Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Related Disorder Program
The mission of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) program at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is to:
- Provide outstanding clinical care to adolescents and young adults with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and related disorders
- Perform research that improves our scientific and clinical understanding of these illnesses
- Educate medical professionals and the public about the conditions.
The CFS Program has been supported by the Sunshine Natural Wellbeing Foundation Professorship, and also through philanthropic donations from other groups and families, from research grants, and - to a lesser extent - from clinical earnings.
Learn more about myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Patient Care
The CFS Program is the central focus of our team. We continue to follow several hundred of the most complicated cases of ME/CFS and provide consultation and advice to people affected by ME/CFS around the country. We provide care for approximately 200 patients a month both in clinic and virtually, while continuing to devote time to our academic and research efforts.
More About the CFS Program
We continue to collaborate with cardiologists, neurologists, gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, physiatrists, and surgeons at Johns Hopkins around autonomic nervous system disorders. We have expanded our clinical and research footprint with the additions to our clinical and research team, and look forward to more progress in the future.
Learn more about our research and education efforts in the links below.
Meet Our Team
Our team includes pediatricians, adolescent medicine physicians and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
Peter Rowe, M.D.
Dr. Peter Rowe is the inaugural Sunshine Natural Wellbeing Foundation Professor of Chronic Fatigue and Related Disorders and has served as the Director of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center since 1997.
Alba Azola, M.D.
Dr. Alba Azola joined the program in July 2023. Dr. Azola is trained in adult physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), and had been working in the Johns Hopkins Long COVID Clinic in the two years prior. Her passion is the management of those with fatiguing illnesses. Dr. Azola will help with the longer term care of those who began in the clinic as adolescents 20 to 25 years ago.
Renee Swope, RN
Renee Swope has been the CFS program nurse since May of 2020. She has been instrumental in improving the organization and patient flow. She has experience as a NICU nurse and had been a school nurse for 10 years prior to joining the CFS program.
Meghan Swope
Meghan Swope is a certified medical assistant and the CFS program’s research assistant, helping to streamline office procedures. She is responsible for the screening of all new patients and is coordinating the research efforts for the Cohort II Study.
