The 20 Best Transverse Myelitis Doctors in Maryland, US

Neurologist Scott Newsome specializes in the care of patients with neuroimmunological and neuroinflammatory disorders of the central nervous system. He works within the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infections at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and has special interest in evaluating and treating patients with multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica and stiff person syndrome. After completing fellowship training, Dr. Newsome joined the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis and Transverse Myelitis Centers, and he is the director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center and the Stiff Person Syndrome Center. He is also director of the Johns Hopkins Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infectious Disease Fellowship Program and co-director of the Multiple Sclerosis Experimental Therapeutics Program. Dr. Newsome received his medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, with honors. During his neurology residency, he was awarded the Golden Apple Outstanding Resident Teaching Award, and later was chosen to be chief resident. He subsequently completed a fellowship in neuroimmunology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital with the support of a Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Identifying and testing novel therapies and therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis and other neuroimmunological disorders is Dr. Newsome’s main research focus. Other research endeavors include validating the use of new quantitative clinical outcome measures and imaging techniques in multiple sclerosis and identifying risk factors of disease onset and severity, response to treatment and long-term outcomes in neuroimmunological disorders. An adviser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a member of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence, Dr. Newsome has also served as president of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. Dr. Newsome is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Stiff Person Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Transverse Myelitis, and Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS).

Brenda Banwell is the director of the Department of Pediatrics, as well as pediatrician-in-chief and co-director of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, where she helps manage the hospital’s many clinical and research centers. Dr. Banwell is a renowned expert in the research and treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroimmune disorders. She specializes in and studies the use of neuroimaging to assess the clinical and cognitive impact of the conditions, as well as the function of the immune system in children with these disorders. She also created a standardized clinical care algorithm and clinical database in order to evaluate the clinical impact of MS. Dr. Banwell has published more than 250 manuscripts in high-impact journals, along with over 25 book chapters. In addition, she has over 200 national and international invited lectureships and visiting professorships. An advocate for pediatric multiple sclerosis needs and research, Dr. Banwell serves as chair of the International Medical and Scientific Board of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, and the Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody–Associated Disease (MOGAD) International Research Consortium. She is also chair of the pediatric committee of the National Institutes of Health NeuroNEXT program, which conducts studies on treatments for neurological diseases through academic, private, and industry collaborations. Dr. Banwell currently serves as past-chair of the International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study Group, Dr. Banwell earned her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario. She later completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Western Ontario-Children's Hospital of Western Ontario and a second residency in pediatric neurology at University of Toronto – The Hospital for Sick Children. Her residencies were followed by a fellowship in neuromuscular research at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Banwell is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Multiple Sclerosis (MS), CACH Syndrome, Optic Neuritis, and Transverse Myelitis.

Dr. Pardo's interest in transverse myelitis centers on management of acute myelitis, biomarkers of the disease in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, and the role of neuroimmune factors in the pathogenesis of myelopathies. Along with others neurologists and health care providers in the Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center, Dr. Pardo focuses on a comprehensive approach in the diagnosis and management of myelopathies, myelitis, neuroimmunological and neuroinfectious disorders. Dr. Pardo is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), Neurosarcoidosis, Transverse Myelitis, Zika Virus Disease, and Gastrostomy.

Elias Sotirchos, M.D., specializes in the diagnosis, management and treatment of neuroimmunological disorders that involve the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). His research focuses on developing and validating novel imaging and blood-based biomarkers of these conditions, and clinical trials of experimental therapeutic agents. Dr. Sotirchos earned his medical degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and subsequently completed his internship and neurology residency training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He then pursued advanced clinical and research training in neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins as a National MS Society Sylvia Lawry Fellow. Dr. Sotirchos is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Optic Neuritis, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Neuromyelitis Optica, and Transverse Myelitis.

Peter Calabresi is a Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Calabresi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Optic Neuritis, Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS), and CACH Syndrome.

