Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Showing 1-20 of 35 Results
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Jeremy Dahl
Associate Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology)
On Partial Leave from 07/01/2024 To 06/30/2025Current Research and Scholarly InterestsUltrasonic beamforming, imaging methods, systems, and devices.
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Hongjie Dai
The J.G. Jackson and C.J. Wood Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
BioProfessor Dai’s research spans chemistry, physics, and materials and biomedical sciences, leading to materials with properties useful in electronics, energy storage and biomedicine. Recent developments include near-infrared-II fluorescence imaging, ultra-sensitive diagnostic assays, a fast-charging aluminum battery and inexpensive electrocatalysts that split water into oxygen and hydrogen fuels.
Born in 1966 in Shaoyang, China, Hongjie Dai began his formal studies in physics at Tsinghua U. (B.S. 1989) and applied sciences at Columbia U. (M.S. 1991). He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard U and performed postdoctoral research with Dr. Richard Smalley. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1997, and in 2007 was named Jackson–Wood Professor of Chemistry. Among many awards, he has been recognized with the ACS Pure Chemistry Award, APS McGroddy Prize for New Materials, Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics and Materials Research Society Mid-Career Award. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and Foreign Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Dai Laboratory has advanced the synthesis and basic understanding of carbon nanomaterials and applications in nanoelectronics, nanomedicine, energy storage and electrocatalysis.
Nanomaterials
The Dai Lab pioneered some of the now-widespread uses of chemical vapor deposition for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth, including vertically aligned nanotubes and patterned growth of single-walled CNTs on wafer substrates, facilitating fundamental studies of their intrinsic properties. The group developed the synthesis of graphene nanoribbons, and of nanocrystals and nanoparticles on CNTs and graphene with controlled degrees of oxidation, producing a class of strongly coupled hybrid materials with advanced properties for electrochemistry, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. The lab’s synthesis of a novel plasmonic gold film has enhanced near-infrared fluorescence up to 100-fold, enabling ultra-sensitive assays of disease biomarkers.
Nanoscale Physics and Electronics
High quality nanotubes from his group’s synthesis are widely used to investigate the electrical, mechanical, optical, electro-mechanical and thermal properties of quasi-one-dimensional systems. Lab members have studied ballistic electron transport in nanotubes and demonstrated nanotube-based nanosensors, Pd ohmic contacts and ballistic field effect transistors with integrated high-kappa dielectrics.
Nanomedicine and NIR-II Imaging
Advancing biological research with CNTs and nano-graphene, group members have developed π–π stacking non-covalent functionalization chemistry, molecular cellular delivery (drugs, proteins and siRNA), in vivo anti-cancer drug delivery and in vivo photothermal ablation of cancer. Using nanotubes as novel contrast agents, lab collaborations have developed in vitro and in vivo Raman, photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging. Lab members have exploited the physics of reduced light scattering in the near-infrared-II (1000-1700nm) window and pioneered NIR-II fluorescence imaging to increase tissue penetration depth in vivo. Video-rate NIR-II imaging can measure blood flow in single vessels in real time. The lab has developed novel NIR-II fluorescence agents, including CNTs, quantum dots, conjugated polymers and small organic dyes with promise for clinical translation.
Electrocatalysis and Batteries
The Dai group’s nanocarbon–inorganic particle hybrid materials have opened new directions in energy research. Advances include electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and water splitting catalysts including NiFe layered-double-hydroxide for oxygen evolution. Recently, the group also demonstrated an aluminum ion battery with graphite cathodes and ionic liquid electrolytes, a substantial breakthrough in battery science. -
Heike Daldrup-Link
Professor of Radiology (General Radiology) and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAs a physician-scientist involved in the care of pediatric patients and developing novel pediatric molecular imaging technologies, my goal is to link the fields of nanotechnology and medical imaging towards more efficient diagnoses and image-guided therapies. Our research team develops novel imaging techniques for improved cancer diagnosis, for image-guided-drug delivery and for in vivo monitoring of cell therapies in children and young adults.
