Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)


Showing 401-500 of 996 Results

  • Amy M Inkster

    Amy M Inkster

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology

    BioAmy Inkster, PhD is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University. She conducts research on epigenetic alterations in pregnancy and early life to understand the molecular levers affecting healthy development. She primarily uses large 'omics datasets to study the effect of environmental exposures on pregnancy outcomes and maternal health.

    Dr. Inkster received her PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada), where her research focused on evaluating DNA methylation variation in prenatal life, primarily in the context of placental epigenetics, sex differences, prenatal exposures, and X-chromosome inactivation. She holds a BSc in Chemistry. As a cross-disciplinary researcher, her work and research interests lie at the intersection of molecular mechanisms and their impacts on human health and disease at the population level.

  • Peter K.  Jackson

    Peter K.  Jackson

    Professor of Microbiology and Immunology (Baxter Labs) and of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCell cycle and cyclin control of DNA replication .

  • Prasanna Jagannathan

    Prasanna Jagannathan

    Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbiology and Immunology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study innate immunity and immune regulation of Plasmodium Falciparum malaria in children and pregnant women. Our work focuses on understanding how malaria shapes the immune state in individuals following repeated exposure. We are also testing novel interventions to enhance protective immunity against malaria in children via large, randomized controlled trials. Our work in malaria has been based in Eastern Uganda, where malaria transmission is among the highest in the world.

  • Safwan Jaradeh, MD

    Safwan Jaradeh, MD

    Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences (Adult Neurology) and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical interests include autonomic disorders, small fiber neuropathies and the development of effective methods of testing and treating these disorders. Prior work has focused on small fiber painful and autonomic neuropathies; syndromes of orthostatic intolerance and syncope; gastrointestinal motility dysfunction; cyclic vomiting; protacted Gastroesophageal Reflux; non-allergic rhinitis syndromes; and the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and normal or abnormal sleep. Additional areas of interest include the neurology of phonation and swallowing disorders, and peripheral nerve injury and repair.

  • Ted Jardetzky

    Ted Jardetzky

    Professor of Structural Biology
    On Partial Leave from 12/01/2025 To 02/28/2027

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Jardetzky laboratory is studying the structures and mechanisms of macromolecular complexes important in viral pathogenesis, allergic hypersensitivities and the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation, with an interest in uncovering novel conceptual approaches to intervening in disease processes. Ongoing research projects include studies of paramyxovirus and herpesvirus entry mechanisms, IgE-receptor structure and function and TGF-beta ligand signaling pathways.

  • Daniel Jarosz

    Daniel Jarosz

    Senior Associate Dean, Basic Science, 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.

  • Praveen Jayapal

    Praveen Jayapal

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Radiology - Pediatric Radiology

    BioDr. Praveen Jayapal is a board-certified radiologist and Assistant Professor of Radiology at Stanford University, specializing in body imaging for both adult and pediatric patients, with a particular focus on MRI. His clinical expertise includes fetal imaging and pediatric musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging. Dr. Jayapal's primary practice is based at 450 Broadway Pavilion B in Redwood City, where he is dedicated to serving the underserved community through the Conrad 30 program. His academic interests center on developing fast MRI techniques to improve access to high-quality imaging, especially in resource-limited settings.

  • Michael Jeng

    Michael Jeng

    Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch interests focus on: 1) histiocytic disorders, such as Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and 2) vascular anomalies and malformations.

  • Susy Jeng

    Susy Jeng

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatric Neurology
    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics

    BioDr. Susy Jeng is Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at Stanford Children’s Hospital at Stanford University. Dr. Jeng received her A.B. at Harvard College and M.D. at the University of California, San Diego. She completed her pediatrics residency at University of California, San Francisco and is board-certified in pediatrics. After practicing general pediatrics for two years, she returned to UCSF for neurology residency. Upon completion of her residencies, she joined the faculty at Stanford as a general child neurologist with a special interest in medical education. She is the site director for the Stanford medical student neurology clerkship and the pediatric neurology liaison to the Stanford pediatrics residency program.

  • Erik Allen Jensen

    Erik Allen Jensen

    Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatal and Developmental Medicine)

    BioBronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common and severe complication of very preterm birth. Dr. Jensen’s research seeks to improve the long-term respiratory health of premature infants through: (1) clinical and translational studies that aim to develop evidence-based strategies to prevent and treat BPD; (2) novel characterization of disease severity and phenotypes in BPD; and (3) application of health services research techniques to investigate the association between hospital-level factors and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

    Dr. Jensen’s research is supported by grant funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the American Lung Association (ALA). He is a member of the International BPD Collaborative and the International Neonatal Consortium (INC) BPD working group.

