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 a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. Her top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Cancer, Throat Cancer, Tongue Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

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 Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Subglottic Stenosis, Perichondritis, Laryngectomy, 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 Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Tongue Cancer, Human Papillomavirus Infection, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Head and neck surgeon David Eisele specializes in surgery for malignant and benign tumors of the head and neck, with a focus on salivary gland neoplasms and disorders of the salivary glands that can be treated surgically. He is an expert in minimally invasive surgical approaches, including sialendoscopy. Salivary gland neoplasms and disorders are also the focus of Dr. Eisele’s research. He has published more than 300 research papers and edited multiple books related to head and neck surgery. Dr. Eisele earned a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and completed residency training in general surgery and in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the University of Washington. From 2012 to 2025, he served as director of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Eisele is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Salivary Duct Stones, Salivary Gland Tumors, Throat 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 Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Farzad Masroor is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Masroor is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Male Pattern Baldness, Mikulicz Disease, Thyroid Nodule, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Masroor is currently accepting new patients.

Mazin Merdad is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Merdad is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Thyroid Cancer, Salivary Gland Tumors, Parathyroid Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Thyroidectomy.

Dr. Carole Fakhry is a head and neck surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins and treats the breadth of patients with head and neck cancers, including cancers of the tonsils, base of tongue, mouth, larynx, thyroid, salivary gland (parotid, submandibular gland) and skin cancers among others. She is the Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery and Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Center. She also serves as director of the head and neck group in the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the head and neck surgical oncology fellowship. She is the associate editor for Oral Oncology and serves on several editorial boards. After an undergraduate degree at Stanford University, she completed medical school, residency in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, and a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins. She has also received a master’s in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is presently a professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Oncology, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. Her research interest focuses on the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell cancer. She has demonstrated that the presence of HPV confers a prognostic advantage to individuals with oropharyngeal cancer and that HPV is associated with unique clinical characteristics. In addition to the clinical implications of HPV in head and neck cancer, she is co-principal investigator of a large study to understand screening individuals at “high risk” of malignancy and evaluating imaging modalities to improve diagnostics and early detection of HPV- related head and neck cancer. Dr. Fakhry is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. Her top areas of expertise are Human Papillomavirus Infection, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Tongue Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Kyle Hatten is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Hatten is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Tongue Cancer, Salivary Gland Tumors, Laryngeal Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Hatten is currently accepting new patients.

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

Rodney Taylor is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Taylor is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Teratocarcinosarcoma, Olfactory Neuroblastoma, Sinus Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Tissue Biopsy.

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 Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngitis, Perichondritis, Endoscopy, and Laryngectomy.

Jeffrey Wolf is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Wolf is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Cancer, Throat Cancer, Acinic Cell Carcinoma of Salivary Glands, Thyroidectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Wolf is currently accepting new patients.

Ray Blanco is a Surgical Oncologist and a General Surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Blanco is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Renal Oncocytoma, Aseptic and Alopecic Nodules of Scalp (AANS), Thyroid Nodule, Gastrostomy, and Thyroidectomy. Dr. Blanco is currently accepting new patients.

Kalpesh Vakharia is a General Surgeon and an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Vakharia is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Facial Paralysis, Bell's Palsy, Recurrent Peripheral Facial Palsy, Laryngectomy, and Tissue Biopsy. Dr. Vakharia is currently accepting new patients.

Anirudh Saraswathula is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Saraswathula is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Anosmia, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP), Laryngectomy, and Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery.

Kevin Motz is fellowship-trained in laryngology and sleep medicine. His clinical practice focuses on the management of airway and voice disorders, with a particular emphasis on the management of laryngotracheal stenosis and idiopathic subglottic stenosis. Additionally, Dr. Motz sees patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are intolerant of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), offering surgical and nonsurgical approaches to care. His research interests include investigating immunologic mechanisms promoting fibrosis in laryngotracheal stenosis. Specifically, he is focused on determining how innate and adaptive immune cells influence fibroblast activation, function and, ultimately, wound healing in the larynx and trachea. In addition, Dr. Motz is exploring identifying unique physiologic biomarkers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, which may predict a successful response to non-CPAP therapies. Dr. Motz is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Subglottic Stenosis, Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Gastrostomy, and Laryngectomy.

Grace Snow is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Snow is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. Her top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Laryngitis, and Laryngectomy. Dr. Snow is currently accepting new patients.

Elizabeth Guardiani is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Guardiani is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. Her top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Thyroidectomy, and Laryngectomy. Dr. Guardiani is currently accepting new patients.

Wojtek Mydlarz, director of Johns Hopkins Head and Neck Surgery in the National Capital Region, specializes in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, including the upper aerodigestive tract, salivary glands, skull base, thyroid, skin and soft tissue. Dr. Mydlarz is a medical officer and a clinical and research collaborator in the head and neck surgery branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research interests include evaluating both surgical and nonsurgical treatment outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer. He is interested in the complex molecular biology of head and neck cancer, as well as potential clinical applications of novel targeted cancer therapies. He is actively involved in clinical trial development and implementation at the NIH and Johns Hopkins. After earning his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Mydlarz completed his internship and residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Additionally, he completed a Science of Clinical Investigation Training Program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and specialized fellowship training in head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Mydlarz has contributed to numerous professional publications, authored a variety of articles and book chapters, and has been invited to give many lectures. He serves on the editorial board for Oral Oncology and Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, and is a journal reviewer for Oral Oncology, Head and Neck, Laryngoscope and JAMA Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Mydlarz is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Laryngectomy. His top areas of expertise are Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Tongue Cancer, Salivary Gland Tumors, Laryngectomy, and Glossectomy.