Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Showing 1-50 of 211 Results
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Meghali Aich
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neonatal and Developmental Medicine
BioMy research interest lies in understanding how environmental factors contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and translating those insights into therapies. Aligned with this, my current research in Dr. Anca Pasca’s lab at Stanford focuses on how reductive stress associated with maternal metabolic syndrome affects fetal brain development.
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Haider Ali
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
BioHaider Ali, M.B., B.S. is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. With over six years of experience in translational research, his work focuses on advancing innovations in retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, and digital health. He is particularly interested in developing technologies that bridge clinical innovation and real-world impact to improve vision care globally.
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BRIGHT ASARE-BEDIAKO
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
BioDr. Asare-Bediako is a Ghanaian-trained Optometrist who started his career as a Teaching/Research Assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He obtained a doctorate degree in Vision Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, US, where he worked on animal models of diabetic retinopathy and hematopoiesis in Prof. Maria Grant’s lab. Currently, he is a postdoctoral scholar in Prof. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett’s lab studying retinopathy of prematurity. His current interests lie in understanding mechanisms of angiogenesis in retinopathy of prematurity and diabetic retinopathy.
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Mohan Babu Budikote Venkatappa
Basic Life Research Scientist, Genetics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsLongitudinal host-microbial omics profiling and wearables-based monitoring to understand Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), its heterogeneity, and predictors of the diverse symptoms that ASD individuals experience.
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Stephanie Balters
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
BioDr. Stephanie Balters is a neuroscientist, educator, and innovator dedicated to advancing team flourishing and excellence. She directs the Empowerment Neuroscience Lab in Stanford Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, serves as Director of Research at Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), and is Scientific Lead of the Stanford Belonging Project. Her research employs portable dual-brain neuroimaging (fNIRS hyperscanning) and advanced computational modeling to elucidate the neural and inter-brain signatures of high-impact, purpose-aligned teams. She also develops and tests targeted, evidence-based interventions that measurably strengthen connection, collaboration, and performance. Partnering across Stanford Medicine, the Graduate School of Business, and Stanford Athletics, Dr. Balters translates biomarkers of human connection into simple, repeatable practices that leaders can train and track over time—turning the neuroscience of connection into a practical engine for culture change. She also leads team-innovation workshops at Stanford, creating high-trust spaces that foster authenticity, alignment, and bold, measurable execution. Beyond academia, she serves as a Human Factors Specialist at NATO, converting neuroscience insights into actionable strategies for resilient, high-performing teams.
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Mahamaya Biswal
Postdoctoral Scholar, Molecular and Cellular Physiology
BioMahamaya is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, where she specializes in Cellular and structural biology with a focus on membrane protein biogenesis, quality control, and the development of innovative nanobody technologies. Her research integrates advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cell biology, and nanobody engineering to unravel the mechanisms governing the assembly and maturation of membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs with a focus on Voltage gated ion channels as a model substrate.
Dr. Biswal’s scientific journey began with an integrated M.Tech in Biotechnology degree from D.Y. Patil University, India, where she conducted foundational research on bacterial persister cell formation at BARC and characterized breast cancer proteins ZBRK1 and BRCA1 at ACTREC,. After spending a brief time in biotech industry at Yashraj Biotechnology Ltd., Mumbai, optimizing purification pipelines for cancer antigens used in diagnostic kits and facilitating technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing, she moved to US to join UC Riverside’s PhD program under Department of Biochemistry and supervision of Dr. Jikui Song. She made significant advances in understanding the structural dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Notably, she solved the X-ray crystal structure of the NSP7-8 complex, a key cofactor for the viral replicase, and also elucidated the interaction between the viral nucleocapsid protein and human G3BP1. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work has also contributed to studies on viral immune evasion, including the structural basis for STAT2 antagonization by DENV2 NS5.
