Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute


Showing 201-250 of 555 Results

  • Scott S. Hall, Ph.D

    Scott S. Hall, Ph.D

    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy primary area of scholarly and clinical interest is the pathogenesis of problem behaviors shown by individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), particularly those with neurogenetic forms of IDD, such as fragile X syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome. My work aims to both advance understanding of these disorders and to identify effective new treatment approaches for pediatric and adult patient populations by state-of-the-art methodologies, such as brain imaging, eye tracking and functional analysis to determine how environmental and biological factors affect the development of aberrant behaviors in these syndromes. The end goal of my research is to create patient-specific methods for treating the symptoms of these disorders.

  • Joachim Hallmayer

    Joachim Hallmayer

    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPrincipal Investigator
    Infrastructure to facilitate discovery of autism genes
    The purpose of this project is to facilitate the discovery of the genes that contribute autism by maintaining an infrastructure which research groups studying the genetics of autism can work collaboratively. This will be
    accomplished through workshops, a Virtual Private Network, and access to a database that includes phenotype and genotype data from all participating groups.

    Principal Investigator
    A California Population-Based Twin Study of Autism
    This will address several fundamental questions: (1) What is the heritability of autism (2) What is the contribution of genetic factors to variation in symptom dimensions? (3) Is there a continuum between the quantitative neurocognitive traits and clinical disorder? (4) What proportion of the variance in the neurocognitive traits is accounted for by genetic and non-genetic factors?

    Co-Investigator
    Center for Integrating Ethics in Genetics Research(Cho)
    The goal of this project is to serve as a center of excellence in neurogenetics research, to develop a national model for bench, to bedside research ethics consultation, and to provide training opportunity in biomedical ethics.

    Co-Investigator
    Gene, Brain and Behavior in Turner Syndrome(Reiss)
    The primary objective of this project is to use advanced, multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, analyses of X chromosome parent-of-origin and cognitive-behavioral assessment to elucidate the effects of monosomy and X-linked imprinting on neurodevelopment and neural function in a large cohort of young girls with Turner syndrome, pre-estrogen replacement.

    Project Director
    Project F: Genomic Analysis in narcolepsy cataplexy
    The goal of the project is to locate genes outside the HLA region that influence susceptibility to narcolepsy. In order to localize these genes we will carry out a linkage and association study in the most extensive world-wide collection of DNAs from well-characterized patients with narcolepsy and their families.

  • May Han, MD

    May Han, MD

    Associate Professor of Neurology (Adult Neurology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMultiple sclerosis
    Neuromyelitis optica
    Autoimmune CNS disorders

  • Antonio Hardan, M.D.

    Antonio Hardan, M.D.

    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe neurobiology of autism
    Neuroimaging in individuals with autism
    Psychopharmacological treatment of children and adults with autism and/or developmental disorders
    The neurobiology and innovative interventions of several neurogenic disorders including DiGeorge Syndrome (Velocardiofacial syndrome; 22q11.2 mutations), PTEN mutations, and Phelan McDermid Syndrome (22q13 mutations).

  • Keren Haroush

    Keren Haroush

    Assistant Professor of Neurobiology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory studies the mechanisms by which highly complex behaviors are mediated at the neuronal level, mainly focusing on the example of dynamic social interactions and the neural circuits that drive them. From dyadic interactions to group dynamics and collective decision making, the lab seeks a mechanistic understanding for the fundamental building blocks of societies, such as cooperation, empathy, fairness and reciprocity.

  • James Harris

    James Harris

    James and Elenor Chesebrough Professor in the School of Engineering, Emeritus

    BioHarris utilizes molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of III-V compound semiconductor materials to investigate new materials for electronic and optoelectronic devices. He utilizes heterojunctions, superlattices, quantum wells, and three-dimensional self-assembled quantum dots to create metastable engineered materials with novel or improved properties for electronic and optoelectronic devices. His early work in the 1970's demonstrating a practical heterojunction bipolar transistor led to their application in every mobile phone today and record setting solar cell efficiency. He has recently focused on three areas: 1) integration of photonic devices and micro optics for creation of new minimally invasive bio and medical systems for micro-array and neural imaging and 2) application of nanostructures semiconductors for the acceleration of electrons using light, a dielectric Laser Accelerator (DLA), and 3) novel materials and nano structuring for high efficiency solar cells and photo electrochemical water splitting for the generation of hydrogen.

