Dr. Christine Pratilas is a pediatric medical oncologist at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Oncology, Pediatrics & Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She joined the Hopkins pediatric sarcoma team in 2014. Dr. Pratilas received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Drew University in New Jersey and her medical degree from UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (now Rutgers University), where she also completed her internship and residency from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2005 she was a fellow in hematology and oncology in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) Department of Pediatrics, and in the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center. She was a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Neal Rosen’s Molecular Oncogenesis Laboratory at MSKCC. From 2006 to 2014 she was attending in Pediatric Oncology at MSKCC, specializing in developmental therapeutics & sarcoma. She has been the director of the pediatric sarcoma program at Hopkins since 2018. Dr. Pratilas focuses her research on cancer-associated pathways and signal transduction, which involves figuring out how a cell’s internal molecular pathways work, and how those pathways can be molecularly controlled. This knowledge is the basis for developing promising new molecularly targeted cancer therapies, which is the focus of Dr. Pratilas’s research. Among her important scientific contributions is advancing our understanding of how certain proteins that can be mutated in cancer, known as RAF kinases (specifically BRAF), affect a cancer cell’s behavior. The research in Dr. Pratilas' laboratory is focused on RAS signal transduction pathways, concentrating on pediatric sarcomas such as rhabdomyosarcoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, in order to develop novel therapeutics for children with these tumors. Dr. Pratilas is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Neurofibromatosis, Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, and Osteotomy.

Brigitte Widemann is a Hematologist and an Oncologist in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Widemann is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Neurofibromatosis, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, and Thyroidectomy.

Dr. Meyer will serve as the lead medical oncologist for adult sarcoma patients, and will focus on building the Adult Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology Program. In collaboration with pediatric oncologist David Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., and orthopaedic surgeon Kristy Weber, M.D., Meyer will bring novel therapies to the clinic for sarcoma patients. Meyer received his bachelors and masters degrees in cell and molecular biology from Stanford University. From there, he joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine and earned his medical degree followed by a doctorate in immunology. Meyer completed his residency at the University of Maryland and served as chief resident in medicine from 2004-2005. Afterward, he joined our fellowship program in medical oncology and has been working in the laboratory of Jonathan Powell, M.D., Ph.D., on projects relating to the characterization of molecular regulatory pathways involved in T-cell activation and energy. As a third-year fellow, Meyer served as the chief fellow for our Training Programs in Hematology and Medical Oncology and he received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2010. Dr. Meyer is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Fibrosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, and Salpingo-Oophorectomy.

Dr. Kathryn Lemberg is an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Pediatrics at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research, conducted with Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, focuses on tumor metabolism and the development of new metabolic inhibitors to treat cancer. She has investigated novel glutamine antagonists in preclinical models of RAS-driven solid tumors. She is also interested in the effects of tumor metabolism on patient growth and development. Dr. Lemberg completed pediatrics residency training at Johns Hopkins and pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training in the joint Johns Hopkins/National Cancer Institute program. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Medical Scientist Training Program at Columbia University in New York, where her graduate research focused on ferroptosis, a novel oxidative cell death in cancer models. Dr. Lemberg sees pediatric and young adult sarcoma patients as part of the sarcoma team and has additional clinical focus on neurofibromatosis type I related solid tumors. Dr. Lemberg is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Neurofibromatosis, and Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

As instructor of oncology and pediatrics, Llosa’s research focus is the immunotherapy of sarcomas. My research focuses on understanding how the immune system interacts with cancer cells from sarcoma tumors. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in various locations in the body. Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that includes tumors that form in the bones and in the soft (also called connective) tissues. Sarcomas affect people of all ages and some, such as Rhabdomyosarcoma, Neuroblastoma, Ewings sarcoma and Osteosarcoma, are more common in children and young adults. Treatments for sarcoma vary depending on tumor type, location and other factors. I concentrate in the immunotherapy of sarcomas. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy or biotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body's natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to improve, target, or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, or helping the immune system increase its effectiveness at eliminating cancer cells. There are several types of immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies, non-specific immunotherapies, and cancer vaccines. My specific area of interest is the use of drugs that target immune system checkpoints. The immune system has checkpoints to keep itself from attacking other normal cells in the body. Cancer cells sometimes take advantage of these checkpoints to avoid being attacked by the immune system. CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 are checkpoint molecules found on immune system cells (T cells) that can be blocked with drugs leading to a general raise in the immune system of the patients which helps it attack cancer cells. These types of drugs are currently being given to patients with melanoma (skin cancer), lung cancer and kidney cancer with great success and they have been found to shrink advanced tumors in many people. The best part of the treatment is that many of these tumor responses have been long-lasting so far, and the side effects are generally less serious than when using chemotherapy. Larger clinical trials are now studying both drugs, both alone and/or in combination with other treatments. My task is and will continue to be using the same type of approach for attacking sarcomas and hopefully obtained the very promising results and long lasting responses observed with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in other types of cancer. Dr. Llosa is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Rhabdomyosarcoma, and Bone Marrow Transplant.

