David E. Tunkel, M.D.

Director of pediatric otolaryngology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and associate professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Recognized by Baltimore Magazine as a “Top Doc,” Dr. Tunkel has received various accolades, including honor awards from the Maryland Speech-Language Hearing Association and the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Tunkel has served as the chair of the section on otolaryngology and bronchoesophagology of the American Academy of Pediatrics and as a member of the task force on infant hearing for the same national organization. He serves on numerous committees for both the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Tunkel has lived in Baltimore for over 25 years. He received his bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Johns Hopkins University in 1980 and his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1984. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and his fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

While Dr. Tunkel practices the entire spectrum of pediatric otolaryngology, he has specific clinical interests in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in children, the surgical correction of laryngotracheal abnormalities, and the treatment of chronic ear disease. His research interests involve new techniques for treatment of airway obstruction and sleep apnea in children.

Dr. Sandra Y. Lin

An assistant professor with the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Lin’s clinical interests include sinusitis, allergy, and general pediatric otolaryngology. Dr. Sandra Lin’s research interests include pediatric sleep apnea, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis.

Prior to coming to Hopkins, Dr. Lin was an assistant professor of otolaryngology at Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine where she established the S.I.U. Otolaryngic Allergy Clinic. She has been a national instructor at the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy continuing medical education courses, teaching other physicians and allied health personnel about the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis. She has served on several national committees for the American Academy of Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.

Born in Urbana, Ill., Dr. Lin received her undergraduate degree in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and her medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. She completed her Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery residency in 1999 at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.


Dr. David L. Brown

An assistant professor with the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. David J. Brown joined Johns Hopkins in 2004. Dr. Brown graduated from Brown University with a degree in Biology and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Brown completed his residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan followed by a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the Children’s Hospital, Boston.

Dr. Brown sees children with any otolaryngology issue, but he has a particular interest in hearing impairments. His research interest is focused on the genetics of hearing loss. He works with families with hereditary sensorineural hearing loss and otosclerosis to identify the genetic mutations causing the hearing impairment.

Dr. Brown also collaborates with the Pediatric Infectious Disease Department to evaluate the effect of congenital cytomegalovirus on hearing.

Stacey Ishman, M.D.

An Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Stacey Ishman obtained her medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois. She then went on to complete a general surgery internship and residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Ishman first came to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology. During her residency and fellowship, she underwent additional training in adult and pediatric sleep medicine at both the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Ishman’s clinical work currently focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of pediatric and adult sleep disorders, swallowing problems and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallow (FEES) in children, airway reconstruction in infants and children and neck masses and ear disease in children. Her research interests include quality of life outcomes after surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and the treatment of persistent sleep apnea in patients with Down syndrome and craniofacial disorders.

Dr. Ishman is an appointed member of the Sleep Medicine and the Pediatric Otolaryngology Committees for the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. She also serves as a member of the clinical advisory board of the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation, Inc. Dr. Ishman has won numerous awards including the Nittany’s Pride Alumni Award (The Pennsylvania State University), the Resident Legislative Advocacy Award and the Board of Governors Big On Goals Award (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery), the Sam Sanders Basic Research Presentation Award (American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy) and the Paul Holinger Resident Research Award (Triological Society).