  • Hilary Jericho

    Hilary Jericho

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Gastroenterology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am a clinical associate professor of pediatric gastroenterology and the Inaugural Medical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford whose clinical practice and research have an emphasis on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease. I was appointed the Director of Pediatric Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center in 2014. I am deeply involved in both local community and national professional societies serving as the Director of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA) endoscopy committee and am a member of the CCHA celiac committee, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) celiac special interest group, CeliacKids (a pediatric multi-center celiac research focused collaborative), the Standards-Based Active Guideline Environment (a committee responsible for the establishment of guidelines for accommodating children with celiac disease within school settings across the United States), and the NASPGHAN Endoscopy committee. My clinical work and research focus on pediatric celiac disease (CeD) and have resulted in numerous publications, peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters. This research has also helped to establish myself as an expert in the field of pediatric celiac disease leading to invitations to speak and be a moderator at both local and national meetings, including the internationally attended University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center educational preceptorship programs, the NASPGHAN annual meeting and Beyond Celiac. I have additionally been called up to provide celiac specific journal reviews as well as expert opinions to leading publications, including US News and World Report, Reader’s Digest and Reuter’s. The current application builds logically on my prior work in the field of pediatric celiac disease for which I have successfully administered the projects (staffing, research coordination, budgeting, data analysis and manuscript creation). In summary, I have the expertise, leadership, training, and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the proposed research projects.

  • Tomás R. Jiménez

    Tomás R. Jiménez

    Joan B. Ford Professor

    BioTomás Jiménez is the Joan B. Ford Professor in the department of Sociology and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and founding co-director of Stanford's Institute for Advancing Just Societies. He is also the director of the Qualitative Initiative in the Immigration Policy Lab. His research and writing focus on immigration, policy, assimilation, social mobility, and ethnic and racial identity. His latest book, States of Belonging: Immigration Policies, Attitudes, and Inclusion (Russell Sage Foundation Press) (with Deborah Schildkraut, Yuen Ho, and John Dovidio) uses survey data (with an embedded experiment) and in-depth interviews to understand how state-level immigration policies shape belonging among Latino immigrants, US-born Latinos, and US-born whites in Arizona and New Mexico. The American Sociological Association’s Population Section selected the book for its Otis Dudley Duncan Distinguished Book Award. His second book, The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants are Changing American Life (University of California Press, 2017), uses interviews from a race and class spectrum of Silicon Valley residents to show how a relational form of assimilation changes both newcomers (immigrants and their children) and established individuals (people born in the US to US-born parents). His first book, Replenished Ethnicity: Mexican Americans, Immigration, and Identity(University of California Press, 2010), draws on interviews and participant observation to understand how uninterrupted Mexican immigration influences the ethnic identity of later-generation Mexican Americans. Professor Jiménez has also published his research in Science, American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, American Political Science Review, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Social Problems, International Migration Review, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Social Science Quarterly, DuBois Review, Social Currents, Qualitative Sociology, and the Annual Review of Sociology.

    Professor Jiménez also researches immigration policy with Stanford's Immigration Policy Lab, directing the Lab's Qualitative Initiative to integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches in research to have policy impact. Current projects examine naturalization, refugee resettlement (with Pei Palmgren), and health and language access.

    In other lines of research, Professor Jiménez and Sofia Avila examine how immigration becomes part of American national identity by studying a sample of high school US history textbooks from 1930-2007. This research employs hand-coding and computer-assisted text analysis of the textbook sample.

    Professor Jiménez has taught at the University of California, San Diego. He was the Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer (2017-19). He has also been an Irvine Fellow at the New America Foundation and a Sage Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University (CASBS). He was the American Sociological Association Congressional Fellow in the office of US Rep. Michael Honda, where he served as a legislative aide for immigration, veterans’ affairs, housing, and election reform. His writing on policy has appeared in reports for the Immigration Policy Center and the Migration Policy Institute. He has written editorials on immigration in several major news outlets, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN.com, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Hill, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has also offered commentary for media outlets, including NBC News, National Public Radio, and Univision.

  • Evaleen Kay Jones

    Evaleen Kay Jones

    Clinical Professor, Medicine - Primary Care and Population Health

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEvaleen Jones has a passion for Global Health Education. She is President, Founder of Child Family Health International, a non-profit 501©(3) $2 million organization that oversees the placement of 650+l students in immersion programs (a mini 'peace corps') in developing countries. She is also Board Certified in Addiction Medicine (American Society Addiction Medicine and a certified instructor of Mindfulness through the Center for Mind Body Medicine.

  • Neha Shirish Joshi, MD MS

    Neha Shirish Joshi, MD MS

    Instructor, Pediatrics

    BioNeha S Joshi, MD MS is an Instructor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Stanford University. Her clinical responsibilities include caring for hospitalized children at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford as a board certified Pediatric Hospitalist, and neonatal resuscitation and the care of level I/II late preterm and term newborns as a Neonatal Hospitalist. Dr. Joshi completed her MD with Distinction at the University of California San Francisco, followed by both residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Stanford University. Dr. Joshi additionally completed a Masters in Clinical Research and Epidemiology at Stanford University. Her research program seeks to identify and implement high value care practices for late preterm and term infants during the birth hospitalization. Dr. Joshi's prior work has included the development of a clinical examination-based approach to identifying late preterm and term infants at risk for early onset sepsis; this work won the Jennifer Daru Memorial Award for manuscript with most potential to impact clinical care. Her current focus is the development of clinical benchmarks and quality markers for the care of late preterm infants during the birth hospitalization. Dr Joshi is presently supported by a NIH K23 Career Development Award, the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, and the Society for Pediatric Research.

