Chad Barrett Crigger, MD

Bashir Zikria, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. He helps people of all ages and activity levels restore stability and function after a joint injury, such as ACL, PCL and multi-ligament injuries to the knee, shoulder instability, rotator cuff problems and elbow conditions. Dr. Zikria has expertise in working with athletes and their unique needs, focusing on timely recovery and safe return to sports. He practices a patient-centered approach, which combines personalized care and innovative treatments. Dr. Zikria is the chief of the sports medicine division in the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is experienced in a variety of orthopaedic procedures, from knee ligament reconstruction and elbow arthroscopy to complex revision surgeries and intricate procedures such as autologous chondrocyte implantation. His specialty is advanced techniques for joint restoration, with emphasis on cartilage restoration and osteotomy procedures, as he aims to restore function and alleviate pain in people with joint degeneration. Dr. Zikria is skilled at managing high-stakes athletic injuries, thanks to years of experience as a trusted team physician for renowned sports entities, including the Johns Hopkins University Department of Athletics and Afghan national sports teams, as well as his affiliation with professional sports teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Orioles. Before starting his current role, Dr. Zikria served as chief of sports at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar, where he coordinated orthopaedic care during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Over his 15+ years at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Zikria has greatly contributed to sports medicine education and the innovative Articular Cartilage Restoration Program. His work with musculoskeletal radiology yielded significant advancements in the understanding of articular cartilage injuries and the application of innovative techniques like the MACI (Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation) procedure. He has published more than 100 research papers and contributions to leading textbooks, as well as served as lead editor for the Johns Hopkins High Yield Review Book. He contributes as an editor and reviewer for esteemed journals, further solidifying his impact on the field, as he helps advance orthopaedic care and shape the future of sports medicine. Dr. Zikria’s influence extends far beyond academic circles. He has traveled the world sharing his knowledge and expertise in orthopaedic surgery and serves as a distinguished member of professional organizations such as the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). His dedication to teaching and leadership is exemplified by numerous national and international teaching awards as well as the Leadership Fellow designation from the AAOS.

Melinda “Nina” DeSell is a pediatric nurse practitioner who treats children experiencing ear, nose, throat, head and neck problems. She is part of the Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the Pediatric Aerodigestive Program at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and has a special interest in the early detection of hearing loss in infants. She helped to establish the Infant Hearing Early Access and Rapid Diagnostic Detection (iHeardd) Clinic in the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology. iHeardd is a clinic for newborns who fail their initial hearing screening. DeSell earned a master’s degree in maternal-child health from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She holds a master’s certificate for pediatric nurse practitioners from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. A cited author in several research publications, DeSell has presented at more than 20 professional conferences. She has been an active member of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses since 2009.

Shaun Desai, M.D., is an associate professor of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and chief of facial cosmetic surgery in the Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Desai is also part of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital and Suburban Hospital in the Washington D.C. and National Capital Region. Dr. Desai splits his clinical practice and sees patients in the downtown Baltimore main campus, Lutherville (Green Spring Station), and Bethesda.Dr. Desai's practice focuses exclusively on plastic surgery of the face, head, and neck. Within the field of facial plastic surgery, his practice encompasses a broad spectrum of both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic procedures include but are not limited to, rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation surgery (facelift or browlift), eyelid surgery, facial augmentation, and wrinkle treatment (Botox, fillers, and chemical peels). Reconstructive procedures include facial trauma management, microvascular or “free-flap” reconstruction of major head and neck defects after cancer or trauma, skin cancer reconstruction after Moh’s surgery, and management of skin cancer, such as malignant melanoma.Dr. Desai received his undergraduate and medical degree with honors at The George Washington University School of Medicine. He received an academic scholarship through an accelerated 7-year B.A./M.D. program with early acceptance to medical school from high school. Dr. Desai completed a five-year surgical residency training program in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital of Washington University in St. Louis, as well as an American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) fellowship with particular training in facial plastic and microvascular reconstruction of the head and neck. While at Washington University, Dr. Desai received the distinguished Resident Teaching Award, as voted upon by his peers. At Johns Hopkins, as the Associate Residency Program Director, he has been awarded the George Nager MD Faculty Teaching Award as voted upon by the Johns Hopkins Residents.Dr. Desai has traveled to Peru and India several times on cleft lip and palate mission trips with the Healing the Children Non-Profit Organization. He has received numerous travel grants for his work, including grants from AAFPRS, the American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Head and Neck Society.Dr. Desai’s research interests include novel and advanced methods of microvascular reconstruction of the head and neck using innovative technology. He also has an interest in the diagnosis and management of malignant melanoma of the head and neck. He is also an active surgical member of the multi-disciplinary Facial Transplantation team at Johns Hopkins. He has received several research awards and grants, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Research Award; the Doris Deford Speck and George Speck, M.D., Endowed Prize in Medical Research; the AAFPRS Ben Shuster Memorial Research Award; and the distinguished AAFPRS Leslie Burnstein Research Grant, an honor given to only two residents each year. To date, he has published over 45 research articles, 9 book chapters, and solely edited his own textbook entitled, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Clinical Reference Guide.Dr. Desai is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as well as the Washington Metropolitan Ear, Nose, Throat Society. He is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals including, JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, Oral Oncology, Laryngoscope, and Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.