Dr. Albert Recio is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include spinal cord injury, spasticity management, wound healing, paralysis restoration and aquatics medicine. He is a physician in the paralysis restoration program at the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and medical director for the aquatics medicine program there. Dr. Recio received his medical degree from the Perpetual Help College of Medicine in the Philippines. He began internship training there and completed it at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Recio did his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which is associated with Harvard Medical School. He then performed a fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at University of Washington Medical Center. His research interests include functional electrical stimulation, activity-based restoration therapy and electrical stimulation for wound healing. For more than 15 years, Dr. Recio has been a volunteer physician for medical missions in the Republic of the Philippines. He is a member of the American Paraplegia Society, the Association of Academic Physiatrists, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the International Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Recio is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Neurogenic Bowel, Transverse Myelitis, and Spasticity.

Dr. Mowry became interested in multiple sclerosis (MS) prior to beginning college and first performed MS research as an undergraduate biology major at Georgetown University. As a neurology resident at the University of Pennsylvania, she began her multiple sclerosis clinical research activities in conducting a study of visual dysfunction and quality of life in multiple sclerosis. During her fellowship at UCSF, Dr. Mowry evaluated prognostic factors in multiple sclerosis and examined health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis, particularly as a marker of disease burden. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research at UCSF. Dr. Mowry continued as a member of the faculty there before joining the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor in July, 2011; she received a joint appointment in Epidemiology in 2013. She was appointed as the inaugural Richard T. and Frances W. Johnson Professor in 2022. Over the past several years, Dr. Mowry has worked primarily to perform epidemiologic investigations of multiple sclerosis (MS) risk and prognostic factors and has evaluated both genetic and environmental contributors. While she has had a major role in several such studies, her most significant work led to the identification of the association of vitamin D status with relapse and brain lesion risk in patients with MS (Annals of Neurology 2010, Annals of Neurology 2012, European Journal of Neurology 2015). She also conducted the first pilot study comparing gut bacterial populations in patients with MS and healthy individuals (Journal of Investigative Medicine 2014). She was recently funded to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the metabolomics profile in patients with MS compared to healthy controls. She enjoys designing and conducting clinical trials in MS and is the Principal Investigator of the Vitamin D to Ameliorate Multiple Sclerosis (VIDAMS) multicenter vitamin D trial (NCT01490502), which is sponsored by the National MS Society and a smaller multicenter pilot study investigating vitamin D pharmacokinetics in MS patients and healthy controls (NCT01667796). She is also the recipient of a Harry Weaver Award from the National MS Society, in which she is investigating the impact of intermittent calorie restriction in MS. Finally, as Director of the MS Experimental Therapeutics Program at Johns Hopkins, she assists colleagues with study design and helps oversee the conduct of MS clinical trials. Dr. Mowry is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS), Optic Neuritis, and Neuromyelitis Optica.

Dr. Becker is a neurologist who earned his Medical Degree from Ruprecht Karls University in Heidelberg, Germany in 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he was a Research Assistant in Neuroscience investigating the role of embryonic stem cells in spinal cord injury repair at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, he completed his residency in Internal Medicine in 2004 and his residency in Neurology in 2007. From there, he completed a year-long fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Becker is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Cerebellar Multiple System Atrophy.

Dr. Bhargava developed an interest in immunology early in medical school at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. He then completed his neurology training at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and while there began research in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS). Following his neurology training he completed a 3-year fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University in neuroimmunology and neurological infections focusing on MS clinical care and research. His fellowship training was supported by a Sylvia Lawry physician fellowship award from the National MS Society. His main research interests include studying the role of inflammation in the meninges in progression of MS disease. He is currently involved in a trial testing the utility of injecting a drug called rituximab into the spinal fluid in patients with progressive MS. He is also developing an animal model of the process of meningeal inflammation to test other potential treatments. This work is supported by awards from the National MS Society, Race to Erase MS and the American Academy of Neurology. He is also actively involved in studying the role of measuring lipids and small molecule metabolites in serum and plasma to help identify new biomarkers for improved diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. These methods could also help in better tracking the effects of various interventions and in personalizing the treatment of patients with MS. Dr. Bhargava is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS), Transverse Myelitis, and CACH Syndrome.