  • Shashank V. Joshi, MD

    Shashank V. Joshi, MD

    Professor (Teaching) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development) and, by courtesy of Pediatrics and, of Education
    On Partial Leave from 08/01/2025 To 06/30/2026

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Joshi's teaching and research focuses on increasing knowledge and effectiveness of school mental health, youth wellbeing, positive psychology, pediatric psychotherapy and medication interventions. Areas of study include: the therapeutic alliance in medical care, structured psychotherapy interventions, cultural issues in pediatrics, wellbeing promotion and suicide prevention in schools settings, and faculty development in graduate medical education.

  • Alexander D. Kaiser

    Alexander D. Kaiser

    Instructor, Cardiothoracic Surgery

    BioAlexander Kaiser, PhD, is an applied mathematician and computational scientist who researches modeling and simulation of heart valves, focused on congenital heart valve disease and its surgical treatment. His recent research explores simulation-guided design of aortic valve repair of complex congenital heart defects. He has developed novel, nearly first-principles modeling methods for heart valves called elasticity-based design. These methods produce robust and realistic flows in fluid-structure interaction simulations. Dr. Kaiser is an Instructor in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University working with Michael Ma and Alison Marsden. He completed his PhD in Mathematics with Charles Peskin at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, where he was awarded the Kurt O. Friedrichs Prize for Outstanding Dissertation in Mathematics.

  • Pooja Kakar

    Pooja Kakar

    Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAs a breastfeeding medicine physician, I am passionate about advocating for mother-infant dyads and supporting their breastfeeding journeys. Additionally, I am interested studying and addressing disparities in initiation and duration of breastfeeding, particularly in lower-resourced populations, by building and advancing community partnerships.

    I am also interested in the use of digital health tools to advance upstream determinants of health in community-based settings. My current funded research projects include: 1) Providing a telehealth-based, weight control program to children with obesity from lower-income, racial and ethnic minority families (Gardner GOALS) and 2) Assessing and addressing disparities in healthy behaviors in families from under-resourced settings through the use of a secure, multilingual mobile neighborhood app (Our Voice: Beyond Clinic Walls).

  • Julia Kaltschmidt

    Julia Kaltschmidt

    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.

  • Matthew Kanan

    Matthew Kanan

    Professor of Chemistry and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy

    BioMatt Kanan is a Professor of Chemistry and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford. Matt’s research group works across multiple fields of chemistry and engineering with applications for sustainable plastics, critical mineral recovery, and carbon management. Their work has led to several inventions in these areas, including new performance-advantaged bioplastics, electrochemical systems to recycle acid and base, metal-free catalysts for C1 transformations, and thermal mineral conversion processes. Matt is the co-founder of ReSource Chemical Corp., an Oakland-based start-up commercializing manufacturing technology developed in his lab, and Mafix, Inc., a spin-out developing mineral fertilizers that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Prior to joining the Stanford faculty in 2009, Matt did his Ph.D. studies in organic chemistry at Harvard and postdoctoral research at MIT in inorganic chemistry. He earned his B.A. in chemistry from Rice University in 2000.

  • Cynthia Kapphahn

    Cynthia Kapphahn

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Adolescent Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAccess to health care services for adolescents.
    Confidentiality.
    Mental Health Financing.
    Eating disorders.

  • Ioannis Karakikes

    Ioannis Karakikes

    Associate Professor (Research) of Cardiothoracic Surgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Karakikes Lab aims to uncover fundamental new insights into the molecular mechanisms and functional consequences of pathogenic mutations associated with familial cardiovascular diseases.

  • Maya M. Kasowski

    Maya M. Kasowski

    Assistant Professor of Pathology, of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine) and, by courtesy, of Genetics

    BioI am a clinical pathologist and assistant professor in the Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Genetics (by courtesy) at Stanford. I completed my MD-PhD training at Yale University and my residency training and a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Genetics at Stanford University. My experiences as a clinical pathologist and genome scientist have made me passionate about applying cutting-edge technologies to primary patient specimens in order to characterize disease pathologies at the molecular level. The core focus of my lab is to study the mechanisms by which genetic variants influence the risk of disease through effects on intermediate molecular phenotypes.

  • Makoto Kawai

    Makoto Kawai

    Clinical 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.

  • Debra Lee Kaysen

    Debra Lee Kaysen

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

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMuch of my current research focus is on the development of testing of accessible, scaleable, and effective treatments for trauma-related disorders and related comorbidities (e.g. substance use disorders, HIV, mood disorders). This work has focused on addressing trauma-related disorders especially in underserved populations and settings. This includes research in rural communities, with Native American communities, and with sexual minorities. My research has had a strong impact on building an evidence base on adaptations of psychotherapies for PTSD and substance use disorders for diverse populations both within and outside the United States. Our findings demonstrate that complex cognitive behavioral psychotherapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy can be culturally adapted and delivered in challenging settings (conflict settings, high poverty environments) with significant and lasting change in PTSD, depression, and functioning. This has led to work adapting CPT for diverse populations within the United States (rural Native Americans, urban Latinos) and outside of it (Iraq, DRC). Other research has focused on treatment for PTSD/SUD. My research has also found support for the use of brief telehealth interventions to build treatment engagement and to reduce drinking among trauma-exposed populations. In addition, my work has been critical in testing the feasibility of novel trauma-focused interventions for use by those with PTSD and SUD, thus paving the road for more rigorous research studies.

