Lee Akst, M.D., specializes in treating the larynx (voicebox), in particular the treatment of voice and swallowing disorders. He is a leading laryngologist in office-based procedures such as vocal fold injection augmentation, pulsed KTP laser treatment, and laryngeal botox injection. In the operating room, Dr. Akst specializes in phonosurgery for the treatment of vocal cord disease, with emphasis on voice restoration and improvement. A strong focus of his practice involves the use of pulsed angiolytic lasers, which allow for subspecialized care of laryngeal papillomas, laryngeal dysplasia, and early vocal cord cancers while preserving the quality and strength of the voice. Dr. Akst is a national leader in the field of laryngology and serves in leadership roles for the American Laryngological Association, the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He lectures extensively on the treatment of laryngeal disease, teaching other physicians how to care for patients with voice and swallowing concerns. His research interests include the development of robotic laryngeal surgery, the study of voice and swallowing complaints in the elderly, and the advancement of pulsed lasers for the treatment of laryngeal diseases with a focus on leukoplakia. This provider is registered with the Florida Department of Health to perform telehealth services for patients in Florida. Dr. Akst is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngitis, Perichondritis, Endoscopy, and Laryngectomy.

Alexander Hillel specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients who have scar tissue blocking their larynx and/or trachea, a condition called laryngotracheal stenosis. This condition occurs in patients who have had prolonged intubation, an autoimmune disease or a rare disease called idiopathic subglottic stenosis. He also treats patients with voice and throat problems, including spasmodic dysphonia and swallowing difficulty. After he earned his medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Hillel completed his residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a fellowship in laryngology and airway surgery at the Emory Voice Center. Dr. Hillel directs a laboratory that seeks to better understand why scar forms in the larynx and trachea. In an effort to improve treatment, he and his team investigate the relationship between the immune system, bacteria and other antigens and scar formation in the airway. He has led a number of clinical trials to improve treatment for subglottic stenosis, including the first interventional study for idiopathic subglottic stenosis. Researchers in Dr. Hillel’s lab are also testing drugs that may halt the progression of, or reverse, scar formation, and they have engineered a drug-eluting stent that is being tested to translate to patients with subglottic stenosis. He holds sponsored grants to conduct his research from the National Institutes of Health, surgical foundations and the medical device industry. In addition to clinical and research work, Dr. Hillel has a leadership role within the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, serving as the vice director of education. Dr. Hillel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Subglottic Stenosis, Perichondritis, Laryngectomy, and Endoscopy.

Christine Gourin, M.D. M.P.H., is a head and neck surgical oncologist and palliative medicine specialist who treats patients with head and neck tumors, including tumors of the skin, melanoma, oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx, neck, salivary glands, sinuses, and skull base. Dr. Gourin received her medical degree from the State University of New York-Health Science Center at Brooklyn/Downstate Medical Center. Dr. Gourin trained in General Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Vermont, followed by a fellowship in Advanced Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, 24 book chapters and two books: Medical and Surgical Management of Thyroid and Parathyroid Diseases and The Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Head and Neck Cancer. She is on the Editorial Board of The Laryngoscope and is a reviewer for numerous other head and neck surgery journals. Dr. Gourin is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in quality of care and outcomes with a lifelong interest in improved symptom management, communication, access to high-quality affordable care, and palliative medicine in head and neck cancer. She has an active head and neck surgical oncology practice and has been named to America’s Top Physicians and Best Doctors in America annually since 2005. She is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Head and Neck Cancer Supportive Care Clinic. Dr. Gourin is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. Her top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Cancer, Throat Cancer, Tongue Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Laryngologist Simon Best specializes in voice and airway disorders, including the comprehensive care of professional voice-users and performers. He treats patients diagnosed with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal cancer, precancerous vocal cord dysplasia, benign laryngeal lesions (polyps, cysts, nodules), and laryngeal and tracheal stenosis. He has expertise in the operative management of vocal cord disorders, including Blue Light laser surgery and office-based management of vocal cord papilloma, dysplasia and vocal cord paralysis. Dr. Best earned a medical degree from the Yale School of Medicine and completed residency training in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He undertook fellowship training in laryngology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Best has a particular clinical and research interest in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and sees patients from across the country for specialized care for this disorder. He offers operative and office-based laser for papilloma, utilizing the Blue Light laser, which allows for precise excision of papilloma while preserving underlying vocal function. Dr. Best is also a pioneer in the adjuvant use of bevacizumab for RRP, helping many patients break the cycle of repeated surgeries. The Best Laboratory studies RRP and the development of novel immunotherapies to target the underlying viral infection. This research is conducted in collaboration with the head and neck cancer and cervical cancer research groups at Johns Hopkins, which also study human papillomavirus-related diseases. In addition, Johns Hopkins is a site for ongoing clinical trials in DNA immunotherapy, the goal of which is to eliminate the causative viral infection that leads to RRP. Dr. Best is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

