Rachel Salas, M.D., M.Ed.

Rachel Marie E Salas, M.D., M.Ed.

Headshot of Rachel Salas
  • Assistant Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness
  • Professor of Neurology

Expertise

Neurology, Restless Legs Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Disorders, Sleep Medicine, Snoring Disorders ...read more

Research Interests

Sleep disorders; medical education; inter-professional collaborative practice ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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International Patients

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Locations

Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness

Appointment Phone: 410-740-7944
11085 Little Patuxent Parkway
Medical Arts Building, Suite 210
Columbia, MD 21044
Phone: 410-740-7944 | Fax: 410-367-2419
Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness - Google Maps

Background

Dr. Rachel Salas is a sleep medicine specialist, director of ambulatory sleep services, and the assistant medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness in Maryland. Dr. Salas works with patients experiencing issues with their sleep, including obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, snoring, circadian rhythm disorders, and restless legs syndrome (RLS). She has particular expertise in longstanding complex insomnia and RLS. Currently she is only seeing patients through Telehealth/Telemedicine.

Dr. Salas was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where she also completed her Internal Medicine internship and Neurology residency. After her chief year, she came to Baltimore to complete her 2-year sleep medicine fellowship. She joined the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins in 2008. In 2018, she earned a Master of Medical Education at the Johns Hopkins School of Education. 

She is the Director of the Neurology Clerkship (since 2010). She is a Past-Chair of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Consortium of Clerkship Directors and the current Chair of the Undergraduate Education Subcommittee. Dr. Salas is an appointed member of the Alliance for Clinical Education. She is also the founder and Co-Director of the Osler Apprenticeship Program (in Neurology), a medical education research program for senior medical students, and the PreDoc Program, a premedical college program. She is invested in an interprofessional approach to learning, focusing on teams comprising individuals from different backgrounds and skillsets to enhance patient care. Dr. Salas is a certified strengths and master professional life coach who uses a strength-based approach and coaching to connect to, support, and develop those involved with her educational mission and clinical practice. She is the director of the Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice for the School of Medicine and a Co-Director for Interprofessional Teaming for the High-Value Practice Academic Alliance (HVPAA). Dr. Salas is a 2019-21 Josiah Macy Scholar, a 2019-20 AMA Health Systems Science Scholar, and a 2021 AΩA Leadership Fellow.

Dr. Salas holds licenses to practice medicine in Maryland and Texas

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Titles

  • Assistant Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness
  • Professor of Neurology

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine (2002)

Residencies

  • Neurology; University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine (2006)

Fellowships

  • Sleep Medicine; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2008)

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Psychiatry And Neurology (Neurology) (2007)
  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Sleep Medicine) (2009)

Research & Publications

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

1. Gamaldo CE and Salas RE. Sleep medicine education: are medical schools and residency programs napping on the job? Nat Clin Pract Neurol. 2008 Jun;4(6):344-45.

2. Salas RE, Gamaldo CE. Adverse effects of sleep deprivation in the ICU. Crit Care Clin. 2008 Jul;24(3):461-76, v-vi.

3. Collop N, Salas R, Delayo M, Gamaldo C. Normal Sleep and Circadian Processes. In: Sleep and the ICU, Critical Care Clinics. Guest Editor: Collop N; Elsevier Inc, Philadelphia, PA, 2008, Vol. 24, Issue 3, Pages 449-460.

4. Salas RE, Gamaldo CE, Allen RP, Earley CJ. Quiescegenic Nocturnal Dyskinesia: A restless legs syndrome (RLS) variant or a new syndrome? Sleep Med. 2008, Aug 13 [Epub ahead of print]

5. Gamaldo, CE, Salas, RE, Collop NA. Sleep Medicine Pearls: Complex arrhythmia during a sleep study What to do? JCSM. 2008, in press.

6. Salas,RE, Allen,RP, Earley,CJ, Gamaldo,CE. Drug hoarding: A Case of Atypical Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome in a RLS patient. Movement Disorders, 2009 Jan 9.

7. Salas,RE, Allen,RP, Earley,CJ, Gamaldo,CE. A Case of Compulsive Behaviors Observed in a RLS Patient Treated with a Dopamine Agonist. Sleep, accepted for publication 2009.

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • John R. Calverley Best Overall Neurology Resident Award , 2006
  • Neurology Clerkship Director Innovation Award, American Academy of Neurology, 2015
  • Mosaic Initiative Award, Johns Hopkins, 2008
  • CFAR Faculty Scholar, Johns Hopkins, 2014
  • Clerkship Director Innovation Award, American Academy of Neurology, 2015
  • Young Investigator Award, International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) and European RLS Study Group (EU-RLSSG) 2015 RLS/WED SCIENCE Summit, 2015
  • Student Excellence Award for MEHP Fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Education, 2017
  • Clerkship Director Teaching Award, American Academy of Neurology, 2018
  • Teaching Award for Faculty Less than 10 Years, Johns Hopkins Institute for Excellence in Education, 2018
  • Burton A. Sandok Visiting Professor of Neurological Education, Mayo Clinic, 2019
  • Josiah Macy Jr. Faculty Scholar, The Macy Faculty Scholars Program, 2019 - 2021
  • Health Systems Science Scholar, American Medical Association, 2019
  • Visiting Professor, American Academy of Neurology, 2019 - 2020
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2020
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association, 2020

Memberships

  • American Academy of Neurology, 2002
    Member
  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2004
    Member
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2007
    Member
  • American Medical Association, 2003
    Member
  • National Sleep Foundation, 2004
    Member
  • Society of Neuroscience, 2007
    Member
  • World Association of Sleep Medicine, 2005
    Member

Professional Activities

  • Founder and Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Predoctoral Program, 2011
  • Founder and Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Osler Apprenticeship, 2012
  • Assistant Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, 2013
  • Director for Ambulatory Sleep Services, Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, 2013
  • Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Osler Attending Preceptor Program in Neurology, 2013
  • Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Nursing, 2015
  • Adjunct Professor, St. Mary's University, 2015
  • Director, Johns Hopkins Medical Student Neurology Clerkship, 2016
  • Director, Johns Hopkins Medicine Interprofessional Education and Interprofessional Clinical Practice, 2017
  • Co-Director, Interprofessional Team Building, High Value Practice Academic Alliance, 2018
  • Certified Strengths Coach, Gallup, 2018
  • Vice Chair, American Academy of Neurology, Undergraduate Education Subcommittee, 2019
  • Past Chair, American Academy of Neurology Consortium of Clerkship Directors, 2020

Videos & Media

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Restless Legs Syndrome Brain Stimulation Study Supports Motor Cortex ‘Excitability’ as A Cause | ScienceDaily (August 2018)

Considering Melatonin for Sleep? Here’s a Guide to Help | The New York Times (April 2020)  

How I Practice Now: Rachel Salas, MD, on Providing Sleep Medicine Care from Home | Neurology Consultant (April 2020)

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