Jeff K. Jopling, MD

John Affronti is a gastroenterologist specializing in biliary and pancreatic disorders as well as endoscopic procedures, including endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography. He treats patients who have pancreatitis, pancreatic duct stones, pancreatic and biliary cancers, and related conditions.A professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Dr. Affronti came to Johns Hopkins from Tulane University School of Medicine, where he served as interim chief of the Tulane University gastroenterology and hepatology division and held several other leadership positions.Dr. Affronti earned a graduate degree in pharmacology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and a medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., where he completed a residency in internal medicine. He continued his training as a gastroenterology fellow at Duke University. During the fellowship, Dr. Affronti studied shockwave lithotripsy and its application for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. He specialized in the treatment of biliary and pancreatic disorders under the supervision of world-renowned experts Peter Cotton and John Baillie. His training included an apprenticeship in biliary endoscopy under Joseph Leung at Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong.After his fellowship, Dr. Affronti stayed at Duke University Medical Center, providing care to patients with biliary and pancreatic disorders. He developed and directed Duke’s first endoscopic ultrasonography program. He has held several faculty positions, including at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, Emory University, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and the Medical College of Georgia. At each of these institutions, he has held multiple leadership roles and established a variety of specialty programs and clinics. Dr. Affronti’s research interests include endoscopic ultrasound, biliary and pancreatic medicine, and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for pancreatic and biliary duct stones. While at Duke University, he served as co-investigator in a study that has been used around the world as a benchmark for training physicians in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Dr. Affronti has published his research in numerous medical journals, and has presented at national and international conferences.

Khalil Ghanem's, M.D., Ph.D., research interests include sexually transmitted infections and the vaginal microbiome. In 2008, he received his Ph.D. degree in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Vanessa Ruales is a hospitalist at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center.