Top Doctors 2020
Edited by Brittany Jasnoff
The best detectives don’t wear trench coats—they wear white coats. How Boston’s brightest doctors are solving the world’s most baffling medical conundrums—one unexplained fever, uncontrollable itch, and mysterious headache at a time. Plus, our annual list of the region’s top doctors.
Top Doctors 2020: The List
Medical Mysteries Unraveled
Liver-transplantation expert Roger Jenkins, of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. / Photo by Ken Richardson
The Case of the Unstoppable Itch
To stop the ceaseless irritation, Dr. Roger Jenkins of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center knew he had to remove part of the patient’s liver.
Image via Getty/Tero Vesalainen
The Case of the Mysterious Buzzing Body
After a lifetime of strange symptoms, a patient was diagnosed with a treatable disorder by Beth Israel’s Dr. Bernard Chang.
Ventricular specialist Neal Lakdawala, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. / Photo by Ken Richardson
The Case of the Heart That Wouldn’t Tick Right
Can your hair texture determine your predisposition for a genetic heart disorder? In this case, diagnosed by Dr. Neal Lakdawala of Brigham and Women’s, it can.
Image via Getty/alessandro0770
The Case of the Invisible, Painless Lump
Dr. Bradley McGregor of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute saved a patient from Maine diagnosed with the country’s only known case of a rare cancer.
Neurologist Paula Voinescu, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. / Photo by Ken Richardson
The Case of the Restless Sleeper
Dr. Paula Voinescu of Brigham and Women’s Hospital used a brand-new, state-of-the-art MRI machine to diagnose the cause of a patient’s seizures.
Image via Getty/AntonioGuillem
The Case of the Unexplained Limp
When a fit 40-year-old inexplicably lost mobility in his left leg, Dr. Ron Riesenburger of Tufts Medical followed clues to the top of his spine.
Radiologist Neel Madan, of Tufts Medical Center. / Photo by Ken Richardson
The Case of the Patient Who Couldn’t Remember
A young patient suffered from symptoms similar to early-onset Alzheimer’s. But Dr. Neel Madan of Tufts Medical Center knew better, imaging her spine for a leak instead.
Image via Getty/eggeeggjiew
The Case of the Fever That Wouldn’t Go Away
Cambridge Health Alliance’s Dr. Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha discovered a rare infectious disease, spread by rodents, right here in Massachusetts.
Director of otology Konstantina Stankovic, of Massachusetts Eye and Ear. / Photo by Ken Richardson
The Case of the Curious Clicking Noise
Constant noise in a patient’s ears were thought to be caused by nerve damage. Dr. Konstantina Stankovic of Mass Eye and Ear diagnosed a broken bone instead.