Dr. Michael Kraut is a Professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. Dr. Kraut received his undergraduate degree in B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California, and M.D., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in neuroscience from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After a residency in diagnostic radiology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, MA, he completed a fellowship in neuroradiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and joined the Johns Hopkins faculty thereafter. Dr. Kraut’s research interests include functional neuroimaging, especially as a tool to investigate cognitive operations and issues of visual and somatomotor function. A special interest, reflecting his background in neurophysiology, is the use of functional imaging techniques in concert with electrophysiologic measures in order to elucidate the temporal sequence as well as spatial distribution of neural activation. In addition to his roles at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kraut serves as the Medical Director at F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging. Dr. Kraut is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma (pLGG), Meningioma, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, and Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor.

Lindy Zhang is a Hematologist and an Oncologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Zhang is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Neurofibromatosis, and Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

Ross Puffer is a Neurosurgery provider in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Puffer is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Femoral Nerve Dysfunction, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, Traumatic Brain Injury, Posterior Fossa Decompression, and Spinal Fusion.

Carl Schluederberg is a primary care provider, practicing in Family Medicine in Joppa, Maryland. Dr. Schluederberg is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Vitamin D Deficiency, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, Hypertension, and Familial Hypertension.

Dr. Rima Jean Couzi is a cancer specialist in Towson, Maryland, caring for patients with breast cancer. Dr. Couzi earned her medical degree at the National University of Ireland. She completed residencies at St. Laurence's Hospital/Beaumont Hospitals and Galway Regional in Dublin, as well as Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore. She performed a fellowship in medical oncology at St. Vincent's Hospital and St. James's Hospital in Dublin, and an additional fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in Baltimore. She also earned a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Couzi joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2004. Dr. Couzi is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. Selected Publications Antonarakis ES, Fradin JM, Petronis JD, Couzi RJ. “Not What It Seems.” Am J Med. 2007;120:408-411 Holdhoff M, Wung PK, Petronis J, Couzi R. “Persistent PET-positive liver lesions after successful chemotherapy in a patient with mediastinal seminoma.” J. Clin Oncol. 2007;25:2482-4. Li S, Couzi RJ, Thomas GH, Friedman AD, Borowitz MJ. “A novel variant three-way translocation of inversion 16 in a case of AML-M4eo following low dose methotrexate therapy.” Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2001; 125:74-7. Schultz MJ, Tabb RD, Eagan JW, Citron JR, Couzi RJ. “Treating a male breast cancer patient with moderately differentiated, infiltrating ductal cancer of the breast.” Journal of Multidisciplinary Cancer Care. 2009 September – October. Siegelbaum MH, Citron JR, Eagan JW, Couzi RJ. “Treating a patient with Unfavorable-risk prostate cancer.” Journal of Multidisciplinary Cancer Care. 2009; July – August. Dr. Couzi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Breast Cancer, Paget Disease of the Breast, Angiosarcoma, and Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Adam Levin, MD, joined the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an assistant professor in orthopaedic oncology. Dr. Levin comes to Johns Hopkins after working as an orthopaedic oncologist at the North Shore/LIJ Health System in New York. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and a fellowship in orthopaedic oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Levin offers care and consultations for adults and children with bone and soft tissue tumors of the pelvis and extremities. He has extensive experience in performing limb-sparing and complex extremity reconstruction surgeries. Dr. Levin has a special interest in surgical palliation and biologic reconstruction. Dr. Levin is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society. Dr. Levin is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Ollier Disease, Hip Replacement, and Osteotomy.