  • Trevor Hastie

    Trevor Hastie

    John A. Overdeck Professor, Professor of Statistics and of Biomedical Data Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsFlexible statistical modeling for prediction and representation of data arising in biology, medicine, science or industry. Statistical and machine learning tools have gained importance over the years. Part of Hastie's work has been to bridge the gap between traditional statistical methodology and the achievements made in machine learning.

  • Melanie Hayden Gephart

    Melanie Hayden Gephart

    Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology

    BioI am a brain tumor neurosurgeon, treating patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. I treat patients with malignant and benign tumors, including glioma, brain metastases, meningioma, and vestibular schwannomas. I direct the Stanford Brain Tumor Center and the Stanford Brain Metastasis Consortium, collaborative unions of physicians and scientists looking to improve our understanding and treatment of brain tumors. My laboratory seeks greater understanding of the mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and disease progression in malignant brain tumors. We study how rare cancer cell populations survive and migrate in the brain, inadvertently supported by native brain cells. We develop novel cell free nucleic acid biomarkers to track brain cancer treatment response, relapse, and neurotoxicity. Our bedside-to-bench-to-bedside research model builds on a foundation of generously donated patient samples, where we test mechanisms of brain cancer growth, develop novel pre-clinical models that reliably recapitulate the human disease, and facilitate clinical trials of new treatments for patients with brain cancer.

    www.GephartLab.com
    www.GBMseq.org
    https://stan.md/BrainMets
    @HaydenGephartMD

  • Zihuai He

    Zihuai He

    Assistant Professor (Research) of Neurology (Neurology Research Faculty), of Medicine (BMIR) and, by courtesy, of Biomedical Data Science

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsStatistical genetics and other omics to study Alzheimer's disease.

  • Boris Heifets

    Boris Heifets

    Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult MSD)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsHarnessing synaptic plasticity to treat neuropsychiatric disease

  • Jeremy J. Heit, MD, PhD

    Jeremy J. Heit, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor of Radiology (Neuroimaging and Neurointervention) and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research seeks to advance our understanding of cerebrovascular disease and to develop new minimally invasive treatments for these diseases. We study ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, cerebral aneurysms, delayed cerebral ischemia, cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dural arteriovenous fistulae, and other vascular diseases of the brain. We use state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques to non-invasively study these diseases, and we are developing future endovascular technologies to advance neurointerventional surgery.

    www.heitlab.com

  • H. Craig Heller

    H. Craig Heller

    Lorry I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNeurobiology of sleep, circadian rhythms, regulation of body temperature, mammalian hibernation, and human exercise physiology. Currently applying background in sleep and circadian neurobiology the understanding and correcting the learning disability of Down Syndrome.

  • Stefan Heller

    Stefan Heller

    Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the School of Medicine and Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on the inner ear, from its earliest manifestation as one of the cranial placodes until it has developed into a mature and functioning organ. We are interested in how the sensory epithelia of the inner ear that harbor the sensory hair cells develop, how the cells mature, and how these epithelia respond to toxic insults. The overarching goal of this research is to find ways to regenerate lost sensory hair cells in mammals.

  • Jaimie Henderson, MD

    Jaimie Henderson, MD

    John and Jene Blume - Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor, Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests encompass several areas of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, including frameless stereotactic approaches for therapy delivery to deep brain nuclei; cortical physiology and its relationship to normal and pathological movement; brain-computer interfaces; and the development of novel neuromodulatory techniques for the treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, pain, and other neurological diseases.

  • Victor W. Henderson, MD, MS

    Victor W. Henderson, MD, MS

    Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and of Neurology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch interests:
    (1) Risk factors for age-associated cognitive decline and for dementia.
    (2) Therapeutic strategies to improve cognitive abilities in aging and in dementia.
    (3) Brain–behavior relations as they pertain to human cognition.

  • Tina Hernandez-Boussard

    Tina Hernandez-Boussard

    Professor of Medicine (Biomedical Informatics), of Biomedical Data Science, of Surgery and, by courtesy, of Epidemiology and Population Health

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy background and expertise is in the field of computational biology, with concentration in health services research. A key focus of my research is to apply novel methods and tools to large clinical datasets for hypothesis generation, comparative effectiveness research, and the evaluation of quality healthcare delivery. My research involves managing and manipulating big data, which range from administrative claims data to electronic health records, and applying novel biostatistical techniques to innovatively assess clinical and policy related research questions at the population level. This research enables us to create formal, statistically rigid, evaluations of healthcare data using unique combinations of large datasets.

  • Rogelio A. Hernández-López

    Rogelio A. Hernández-López

    Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and of Genetics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur group works at the interface of mechanistic, synthetic, and systems biology to understand and program cellular recognition, communication, and organization. We are currently interested in engineering biomedical relevant cellular behaviors for cancer immunotherapy.

  • Lambertus Hesselink

    Lambertus Hesselink

    Professor of Electrical Engineering and, by courtesy of Applied Physics

    BioHesselink's research encompasses nano-photonics, ultra high density optical data storage, nonlinear optics, optical super-resolution, materials science, three-dimensional image processing and graphics, and Internet technologies.

  • Shaul Hestrin, PhD

    Shaul Hestrin, PhD

    Professor of Comparative Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe main interest of my lab is to understand how the properties of neocortical neurons, the circuits they form and the inputs they receive give rise to neuronal activity and behavior. Our approach includes behavioral studies, two-photon calcium imaging, in vivo whole cell recording in behaving animals and optogenetic methods to activate or to silence the activity of cortical neurons.

  • Karen G. Hirsch, MD

    Karen G. Hirsch, MD

    Associate Professor of Neurology (Adult Neurology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Karen G. Hirsch cares for critically ill patients with neurologic disorders in the intensive care unit. Dr. Hirsch's research focuses on using continuous and discrete multi-modal data to develop phenotypes and identify signatures of treatment responsiveness in patients with coma after cardiac arrest. She is the Co-PI of PRECICECAP (PRecision Care In Cardiac ArrEst - ICECAP, NINDS R01 NS119825-01) and works closely with collaborators in data science at Stanford and with industry partners to apply machine learning analyses to the complex multi-modal ICU data. Dr. Hirsch also studies neuro-imaging in post-cardiac arrest coma and traumatic brain injury.

    Additional research interests include a broad array of topics and Dr. Hirsch greatly appreciates the importance of team science and collaboration. Along with colleagues in Biomedical Ethics, Dr. Hirsch studies brain death and organ donation with a focus on ethical challenges and prediction models. Along with colleagues in Cardiac Anesthesia and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Hirsch studies neurologic outcomes in patients on mechanical circulatory support including ECMO.

    Dr. Hirsch is broadly interested in improving neurologic outcomes after acute brain injury and identifying early phenotypes to guide precision medicine in neurocritical care, especially in patients with post-cardiac arrest brain injury.

  • Susan Holmes

    Susan Holmes

    Professor of Statistics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab has been developing tools for the analyses of complex data structures, extending work on multivariate data to structured multitable table that include graphs, networks and trees as well as categorical and continuous measurements.
    We created and support the Bioconductor package phyloseq for the analyses of microbial ecology data from the microbiome. We have specialized in developing interactive graphical visualization tools for doing reproducible research in biology.

  • David S. Hong

    David S. Hong

    Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Hong is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinician-scientist. His responsibilities span clinical care, teaching/mentorship, and research, with a unifying theme of advancing a developmental cognitive framework as applied to psychiatric conditions. Using this core premise, he work encompasses multiple domains: specialized clinical care, fellowship training, research mentorship, and elaborating the role of sex-specific determinants of development, one of the greatest contributors to individual developmental variation.

    His lab investigates genetic and hormonal influences underlying sex differences in child psychiatric conditions. Sex has emerged as a critical variable driving differences in the phenomenology, course, and treatment of many mental health disorders. Unfortunately, an understanding of the biological mechanisms driving these effects are limited. By applying innovative neuroimaging and multiomic approaches, Dr. Hong seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the connection between sex-specific effects and complex psychiatric diseases. To do so, research in the Hong Lab focuses on the role of genes on the X and Y chromosomes, as well as circulating sex hormones on brain development, cognition, and behavior. The lab broadly aims to elucidate the changing nature of these mechanisms across various stages of development.

    Another area of focus is the implementation of clinical informatics in child psychiatry and the development of digital mental health tools. As co-Director of the Mental Health Technology and Innovation Hub, Dr. Hong is helping to develop clinical and research infrastructure within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to advance development of mobile mental health resources that will improve efficacy and access to mental health care.

  • Guosong Hong

    Guosong Hong

    Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

    BioGuosong Hong's research aims to bridge materials science and neuroscience, and blur the distinction between the living and non-living worlds by developing novel neuroengineering tools to interrogate and manipulate the brain. Specifically, the Hong lab is currently developing ultrasound, infrared, and radiofrequency-based in-vivo neural interfaces with minimal invasiveness, high spatiotemporal resolution, and cell-type specificity.

    Dr. Guosong Hong received his PhD in chemistry from Stanford University in 2014, and then carried out postdoctoral studies with at Harvard University. Dr. Hong joined Stanford Materials Science and Engineering and Neurosciences Institute as an assistant professor in 2018. He is a recipient of the NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) Award, the MIT Technology Review ‘35 Innovators Under 35’ Award, the Science PINS Prize for Neuromodulation, the NSF CAREER Award, the Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award.

  • Yusuke Hori, MD

    Yusuke Hori, MD

    Clinical Instructor, Neurosurgery

    BioDr. Hori received his MD from Sapporo Medical University, Japan, and during that time he served as a Medical Student Research Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology. He explored the functional role of the SIRT1 gene, a longevity-associated gene, and its association with various conditions such as muscular dystrophy. He also completed a Visiting Student Research Fellowship at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido and participated in Human Genetics projects focusing on an association between the 27-bp deletion and 538G>A mutation in the ABCC11 Gene.

    After graduating from medical school, Dr. Hori completed a neurosurgery residency at National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center in Japan. Subsequently, he completed a Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship and then a Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. He also completed an International Neurosurgery Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In 2022, he moved to Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow, and under the supervision of Dr. Anca Pasca, he participated in brain organoid research focusing on hypoxic brain injuries.

    Since July 2023, Dr. Hori has been working as a Clinical Instructor (Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery) in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford under the supervision of Dr. Steven D. Chang. His clinical interests include malignant brain and spine tumors in both adult and pediatric patients. His clinical research focuses on the application of minimally invasive treatments such as laser interstitial thermal therapy, focused ultrasound, and radiosurgery to treat various neurosurgical conditions. His current lab research aims to develop an organoid model for radiation-induced brain injuries and a high-throughput screening platform to identify novel therapeutic compounds, for which he received a Clinician Educator Grant from Stanford University Maternal and Child Health Research Institute. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing music including guitar and drums.

  • Mark Horowitz

    Mark Horowitz

    Fortinet Founders Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering , Yahoo! Founders Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor of Computer Science

    BioProfessor Horowitz initially focused on designing high-performance digital systems by combining work in computer-aided design tools, circuit design, and system architecture. During this time, he built a number of early RISC microprocessors, and contributed to the design of early distributed shared memory multiprocessors. In 1990, Dr. Horowitz took leave from Stanford to help start Rambus Inc., a company designing high-bandwidth memory interface technology. After returning in 1991, his research group pioneered many innovations in high-speed link design, and many of today’s high speed link designs are designed by his former students or colleagues from Rambus.

    In the 2000s he started a long collaboration with Prof. Levoy on computational photography, which included work that led to the Lytro camera, whose photographs could be refocused after they were captured.. Dr. Horowitz's current research interests are quite broad and span using EE and CS analysis methods to problems in neuro and molecular biology to creating new agile design methodologies for analog and digital VLSI circuits. He remains interested in learning new things, and building interdisciplinary teams.

  • Hadi Hosseini

    Hadi Hosseini

    Associate Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab’s research portfolio crosses multiple disciplines including computational neuropsychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, multimodal neuroimaging and neurocognitive rehabilitation. Our computational neuropsychiatry research mainly involves investigating alterations in the organization of connectome in various neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders using state of the art neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, sMRI, DWI, functional NIRS) combined with novel computational methods (graph theoretical and multivariate pattern analyses).

    The ultimate goal of our research is to translate the findings from computational neuropsychiatry research toward developing personalized interventions. We have been developing personalized interventions that integrate computerized cognitive rehabilitation, real-time functional brain imaging and neurofeedback, as well as virtual reality (VR) tailored toward targeted rehabilitation of the affected brain networks in patients with neurocognitive disorders.

  • Roger Howe

    Roger Howe

    William E. Ayer Professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus

    BioDesign and fabrication of sensors and actuators using micro and nanotechnologies, with applications to information processing and energy conversion.

  • Yang Hu, MD, PhD

    Yang Hu, MD, PhD

    Professor of Ophthalmology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe ultimate goal of the laboratory is to develop efficient therapeutic strategies to achieve CNS neural repair, through promoting neuroprotection, axon regeneration and functional recovery.

    More specifically, we study retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and optic nerve in various optic neuropathies including traumatic, glaucomatous and inflammatory optic nerve injuries to fully understand the molecular mechanisms of CNS neurodegeneration and axon regeneration failure.

  • Ting-Ting Huang

    Ting-Ting Huang

    Associate Professor (Research) of Neurology (Adult Neurology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study the role of oxygen free radicals in oxidative tissue damage and degeneration. Our research tools include transgenic and knockout mice and tissue culture cells for in vitro gene expression.

  • Andrew D. Huberman

    Andrew D. Huberman

    Associate Professor of Neurobiology and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsIn 2017, we developed a virtual reality platform to investigate the neural and autonomic mechanisms contributing to fear and anxiety. That involved capturing 360-degree videos of various fear-provoking situations in real life for in-lab VR movies, such as heights and claustrophobia, as well as unusual scenarios like swimming in open water with great white sharks. The primary objective of our VR platform is to develop new tools to help people better manage stress, anxiety and phobias in real-time, as an augment to in-clinic therapies.

    In May 2018, we reported the discovery of two novel mammalian brain circuits as a Research Article published in Nature. One circuit promotes fear and anxiety-induced paralysis, while the other fosters confrontational reactions to threats. This led to ongoing research into the involvement of these brain regions in anxiety-related disorders such as phobias and generalized anxiety in humans.

    In 2020, we embarked on a collaborative effort with Dr. David Spiegel's laboratory in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, aimed to explore how specific respiration patterns synergize with the visual system to influence autonomic arousal and stress, and other brain states, including sleep.

    In 2023, the first results of that collaboration were published as a randomized controlled trial in Cell Reports Medicine, demonstrating that specific brief patterns of deliberate respiration are particularly effective in alleviating stress and enhancing mood, and improving sleep.

    In a 2021, our collaboration with Dr. Edward Chang, professor and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was published in Current Biology, revealing that specific patterns of insular cortex neural activity may be linked to, and potentially predict, anxiety responses.