    Current PI'ed research studies include: 1) developing and evaluating a brief motivational interviewing intervention designed to increase treatment-seeking among military personnel with untreated PTSD; a two-arm randomized comparative effectiveness trial to evaluate prevention of HIV/STI sexual risk behavior by addressing PTSD through Narrative Exposure Therapy or substance use through Motivational Interviewing among Native American men and women with PTSD; and 3) a comparison of outcomes among patients randomized to initially receive pharmacotherapy or Written Exposure Therapy delivered in primary care as well as comparing outcomes among patients randomized to treatment sequences (i.e., switching and augmenting) for patients who do not respond to the initial treatment.

  • Kevin Kelley

    Kevin Kelley

    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry and Psychology)

    BioAs a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, I am motivated by how little we understand about the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and hope that further knowledge will help to alleviate the ongoing distress of many of our patients. My research program leverages computational genomics, human brain cellular models, and molecular neuroscience techniques to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of human brain development and how dysfunction in these processes lead to psychiatric disorders.

  • John Kerner

    John Kerner

    Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology), Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am interested in pediatric nutritional support and have experience evaluating new enteral and parenteral products especially for the neonate (I studied a "new" I.V. fat product for Abbott; I participated in a multicenter trial of a formula with fish oil in it for neonates with Mead Johnson and a multicenter trial of a new human milk fortifier for Wyeth).

  • Michelle Joanne Khan, MD, MPH, FACOG (she/her)

    Michelle Joanne Khan, MD, MPH, FACOG (she/her)

    Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - General

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Khan's research focuses on prevention of HPV-related cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, and anus and on the impact of reproductive tract infections on pregnancy and health.

  • Kajal Khanna

    Kajal Khanna

    Clinical Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine
    Clinical Associate Professor (By courtesy), Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGlobal pediatric emergency medicine research, educational scholarship, pediatric emergency medical care in low- and middle- income countries and rights-based approaches to health systems development

  • Nasim Sabery Khavari

    Nasim Sabery Khavari

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Gastroenterology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPediatric Gastroenterology, Celiac Disease, Nutrition in Celiac Disease

  • Paul A. Khavari, MD, PhD

    Paul A. Khavari, MD, PhD

    Carl J. Herzog Professor of Dermatology in the School of Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe work in epithelial tissue as a model system to study stem cell biology, cancer and new molecular therapeutics. Epithelia cover external and internal body surfaces and undergo constant self-renewal while responding to diverse environmental stimuli. Epithelial homeostasis precisely balances stem cell-sustained proliferation and differentiation-associated cell death, a balance which is lost in many human diseases, including cancer, 90% of which arise in epithelial tissues.

  • 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.

  • Peter S. Kim

    Peter S. Kim

    Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Biochemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on developing new strategies for vaccine creation. We also aim to generate vaccines targeting infectious agents that have eluded efforts to date. We integrate experimental approaches with protein language models to guide artificial evolution and enable efficient antibody and protein engineering. Our interdisciplinary approach aims to address critical global health challenges.

  • Seung K. Kim  M.D., Ph.D.

    Seung K. Kim M.D., Ph.D.

    KM Mulberry Professor, Professor of Developmental Biology, of Medicine (Endocrinology) and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics (Endocrinology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study the development of pancreatic islet cells using molecular, embryologic and genetic methods in several model systems, including mice, pigs, human pancreas, embryonic stem cells, and Drosophila. Our work suggests that critical factors required for islet development are also needed to maintain essential functions of the mature islet. These approaches have informed efforts to generate replacement islets from renewable sources for diabetes.

  • Yong Yean Kim

    Yong Yean Kim

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics ( Hematology & Oncology)

    BioOur lab is interested in translational science to bring new therapies to clinical trials. In particular, we are interested in pediatric sarcomas which have not had advancement in clinical treatment for decades. Current projects in the lab focus on understanding of the biology of fusion transcription factor PAX3::FOXO1 which is the driver mutation in fusion positive rhabdomyosarcoma. PAX3::FOXO1 is a powerful oncogenic transcription factor which rewires the transcriptional organization to lock the cancer cell in the proliferative state. Since transcription factors including PAX3::FOXO1 are difficult to target using small molecules, we aim to understand how PAX3::FOXO1 is regulated and targeting the regulators of PAX3::FOXO1. By understanding and targeting the regulation of PAX3::FOXO1, we hope to bring new therapies for fusion positive rhabdomyosarcoma. Additionally, these regulatory mechanisms may also be active in other transcription driven cancers such as the EWSR1::FLI1 driven Ewings Sarcoma.

    Our lab is also interested in exploring the epigenetic landscape of pediatric solid tumors and trying to understand how dysregulation in the epigenome drives oncogenesis. We utilize various CRISPR mediated genetic techniques to interrogate the regulators of epigenome focusing on the histone lysine demethylases (KDMs). KDMs are an understudied group of epigenetic regulators which can be targeted for therapeutic effect. We explore the role of KDMs in pediatric solid tumors and hope to identify potential targets for drug development.