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 Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Bile Duct Obstruction, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

Dr. Bull-Henry joins Johns Hopkins as a hospitalist specializing in small bowel imaging, including single balloon enteroscopy, double balloon enteroscopy and wireless video capsule endoscopy. In addition, she has a special interest in small bowel GI bleeding, innovation in medical education and the use of artificial intelligence to attain greater diagnostic efficiencies, to improve patient outcomes and to achieve cost savings. Dr. Bull-Henry is active in her research. She has also published papers, contributed to book chapters and written abstracts on related clinical topics. Dr. Bull-Henry is active in a number of professional societies and currently serves on the Board of Governors and as Chair of the Training Committee for the American College of Gastroenterology. Videos Double Balloon EnteroscopyFAQ with Dr. Bull-Henry. Dr. Bull is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. Her top areas of expertise are Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Gastroparesis, Painful Swallowing, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.

Dr. Bulat joins Johns Hopkins from Tulane University, where he was director of the neurogastroenterology and motility service and director of the GI training program. He specializes in motility and functional disorders, with an emphasis on gastroparesis. He completed his master’s degree (neuroscience) and doctorate (physiology and pharmacology) in the area of smooth muscle function, as well as motility subspecialty training, at McMaster University. Dr. Bulat is an accomplished researcher and has authored several publications and book chapters in his field of interest. Dr. Bulat is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Gastroparesis, Gastric Dysmotility, Morning Sickness, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

Wayne Koch is a national and international leader in head and neck oncologic surgery, caring for patients with cancers of the oral cavity, salivary gland, larynx, hypopharynx, oropharynx and thyroid. Among Dr. Koch's landmark publications are studies demonstrating how key molecular events such as p53 mutation and human papillomavirus (HPV) contribute to the development of head and neck cancer. His peer-reviewed publications include six articles in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Koch is also involved in humanitarian outreach focused on training surgeons in several African nations. He has served as president of the American Head and Neck Society, the national organization of head and neck cancer surgeons in the USA. Dr. Koch is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Tongue Cancer, Human Papillomavirus Infection, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Dr. Kofi Derek Owusu Boahene is a professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Division of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery and the director for the facial plastics fellowship training program. His practice encompasses the entire spectrum of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery including cosmetic and reconstructive aspects. Dr. Boahene is a leading expert in facial paralysis surgery and facial nerve injuries and has pioneered innovative treatment protocols and surgical techniques in facial reanimation. He is the director of the Johns Hopkins Facial Nerve center dedicated to restoring facial balance, symmetry and animation to those who have suffered from facial paralysis and facial nerve disorders. As an expert microsurgeon, Dr. Boahene routinely performs some of the most complex facial reconstruction procedures on the face including rebuilding of an entire nose, lip, jaw and facial defects resulting from cancer treatment, traumatic injuries or as a result of birth defects. He uses cutting edge 3-D technology, image-guided technology and tissue transplanted from other parts of the body to restore or replace missing tissues. He is a key member of the Johns Hopkins facial transplant program. His cosmetic experience is broad and draws from patients across the globe. He routinely performs rhinoplasties, eyelid surgery, face lifts and other facial enhancing procedures. As a skull base surgeon, Dr. Boahene has pioneered minimally invasive techniques for removal of skull base and brain tumors, repairing CSF leaks and has authored a major textbook on this subject. Dr. Boahene received his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He graduated summa cum laude from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, completed a five-year surgical residency training program in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and received fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Minnesota. As the recipient of the prestigious Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship Award, Dr. Boahene was awarded additional craniofacial surgery training in Adelaide, Australia. He also received the Jack R. Anderson Prize for Scholastic Excellence for attaining the highest score nationally on the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery certification exam. Dr. Boahene serves as on the Board of Governors or the American Academy Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. In 1993, Dr. Kofi Boahene received the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical. Dr. Boahene is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Facial Paralysis, Bell's Palsy, Recurrent Peripheral Facial Palsy, Septoplasty, and Gastrostomy.

