr. Cameron is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Liver Failure, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Dr. Benjamin Philosophe is the surgical director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center. He also serves as the lead transplant surgeon at Sibley Memorial Hospital’s Hepatology Multidisciplinary Center. Dr. Philosophe was the first physician to perform robotic total right and total left hepatic resections in the state of Maryland. He has expanded the application of minimally invasive surgical approaches to other hepatobiliary diseases and has improved outcomes and reduced effects of surgery on these patients. Dr. Philosophe practices out of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., as well as Johns Hopkins Community Physician locations in Bethesda, Md. and Lutherville, Md. He is also affiliated with Suburban Hospital and Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center. Dr. Philosophe has a wide range of expertise, including cirrhosis; hepatic surgery, hepatitis, hepatobiliary conditions and surgeries; biliary tract surgery and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery; laparoscopic surgeries; vascular surgery; and robotic surgeries. He also has an expertise in various kinds of transplant surgeries, such as kidney, live donor liver, liver and pancreas, as well as various kinds of cancer, such as bile duct, gallbladder, hepatocellular, liver and pancreatic. Dr. Philosophe earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, followed by a liver transplantation fellowship at the University of Toronto. Dr. Philosophe also completed a transplant surgery fellowship at the University of Maryland, where he went on to work as a professor of surgery and the head of liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery. Dr. Philosophe is a member of the American Board of Surgery, the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the Transplantation Society and the International Liver Transplantation Society. He has earned a Super Doctors Award in general surgery from the Washington Post Magazine, as well as a Top Doctor Award for hepatobiliary surgery and transplant specialists from Baltimore Magazine. Dr. Philosophe has also been repeatedly named one of America’s Top Doctors and one of America’s Top Doctors for Cancer by Castle Connolly. Dr. Philosophe has contributed to numerous publications and presentations. His research interests include uncovering the mechanisms that contribute to transplant rejection and determining characteristics that can be used to better predict donor organ function. He has completed pioneering work in developing a scoring system called the Maryland Aggregate Pathology Index (MAPI), which is used by transplant surgeons worldwide to assess the likelihood of a deceased donor’s kidney function after transplantation. MAPI has increased the utilization of donor kidneys and saved many lives. Dr. Philosophe is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Liver Failure, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dr. Gurakar joined Johns Hopkins from the Nazih Zuhdi Transplantation Institute at the Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, where he was the chief of Hepatology Research and the program director of the Liver Transplantation Medicine/ Hepatology Fellowship. He served at various capacities in the Liver Medicine Section, since its first establishment in 1993. Dr. Gurakar's clinical interests include pre and post-transplant, clinical and endoscopic management of liver diseases and viral hepatitis. His research interests include bioartificial liver dialysis systems and application of total plasma exchange in the treatment of liver disorders. Dr. Gurakar is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Liver Failure, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dorry Segev is a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Segev is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Liver Failure, Hyperparathyroidism, Kidney Transplant, and Liver Transplant.

Chandra Bhati is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Bhati is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Bhati is currently accepting new patients.

Daniel Maluf is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Maluf is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatic Ischemia, Hepatitis C, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Maluf is currently accepting new patients.

Alexandra (Aly) Strauss is a transplant hepatologist who treats patients with acute and chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Dr. Strauss completed medical school at the University of South Florida (USF), where she continued for internal medicine residency training and served as chief resident. She then went to The Johns Hopkins University for fellowship training in gastroenterology, followed by a fellowship in transplant hepatology. Her research training began when she completed a master’s degree in industrial/systems engineering at USF. Later, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she earned her Ph.D. in clinical investigation. Dr. Strauss’s research focus is on the use of systems engineering and data science to improve access to liver transplantation. She serves as core faculty in the Johns Hopkins University Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and is a faculty member in the Center for Data Science in Emergency Medicine. Recent News Articles and Media Coverage What Does AI Mean for GI, What does AI mean for GI? - American Gastroenterological Association (07/03/2023) Selected Publications Vong, Tyrus, Nicholas Rizer, Vedant Jain, Valerie L. Thompson, Mark Dredze, Eili Y. Klein, Jeremiah S. Hinson, et al. “Automated Identification of Incidental Hepatic Steatosis on Emergency Department Imaging Using Large Language Models.” Hepatology Communications 9, no. 3 (March 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1097/HC9.0000000000000638. Mankowski, Michal A., Sunjae Bae, Alexandra T. Strauss, Bonnie E. Lonze, Babak J. Orandi, Darren Stewart, Allan B. Massie, et al. “Generalizability of Kidney Transplant Data in Electronic Health Records - The Epic Cosmos Database vs the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.” American Journal of Transplantation: Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, November 15, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2024.11.008. Xu, Jingzhi, Michal Mankowski, Karen B. Vanterpool, Alexandra T. Strauss, Bonnie E. Lonze, Babak J. Orandi, Darren Stewart, et al. “Trials and Tribulations: Responses of ChatGPT to Patient Questions about Kidney Transplantation.” Transplantation 109, no. 3 (March 1, 2025): 399–402. https://doi.org/10.1097/TP.0000000000005261. Strauss AT, Morgan C, El Khuri C, Slogeris B, Smith AG, Klein E, Toerper M, Peterson S, Gurses AP, DeAngelo A, Debraine, A, Levin S, Hinson J. Human-centered design and usability evaluation of LOOP, a patient outcomes-driven feedback platform for emergency medicine clinicians. JMIR Human Factors. 2022;9(1):e30130; *corresponding author. Strauss AT, Yeh J, Martinez D, Yanokyan G, Yoder J, Nehra R, Feller T, Bull-Henry K, Stein E, Hsu L, Al-Grain H, Zabko C, Fain C. A patient-centered framework for health systems engineering in gastroenterology: improving inpatient colonoscopy bowel preparation. BMC Gastroenterol. 2021;21(1):89;. Dr. Strauss is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Dr. Russell Wesson is the Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation and a liver and kidney transplant surgeon at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include Liver, Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, Hepatobiliary surgery, Living Liver and Kidney donation and Transplantation for Colorectal Metastasis. Dr. Wesson completed his General Surgery Residency in 2016 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was an intern at Johns Hopkins in 2009 after receiving his medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. After his residency, Dr. Wesson completed the American Society of Transplant Surgery accredited Fellowship in Abdominal Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at Johns Hopkins. He continued on faculty within the division of transplant surgery. Dr. Wesson's academic and research focuses on basic and translational research within the context of liver and kidney transplantation and organ injury. He is active as a principle investigator on multiple clinical trials investigating novel immunosuppressive agents. He is a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgery as well as the American Transplantation Society. Dr. Wesson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Hepatitis, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dr. Po-Hung (Victor) Chen is a transplant hepatology and addiction medicine physician. He is jointly appointed by the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Division of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Chen's clinical focus is to care for patients with general or transplant-related liver conditions, including alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver diseases, hemochromatosis, and other diagnoses. He directed the creation of a Johns Hopkins Medicine informational webpage on ALD. He is also a frequent consultant for other Johns Hopkins clinicians regarding inquiries about ALD, including biomarker interpretation, acute hepatitis management, and addiction treatment delivery. Dr. Chen is a member of multiple professional medical and public health organizations (see below). He is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Chen is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Saleh Alqahtani is a Gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Alqahtani is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Obesity, Hepatitis, Liver Transplant, and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery.