Prior to joining the Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, Dr. Jonathan Ross was Director of The New England Epilepsy Institute, a division of New England Neurological Associates (NENA) in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He also served as head of the Neurology division at NENA. After graduating medical school in 1991, Dr. Ross completed postgraduate training at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, and also served as Teaching Fellow at Harvard and Boston University. Dr. Ross is an active member of the American Epilepsy Society, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, Massachusetts Medical Society, and the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Ross is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Seizures, Memory Loss, Autosomal Dominant Partial Epilepsy with Auditory Features, and Benign Rolandic Epilepsy.

John Ratchford is a Neurologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Ratchford is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Optic Neuritis, Neuromyelitis Optica, Transverse Myelitis, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Dr. Angeliki Filippatou specializes in the diagnosis, management and treatment of neuroimmunological disorders with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis (MS). Her research focuses on the development of innovative prognostic and monitoring biomarkers for MS and related neuroimmunological conditions, including the integration of emerging digital health tools into disease tracking. Dr. Filippatou earned her medical degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece and went on to complete her neurology residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She pursued subspecialty fellowship training in neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins. Her fellowship training was supported by the National Institutes of Health/ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National MS Society. Dr. Filippatou is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Optic Neuritis, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Neuromyelitis Optica, Transverse Myelitis, and Thrombectomy.

Dr. Philippines Cabahug is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Cabahug completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins and got her clinical fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), where she joined the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury as a full-time physician. Dr. Cabahug has worked on several publications regarding Lean Six Sigma Quality Improvement Project focused on improving discharge paperwork. She is also an online contributor to “PM&R Knowledge Now,” the online resource of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Cabahug is the director of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSK-US) at KKI. She runs two MSK-US clinics at KKI: a musculoskeletal diagnostic clinic and an ultrasound-guided intrathecal pump access clinic. Dr. Cabahug is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Paraplegia, Spasticity, Opisthotonos, and Muscle Spasms.

Dr. R. Samuel Mayer is an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical interests include complications of critical illness, spine disorders, pain management, disorders of muscle tone and cancer rehabilitation. Dr. Mayer serves as the director of cancer rehabilitation, director of undergraduate medical education and residency program director for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He graduated from the honors program in medical education at Northwestern University School of Medicine and completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush Medical College. He was chair of the Committee on Medical Education for the American Medical Student Association while he was a medical student. After completing his residency, he remained on faculty at Rush Medical College, eventually becoming the residency program director and acting chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins in 2001. Dr. Mayer serves as director of the Medical Student Summer Clinical Experience in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Association of Academic Physiatrists. He is Editor in Chief of Knowledge NOW, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation's online encyclopedia of the field. In 2014, he was named Distinguished Clinician by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Mayer is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma (pLGG), Hemiplegia, Miller-Fisher Syndrome, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Dagmara Pychynski is a Neurologist in Elkton, Maryland. Dr. Pychynski has been practicing medicine for over 18 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure, Seizures, Peripheral Neuropathy, and Memory Loss.

Alba Azola, M.D., is a rehabilitation physician helping patients restore function and movement after an injury or illness. Her expertise includes neurorehabilitation and rehabilitation for swallowing disorders. Dr. Azola completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where in her final year she was awarded the Frank L. Coulson, Jr. Award for Clinical Excellence. Prior to the residency, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Swallowing Neurophysiology Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Azola received her medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico, where she grew up. After the devastating hurricane Maria in 2017, she returned to her homeland to help with hurricane relief. Dr. Azola is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Miller-Fisher Syndrome, Stroke, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass.