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Gary Darmstadt
Professor (Teaching) of Pediatrics (Neonatology) and, by courtesy, of Obstetrics and Gynecology
On Partial Leave from 11/25/2024 To 03/10/2025Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI have extensive experience in the development of global health innovations and in working to test and scale-up health interventions. At Stanford University, I am playing a leading role in developing global women and children’s health research and educational programs, including the establishment of a Global Center for Gender Equality at Stanford University. My research focuses on advancing child health and development in low resource settings and advancing gender equality and health globally, and includes several applications of artificial intelligence. Before joining Stanford, I was Senior Fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), where I led the development of initiatives to address gender inequalities and empower women and girls. Prior to this role, I served as the BMGF Director of Family Health, leading strategy development and implementation across maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, and family planning. In this role, I was responsible for investments ranging from scientific discovery to intervention development and delivery of interventions at scale. I worked closely with the Discovery team to shape discovery and development investments and was a co-founder of the Saving Lives at Birth Development Grand Challenge, the Putting Women and Girls at the Center of Development Grand Challenge, and the Healthy Birth, Growth and Development initiative. Based on these experiences, I understand how to identify knowledge gaps and generate evidence of impact for new interventions, and how to utilize evidence to influence the policy dialogue leading to programmatic adoption and scale-up of interventions in low income settings. As Director of Family Health, I also co-led the development and implementation of the BMGF global health strategy for India, which cuts across multiple health and development sectors. Before joining BMGF, I was Associate Professor and Founding Director of the International Center for Advancing Neonatal Health in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I led the development of newborn health research, including numerous facility- and community-based maternal and child health research trials. Before joining Johns Hopkins, I was Senior Research Advisor for the $50M Saving Newborn Lives program of Save the Children-US, where I led the development and implementation of the global research strategy for newborn health and survival.
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Rhiju Das
Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab seeks an agile and predictive understanding of how nucleic acids and proteins code for information processing in living systems. We develop new computational & chemical tools to enable the precise modeling, regulation, and design of RNA and RNA/protein machines.
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Reinhold Dauskardt
Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor in the School of Engineering
BioDauskardt and his group have worked extensively on integrating new materials into emerging technologies including thin-film structures for nanoscience and energy technologies, high-performance composite and laminates for aerospace, and on biomaterials and soft tissues in bioengineering. His group has pioneered methods for characterizing adhesion and cohesion of thin films used extensively in device technologies. His research on wound healing has concentrated on establishing a biomechanics framework to quantify the mechanical stresses and biologic responses in healing wounds and define how the mechanical environment affects scar formation. Experimental studies are complimented with a range of multiscale computational capabilities. His research includes interaction with researchers nationally and internationally in academia, industry, and clinical practice.
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Jenna Davis
Associate Dean for Integrative Initiatives in Institutes and International Partnerships, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, of Environmental Social Sciences and Higgins-Magid Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProfessor Davis’ research and teaching deals broadly with the role that water plays in promoting public health and economic development, with particular emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. Her group conducts applied research that utilizes theory and analytical methods from public and environmental health, engineering, microeconomics, and planning. They have conducted field research in more than 20 countries, most recently including Zambia, Bangladesh, and Kenya.
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Mark M. Davis
Burt and Marion Avery Family Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular mechanisms of lymphocyte recognition and differentiation; Systems immunology and human immunology; vaccination and infection.
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Vinicio de Jesus Perez MD
Associate Dean of Stanford MD Admissions and Professor of Medicine (PACCM)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy work is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). I am interested in understanding the role that the BMP and Wnt pathways play in regulating functions of pulmonary endothelial and smooth muscle cells both in health and disease.
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Charles DeBattista
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry and Psychology - Adult)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTreatment resistant depression.
Novel biological interventions in the treatment of mental illness.
Anti-glucocorticoid drugs in the treatment of mood disorders.
Augmentation strategies in the treatment of depression. -
Thomas Dee
Barnett Family Professor, Professor of Education, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
BioThomas S. Dee, Ph.D., is the Barnett Family Professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), a Senior Fellow (Joint) at the Hoover Institution, and the Faculty Director of the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. His research focuses largely on the use of quantitative methods to inform contemporary issues of public policy and practice. In 2024, he received the Peter H. Rossi Award for Contributions to the Theory or Practice of Program Evaluation from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) and the Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
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Karl Deisseroth
D. H. Chen Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsKarl Deisseroth's laboratory created and developed optogenetics, hydrogel-tissue chemistry (beginning with CLARITY), and a broad range of enabling methods. He also has employed his technologies to discover the neural cell types and connections that cause adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.