Paul Thuluvath is a Gastroenterologist in Lutherville, Maryland. Dr. Thuluvath is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Raphael Meier is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Meier is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Rhizarthrosis, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Meier is currently accepting new patients.

Hepatologist Merve Gurakar specializes in liver disease, and treats patients who have portal hypertension. Dr. Gurakar earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and completed internal medicine residency training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She remained at Johns Hopkins for fellowship training in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. Her research interests include portal hypertension, endo-hepatology and global health. Dr. Gurakar is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Acute Pancreatitis, Hereditary Pancreatitis, Pancreas Divisum, Liver Transplant, and Aneurysm Repair.

Dr. Woreta joins Johns Hopkins from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where she was the interim chief of the division of gastroenterology. Specializing in acute and chronic liver diseases, she sees patients with viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and those in need of cirrhosis liver transplantation. Dr. Woreta has authored several publications and chapters. Dr. Woreta is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Tokunbo Ajayi is a Hospital Medicine provider in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Ajayi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Boils, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, Viral Gastroenteritis, Liver Transplant, and Gastrectomy.

Darryn Potosky is a Gastroenterologist in Laurel, Maryland. Dr. Potosky is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Primary Biliary Cholangitis, Reynolds Syndrome, Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Liver Transplant, and Thrombectomy.

Dr. Wikrom Karnsakul is an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical interests are in the care of pediatric liver diseases, and general gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Karnsakul received his medical degree in 1992 from Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Medical Center, Mahidol University School of Medicine in Bangkok, Thailand. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in 1998 and did a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He completed his postdoctoral research training at USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine. He joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins in 2008. His research interests center on the understanding and treatment of chronic liver disease, ascites, cholestasis, viral hepatitis especially hepatitis C and hepatitis E, and Cystic Fibrosis Related Liver Disease. Dr. Karnsakul is also involved in NIH-funded multicenter research studies including the Cholestatic Liver Disease Consortium and Cystic Fibrosis Related Liver Disease Project. Dr. Karnsakul is currently a Fellow of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (FAASLD). Dr. Karnsakul is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Alagille Syndrome, Cholestasis, Hepatitis E, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Elizabeth King is a general surgeon with a specialty in abdominal transplant, live donor surgery, and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. She is part of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center. Dr. King is the surgical director of pediatric transplant and has a focus on liver, kidney, pancreas transplant in both children and adults. Dr. King earned her medical degree from University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed her residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her fellowship in abdominal organ transplant was also completed at Johns Hopkins. In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. King obtained a Ph.D. in clinical investigations from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is published in the fields of transplant outcomes, live organ donation, and pediatric transplant. She is interested in improving health care engagement among both adult and pediatric transplant recipients. Dr. King is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Liver Transplant, and Simultaneous Pancreas Kidney Transplant.

Jin He, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is the Division Chief of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology. Dr. He specializes in diseases and tumors of the pancreas, liver, bile duct, and gallbladder. He performs open as well as minimally invasive (robotic and laparoscopic) surgery, including the Whipple procedure. Dr. He received his medical degree from Beijing Medical University and a Ph.D. in oncology from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College. He completed the Halsted general surgery residency training at Johns Hopkins, followed by an ACGME accredited fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. He is the John Cameron Professor of Alimentary Tract Diseases. Dr. He’s research focuses on personalized treatment through stratifying pancreatic tumors on their genetic features. He holds several patents in anti-cancer vascular targeting agents and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and lectured internationally. He serves on several national committees, including the NCCN panel on neuroendocrine tumors and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Dr. He is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Pancreatic Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Pancreatectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Courtenay Holscher, M.D., Ph.D. is a vascular surgeon in Baltimore, MD at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Holscher performs all vascular and endovascular surgical procedures, but has a special interest in limb preservation and peripheral arterial disease and taking a patient-centered approach to treatment and management. Dr. Holscher earned her medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed a residency in general surgery followed by a fellowship in vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. During her general surgery residency, Dr. Holscher received a Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Videos Meet Our Experts - Dr. Courtenay Holscher. Dr. Holscher is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Carotid Artery Disease, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Peripheral Artery Disease, Kidney Transplant, and Nephrectomy.