  • Alaina Kipps

    Alaina Kipps

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Cardiology

    BioDr. Kipps grew up in Santa Cruz, California and completed her medical degree at Harvard Medical School in 2003. After general pediatrics residency at Stanford, she completed pediatric cardiology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital from 2006 to 2009. After three years on faculty with University of California, San Francisco she was recruited back to Stanford in 2012 to become the medical director for acute care cardiology (2013-2021). Since 2021 she has focused on QI for the ACCU and heart center, and has served as the ACCU local improvement team medical director since 2013. In 2014 she co-founded the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC³) with Nicolas Madsen and co-directed this since inception to spring 2026. PAC³ has 50 participating centers, a registry since 2019 with >150,000 encounters, and is the academic society for the ACCU subspecialty. Her academic focus is in clinical effectiveness and quality improvement science, and she completed her Masters of Science in Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in 2016. Her other significant interest is in teaching, mentorship, and coaching. She is the co-director of the Pediatric residency program scholarly concentration in Quality Improvement, co-leads the Pediatric department peer scholar community (in QI), and has served as a residency coach since 2020.

  • Varvara A. Kirchner

    Varvara A. Kirchner

    Associate Professor of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation) and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics

    BioDr. Kirchner completed her medical school, surgical residency and multi-organ transplant fellowship in adult and pediatric liver, pancreas, kidney transplantation and total pancreatectomy with islet auto-transplantation at the University of Minnesota. She underwent further training in living donor liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. Her clinical practice involves living and deceased donor liver and kidney transplantation in adult and pediatric patients as well as total pancreatectomy with islet auto-transplantation for patients with chronic and acute recurrent pancreatitis. She currently serves as Surgical Director of the Islet Cell Auto-Transplant at Stanford Children’s and Associate Director of the Living Donor Liver Transplant Program at the Division of Abdominal Transplantation. Dr. Kirchner’s research focuses on the biology of aging, cellular and solid organ transplantation. Her specific interests are in auto-islet transplantation, iPSC-derived hepatocyte therapies and liver regeneration. Dr. Kirchner's research on the impact of donor age on generation of iPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells is supported by the NIA K08 Faculty Development Award. She is an active member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and the International Liver Transplantation Society.

  • Jonathan D Klein

    Jonathan D Klein

    Marron and Mary Elizabeth Kendrick Professor of Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy studies address:
    1. Confidentiality and Access to Care studies of confidential time during well-visits and policy analyses addressing quality of care and health systems capacity for adolescents and young adults in the US and globally; and,
    2, Tobacco, nicotine, and second-hand smoke studies of primary care counseling to reduce nicotine addiction in adolescents and programs to engage medical specialty groups in secondhand smoke clinical and policy interventions.

  • Teri Klein

    Teri Klein

    Professor (Research) of Biomedical Data Science, of Medicine (BMIR) and, by courtesy, of Genetics
    On Partial Leave from 01/16/2026 To 12/18/2026

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCo-founder, Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing
    NIEHS, Site Visit Reviewer
    NIH, Study Section Reviewer

  • Joshua W. Knowles

    Joshua W. Knowles

    Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGenetic basis of coronary disease
    Genetic basis of insulin resistance
    Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

  • Juliet Klasing Knowles

    Juliet Klasing Knowles

    Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences (Pediatric Neurology) and of Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Knowles lab studies how white matter structure changes in different forms of epilepsy, and how aberrant white matter structure, in turn, shapes neuronal network function. In mouse models, we use a variety of innovative tools including neurophysiology, quantitative EEG, behavior, histological measures of white matter structure and MR imaging. We also conduct clinical research to study white matter abnormalities in children with epilepsy.

  • Justin M Ko, MD, MBA

    Justin M Ko, MD, MBA

    Clinical Professor, Dermatology

    BioJustin Ko joined Stanford Medicine in 2012. He is a Clinical Professor and Associate Chair of Clinical Affairs in the Department of Dermatology and Chief of Dermatology at Stanford Healthcare where he spearheads the dermatology department's clinical enterprise including efforts around digital health, network development, quality and value-based care. He also holds health system leadership roles within Stanford Medicine including as Associate Chief Quality Officer and physician lead of Patient Experience and Ambulatory Access. Justin is a clinical expert in skin cancer and melanoma as well as alopecia areata and hair loss disorders, and is a leader and researcher in the areas of care delivery innovation and Artificial/Augmented Intelligence.

    His passion for melanoma, early cancer detection, and improving care delivery drives his efforts and research around leveraging advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence to increase the breadth of populations that can be reached. He developed and runs a digital care delivery program at SHC, providing virtual visits for patients and remote consultations for referring clinicians. He conducts research on and engages in collaborations around interventions that layer advances in machine learning on digital health capabilities to enhance access, quality and value of dermatologic care and is a co-founder and co-leader of the Stanford Translational AI in Dermatology (TRAIND) group. He co-founded and chaired the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) Committee on Augmented Intelligence and has served as chair of the AAD's Health Information Technology Committee.

    Dr. Ko has also been driven to find new treatments for alopecia areata, an immune-mediated condition that can progress to total hair loss through various clinical trials and translational research efforts. He sits on the clinical research advisory board of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation and is a co-founder of the Skin Innovation and Interventional Research Group (SIIRG) which conducts clinical and translational research on skin disease.

    He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and worked in investment banking; mergers and acquisitions at JP Morgan before going on to earn a combined medical and business degree at Tufts University. During medical school, he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Dr. Ko then performed his residency at the Harvard Dermatology Residency Training Program where he served as chief resident.

  • Brian Kobilka

    Brian Kobilka

    Hélène Irwin Fagan Chair of Cardiology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsStructure, function and physiology of adrenergic receptors.

