Simon R. Best, MD

Andrew Cosgarea, M.D., is a sports medicine specialist with expertise in the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of sports-related injuries, particularly those affecting the knee and shoulder and elbow, including sprains, strains, ligament tears and joint instability. An experienced sports medicine surgeon and a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Cosgarea will transition away from performing surgical procedures as of July 1, 2025. He will continue to provide office-based patient care, and will remain actively involved in clinical consultation, research and medical education. Dr. Cosgarea’s research focuses on knee biomechanics and improving outcomes in the treatment of sports injuries. He has authored two textbooks and more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His surgical expertise includes arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, elbow UCL reconstruction and shoulder instability stabilization procedures. He serves as the head team physician for the Johns Hopkins University Department of Athletics, is the former chief of the Division of Sports Medicine in the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and served as a team physician for the Baltimore Orioles from 2000 to 2010. In 2012, he was named one of the “125 Knee Surgeons and Specialists to Know” by Becker’s Spine Review. Dr. Cosgarea is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the International Patellofemoral Study Group. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of the Patellofemoral Foundation. He earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, did his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester and completed a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins in 1998, he was an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and served as an orthopaedic consultant for the Ohio State athletic department.

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.

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.