Nicholas Maragakis treats patients with motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This care is coordinated with the Johns Hopkins Center for ALS Specialty Care, a multidisciplinary clinic with expertise in treating patients with ALS and providing support to their caregivers. He serves as medical director of the ALS Clinical Trials Unit, an extension of the multidisciplinary clinic that seeks to facilitate opportunities for patients with ALS to participate in clinical trials that could advance the treatment of this disease. Dr. Maragakis is interested in the basic science of understanding neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the translational potential of therapeutic compounds developed in the laboratory. His fundamental research interest is in using stem cells — more specifically, stem cell-derived motor neurons and glia — for understanding the development and propagation of ALS. His laboratory has been involved in creating and characterizing lines of stem cells from patients with ALS using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) methodologies. The laboratory has a large library of iPSCs from patients with familial ALS and from patients with sporadic ALS. The utilization of this library of iPSCs has facilitated the development of a spinal cord-specific iPSC-astrocyte/motor neuron co-culture system, which has been leveraged for the development of assays that can be used for both the basic understanding of ALS astrocyte and motor neuron biology as well as, eventually, drug screening for ALS therapeutics. His laboratory has taken its long-standing interests in astrocyte biology, as it relates to ALS, to develop a program that investigates astrocyte-specific mechanisms as contributors to the progression (both temporally and anatomically) of disease in ALS. In this vein, there is an interest in astrocytic glutamate transporters and, more recently, astrocyte hemichannels and gap junctions. Dr. Maragakis is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, 15q11.2 Microdeletion, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Bryan Traynor is a Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Traynor is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Frontotemporal Dementia, Dementia, and Thymectomy.

Dr. Tom Crawford has been a member of the Department of Neurology since 1987. He is co-director of the MDA clinic for Neuromuscular Disorders and Neurologist for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Clinical Center at Johns Hopkins. His practice involves general child neurology with a principal interest in caring for children with neuromuscular, neuromotor, and ataxic disorders. Primary research interests involve the basic science and clinical characterization of two important neurologic disorders that affect children: Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Ataxia Telangiectasia. He is also actively involved in the Biology of neurofilaments by characterization of transgenic animal models. He is on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and the Medical Advisory Committee for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He is the Neurologist for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Clinical Center at Johns Hopkins, which has evaluated almost half of the known patients with this disorder in the United States. Additional specific clinical interests include evaluation and treatment of children with brachial plexus palsies. Dr. Crawford received his medical degree from the University of Southern California. He completed a pediatric internship and residency at the Pediatric Pavilion of the Los Angeles County / University of Southern California Medical Center, followed by a pediatric chief residency. He completed his training in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology at the Los Angeles Childrens Hospital. He then traveled east to the laboratory of Dr John Griffin at Johns Hopkins for a fellowship in Neuromuscular Disorders. Prior to medical training and Neurology residency, he majored in Psychology and Religion at Yale College. Dr. Crawford has published extensively and presented nationally and internationally. He has an active role in teaching medical students and residents in neurology. In addition, Dr. Crawford has special interest and experience in EMG studies of children and adults. Dr. Crawford is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Ataxia-Telangiectasia, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2.

Kenneth Fischbeck is a Neurologist in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Fischbeck is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, and Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Christopher Grunseich is a Neurologist in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Grunseich is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Dr. Charlotte Sumner is a Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Sumner cares for patients with genetically-mediated neuromuscular diseases. Her practice is notable for a focus on individuals with inherited neuromuscular disorders of peripheral nerves and motor neurons, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. She co-directs the Johns Hopkins Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center, the Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and the Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) clinics, which deliver multidisciplinary clinical care, engage in international natural history studies, and provide cutting edge therapeutics. Dr. Sumner’s research focuses on developing treatments for degenerative disorders of motor neurons and peripheral nerves. Her laboratory uses human tissues and induced pluripotent cell lines, mouse models and cultured cells to characterize disease mechanisms and develop treatments. Dr. Charlotte Sumner received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine following undergraduate studies at Princeton University. She completed internal medicine internship and neurology residency at the University of California San Francisco, after which she returned to the east coast for a neuromuscular fellowship at Johns Hopkins and a neurogenetics fellowship in the Neurogenetics Branch at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. She joined the neurology faculty at Johns Hopkins in 2006. Dr. Sumner is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, and Gastrostomy.

Mary Floeter is a Neurologist in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Floeter is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Frontotemporal Dementia, and Pseudobulbar Affect.

Dr. Scholz is a neurologist and geneticist specializing in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, atypical parkinsonism and dementia syndromes. She received her medical degree from the Medical University Innsbruck, Austria. Following graduation, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health under the supervision of Drs. Andrew Singleton and John Hardy. She obtained a Ph.D. in neurogenomics from the University College London, UK in 2010. She then moved to Baltimore to complete her neurology residency training at Johns Hopkins. In 2015 Dr. Scholz received the McFarland Transition to Independence Award for Neurologist-Scientists. She is Lasker Clinical Research Scholar at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke focusing on genetic causes of neurodegenerative syndromes, and an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins' department of neurology. Dr. Scholz is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Multiple System Atrophy, Movement Disorders, and Parkinson's Disease.

Neurologist Payam Mohassel specializes in myopathies, muscular dystrophies, and other hereditary neuromuscular disorders and is the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center. Dr. Mohassel obtained his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he remained for a medical internship, residency training in neurology, and clinical fellowship training in neuromuscular medicine. He then joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Neurogenetics branch as a clinical research fellow. Dr. Mohassel’s research focuses on translational studies on neuromuscular disorders, and it spans gene discovery efforts, mechanistic studies to identify therapeutic targets, and early phase interventional clinical trials. Dr. Mohassel is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy Type 1 (HSN1), and Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy Type 2.