  • Eric Kool

    Eric Kool

    George A. and Hilda M. Daubert Professor of Chemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests• Design of cell-permeable reagents for profiling, modifying, and controlling RNAs
    • Developing fluorescent probes of DNA repair pathways, with applications in cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disease
    • Discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of DNA repair enzymes, with focus on cancer and inflammation

  • Ron Kopito

    Ron Kopito

    Professor of Biology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory use state-of-the-art cell biological, genetic and systems-level approaches to understand how proteins are correctly synthesized, folded and assembled in the mammalian secretory pathway, how errors in this process are detected and how abnormal proteins are destroyed by the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

  • Sheri Krams

    Sheri Krams

    Senior Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs and Professor of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch Interests: 1) NK Cell Responses to EBV, 2) Exosomes in Immune Responses, 3) Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell-Mediated Graft Prolongation, 4)Transplant Immunology

  • Elliot J. Krane

    Elliot J. Krane

    Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Pediatric Anesthesia) at the Stanford University Medical Center, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe management of pain in children using intraspinal opioids, regional anesthetics, and novel analgesic agents; cerebral and osmolar complications of diabetic ketoacidosis in children.

  • Mark Krasnow

    Mark Krasnow

    Paul and Mildred Berg Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests- Lung development and stem cells
    - Neural circuits of breathing and speaking
    - Lung diseases including lung cancer
    - New genetic model organism for biology, behavior, health and conservation

  • Emily Kraus

    Emily Kraus

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery

    BioDr. Kraus is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford Children’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center trained in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) sports medicine. She has research and clinical interests in endurance sports medicine, injury prevention, running biomechanics, prevention of bone stress injuries, and the promotion of health and wellness at any age of life. Dr. Kraus is the director of the FASTR Program, which stands for Female Athlete Science and Translational Research. The FASTR program is supported by the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance and seeks to close the gender gap in sports science research with an emphasis on early identification and interventions to prevent injury and identify ways to optimize performance in female athletes. Dr. Kraus is also a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Women's Health Task Force and is the medical director of the Stanford Children's Motion Analysis and Sport Performance Lab. She has completed nine marathons including the Boston Marathon twice and one 50k ultramarathon. With running and staying physically active as one of her personal passions, she recognizes the importance of fitness for overall wellbeing and the prevention of chronic medical conditions.

  • Thomas M. Krummel, MD, FACS/FAAP

    Thomas M. Krummel, MD, FACS/FAAP

    Emile Holman Professor, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsSurgical Innovation, Simulation and Virtual Reality in Surgical Education, Fetal Healing-Cellular and Biochemical Mechanisms

  • Anshul Kundaje

    Anshul Kundaje

    Associate Professor of Genetics and of Computer Science

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe develop statistical and machine learning frameworks to model gene regulation and decipher the genetic and molecular basis of disease

  • Calvin Kuo

    Calvin Kuo

    Maureen Lyles D'Ambrogio Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study cancer biology, intestinal stem cells (ISC), and angiogenesis. We use primary organoid cultures of diverse tissues and tumor biopsies for immunotherapy modeling, oncogene functional screening and stem cell biology. Angiogenesis projects include blood-brain barrier regulation, stroke therapeutics and anti-angiogenic cancer therapy. ISC projects apply organoid culture and ko mice to injury-inducible vs homeostatic stem cells and symmetric division mechanisms.

  • Christin S Kuo

    Christin S Kuo

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Pulmonary Medicine)

    BioDr. Christin Kuo is a physician-scientist in the Department of Pediatrics. The ultimate goal of her research is to integrate a cellular and molecular understanding of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) to discover new approaches for diagnosing and treating diverse respiratory conditions associated with NE cell dysfunction and excessive proliferation, including neuroendocrine tumors. Abnormal PNECs are found in neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI), pulmonary carcinoids, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and small cell lung cancer. Her innovative approaches to studying the development and molecular diversity of rare but fascinating neurosensory cells with single cell precision, have led to fundamental discoveries. Her lab’s current research aims to apply this knowledge to understanding diverse human pulmonary neuroendocrine cell disorders using interdisciplinary approaches. Dr. Kuo is a Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Faculty Scholar.

  • Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD

    Clete A. Kushida, MD, PhD

    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Sleep Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Kushida is a neurologist and sleep specialist who directs several NIH- and industry-sponsored research studies, focused on topics such as the physical features and neurocognitive changes associated with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, the epidemiology and treatment of restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder, primary care sleep education and training, and countermeasures for sleep loss.

  • Angelle Desiree LaBeaud

    Angelle Desiree LaBeaud

    Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor, by courtesy, of Epidemiology and Population Health and of Environmental Social Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsArthropod-borne viruses are emerging and re-emerging infections that are spreading throughout the world. Our laboratory investigates the epidemiology of arboviral infections, focusing on the burden of disease and the long-term complications on human health. In particular, Dr. LaBeaud investigates dengue, chikungunya, and Rift Valley fever viruses in Kenya, where outbreaks cause fever, arthritis, retinitis, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever. Our main research questions focus on the risk factors for arboviral infections, the development of diagnostic tests that can be administered in the field to quickly determine what kind of arboviral infection a person has, and the genetic and immunologic investigation of why different people respond differently to the same infection. Our long-term goals are to contribute to a deeper understanding of arboviral infections and their long-term health consequences and to optimize control strategies to prevent these emerging infections. Our laboratory also investigates the effects of antenatal and postnatal parasitic infections on vaccine responses, growth, and development of Kenyan children.