At Stanford, Dr. Biswal has expanded her expertise to the structural and functional study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and currently focusing on gaining mechanistic insights on Membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs by combining cell biology and structural biology expertise. She is also developing nanobody libraries targeting synaptic vesicles and bacterial death effectors for in situ tomography and potential therapeutic applications respectively. Dr. Biswal is a committed mentor, having supervised graduate and undergraduate students, and is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in science through active involvement in organizations such as AWIS, BioAIMS, and BSS (India). Her scientific contributions have been recognized with honors including the HEERF Dissertation Year Fellowship, the Mary K. and Randolph T. Wedding Prize, and best poster awards at UC Riverside. Dr. Biswal’s long-term vision is to lead a research program that translates structural insights into therapeutic strategies for neurological and infectious diseases, advancing both scientific knowledge and the next generation of scientists. -
Anna Booman
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioAnna Booman, PhD, MS is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. She conducts perinatal pharmacoepidemiology research to study the safety and effectiveness of medication use during pregnancy, since most pregnant individuals cannot be included in clinical trials. She uses large observational datasets, such as the Merative MarketScan Database, and complex epidemiologic methods in her research.
Dr. Booman received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Oregon Health & Science University School of Public Health, her MS in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and her BS in Mathematical Biology (minor: Computer Science) from the College of William & Mary. Her research has spanned many areas of perinatal epidemiology, including a focus on twin children, rare genetic disorders, gestational weight gain, and insurance discontinuity in pregnancy. -
Karoline Marie Bornemann
Postdoctoral Scholar, Cardiology
BioKaroline-Marie Bornemann, PhD, is a biomedical engineer interested in cardiovascular flows, specifically the computational modeling of heart valves using fluid-structure interaction simulations. Her current postdoctoral research in the Marsden lab at Stanford University focuses on the simulation of congenital valve pathologies and valve repair in pediatrics working with Alexander D. Kaiser, Alison Marsden and Michael Ma. She obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bern where she investigated instability mechanisms leading to laminar-turbulent transition past bioprosthetic aortic valves with Dominik Obrist and Peter Schmid. During her PhD, she performed a secondment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology collaborating with Ardeshir Hanifi and Dan Henningson assessing the stability of flow fields past valve prostheses. Visualizations of her PhD research were showcased in a winning entry of the Gallery of Fluid Motion 2024 and her PhD thesis won the GCB Best PhD Thesis 2024 Award.
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Shashank Chetty
Basic Life Research Scientist, Rad/Pediatric Radiology
BioMCHRI Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-Chair, SURPAS -
Priscila Chiavellini
Postdoctoral Scholar, Reproductive Biology
BioI am passionate about the underlying biological mechanisms of development occurring from birth to death. To my mind, one of the most significant promises of this science lies in understanding those mechanisms to improve the quality of life of young and old people. In my country Argentina, I pursued my doctoral degree in cell reprogramming to implement rejuvenation in aging rodents by restoring their biological age. The aim was to partially reprogram the nervous system using an adenovirus to revert age-associated memory impairment in old rats.
Dr. Sebastiano´s lab has developed powerful tools in the reprogramming and rejuvenation field. I have joined them to apply those techniques to delay ovarian aging with the ultimate goal of extending fertility and healthy aging. -
Christina F. Chick
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research examines the mechanistic contributions of sleep, cognition and affect to the onset and course of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. I am particularly interested in adolescence as a period during which changes in circadian rhythm, sleep architecture, and sleep behavior co-occur with neuroendocrine development, psychosocial changes, and the onset of many psychiatric disorders. Given that sleep is a highly treatable target, increasing our understanding of the specific contributions of sleep to psychiatric symptom onset may facilitate the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the course of illness.