Avindra Nath is a Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Nath is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, Encephalitis, CACH Syndrome, and Stroke.

Dr. Nathan Crone focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of seizures and epilepsy, including the surgical treatment of epilepsy. He is also one of the attending physicians in the Epilepsy monitoring unit. Dr. Crone''s research interests include the real-time mapping of brain function to reduce the possibility of impacting brain function during surgery for epilepsy. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He then completed his residency in neurology at the University of Chicago and fellowships in epilepsy and cognitive neurology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Crone is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Seizures, Epilepsy, Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and Deep Brain Stimulation.

Arens Taga is a neurologist specializing in neuromuscular diseases, with a particular focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases. His clinical work aims to improve the quality of care for patients with ALS through biomarker-based, precision medicine approaches that refine disease stratification and facilitate more targeted and efficient enrollment in clinical trials. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Taga uses patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to model ALS, uncover novel disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets that are translatable to clinical trials. In recognition of his work in ALS, Dr. Taga was awarded the 2025 Richard Olney Clinician Scientist Development Award, which honors early-career physician-scientists dedicated to advancing ALS research. Dr. Taga earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Parma, Italy, where he also completed his neurology residency. He subsequently trained at The Johns Hopkins University, completing a postdoctoral research fellowship in the neuromuscular division, an internal medicine internship, a neurology residency and a neuromuscular clinical fellowship. Dr. Taga is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are 15q11.2 Microdeletion, Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and Cluster Headache.

"Dr. Nathan is an Internal Medicine Physician who has been practicing in Montgomery Country Maryland for over 15 years. Her primary philosophy is centered around the concept that many medical conditions are preventable when identified and addressed in a timely manner. Those that are not preventable, and already present, need to be managed by effective education, practical medication and lifestyle management. Dr. Nathan's motto is ""Effective health care and transparency in medical management incorporating proven scientific data."" Dr. Nathan has been nominated by her patients and received the Patients’ Choice Award and Compassionate Doctor Recognition on multiple occasions. She is also listed in the directory of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumer Research Council of America, is included in the directory of The Leading Physician’s of the World ( International Association of Internists), and listed as Top 10 Internists by the American Registry. Read Dr. Nathan's blog True Turmeic, for observations on management and practices to achieve effective care. You can find out more about Dr. Nathan on her Facebook, Twitter, and website. LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/aruna-nathan-md/84/872/43a". Dr. Nathan is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Focal Dystonia, Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3.

Galen Joe is a Physiatrist in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Joe is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), Muscle Atrophy, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Luigi Ferrucci is a primary care provider, practicing in General Practice in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Ferrucci is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Peripheral Artery Disease, Dementia, Atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Issa Yusuf is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Glenn Dale, Maryland. Dr. Yusuf is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Abdominal Obesity Metabolic Syndrome, Type B Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Cytochrome C Oxidase Deficiency, and Mitochondrial Complex V Deficiency. Dr. Yusuf is currently accepting new patients.

Mfon Umoh, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. Her clinical expertise in geriatric medicine focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and care for individuals living with dementia and older adults experiencing cognitive decline. Dr. Umoh earned her MD and PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and her fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Umoh is a K12 Clinical Research Scholar, and a Sarah Miller Coulson Center for Innovative Medicine Human Aging Project and Next Generation Scholar. Her clinical work, research, and teaching centers on improving cognitive outcomes for older adults. Her research focuses on examining biological and social contextual factors that contribute to poor cognitive outcomes for older adults. The goal of her work is to inform clinical care and interventions focused on modifiable risk factors associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Dr. Umoh is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Dementia, and Frontotemporal Dementia.

Tanya Lehky is a Neurologist in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Lehky is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Her top areas of expertise are Giant Axonal Neuropathy, Peripheral Neuropathy, Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, and Sandhoff Disease.

Dr. Brett Morrison specializes in neuromuscular disorders in adults including peripheral neuropathies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and muscle diseases. Dr. Morrison is currently the site principal investigator for clinical trials investigating new treatments for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Morrison's research interests include investigations into the mechanisms of nerve regeneration and common peripheral neuropathies. Current research focuses on better understanding the role of the immune system in peripheral nerves and targeting these pathways for the development of new treatments. Dr. Brett Morrison received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City. He completed his medical internship at the University of Maryland and residency in neurology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Morrison is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Dr. Ahmet Hoke is Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, W. W. Smith Charitable Trust Professor of Neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Director of the Daniel B. Drachman Division of Neuromuscular Diseases and Director of the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his medical training at Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey followed by his PhD studies in developmental neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and neurology residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After completing his neuromuscular training at University of Calgary, Canada, he returned to Johns Hopkins University as faculty and rose through the ranks. He is the recipient of several awards including Derek Denny Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award (2005) and Wolfe Neuropathy Research prize (2018) given by the American Neurological Association, Myung Memorial Lecture Award (2017) by the Korean Neurological Association, Nejat Eczacibasi Medical Scientist Award (2019) by the Eczacibasi Foundation, Turkey, and Alan J. Gebhart Prize in Excellence in Neuropathy Research (2022) by the Peripheral Nerve Society. He is an Ex-Officio member of the Board of Directors of the American Neurological Association, and Vice-President of the Toxic Neuropathy Consortium. He serves on several editorial boards and is the Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. Dr. Hoke is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His top areas of expertise are Wallerian Degeneration, Peripheral Neuropathy, Tomaculous Neuropathy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy with Arthrogryposis, and Prostatectomy.