    My lab at Stanford supports the field work that is ongoing in Kenya, but we also have several projects that are based locally. We strive to improve diagnostics of arboviral infections and are using Luminex technology to build a new screening assay. We also have created a Luminex based platform to assess vaccine responses against multiple pathogens.

  • Norman J. Lacayo, MD

    Norman J. Lacayo, MD

    Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology and Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPediatric Hematology/Oncology, Phase I drug studies for refractory and relapsed leukemia; genomic studies, biologic risk-stratification and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia; prediction or induction response and risk of relapse using phosphoproteomics in childhood AML; novel MRD techniques in childhood ALL.

  • Amy Ladd, MD

    Amy Ladd, MD

    Elsbach-Richards Professor of Surgery, Emerita

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch Interests
    1. The kinematics and forces associated with thumb carpometcarpal (CMC) function and pathology
    2. The anatomy, microstructure, and immunofluorescent characteristics of the thumb CMC joint
    3. Pathomechaniics of CMC arthritis: biomechanical wear, injury, genetic, and environmental causes
    4. Biomechanics of the golf swing
    5. Archiving, vitalizing, and innovating medical and surgical knowledge, most recently with innovative iBook monographs

  • Teresa LaFromboise

    Teresa LaFromboise

    Professor of Education

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBicultural competence and resilience in ethnic minority adolescent development. Particularly, the influence of enculturation and acculturation experiences on adolescent development. Cultural considerations in individual, school and community-based psychological interventions with adolescents and emerging adults.

  • David D. Laitin

    David D. Laitin

    James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor

    BioDavid D. Laitin is the James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. He received his BA from Swarthmore College, and then served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Somalia and Grenada, where he became national tennis champion in 1970. Back in the US, he received his Ph.D. in political science from UC Berkeley, working under the direction of Ernst Haas and Hanna Pitkin.

    He has taught at three great universities: UCSD (1975-87), the University of Chicago (1987-1999) and now at Stanford. Over his career, as a student of comparative politics, he has conducted field research in Somalia, Yorubaland (Nigeria), Catalonia (Spain), Estonia, and France, all the time focusing on issues of language and religion, and how these cultural phenomena link nation to state. His books include Politics, Language and Thought: The Somali Experience (1977), Hegemony and Culture: Politics and Religious Change among the Yoruba (1986), Language Repertoires and State Construction in Africa (1992), Identity in Formation: The Russian-Speaking Populations in the Near Abroad (1998); Nations, States and Violence (2007); Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian-Heritage Societies (2016); and African Politics Since Independence (2019).

    In collaboration with James Fearon, he has published several papers on ethnicity, ethnic cooperation, the sources of civil war, and on policies that work to settle civil wars. Laitin has also collaborated with Alan Krueger on international terrorism and with Eli Berman on suicide terrorism.

    In 2008-2009, with support from the National Science Foundation, and with a visiting appointment at Sciences-Po Paris, Laitin conducted ethnographic, survey and experimental research on Muslim integration into France, seeking to assess the magnitude of religious discrimination and isolate the mechanisms that sustain it. In collaboration with Claire Adida and Marie-Anne Valfort, they published the results in Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian Heritage Societies (Harvard Press, 2016).

    In 2016, Laitin became co-director of Stanford's Immigration Policy Lab, and has co-authored several papers published in "Science", "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" and "Nature Human Behavior" that estimate the effects of policy on immigrant integration.

    Laitin has been a recipient of fellowships from the Howard Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. In 2021 Laitin was the recipient of the John Skytte Prize in Political Science from the Johan Skytte Foundation in Uppsala University, Sweden.

  • Alfred Lane

    Alfred Lane

    Professor of Dermatology and of Pediatrics at the Stanford University Medical Center, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDeveloping gene therapy for genetic skin diseases is my major focus. Prior to that, we are developing methods to give effective and efficient care to infants with rare and disabling genetic skin diseases including epidermolysis bullosa and ichthyosis as well as infants and children with unusual and difficult to manage vascular malformations. I am also interested in clinical studies within the NICU protecting premature infants’ skin and clinical studies in children with common skin diseases.

  • Ruth Lathi, M.D.

    Ruth Lathi, M.D.

    Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsRecurrent miscarriage, genetic and other causes of miscarriage, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, effects of fertility treatments on androgen levels in early pregnancy and how fertility diagnosis and treatments affect pregnancy outcomes.

  • Laura C. Lazzeroni, Ph.D.

    Laura C. Lazzeroni, Ph.D.

    Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emerita

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsStatistics/Data Science. I develop models, methods & algorithms for complex data in genetics and medicine. I am also interested in the interplay between fundamental statistical properties (e.g. variability, bias, p-values) & how scientists actually use & interpret data. My work in statistical genetics includes: the invention of Plaid bi-clustering for gene expression data; methods for twin, association, & family studies; multiple testing & estimation for high dimensional arrays.