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Scott L. Delp, Ph.D.
Director, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford, James H. Clark Professor in the School of Engineering, Professor of Bioengineering, of Mechanical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Orthopaedic Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsExperimental and computational approaches to study human movement. Development of biomechanical models to analyze muscle function, study movement abnormalities, design medical products, and guide surgery. Imaging and health technology development. Discovering the principles of peak performance to advance human health. Human performance research. Wearable technologies, video motion capture, and machine learning to enable large-scale analysis.
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Utkan Demirci
Professor of Radiology (Diagnostic Sciences Laboratory) and, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering
On Partial Leave from 02/26/2024 To 02/25/2025BioDr. Utkan Demirci, UofM’99, Stanford’01’05’05, is a Professor of Radiology (with tenure) and of Electrical Engineering (by courtesy) at the Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University School of Medicine, where he leads a productive researcher group. Utkan is a tenured professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Prior to joining Stanford in 2014, he held the position of Associate Professor at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School and also served at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology division. Over the past decade, his research group has focused on the early detection of cancer and has made significant contributions to the development of microfluidic platforms for sorting rare cells and exosomes and point-of-care bio-sensing technologies.
Dr. Demirci leads a productive and impactful research group focused on addressing problems from the clinic with innovations including cell sorter for IVF, optical technologies for detecting viruses, portable point of care technologies for diagnostics in global health, smart robots in vivo, extracellular vesicle based early detection approaches for cancer. He is an elected fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research Distinguished Investigator.
He has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles, 300 abstracts and proceedings, 24 book chapters and editorials, and 7 edited books. He also serves on the editorial board of various journals. He holds 15 patents (11 of which are translated into broadly used biomedical products) and has co-founded multiple successful companies. Dr. Demirci's pioneering work in microfluidics and cell sorting has resulted in CE certified and FDA approved devices used in over 500,000 clinical cases serving patients globally. -
Huiqiong Deng, MD, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Huiqiong Deng is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry. In addition to a medical degree, she earned a PhD, with a major in rehabilitation science and a minor in neuroscience. Specializing in the treatment of alcohol/substance addiction, interventional and cultural psychiatry, her goal is to help each patient along the journey to achieve optimal health and quality of life.
As the co-author of more than a dozen scholarly articles, Dr. Deng’s work has appeared in Psychiatry Research, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, American Journal on Addictions, Brain Stimulation, and other publications.
Dr. Deng has won numerous honors and awards such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse Young Investigator Travel Award, the Ruth Fox Scholarship from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and College on the Problems of Drug Dependence Travel Award for Early Career Investigators. In addition, she was selected to attend the Annual American Psychiatry Association Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators. Since she joined faculty at Stanford, Dr. Deng has received research grant support by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Innovator Grant Program. -
Jun Ding
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and of Neurology and Neurological Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNeural circuits of movement control in health and movement disorders
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Jennifer Dionne
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and, by courtesy, of Radiology (Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford)
BioJennifer Dionne is the Senior Associate Vice Provost of Research Platforms/Shared Facilities and an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and of Radiology (by courtesy) at Stanford. Jen received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology, advised by Harry Atwater, and B.S. degrees in Physics and Systems & Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining Stanford, she served as a postdoctoral researcher in Chemistry at Berkeley, advised by Paul Alivisatos. Jen's research develops nanophotonic methods to observe and control chemical and biological processes as they unfold with nanometer scale resolution, emphasizing critical challenges in global health and sustainability. Her work has been recognized with the Alan T. Waterman Award (2019), an NIH Director's New Innovator Award (2019), a Moore Inventor Fellowship (2017), the Materials Research Society Young Investigator Award (2017), Adolph Lomb Medal (2016), Sloan Foundation Fellowship (2015), and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2014), and was featured on Oprah’s list of “50 Things that will make you say ‘Wow!'"
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Scott Dixon
Associate Professor of Biology
On Leave from 01/01/2025 To 03/31/2025Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy lab is interested in the relationship between cell death and metabolism. Using techniques drawn from many disciplines my laboratory is investigating how perturbation of intracellular metabolic networks can result in novel forms of cell death, such as ferroptosis. We are interested in applying this knowledge to find new ways to treat diseases characterized by insufficient (e.g. cancer) or excessive (e.g. neurodegeneration) cell death.