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Andrea Cipriano
Instructor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Reproductive Biology
BioDr Andrea Cipriano is an instructor at the Stem Cell Institute and at the Ob/Gyn department at Stanford School of medicine. Since the beginning of his career he was driven by a deep interest in the complexities of life emerging from just a single cell, harboring all the instructions to produce a fully functional organism. His academic journey began with a Bachelor's in Biotechnology and progressed to a Master's in Genomic Biotechnology, where he delved into the intricate world of RNA. During his PhD, Andrea focused on long non-coding RNAs and their pivotal role in cell differentiation, a topic that continues to fascinate him in his current research. He works in the Sebastiano lab, and he is directing several projects, including studying the transcription factor TBX1 during development of the Pharyngeal endoderm, and exploring the impact of time on Chromatin Structure, particularly in the context of aging and its potential reversal. As an instructor, Andrea has been teaching for 4 years at the intensive CIRM stem cell class biology course. Teaching is a big passion that fuels his academic pursuits. His dedication to education stems from a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of knowledge, which is what initially propelled him into the academic world.
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Laetitia Coassolo (Voilquin)
Senior Research Scientist - Basic Life, Pathology Sponsored Projects
Current Role at StanfordI am a Senior Research Scientist in Dr. Katrin Svensson's lab. I am interested in mapping tissue-specific peptide secretion to identify orphan peptide hormones.
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Maharshi Krishna Deb
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI aim to gain insights of the molecular underpinnings that are critical for the specification of human germ cells as well as the episode of epigenetic reprogramming that they undergo which is critical for their development and thereby essential for perpetual propagation of human species. Under co-mentorship of Prof. Azim Surani and Dr. Shiv Grewal,I aim to learn these lessons from this immortal lineage of human germline to identify interventions against various pediatric as well as degenerative
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Claudia Del Toro Runzer
Postdoctoral Scholar, Medical Genetics
BioClaudia Del Toro Runzer is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University specializing in gene therapy and regenerative medicine. Her current research focuses on developing gene editing strategies for inherited disorders, including GNE myopathy and Gaucher disease. She works on advancing precision gene engineering approaches in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and other clinically relevant cell types, with the goal of enabling safe and durable therapeutic correction.
Dr. Del Toro Runzer earned her PhD in Tissue Engineering from the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine at Maastricht University. Her doctoral research focused on chemically modified mRNA therapeutics for bone regeneration, where she investigated molecular design, intracellular trafficking, and biomaterial-assisted delivery systems to enhance protein expression and osteogenic outcomes. Her work resulted in multiple first-author publications in leading journals, including Advanced Functional Materials, Bone Research, Materials Today, and Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids.
Prior to her PhD, she completed an M.Sc. in Regenerative Biology and Medicine at Technische Universität Dresden and a B.Sc. in Biotechnology Engineering at Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. Her international training spans Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, and the United States, with research experience in organoid systems, tissue regeneration, biomaterials engineering, and microphysiological platforms. -
Dr. Qiwen Deng
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pathology
BioMy research aims to understand how immune–stromal interactions shape tissue injury, repair, and fibrosis across chronic diseases. I combine multiplexed spatial proteomics (CODEX), single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and molecular pathology approaches to dissect the organization and function of complex tissue microenvironments. By mapping spatially resolved cellular neighborhoods in human biopsies, I seek to uncover conserved and disease-specific patterns that can guide biomarker discovery and therapeutic development.
Working within a laboratory focused on the mechanisms and therapeutic targeting of fibrotic diseases, I investigate chronic kidney disease alongside other models of organ fibrosis. With a background spanning molecular biology, therapeutic development, and spatial biology, I aim to advance studies that connect detailed tissue analysis with potential clinical applications. I welcome opportunities for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease and other fibrosis-related conditions. -
Xiruo Ding
Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioI am a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, advised by Dr. Nima Aghaeepour, focusing on EHR-related modeling and phenotyping. My research interests lie in the application of general machine learning and deep learning methods to enhance healthcare outcomes.
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Patricia Dionicio
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pediatric Anesthesia
BioPatricia Dionicio, PhD, MPH is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in the School of Medicine at Stanford University. Her research aims to reduce health disparities in pain among underserved populations through human-centered design and digital interventions. She has expertise in integrating mixed methods with longitudinal assessment tools to understand systemic and momentary factors impacting health behavior.