  • Bomi Lee

    Bomi Lee

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy lab is dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the immune microenvironment and its role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic diseases, such as pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, innovative experimental and genetic animal models, as well as human specimens from donors, we aim to identify novel immune markers and potential therapeutic targets. Our goal is to advance the understanding of immune cells and their contributions to these diseases and to transl

  • Grace Lee

    Grace Lee

    Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)

    BioDr. Grace Lee is Chief Quality Officer and the Christopher G. Dawes Endowed Director of Quality at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, and Associate Dean for Maternal and Child Health (Quality and Safety) and Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. She oversees the Center for Pediatric and Maternal Value that seeks to improve quality, safety, patient experience and health equity across the organization. Dr. Lee previously served as a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee (IOM) to Review Priorities in the National Vaccine Plan, the IOM Committee on the Ethical and Scientific Issues in Studying the Safety of Approved Drugs, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Vaccine Research and Development Recommendations for Advancing Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza Preparedness and Response, and AHRQ's Healthcare Safety and Quality Improvement Research Study Section. She also served as a Board Member for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice. She was previously the Chair of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that recommends vaccines for the U.S. population, and she is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

  • Christopher Lee-Messer, MD, PhD

    Christopher Lee-Messer, MD, PhD

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatric Neurology
    Clinical Associate Professor (By courtesy), Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy chief clinical focus is in pediatric epilepsy, especially how epilepsy affects learning and development. For my research, I background in neural development and computational neuroscience towards developing better learning algorithms and applying the latest techniques in machine learning for better diagnosis and treatment of disease.

  • John Leikauf

    John Leikauf

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am interested in better understanding the heterogeneous cognitive and electrophysiological abnormalities in children with ADHD and the many other conditions that commonly co-occur with ADHD. The long-term goal is to be able to better target treatments to specific deficits in order to promote long-term health and well-being and improve outcomes that matter to individuals and families suffering from these disorders.

  • Mary Leonard

    Mary Leonard

    Arline and Pete Harman Professor, Professor of Pediatrics (Nephrology), of Medicine (Nephrology) and, by courtesy, of Epidemiology and Population Health

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy multidisciplinary research program is focused on (1) the detrimental effects of glucocorticoids, sarcopenia and inflammation on bone development in pediatric diseases, (2) the long-term effects of childhood cancer on bone and muscle quality, (3) the assessment of renal osteodystrophy using novel micro-imaging techniques, (4) the effects of vitamin D deficiency on physical function and cardiovascular disease, and (5) the evaluation of biomechanical interventions as anabolic bone therapies.

  • Stephanie A. Leonard

    Stephanie A. Leonard

    Assistant Professor (Research) of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine) and, by courtesy, of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, and of Epidemiology and Population Health

    BioStephanie Leonard, PhD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Dunlevie Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center for Discovery, Innovation, and Clinical Impact (https://dunleviemfm.stanford.edu/) and holds a courtesy appointment in Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine.

    The goal of Dr. Leonard’s research is to advance equitable, positive health experiences and outcomes for pregnant individuals and newborns. She is interested in applying transdisciplinary methods to perinatal health research, with a focus on studying pregnancy-related morbidities in large data sources. Currently, her primary research interests are in building an infrastructure for distributed data network studies of perinatal health and improving treatment of chronic hypertension in pregnancy. To this end, she co-launched the OHDSI Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Work Group (https://www.ohdsi.org/workgroups/) and collaborates closely with the Harvard Program on Perinatal and Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology (http://www.harvardpreg.org/). She also serves as a collaborator and mentor on a variety of obstetrics studies, including clinical trials, prospective and retrospective observational studies, and qualitative studies. Dr. Leonard's research program is currently funded by NHLBI (K01) and NICHD (U54).

    Dr. Leonard trained in epidemiology at UCLA (MS) and UC Berkeley (PhD), where her research focused on nutrition in pregnancy and was completed in partnership with the WIC program and the Nutrition Policy Institute. She completed a postdoc in Neonatal and Developmental Medicine at Stanford as part of the Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences.

  • Marc Levenston

    Marc Levenston

    Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Radiology (Radiological Sciences Laboratory)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy lab's research involves the function, degeneration and repair of musculoskeletal soft tissues, with a focus on meniscal fibrocartilage and articular cartilage. We are particularly interested in the complex interactions between biophysical and biochemical cues in controlling cell behavior, the roles of these interactions in degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, and development of tissue engineered 3D model systems for studying physical influences on primary and progenitor cells.

  • Maayan Levy

    Maayan Levy

    Assistant Professor of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Levy Lab studies how microbiome-brain interactions influence metabolism, behavior, and disease. By investigating how microbial signals affect neural circuits, we explore mechanisms underlying obesity, diabetes, and psychiatric conditions. The lab seeks to uncover new therapeutic targets using advanced neuroscience tools like optogenetics and imaging. Our research aims to improve understanding of how microbiome imbalances contribute to disease and how restoring balance can promote health.

  • David B. Lewis

    David B. Lewis

    Naddisy Foundation Professor of Pediatric Food Allergy, Immunology, and Asthma

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory is focused on defining cellular and molecular mechanisms that limit T cell responses to vaccines and pathogens during normal early postnatal development and in cases of inherited genetic immunodeficiencies. We are also determinomg how these limitations in immunity can be overcome by using novel approaches for vaccine adjuvants for influenza vaccine and by using catalytically inactive Cas proteins for inducing endogenous gene expression.