Chetan Bettegowda is the director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery. He offers comprehensive treatments for adult patients with benign and malignant brain tumors, specializing in the treatment of patients with primary brain tumors such as gliomas, meningiomas and pituitary tumors. He performs both open surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with metastatic tumors to the brain, and also provides stereotactic radiosurgery for other neurological disorders, including spinal tumors, trigeminal neuralgia and skull-base tumors. Dr. Bettegowda is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Trigeminal Neuralgia, Astrocytoma, Glioblastoma, Rhizotomy, and Microvascular Decompression.

Eric Raabe, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of oncology and pathology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Raabe majored in neural science at Brown University and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed his pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. After spending a year working in Africa as part of the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Dr. Raabe joined Johns Hopkins as a pediatric oncology fellow. Working in the laboratory of Charles Eberhart in Neuropathology, Dr. Raabe established a neural stem cell system to create genetically accurate models of pediatric brain tumors. In collaboration with patients and families, he has also developed multiple pediatric brain tumor cell lines that are some of the key models used for pre-clinical testing. Dr. Raabe sees patients in the pediatric oncology outpatient clinic at Johns Hopkins, with a focus on pediatric brain tumors. Dr. Raabe is also the point person in oncology for retinoblastoma care. He continues his research in the new Smith Building of the Wilmer Eye Institute in the Neuropathology Division, in collaboration with Charles Eberhart. Dr. Raabe is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Rhabdoid Tumor, Diffuse Midline Glioma H3 K27M-Mutant, Glioma, and Medulloblastoma.

Dr. Elliot K. Fishman is a Professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department Radiology and Radiological Science, Department of Oncology and Department of Surgery. He serves as a member of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. His clinical and research interests focus on medical imaging with specific emphasis on three-dimensional (3D) imaging and computed tomography (CT). Dr. Fishman received his B.S. in 1973 and M.D. in 1977 from the University of Maryland. After a residency at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, he completed a fellowship in CT at Johns Hopkins in 1980 and joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1981 as an Assistant Professor. In 1986, he became Associate Professor and, in 1991, Professor of Radiology and Oncology. He is a leader in the development of 3D imaging and rendering, including its impacts on and uses in patient care and management. He was involved from the beginning in the development of 3D imaging through his work with Pixar, which was a spin-off from LucasFilms in San Rafael, California. Over the last 25 years, Dr. Fishman continued to help develop 3D imaging and has been a leader in the development of interactive 3D rendering. His team is consistently at the forefront of research and development of new visualization and post-processing techniques and technologies. Dr. Fishman's extensive body of work in CT has resulted in over 1,000 peer-reviewed publications, and he is the author or co-author of 10 textbooks. He is the recipient of three prestigious Aunt Minnie Awards, honoring his outstanding contributions as both an educator and researcher. In 2007, he was named by Medical Imaging Magazine as the Top Radiologist in the Nation. He is a member of editorial boards for more than 35 journals, an active member of several professional radiology associations and is a past-president of the Society of Body CT/MR. Dr. Fishman is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Neuroendocrine Tumor, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Cavernous Lymphangioma, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy.

Dr. Majid Khan is a Radiologist and Director, Non-Vascular Spine Intervention at Johns Hopkins University hospitals. Dr. Khan graduated from University of Kashmir, India in 1993. He completed his residency in radiology at the Nassau University Medical Center at Stony Brooks University and then completed his fellowship in Neuroradiology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Majid is deeply invested in both diagnostic Neuroradiology with particular emphasis on advanced head & neck and spine tumor imaging. His prime interest is doing spine tumor ablations primarily using microwave ablation devices and has performed the most number of such cases in the United States. He has significant expertise in spine cement augmentation procedures like kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty for treatment of compression fractures due to osteoporosis, multiple myeloma and/or other tumor-associated pathological fractures, sacroplasty for the treatment of fractures of the sacrum, epidural steroid injections, facet and transforaminal nerve blocks. He has treated a considerable number of patients with Tarlov and synovial cysts. Dr. Khan is a core member of Johns Hopkins Headaches and CSF Leak Program doing both targeted and non-targeted blood and fibrin glue patches. In addition, Dr. Khan has performed numerous imaging-guided head and neck biopsies with expertise in deep trans-facial biopsies. Dr. Majid has contributed to numerous publications and book chapters and has given regional, national and international talks, as well as presented research at many national meetings. He is a member of the American Society of Neuroradiology, American College of Radiology, American Society of Spine Radiology, North American Spine Society, Radiologic Society of North America, European Society of Radiology. Dr. Khan is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak, Meningocele, Tarlov Cysts, Vertebroplasty, and Bone Graft.