Dr. Sara Mixter is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise are internal medicine, pediatrics, and primary care for adults with developmental disabilities and other complex childhood-onset conditions. She is the director of the Hopkins PACT (Pediatric-informed Adult Care and Transition) Clinic. Dr. Mixter is also the medical director of the Pediatric Complex Care Collaborative (PC3) for the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Dr. Mixter received her A.B. from Harvard College. She earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins as part of the inaugural group of trainees in the Urban Health Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program. Her research interests include transitions of care for adolescents with special healthcare needs and education for residents and medical students, especially in primary care and complex care. Dr. Mixter has served as the Assistant Chief of Service for the Longcope firm of the Osler Medical Housestaff Training Program (2015-16), as well as Assistant Program Director for Ambulatory Education (2014-15). Dr. Mixter is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. Her top areas of expertise are Cerebral Palsy, Gastroparesis, Orbital Cellulitis, and Sickle Cell Disease.

Dr. Sujay Pathak holds dual roles with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians as a primary care provider, and with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as director of the Advanced Ambulatory Clerkship. This position places him squarely at the intersection of primary care theory and practice. He brings both the theoretical expertise and the immense clinical resources of Johns Hopkins Medicine to the clinical care of individuals from all walks of life. As such, he holds himself to the standard of our great primary care leaders in the division of General Internal Medicine, and exemplifies for learners and patients the sort of personalized, expert, compassionate, and high-value care that you'd expect for yourself or your family. As the Physician Quality Champion for both the JHCP Remington Site, as well as for Johns Hopkins Community Physicians more broadly, Dr. Pathak helps JHCP providers embrace the future of healthcare and adapt their practice style to more effectively manage their patient panels. As such, he works to transform healthcare to meet the complex needs of our Johns Hopkins entire patient population, keeping their conditions well-managed, their preventive care needs met, and ultimately, ensuring the best possible outcome for each one. Videos The Hospital Elective: How a personal experience led one provider to create a chance for med students to 'walk in the shoes' of non physicians. Dr. Pathak is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Familial Hypertension, and Hypertension.

Maie John is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. John is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. Her top areas of expertise are Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Tongue Cancer, Melanoma, Glossectomy, and Gastrostomy.

John Affronti is a Gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Affronti is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Childhood Volvulus, Portal Hypertension, Indigestion, Endoscopy, 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 Painful Swallowing. 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 Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Hereditary Pancreatitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, Endoscopy, and Lithotripsy.

Allen Banegura is a Gastroenterologist in Catonsville, Maryland. Dr. Banegura is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Esophagitis, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy.

Thomas Abernathy is a Gastroenterologist in Catonsville, Maryland. Dr. Abernathy is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Lactose Intolerance, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Hemorrhoids, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy.

Dr. Onwueme graduated with Distinction from Yale University with dual BSc/MSc degrees in chemistry and received MD and PhD degrees from Weill Cornell Medical College. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Clinical Fellow Harvard Medical School) and his Gastroenterology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is currently the Director of clinical trials at Woodholme Gastroenterology and has an ardent interest in the role of microbial metabolites in gut diseases. Dr. Onwueme prizes commitment to quality and compassionate patient care to which he devotes his practice. He has expert knowledge in gut microbiology and a special interest in diarrheal diseases, disordered gut motility, autoimmune and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Onwueme is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Gastric Dysmotility, Diverticular Disease, Diarrhea, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Ernest Tsao is a Gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Tsao is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Gas Bloat Syndrome, Hepatitis C, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Steven Epstein is a Gastroenterologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Epstein is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Painful Swallowing. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Cronkhite-Canada Disease, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy.