School of Medicine
Showing 1-20 of 273 Results
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Karen E. Adams MD, FACOG, DipABLM, MSCP
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - General
BioDr. Adams is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University and Farwell Family Director of the Stanford Program in Menopause & Healthy Aging. She is doubly board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) and Lifestyle Medicine, a Menopause Society-certified menopause practitioner, and fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health. She serves on the Board of Trustees of The Menopause Society, is a faculty affiliate of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Stanford Women's Health and Sex Differences Center.
She has been practicing for over 30 years with focused expertise on menopause management, female sexual dysfunction treatment, and lifestyle medicine. Prior to her arrival at Stanford,, Dr. Adams was Professor Emeritus and director of the Menopause and Sexual Medicine Program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She also served as Vice Chair for Education and Residency Program Director at OHSU for 14 years.
Her deep-rooted dedication to women’s health is evidenced by her leadership in numerous professional societies, committees, and boards and by the many awards she has received, including the Mentor of the Year Award from the American College of OBGYN. Dr. Adams is a recognized leader in medical education, having served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics and on the national Review Committee for Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Adams has provided expert commentary to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, the Washington Post, and hundreds of independent print and online media outlets. She is an expert educator, hosting the Stanford Conversations in Menopause & Healthy Aging Podcast and educating audiences nationally and internationally, including delivering a popular TEDx talk “Sleep, Sex, and Menopausal Zest” that has received 170 thousand views.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_karen_adams_sleep_sex_and_menopausal_zest -
Lusine Aghajanova, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
BioDr. Aghajanova received her medical degree from Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia, followed by residency in obstetrics and gynecology, then completed PhD in Human Implantation at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, followed with embryology training at Karolinska Institute, with an Internship in Austria.
She continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Francisco.
Subsequently, Dr. Aghajanova completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and at UC San Francisco. She proceeded then with subspecialty fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UC San Francisco. Dr Aghajanova joined Stanford in 2017. She is a respected researcher in the field of endometrial receptivity, implantation and endometriosis, as well as access to reproductive care. She is the Program Director for REI fellowship at Stanford Medicine. She is also Director of Thirds Party Reproduction at Stanford Fertility and Reproductive Care.
Dr. Aghajanova speaks Russian and Armenian and is very well published with over 90 peer-reviewed publications as well as numerous other oral and poster presentations and is a professional peer-reviewer for over 12 journals, including Nature Journals and leading journals in field of reproduction.
Dr.Aghajanova enjoys spending time with her husband and children, and traveling. -
Alexandriah Nicole Alas, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
BioDr. Alas is a board-certified, fellowship-trained urogynecologist with Stanford Health Care Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is also a pelvic surgeon and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in minimally invasive urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, including vaginal, laparoscopic, robotic and VNOTES approaches.
Dr. Alas has expertise in treating pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, bladder pain, vaginal fistulas, mesh and non-mesh procedures as well as treating complications. In addition, she offers uterine preservation surgeries as well as non-surgical options. She is trained in a variety of in-office procedures, including urodynamics, office cystoscopy, bladder Botox injections, urethral injections, PTNS, and sacral neuromodulation tests.
Dr. Alas is nationally recognized for her expertise and serves as a national oral board examiner for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is passionate about teaching and has served as the associate fellowship director in Urogynecology in the past and currently supervises, teaches, and mentors medical students, residents, and fellows in urogynecology.
Dr. Alas is actively involved in research and serves on the Society of Gynecological Surgeons Systematic Review Group. She has published her work in many peer-reviewed journals, including International Urogynecology Journal, Journal of Urology, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. She also serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research nationally and internationally. -
Abdelrahman AlAshqar, MD
Affiliate, Department Funds
Fellow in Obstetrics & Gynecology - OncologyCurrent Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. AlAshqar has worked in clinical translational gynecologic research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine since 2018. His early research focused on cardiometabolic risk in benign gynecology and outcomes of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery before shifting to gynecologic cancer research at Yale while still extrapolating from his prior research interests. He primarily investigated the association between cardiovascular disease and gynecologic malignancies and his research on this topic earned the award for best Chief Resident Research Presentation at graduation. Dr. AlAshqar is well published with several of his papers accepted in Nature, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Green Journal, and Gynecologic Oncology. Particularly interested in ovarian cancer research advancement, Dr. AlAshqar hopes to be part of the movement that revolutionizes the paradigm for ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment.
At Stanford, Dr. AlAshqar joined Dr. Rankin's lab, where his research investigates how the EPO/EPOR axis contributes to the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer, work aimed at uncovering new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for this aggressive tumor. -
Ruben Alvero, M.D.
BioDr. Ruben Alvero is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford Medical School and is the Division Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. He is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Surgeons.
Following undergraduate training at Harvard College (BA, Economics, 1980), Dr. Alvero received his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland in 1986. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (1990) and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health (NIH, 1995).
Dr. Alvero was the Division Director for Infertility Services at the National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center and faculty in the NIH-sponsored fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Alvero remained a reserve Colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps until 2012 and during 27 years in the Army was mobilized several times for missions around the world, including service in Iraq, Kuwait, Mongolia, Germany and various locations in the United States.
Dr. Alvero was Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Vice Chair for Education at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the Director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies, and founding member of the Center for Surgical Innovation. Dr. Alvero was Residency Program Director in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado. He was subsequently Division and Fellowship Director at Brown University.
The Council in Residency Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology awarded him its National Faculty Award for Excellence three times. He has been NIH-funded, most recently as part of the Reproductive Medicine Network.
Dr. Alvero is currently the Vice President of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology, the national organization of fertility specialists and will take over as President in October 2020.
Dr. Alvero’s clinical interests include IVF, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and robotic surgery. Dr. Alvero’s research interests include non-invasive evaluation of embryo quality, cost-effectiveness analysis, and the role of critical thinking in medical education. A fluent Spanish-speaker, Dr. Alvero is also dedicated to improving the health of the Latinx community.
Dr. Alvero is happiest on the water, whether sailing or singles rowing. He is also constantly attempting to improve his mastery of Latin American cuisine. Most of all, he loves spending time with his family. -
Diana Atashroo
Clinical Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
BioDr. Diana Atashroo is coming to Stanford Hospital from NorthShore UniversityHealthSysteml in Illinois, affiliated with the the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine.
Dr. Atashroo sees patients for general gynecology and a variety of other complex gynecologic issues. Her expertise includes evaluation and management of complex pelvic pathology and pelvic pain. Her special interests include: pudendal neuralgia and other peripheral neuropathic pain conditions, pelvic floor muscle spasms, vulvodynia, pelvic congestion syndrome, endometriosis, and interstitial cystitis. She also performs minimally-invasive gynecologic surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic procedures. She has special skills in ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks, office procedures, and Botox trigger point injections.
She has leadership roles within AAGL (American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists) and IPPS (International Pelvic Pain Society) and has presented on various topics related to pelvic pain.
Dr. Atashroo is committed to furthering the well-being of women, and strives to provider her patients with an individualized and comprehensive approach. -
Richard Barth
Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology) and, by courtesy, of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMagnetic Resonance Imaging and Sonographic diagnosis of fetal anomalies.
Focus interest in the diagnosis and conservative (non-surgical and minimal radiation) management of congenital broncho pulmonary malformations.
Imaging of appendicitis in children.
Sonography of the pediatric testis. -
Barry Behr, Ph.D., H.C.L.D.
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility), Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDevelopment of improved embryo culture conditions in vitro. Blastocyst cultures. Embryo metabolism in vitro. Embryo maternal dialogue. Clinical application and integration of extended embryo culture systems. Monozygotic twinning. Prevention of multiple pregnancy. Sperm motility enhancers. Fluorescent and non-fluorescent markers of sperm morphology and viablility. Oocyte cryopreservation. Fertility preservation. Improving IVF outcome.
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Jonathan S. Berek, MD, MMSc
Laurie Kraus Lacob Professor
BioLaurie Kraus Lacob Professor
Stanford University School of Medicine
Founding Director, Stanford Women’s Cancer Center
Senior Advisor, Stanford Cancer Institute
Co-Chair, Senior Academy at Stanford Medicine
President, Stanford University Phi Beta Kappa
Director, MedArts Films
Faculty Director, Health Communication
Stanford Center for Health Education
A Stanford faculty member since 2005, Professor Berek is renowned for his many contributions to and expertise in gynecologic oncology, especially surgical innovation and techniques, and his research in immunology and immunotherapy. Through many laboratory and clinical investigations, he pioneered the use of regionally-administered immunotherapy in ovarian cancer patients. His early laboratory research focused on fundamental mechanisms of cancer immunology, elucidating growth regulatory pathways for cytokines and their receptors. His current research focuses on clinical trials of novel therapies and immunotherapies for ovarian cancer and collaborations on new diagnostics, screening techniques, and genetics.
An author and editor, Professor Berek has published more than 360 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the scientific literature, and numerous book chapters and monographs. His books, Berek & Hacker’s Gynecologic Oncology, now in its 7th edition, and Berek & Novak’s Gynecology, in its 17th edition, are leading texts in the field. He is the Series Editor for Operative Techniques in Gynecologic Surgery, for which five textbooks on various subspecialty topics in Obstetrics and Gynecology have been published. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology, and he is a former Editor-in-Chief of ASCO Connection, published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Professor Berek received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Theatre Arts, and a Master of Medical Sciences degree in biomedical sciences from Brown University. After earning his Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he completed an internship and residency at Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Before moving to Stanford, he was on the faculty at the UCLA School of Medicine for more than two decades.
Professor Berek has received many honors and accolades. Dr. Berek is the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Honoree of the American Cancer Society for his many accomplishments in women’s cancer treatment and research. In 2022, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Gynecologic Cancer for his contributions to the field of gynecologic oncology.
In addition to his medical career, Professor Berek is an active documentary filmmaker—creating and directing films on a variety of medical topics that are highlighted by patient stories. He is the Director and Producer of MedArts Films https://vimeo.com/medarts/videos. He directed a series of films for the Stanford Office of Medical Development, and many short films for the Stanford Center for Health Education that are found on YouTube at the Stanford Medicine Health Shelf. https://www.youtube.com/@Stanford_CHE/playlists
In collaboration with the Under One Umbrella Committee and Stanford Medical Center Development, Professor Berek has led a highly successful fundraising program for the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center. Since 2009, these Under One Umbrella philanthropy efforts have generated substantial support for innovative research programs in women’s cancer via concerts headlined by celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Darlene Love, and Harry Connick Jr.
https://www.facebook.com/StanfordWomensCancerCenter/ -
Y. Katherine Bianco
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Maternal Fetal Medicine
BioI am Latinx Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist and Medical Geneticist and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University. I direct the Maternal Heart Program at Stanford Children’s Hospital and Clinics, leading a multidisciplinary team caring for complex cardiac conditions in pregnancy. I am dedicated educator and mentor, that have trained more than 50 trainees spanning from high school students to junior faculty. I serve in the Dean’s Office for Faculty Professional Development and Engagement and oversees the OBGYN Advance and Promotions, where i support advances programs to support faculty growth, mentorship, and academic success. My work integrates genetics, cardiology, and maternal health to improve outcomes for women and families. My clinical interest in pregnancies complicated with birth defects has led my underlying research interests in genomic abnormalities in the human trophoblast carrying to faulty placentation. The latter began with initial work during K12 and KO8 funding. I took a great interest in the human placenta as it carries potential advantages over other tissues sources: first, this highly metabolically active organ is the potential source of many transcripts. Second, the placenta forms at a very early stage of embryonic development, potentially allowing detection of primary alterations as compared to secondary changes that may mask the underlying causal phenomena. Finally, studying early placentation may provide targets for development of novel molecular approaches, such as up-regulate or down-regulate genes, the protein products of which could potentially serve as molecular surrogates for diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy complication such as miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension and intrauterine growth retardation. This work has led to the first Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, trisomy 13 cell lines established from human placentas making it possible to apply gene editing in the early stages of human trophoblast development.
As my primary clinical responsibility involves treating patients needing medical care and support through their high risk pregnancies, I am interested in factors that may impact outcomes, such as prenatal screening and diagnosis, maternal heart conditions, labor and delivery management, and safety approaches for the second stage of labor.
With regards to my interest in fetal medicine, I have worked in collaboration with other specialists such as radiologists and pediatric cardiologists utilizing imagining studies to assess and determine successful perinatal care and fetal survival.
. My career has been defined by a commitment to addressing the most pressing drivers of maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly cardiovascular disease in pregnancy. I have led multidisciplinary maternal cardiac programs at UCSF and Stanford, impacting over 600 high-risk pregnancies and demonstrating how team-based care transforms outcomes.
Beyond clinical innovation, my work spans translational science and global health. I have contributed to advancing prenatal diagnostics—validating tools for non-invasive prenatal testing, improving detection of conditions like Down syndrome. Globally, I’ve led training initiatives in countries with high maternal mortality, such as India, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, building capacity through education and simulation.
Equally central is mentorship. I have mentored over 50 trainees across all levels, fostering diversity and advancing women in medicine. My work goes beyond language access to cultural humility, improving care for diverse populations.
As a physician who bridges worlds—from my modest beginnings in a lower-middle-income country, through medical training in the U.S., to leading at Stanford—I know that diverse paths shape stronger futures. I believe that every mother’s life saved is a generation empowered—and through science, mentorship, and equity,
