Dr. Stephen A. Rottgers

Dr. Smyth is chief of the pediatric neurosurgery division at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and director of the pediatric neurosurgery fellowship program. His specialties include pediatric neurosurgery, with sub-specialization in pediatric epilepsy surgery and craniofacial surgery with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques. In addition, Dr. Smyth is a professor of neurosurgery in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Before joining the Johns Hopkins All Children’s medical staff, Dr. Smyth was the Appoline Blair Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Smyth earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He completed a general surgery internship in the Department of Surgery at the University of California, Irvine. He then completed a residency in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California in San Francisco, where he was chief resident. Dr. Smyth completed a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Smyth is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metopic Ridge. His top areas of expertise are Craniosynostosis, Syringomyelia, Chiari Malformation Type 1, Posterior Fossa Decompression, and Craniectomy.

Dr. Akbari specializes in pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. He joined the medical staff in 2022. He also is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also is director of Clinical Research in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery in the Institute for Brain Protection Sciences. Previously, Dr. Akbari was an attending physician at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Dr. Akbari earned his medical degree and a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He also completed a residency in neurosurgery and served as chief resident at Washington University. He completed a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. Dr. Akbari is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metopic Ridge. His top areas of expertise are Chiari Malformation Type 1, Chiari Malformation, Chiari Malformation Type 2, Posterior Fossa Decompression, and Laminectomy.

Dr. Ruas specializes in plastic surgery and cleft and craniofacial surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and is the director of plastic surgery resident education. He joined the hospital staff in 1990. He is a clinical professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Ruas earned his medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed general and plastic surgery residencies at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed a fellowship in maxillofacial trauma and microsurgical lower extremity reconstruction at The Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Systems Services (MIEMSS) and a craniomaxillofacial surgery fellowship under Dr. Fernando Ortiz-Monasterio in Mexico City. Dr. Ruas is fluent in Spanish. Dr. Ruas is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metopic Ridge. His top areas of expertise are Metopic Ridge, Plagiocephaly, and Craniosynostosis.