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Chunyang Dong
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
BioChunyang Dong completed his Ph.D. studies from University of California, Davis with Dr. Lin Tian, where he specialized in protein engineering to develop genetically encoded biosensors to enable real-time imaging of neuromodulator dynamics. As part of his postdoctoral pursuits with Dr. Sergiu Pasca at Stanford University, he hopes to combine disciplines between biosensors and modeling human neurological disease using brain region-specific organoids. Despite this shift, his unwavering goal is to deepen the understanding of brain development, disease processes, and translate research to potential treatments for neurological disorders.
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Ifeanyichukwu Emmanuel Eke
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pathology
BioI am a chemical biologist with a broad interest in defining the mechanisms-of-action of novel compounds that can be used as potential drugs or diagnostic probes for different bacterial and viral infections. In addition to my flair for research, I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
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Emily Ferguson, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
BioEmily Ferguson, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral academic researcher and clinician within Stanford University’s Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program (https://med.stanford.edu/autism.html) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara and completed her clinical internship at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Ferguson's research focuses on advancing understanding of mechanisms of challenging behaviors in autistic youth and adults to inform treatment development. Her work takes a comprehensive perspective, integrating methods from implementation science to improve the accessibility and quality of clinical care for underserved autistic populations, especially those with higher support needs (or "profound autism"). She is also interested in developing methods to improve self-regulation in individuals with profound autism to effectively manage self-injurious behaviors and aggression. Dr. Ferguson is currently supporting research in the Preschool Autism Lab (https://med.stanford.edu/autismcenter/pre-school-autism-lab-program.html), and exploring profiles of challenging behaviors with the Program for Psychometrics and Measurement-Based Care (https://med.stanford.edu/sppmc.html) in a diverse range of autistic and non-autistic youth to inform treatment approaches.
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Lorenzo Ferrari
Postdoctoral Scholar, Cardiothoracic Surgery
BioLorenzo Ferrari, PhD, is a biomedical engineer interested in cardiovascular flows and in developing benchtop systems for in vitro evaluation of cardiac devices. His current postdoctoral research in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University focuses on simulating and testing transcatheter valves implanted in the right ventricular outflow tract using 4D Flow MRI, working with Doff B. McElhinney, Daniel B. Ennis, and Alison L. Marsden. He obtained his PhD summa cum laude in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bern, where he investigated the influence of heart valve design and size under different hemodynamic conditions using particle velocimetry techniques. During his PhD, he completed a secondment at the University of Twente in the Physics of Fluids group at the Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, collaborating with Michel Versluis and Guillaume Lajoinie to assess the stability of flow fields past valve prostheses.
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Dorien Feyaerts
Instructor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiomedical scientist and immunologist with a strong background in fetal-maternal immunology that aims to conduct impactful translational research in women’s health to improve the health of mothers and their children.
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Adina S. Fischer, MD, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
BioDr. Fischer’s research focuses on characterizing risk and resilience factors in depression. She has been awarded an NIH Career Development Award (K23) and Klingenstein Foundation Fellowship in Adolescent Depression to build her program of clinical and translational research at Stanford. Dr. Fischer's program of clinical care focused on the delivery and teaching of evidence-based clinical interventions that enhance resilience, with a focus on addressing the unique stressors encountered in academia and academic medicine that may contribute to risk and resilience in mood and anxiety disorders.
Dr. Fischer’s translational program of research focuses on:
(1) Improving our understanding of protective biomarkers of resilience to depression
(2) Characterizing the effects of cannabis on neurobiological function and depressive symptoms
(3) Developing neurobiologically-guided interventions for depressive disorders, particularly those that co-occur with cannabis and other substance use
Dr. Fischer earned her BSc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, where she conducted research in the Early Childhood Cognition Laboratory. She then completed the MD/PhD Program at Dartmouth, where she obtained her PhD in in Neuroscience. Dr. Fischer’s doctoral research focused on characterizing the acute effects of cannabis in patients with schizophrenia and co-occurring cannabis use disorder. She then completed the Stanford Psychiatry Residency Training Program as a member of the Research Track, and an NIH funded T-32 postdoctoral research fellowship within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