  • John Huguenard

    John Huguenard

    Professor of Neurology (Neurology Research Faculty), of Neurosurgery (Adult Neurosurgery) and, by courtesy, of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are interested in the neuronal mechanisms that underlie synchronous oscillatory activity in the thalamus, cortex and the massively interconnected thalamocortical system. Such oscillations are related to cognitive processes, normal sleep activities and certain forms of epilepsy. Our approach is an analysis of the discrete components (cells, synapses, microcircuits) that make up thalamic and cortical circuits, and reconstitution of components into in silico computational networks.

  • Keith Humphreys

    Keith Humphreys

    Esther Ting Memorial Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Humphreys researches individual and societal level interventions for addictive and psychiatric disorders. He focuses particularly on evaluating the outcomes of professionally-administered treatments and peer-operated self-help groups (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), and, analyzing the impact of public policies touching addiction, mental health, public health, and public safety.

  • Ruth Huttenhain

    Ruth Huttenhain

    Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy group deciphers how G protein-coupled receptors decode extracellular cues into dynamic and context-specific cellular signaling networks to elicit diverse physiologic responses. We exploit quantitative proteomics to capture the spatiotemporal organization of signaling networks combined with functional genomics to study their impact on physiology.

  • Robert K. Jackler, MD

    Robert K. Jackler, MD

    Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsSince the early 2000s, study of tobacco industry marketing has become my primary field of research. Motivated by the lack of a comprehensive and well-organized compendium of tobacco advertisements, and the relative paucity of scholarly research analyzing the marketing practices of the industry, I chose to focus my research on advertising. The overarching purpose of my research has been to reveal the behavior of the tobacco industry in recruiting and retaining its consumers with the goal of infor

  • Siddhartha Jaiswal

    Siddhartha Jaiswal

    Assistant Professor of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe identified a common disorder of aging called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). CHIP occurs due to certain somatic mutations in blood stem cells and represents a precursor state for blood cancer, but is also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. We hope to understand more about the biology and clinical implications of CHIP using human and model system studies.

  • Daniel Jarosz

    Daniel Jarosz

    Associate Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Developmental Biology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory studies conformational switches in evolution, disease, and development. We focus on how molecular chaperones, proteins that help other biomolecules to fold, affect the phenotypic output of genetic variation. To do so we combine classical biochemistry and genetics with systems-level approaches. Ultimately we seek to understand how homeostatic mechanisms influence the acquisition of biological novelty and identify means of manipulating them for therapeutic and biosynthetic benefit.

  • Julia Kaltschmidt

    Julia Kaltschmidt

    Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe lab’s primary research interest is to understand how specific neuronal circuits are established. We use mouse genetics, combinatorial immunochemical labeling and high-resolution laser scanning microscopy to identify, manipulate, and quantitatively analyze synaptic contacts within the complex neuronal milieu of the spinal cord and the enteric nervous system.

  • Makoto Kawai

    Makoto Kawai

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine

    BioI am a physician scientist in the field of sleep medicine in aging and brain function. Using combined polysomnogram and novel neuroimaging technology, I aim to identify potential sleep biomarkers to investigate the mechanism of progression from normal aging to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. I also investigate the impact of sleep on cognitive/affective function or behavior abnormality in various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

  • Mark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D.

    Mark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D.

    Dennis Farrey Family Professor of Pediatrics, and Professor of Genetics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D. Director of the Program in Human Gene Therapy and Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics. Respected worldwide for his work in gene therapy for hemophilia, Dr. Kay and his laboratory focus on establishing the scientific principles and developing the technologies needed for achieving persistent and therapeutic levels of gene expression in vivo. The major disease models are hemophilia, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B viral infections.

  • Corey Keller, MD, PhD

    Corey Keller, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe goal of my lab is to understand the fundamental principles of human brain plasticity and build trans-diagnostic real-time monitoring platforms for personalized neurotherapeutics.

    We use an array of neuroscience methods to better understand the basic principles of how to create change in brain circuits. We use this knowledge to develop more effective treatment strategies for depression and other psychiatric disorders.