Dr. Sachin K. Gujar is an Assistant Professor and Magnetic Resonance Section Chief in Johns Hopkins Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. His area of clinical expertise is Neuroradiology. He earned his M.B.B.S. (medical degree) from Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Pune, India. After completing a radiology residency (M.D.) at the same college, he completed a two-year neuroradiology fellowship at the University of Michigan, and subsequently was on faculty at University of Michigan for over 5 years. Dr. Gujar has been a member of the Johns Hopkins Neuroradiology faculty since 2008. Dr. Gujar’s areas of clinical interest include all aspects of adult neuroradiology, including head and neck radiology, spine and spinal cord disorders, and cerebrovascular diseases, with particular interest in brain tumor imaging, physiologic imaging, and Functional MRI. He has published numerous articles on various topics in Neuroradiology. Dr. Gujar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Hydrocephalus, Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation, Stroke, and Microvascular Decompression.

Albert Aboulafia is an Orthopedics provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Aboulafia is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Bone Tumor, Myxoid Liposarcoma, Fibrosarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma Embryonal, and Hip Replacement.

Dr. Kristin Redmond specializes in the treatment of brain tumors and leads the spinal radiosurgery program. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University where she graduated magna cum laude with a focus in neuro-psychology. She attended medical school and obtained a Masters in Public Health in health systems management at Tulane University where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society as well as the Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society. Dr. Redmonds research interest focuses on the development of novel radiation techniques and therapeutic agents to treat brain and spine tumors in order to increase tumor control and overall survival. In addition, she is working to develop innovative approaches to try to limit long term toxicities and minimize neuro-cognitive dysfunction following treatment for tumors of the central nervous system. Dr. Redmond believes in a holistic approach to medicine and feels that the social and psychological components of patient care are equally important to traditional therapies. She works closely with a team of specialists to support patients and families during their cancer journey. Make A Gift. Dr. Redmond is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Brain Tumor, Chordoma, Astrocytoma, and Metastatic Brain Tumor.

Dr. Allan Belzberg is a neurosurgeon specializing in surgery of the peripheral nervous system. As Director of Peripheral Nerve Surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, he treats tumors including schwannoma, neurofibroma and nerve sheath tumor. Dr. Belzberg performs surgical repair of nerve damage caused by trauma as well as neurosurgery on carpal tunnel, peroneal nerve and other peripheral nerve conditions. Dr. Belzberg also directs the Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and co-directs the Neurosurgery Pain Research Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Belzberg currently sees patients at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center located in Baltimore on Wednesdays and the Green Spring Station location on Fridays. Dr. Belzberg is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Schwannomatosis, Neurofibromatosis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Osteotomy, and Rhizotomy.

Brock Lindsey, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in orthopaedic oncology. He treats children and adults with all types of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Dr. Lindsey has expertise in nanoparticle delivery of immunotherapy, immunodiagnostics as a novel treatment for osteosarcoma, as well as complex reconstruction after amputation, including osseointegration. Dr. Lindsey earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. He then completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at West Virginia University’s (WVU) J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, becoming the department’s first to complete a research fellowship during residency. Dr. Lindsey also pursued a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and UPMC Children’s Hospital before returning to WVU Medicine as an attending physician. During his 12 years at WVU Medicine, Dr. Lindsey created programs in musculoskeletal oncology and adult reconstruction as well as a multidisciplinary amputation clinic. He also led a musculoskeletal research laboratory into the national rankings for federal funding for orthopaedic surgery departments. His research focuses on improving treatment strategies for metastatic osteosarcoma and exploring human/machine interfaces for amputees. His work has been published in local, national and international basic science and clinical research journals. Dr. Lindsey has experience mentoring and training students at all levels from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral positions. He won Press Ganey’s “Top Provider” award every year between 2013 and 2018. He also founded ICaPath, a biotech startup derived from his laboratory research that is currently working toward a first in-human clinical trial. Videos Brock Lindsey, M.D.Orthopaedic Oncologist OsseointegrationQ&A with Dr. Brock Lindsey. Dr. Lindsey is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Bone Tumor, Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Leg or Foot Amputation, and Hip Replacement.