The 20 Best Obesity Doctors Near Me in Essex, MD

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, FACP, FTOS, is now an adjunct professor of gastroenterology and general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Since 2019, he has also been a professor (and chair from 2019 to 2024) of Nutrition and Food Studies in the College of Public Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In his research, Dr. Cheskin studies the effectiveness of various lifestyle and dietary changes in weight loss and weight maintenance. He has experience in the design and implementation of controlled clinical trials and laboratory studies of different dietary techniques, as well as individual and community-based interventions, including those targeting underserved residents of inner-city and suburban Baltimore. His background and experience are broad, ranging from basic science work on dopamine genetics to efforts aimed at preventing childhood obesity through systems-focused studies of the effects of policies and the built environment. Most recently, he has been studying health risk factors among young adult college students and the utility of mHealth in positively influencing diet and weight control. He has written approximately 250 peer-reviewed publications and 9 books and is frequently cited in the media on issues related to obesity, nutrition, and dieting. Dr. Cheskin is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Obesity, Malnutrition, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Liver Embolization, and Endoscopy.

Sherita Golden is an Endocrinologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Golden is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Low Blood Sugar, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Dr. Bennett practices all aspects of primary care medicine, including preventive care and coordiantion of care with other specialists. She has particular interests in weight management and women's health care. She sees patients at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Dr. Bennett is an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, with joint appointments at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Bennett is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Obesity, Gestational Diabetes, Peripheral Artery Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).

Dr. Magnuson specializes in gastrointestinal surgery, including surgeries of the stomach, gallbladder, pancreas and bowel. He has a special interest in bariatric surgery and established the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery in 1997. In 2006, the program was recognized as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Magnuson completed his specialty training in gastrointestinal surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he also completed a fellowship investigating issues related to gallstone pathogenesis and biliary tract disease. He is also a member of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Hernia Center. He is currently Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief of General Surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Vice Chair of Surgery at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Magnuson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Obesity, Gallstones, Gastric Bypass, and Gastrectomy.

Justin Tcheugui is an Endocrinologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Tcheugui is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Gestational Diabetes, and Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

Rexford Ahima is an Endocrinologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Ahima is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Gastric Bypass.

Kimberley Steele is a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Steele is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Obesity, Hernia, Malnutrition, Gastric Bypass, and Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Dr. Prasanna Santhanam received his M.B.B.S. from B.J. Medical College and his M.D. from N.H.L. Municipal Medical College. He completed a residency in internal medicine, Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University and a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University. He underwent additional training in nuclear medicine, at the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, to pursue his research and clinical interests in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging of endocrine glands and disorders. His clinical interests include thyroid disorders, endocrine neoplasms, and research focus on metabolic and molecular imaging of endocrine tissues and predictive analytics in metabolic disorders. Dr. Santhanam is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Thyroid Cancer, Follicular Thyroid Cancer, Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, and Thyroidectomy.

1988-1992, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary. 1992-1996, Instructor, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 2001-2014, Assistant Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 2012-2014, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 2014-present, Associate Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 2014-present, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Dr. Yasar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Congenital Cardiovascular Shunt, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Dr. Sudipa Sarkar is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include endocrinology. She received her M.D. from Yale School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and performed a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Sarkar joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2017. Dr. Sarkar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Diabetic Retinopathy, Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Diabetic Neuropathy, and Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Hien T. Nguyen, M.D., FACS, is an assistant professor of surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After completing an undergraduate education at University of California, Davis, Dr. Nguyen earned his medical degree at University of California, Davis School of Medicine. He completed training in general surgery at University of California, San Francisco East Bay, followed by a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Nguyen is an expert in single-incision surgery, robotic surgery and laparoscopic bariatric surgery (which includes Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric bands, sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch). He was instrumental in helping to establish the single-incision approach for laparoscopic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Dr. Nguyen also specializes in the repair of complex hernias and abdominal wall reconstruction, utilizing minimally invasive and advance techniques. He also works with students and residents in surgical education and biomedical engineering. Dr. Nguyen currently is an active member of many academic organizations, including the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the American Hernia Society and the American College of Surgeons. His research interests include clinical outcomes in hernia surgery, critical care medicine, bariatric surgery and metabolic syndrome. Dr. Nguyen is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Umbilical Hernia, Obesity, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Gastrectomy.

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 Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Stomach Cancer, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

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 Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, Endoscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Kimberly Gudzune is an Internal Medicine provider in Lutherville Timonium, Maryland. Dr. Gudzune is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top area of expertise is Obesity.

Rajesh Raikar is a General Surgeon in Essex, Maryland. Dr. Raikar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens, Stasis Dermatitis and Ulcers, Venous Insufficiency, Thrombophlebitis, and Carotid Artery Surgery.

Adline Ghazi is an Endocrinologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Ghazi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Thyroid Hormone Plasma Membrane Transport Defect, and Generalized Resistance to Thyroid Hormone.

Noemi Malandrino is an Endocrinologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Malandrino is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Obesity, Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy, Familial Partial Lipodystrophy, and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).

Anthony Kalloo is a professor of medicine with special interests in natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery, therapeutic endoscopy and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. After receiving his medical degree at the University of the West Indies Medical School, Dr. Kalloo interned at Port of Spain General Hospital in Trinidad and performed his internal medicine residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he was also chief resident. He completed fellowship training at the combined Georgetown University, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and National Institutes of Health program. Dr. Kalloo was an instructor of medicine at Georgetown University prior to joining the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1988. He was director of the Johns Hopkins Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2005–2020, and was an associate editor of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. In 2009, Dr. Kalloo was recognized by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy as the Distinguished Educator of the Year. In 2014, he received the Endoscopy Award from the German Society for Endoscopy for outstanding research and contribution in the field of endoscopy. In 2015, he received the BJ Vakil Oration from the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India, which is bestowed on an international expert for his contribution to the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and has more than 100 patents, including the use of botulinum toxin in the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopic cryotherapy and the winged biliary/pancreatic stent, as well as others related to natural orifice surgery. He is the pioneer of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery, a technique that will enable abdominal surgery without the use of incisions. In 2015, he became a member of the inaugural chapter of the National Academy of Inventors at The Johns Hopkins University. This group represents the top 3% of all faculty inventors since 1969, and the top 1.5% of active Johns Hopkins faculty. Dr. Kalloo is a past panel chair for gastroenterology and urology devices with the United States Food and Drug Administration. He aims to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal and liver disease through patient care, education and research. Dr. Kalloo is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Achalasia, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

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 an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. His top areas of expertise are Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Bile Duct Obstruction, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

Sheela N. Magge, M.D., M.S.C.E., is a pediatric endocrinologist and the director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, as well as the Lawson Wilkins Endowed Chair of Pediatric Endocrinology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Dr. Magge’s expertise includes the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disorders in children and adolescents. Primary related conditions that she treats include type 2 diabetes mellitus, pre-diabetes, obesity, congenital insulin resistance syndromes, congenital lipodystrophy and polycystic ovary syndrome. Dr. Magge is an active member of the National Pediatric Endocrine Society. She is also a standing member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Studies of Diabetes and Obesity Study Section. A professor of pediatrics, Dr. Magge obtained a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Magge is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Obesity. Her top areas of expertise are Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Congenital Hyperinsulinism, and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young.