Laura Norton, CRNP

Dr. Tom Crawford has been a member of the Department of Neurology since 1987. He is co-director of the MDA clinic for Neuromuscular Disorders and Neurologist for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Clinical Center at Johns Hopkins. His practice involves general child neurology with a principal interest in caring for children with neuromuscular, neuromotor, and ataxic disorders. Primary research interests involve the basic science and clinical characterization of two important neurologic disorders that affect children: Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Ataxia Telangiectasia. He is also actively involved in the Biology of neurofilaments by characterization of transgenic animal models. He is on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and the Medical Advisory Committee for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He is the Neurologist for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Clinical Center at Johns Hopkins, which has evaluated almost half of the known patients with this disorder in the United States. Additional specific clinical interests include evaluation and treatment of children with brachial plexus palsies.Dr. Crawford received his medical degree from the University of Southern California. He completed a pediatric internship and residency at the Pediatric Pavilion of the Los Angeles County / University of Southern California Medical Center, followed by a pediatric chief residency. He completed his training in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology at the Los Angeles Childrens Hospital. He then traveled east to the laboratory of Dr John Griffin at Johns Hopkins for a fellowship in Neuromuscular Disorders. Prior to medical training and Neurology residency, he majored in Psychology and Religion at Yale College.Dr. Crawford has published extensively and presented nationally and internationally. He has an active role in teaching medical students and residents in neurology. In addition, Dr. Crawford has special interest and experience in EMG studies of children and adults.

Brenda Johnson, DNP, CRNP, ANVP, FAHA, is an acute neurovascular advanced nurse practitioner. She also serves as an assistant director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and an associate professor of clinical neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Johnson holds nursing degrees from Auburn University, Mercy College and Pace University, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She pursued additional training through the advanced practice neurovascular fellowship in stroke at Arizona State University. Dr. Johnson is actively involved in professional organizations such as the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Stroke Nursing Symposium, the Maryland State Quality Improvement Committee, and the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. Dr. Johnson serves as a consultant for the Johns Hopkins Global Center for Organized Stroke Care and develops stroke programs domestically and internationally. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, with research interests focused on stroke prevention and healthcare disparities.

Lora L. Clawson, MSN, CRNP is Director of ALS Clinical Services at Johns Hopkins. She coordinates ALS clinical care management, clinical research studies, and community fundraising for ALS clinical services, which includes the $2 million Cal Ripken/Lou Gehrig donation to Johns Hopkins in 1995.Her ALS career began at Hopkins over 20 years ago as a Research Nurse Coordinator. She became the facilitator of the Baltimore ALS Support Group and the Salisbury ALS Support Group. As an ALS expert, Ms. Clawson has coordinated over 25 ALS research studies, co-authored over 30 publications, and over 40 abstracts at ALS conferences around the country. She has chaired the National Neuromuscular Nursing Advisory Board and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Advisory Board for ALS, served on many committees such as The Robert Wood Johnson Excellence in End of Life Care in ALS, the ALSA Clinic Certification Committee, the El Escorial Revised Diagnostic Criteria, World Federation of Neurology, ALS Research Group, Hospice Network of Maryland, and the ALS Northeast Consortium Executive committee. Ms. Clawson was the recipient of the Vickie Appel Award for Excellence in ALS Clinical Care in January 1999.Ms. Clawson was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Neurology in 1998. Now an Assistant Professor, she teaches at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and serves as a mentor and instructor to undergraduate and graduate nursing students.