  • Oussama Khatib

    Oussama Khatib

    Weichai Professor and Professor, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering

    BioRobotics research on novel control architectures, algorithms, sensing, and human-friendly designs for advanced capabilities in complex environments. With a focus on enabling robots to interact cooperatively and safely with humans and the physical world, these studies bring understanding of human movements for therapy, athletic training, and performance enhancement. Our work on understanding human cognitive task representation and physical skills is enabling transfer for increased robot autonomy. With these core capabilities, we are exploring applications in healthcare and wellness, industry and service, farms and smart cities, and dangerous and unreachable settings -- deep in oceans, mines, and space.

  • Chaitan Khosla

    Chaitan Khosla

    Wells H. Rauser and Harold M. Petiprin Professor and Professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, of Biochemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health.

    For the past two decades, we have studied and engineered enzymatic assembly lines called polyketide synthases that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally complex and medicinally fascinating antibiotics in bacteria. An example of such an assembly line is found in the erythromycin biosynthetic pathway. Our current focus is on understanding the structure and mechanism of this polyketide synthase. At the same time, we are developing methods to decode the vast and growing number of orphan polyketide assembly lines in the sequence databases.

    For more than a decade, we have also investigated the pathogenesis of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, with the goal of discovering therapies and related management tools for this widespread but overlooked disease. Ongoing efforts focus on understanding the pivotal role of transglutaminase 2 in triggering the inflammatory response to dietary gluten in the celiac intestine.

  • Butrus Khuri-Yakub

    Butrus Khuri-Yakub

    Professor (Research) of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus

    BioButrus (Pierre) T. Khuri-Yakub is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He received the BS degree from the American University of Beirut, the MS degree from Dartmouth College, and the Ph.D. degree from Stanford University, all in electrical engineering. His current research interests include medical ultrasound imaging and therapy, ultrasound neuro-stimulation, chemical/biological sensors, gas flow and energy flow sensing, micromachined ultrasonic transducers, and ultrasonic fluid ejectors. He has authored over 600 publications and has been principal inventor or co-inventor of 107 US and international issued patents. He was awarded the Medal of the City of Bordeaux in 1983 for his contributions to Nondestructive Evaluation, the Distinguished Advisor Award of the School of Engineering at Stanford University in 1987, the Distinguished Lecturer Award of the IEEE UFFC society in 1999, a Stanford University Outstanding Inventor Award in 2004, Distinguished Alumnus Award of the School of Engineering of the American University of Beirut in 2005, Stanford Biodesign Certificate of Appreciation for commitment to educate, mentor and inspire Biodesgin Fellows, 2011, and 2011 recipient of IEEE Rayleigh award.

  • Mathew Kiang

    Mathew Kiang

    Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health (Epidemiology)

    BioI am an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health. My research lies at the intersection of computational epidemiology and social epidemiology. Methodologically, my work revolves around combining disparate data sources in epidemiologically meaningful ways. For example, I work with individual-level, non-health data (e.g., GPS, accelerometer, and other sensor data from smartphones), traditional health data (e.g., survey, health systems, or death certificate data), and third-party data (e.g., cellphone providers or ad-tech data). To do this, I use a variety of methods such as joint Bayesian spatial models, traditional epidemiologic models, dynamical models, microsimulation, and demographic analysis. Substantively, my work focuses on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities. For example, recently, my work has examined inequities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution, cause-specific excess mortality, and drug poisonings. I have an NIDA-funded R00 examining equitable ways to improve treatment for opioid use disorder across structurally disadvantaged groups and am Co-I on a NIDA-funded R21 examining ways to use novel data sources (such as social media) to predict surges in opioid-related mortality.

  • Peter S. Kim

    Peter S. Kim

    Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Biochemistry
    On Partial Leave from 09/01/2023 To 06/30/2024

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are studying the mechanism of viral membrane fusion and its inhibition by drugs and antibodies. We use the HIV envelope protein (gp120/gp41) as a model system. Some of our studies are aimed at creating an HIV vaccine. We are also characterizing protein surfaces that are referred to as "non-druggable". These surfaces are defined empirically based on failure to identify small, drug-like molecules that bind to them with high affinity and specificity.