Dr. Erik Hoyer is an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical interests include inpatient rehabilitation, musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation, injection procedures to manage abnormal muscle tone (spasticity), and electrodiagnostic medicine (EMG). As the vice chair for quality, safety and service, he leads efforts to improve patient safety and care at Johns Hopkins, including an initiative called activity and mobility promotion (AMP) to get patients up and moving following surgery. Dr. Erik Hoyer graduated summa cum laude and received his master's degree in computer science from Brandeis University prior to graduating from the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel. He completed his internship in internal medicine at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, and subsequently finished his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation from Johns Hopkins University. He excelled during his residency, receiving the Hopkins Healer Award twice, and was selected as a trainee to the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program. Dr. Hoyer’s research interests include quality improvement, implementation science, and health services research focused on improving outcomes for hospitalized patients. Dr. Hoyer is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Miller-Fisher Syndrome, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Stroke, and Subdural Hematoma.

Dr. Dorianne Feldman is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She focuses on critical care physical medicine and rehabilitation. She combines both her skills as a physical therapist and physiatrist when treating her patients. Dr. Feldman holds B.S. and M.S.P.T. degrees from Boston University, and received her M.D. from the George Washington University School of Medicine. Following medical school, she completed a preliminary year in internal medicine at Mercy Medical Center/University of Maryland and then a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She served as chief resident from 2008-2009 for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and was subsequently appointed as a clinical associate. Dr. Feldman has published extensively, including five chapters in professional books. She has received numerous awards and honors, and was twice the recipient of the Hopkins Healer Award for excellence in patient care during residency. In April 2017, Dr. Feldman was inducted into the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. Inductees are honored for their professionalism, communication skills, diagnostic prowess, depth of knowledge, ability to negotiate the health care system, passion for patient care and service as a role model to medical trainees. Recent News Articles and Media Coverage Dorianne Feldman, M.D., inducted into Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. Dr. Feldman is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Stroke, Transverse Myelitis, Paraplegia, and Bursitis.

Dr. Justin McArthur is nationally and internationally recognized for his work in studying the natural history, development and treatment of the neurological complications of HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other neurological infections and immune-mediated neurological disorders. Dr. McArthur has also developed a technique to use cutaneous nerves to study sensory neuropathies, including those associated with chemotherapy, HIV and diabetes. Currently his clinical practice includes neuroimmunological disorders including MS, neurological infections, and complex undiagnosed neurological disorders. Dr. McArthur was the founding director of the Johns Hopkins/National Institute of Mental Health Research Center for HIV-associated Cognitive Disorders. The Center is an experienced interdisciplinary research team who have pooled their talents to study the nature of HIV-associated cognitive disorders. he is also the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Sheikh Khalifa Stroke institute. Dr. McArthur received his medical degree from Guys Hospital Medical School in London, UK. He then completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Dr. McArthur stayed with Johns Hopkins to complete a residency in neurology and achieve his Master's in public health. He is the current Director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology and holds the John W. Griffin Professorship in neurology which was established in 2015 by Jeffrey and Harriet Legum. In April 2017 Dr. McArthur was elected to the Association of American Physicians. In 2020 he was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Mcarthur is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. His top areas of expertise are Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS), and Encephalitis.

Dr. Tracy Friedlander is a clinical associate specializing in neurological rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Her focus is on helping patients manage spasticity (a muscle control disorder) through a variety of treatment approaches. Dr. Friedlander graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She interned at Mercy Medical Center and completed her residence in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Videos Dr. Tracy FriedlanderNeurological Rehabilitation Selected Publications Henrikson CA , Howell EE , Bush DE , Miles JS , Meininger GR , Friedlander T , Bushnell AC , Chandra-Strobos N. Prognostic usefulness of marginal troponin T elevation. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2004 Feb; 93(3): 275-279. Henrikson CA , Howell EE , Bush DE , Miles JS, Meininger GR , Friedlander T , Bushnell AC , Chandra-Strobos N. Chest pain relief by nitroglycerin does not predict active coronary artery disease. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2003 Dec; 139(12): 979-986 Courses & Syllabi Inpatient Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injury, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Friedlander is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Transverse Myelitis. Her top areas of expertise are Hemiplegia, Miller-Fisher Syndrome, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and Spasticity.