Dr. Thomas O. Crawford

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 highly rated in 16 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Multiple Sclerosis (MS), CACH Syndrome, Optic Neuritis, and Transverse Myelitis. Dr. Banwell is board certified in Royal College Of Physicians And Surgeons Of Canada. Dr. Banwell is currently accepting new patients.

William D. Gaillard, MD, professor of neurology and neurophysiology, is chief of the Divisions of Child Neurology and of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology. He is director of the Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program — one of the leading multidisciplinary pediatric epilepsy programs in the country. As associate director of the Children’s National Research Institute’s Center for Neuroscience Research, he is responsible for overseeing and organizing clinical neuroscience research. Dr. Gaillard is professor of pediatrics and neurology at the George Washington University School of Medicine; Professor of Neurology, Georgetown University; and Adjunct Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park. Additionally, Dr. Gaillard holds longstanding collaborations with the Clinical Epilepsy Section (CES), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and NIH. His innovative research utilizes advanced structural and functional imaging to examine the effects of epilepsy on brain structure and function. His pioneering work with functional imaging has changed clinical practice for patients with epilepsy, made important technical contributions to structural and functional imaging methods, and provided fundamental scientific insights on the biology of brain plasticity. Ultimately, the goal of his research is to improve the outcomes and lives of children with epilepsy. Dr. Gaillard is a past president of the American Epilepsy Society. He is past treasurer of the American Epilepsy Society, past chair of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Commission on Diagnostics, past chair of the ILAE Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Task Force and past member of the Pediatric Commission. He is a past editor of Epilepsy Research and a past editor of Epilepsia. He is the author of more than 240 peer-reviewed scientific papers and more than 50 chapters and holds longstanding federal and foundation grant funding. Dr. Gaillard is highly rated in 21 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Epilepsy, Seizures, Epilepsy in Children, Liver Embolization, and Deep Brain Stimulation. Dr. Gaillard is board certified in Pediatrics: American Board Of Pediatrics, 2005, American Board Of Psychiatry And Neurology, and American Board Of Psychiatry And Neurology, 1992. Dr. Gaillard is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Jaishri Blakeley is the Marjorie Bloomberg Tiven Professor of Neurofibromatosis in Neurology, Oncology, and Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Center and director of the Neurofibromatosis Therapeutic Acceleration Program (NTAP). She is an active clinician-scientist specializing in the care of people with NF1, NF2, LZTR1, SMARC1 schwannomatoses, and primary brain tumors. Her research expertise in the development of clinical trials for nervous system tumors and specifically, early clinical-translational studies including tumor pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic investigations, imaging biomarkers for rare nervous system tumors, and incorporation of patient-focused, functional endpoints into efficacy studies. She has been the national or international leader of 7 clinical trials focused on therapies for glioblastoma, NF1 and NF2. In 2012 she cofounded the NTAP to dramatically shift the landscape of NF1 via necessary, efficient, and expert discovery, translational and clinical research. NTAP focuses on therapeutics, fosters collaboration, facilitates open and timely sharing of results, and streamlines the research process to accelerate therapies for plexiform and cutaneous neurofibromas. Through NTAP, Dr. Blakeley has supported and collaborated with more than 80 laboratories and research teams across the globe enabling meaningful therapeutic development for NF1-associated neoplasms and supporting the development of an exceptional community of clinician scientists focused on NF1 via the Francis S. Collins Scholars Program in Neurofibromatosis Clinical and Translational Research. Her research and programmatic efforts are all in the service of improving outcomes for the patients with NF1, NF2, schwannomatosis, and primary brain cancer for whom she is honored to provide care. Dr. Blakeley is highly rated in 27 conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Neurofibromatosis, Schwannomatosis, Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), and Laminectomy. Dr. Blakeley is board certified in American Board Of Psychiatry And Neurology. Dr. Blakeley is currently accepting new patients.