Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Showing 51-100 of 211 Results
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Daiana Fornes
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pulmonary
BioDaiana Fornes is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, supported by a Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research centers on reproductive biology and pregnancy disorders, with a particular focus on uterine contractility, preterm labor, and uterine atony. She investigates calcium signaling pathways, including the role of TRPV4 ion channels, to identify novel therapeutic strategies aimed at improving maternal health outcomes.
Daiana earned her PhD from the University of Buenos Aires, where she studied metabolic alterations during pregnancy and their effects on fetal development. Her training has provided her with a strong foundation in translational research, with extensive experience in experimental design, molecular biology, and the analysis of signaling pathways. -
Jenna Forsyth
Director, Project Unleaded, Human and Planetary Health
BioJenna Forsyth, PhD, is an interdisciplinary environmental health scientist. She has focused on lead exposure research for 10 years and currently oversees the research portfolio for Project Unleaded - an initiative to identify and mitigate priority sources of lead poisoning globally, with an emphasis in South Asia. Based on her team’s discovery and effort to address lead poisoning from turmeric in Bangladesh, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in Global Health by Time Magazine in 2024. Prior to studying lead contamination and poisoning, she spent nearly 10 years addressing global and environmental health problems from contaminants in the air, water, soil, and food. Her work has been featured in The Economist, The Washington Post, Vox, The Scientist, Undark, Think Global Health, Environmental Health News, Stanford Medicine, Effective Altruism and other outlets. She holds a PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University and a Master’s of Science in Engineering and Certificate in Global Health from the University of Washington.
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Elias Roth Gerrick
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioEli received his B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from U.C. Irvine in 2013, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Celia Goulding. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2018 in the lab of Dr. Sarah Fortune, where he studied post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Eli joined the Howitt lab at Stanford in the summer of 2018, where he is studying the influence of protozoan members of the microbiome on intestinal immunity.
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Ruth Margaret Gibson
Visiting Scholar, Medicine - Primary Care and Population Health
Affiliate, Pediatrics - NeonatologyBioDr. Ruth Gibson, PhD, is a scholar at Stanford University. She holds appointments at the Center for Innovation and Global Health (CIGH) and the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). Dr. Gibson’s research focuses on war, blockades, and sanctions and their impacts on maternal and child health. Her expertise is in geopolitically complex regions of the world, crises, and what all of this means for human health.
Dr. Gibson’s research is published in internationally renowned outlets such as The Lancet and The Lancet Global Health. She publishes research on issues such as foreign aid withdrawal and impacts on mothers and children, humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and sanctions against Iran. Her insights have been highlighted by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and TIME. Dr. Gibson responds quickly to producers, journalists, and media outlets seeking expert analysis of critical issues in war, peace, and human lives.
She is currently co-leading a Lancet Series on Global Health and Foreign Engagement with Professor Gary Darmstadt. She leads worldwide international panels on critical issues in global health – geopolitical crisis and their impacts on health – through the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) and Stanford’s CIGH. Dr. Gibson collaborates with the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to develop a universal monitoring system to assess the impact of sanctions on human rights. Her research has been cited in UN General Assembly meetings. She also worked on war crimes investigations with the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab and on the International Criminal Court's prosecution of war crimes.
Dr. Gibson spent a decade working internationally, engaging in humanitarian and global health initiatives across eight countries on five continents – including conflict zones. Dr. Gibson is fluent in English and proficient in Mandarin Chinese (如詩 吉布森), French, and Spanish. She holds a postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford University, a PhD from the University of British Columbia, an Honors Bachelor of Science, and a Master of Science from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Gibson can be reached at rmgibson@stanford.edu
https://drruthgibson.com/ -
Jen Haensel
Basic Life Research Scientist, Ophthalmology Research/Clinical Trials
BioI am a Research Scientist in the Roberts Vision Development & Oculomotor Lab at Stanford University’s Department of Ophthalmology, working at the intersection of vision science, neuroscience, and experimental psychology. My current research uses eye-tracking, photorefraction, and psychophysics to study oculomotor development and visual function in amblyopia, strabismus, and concussion. I also work on developing methodology to record accommodative measurements and gaze behaviour in dynamic, naturalistic settings.
I completed my PhD in Experimental Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London (UK), where I used advanced eye-tracking techniques to study the influence of postnatal experience on social gaze behaviour. Prior to joining Stanford, I also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath (UK), developing empirical human-robot interaction studies to inform the ethical design of humanoid robots. -
Meghan Halley
Assistant Professor (Research) of Pediatrics (Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics)
BioMeghan Halley, PhD, MPH is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Research) in the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University School of Medicine. With training in medical anthropology, public health and health services research, her scholarship draws on multidisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches to examine ethical, legal, social and policy questions arising in clinical and translational research. Her areas of expertise include the ethics of new genomic technologies, normative frameworks for integrating research and clinical care, challenges and opportunities in patient and community engagement, and the epistemic and ethical implications of valuing new health interventions. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the National Science Foundation and published in high-impact journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Genetics, and the American Journal of Bioethics.
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Ixel Hernandez-Castro
Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology
BioEnvironmental epidemiologist focused on understanding how cumulative environmental exposures during pregnancy and early life shape maternal and child health across the life course. My work integrates epidemiologic methods and molecular biomarkers to uncover shared biological pathways linking chemical and social exposures to cardiometabolic and neurodevelopmental outcomes, with the goal of informing early prevention strategies and supporting health.
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Seth Ari Sim-Son Hoffman
Instructor, Medicine - Infectious Diseases
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical research to benefit underserved populations.
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Hamed Honari
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMachine Learning, Neuroimaging, Computer Vision,Deep Learning, Signal Processing
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Yusuke Hori, MD
Clinical Instructor, Neurosurgery
BioDr. Hori received his MD from Sapporo Medical University, Japan, and during that time he served as a Medical Student Research Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology. He explored the functional role of the SIRT1 gene, a longevity-associated gene, and its association with various conditions such as muscular dystrophy. He also completed a Visiting Student Research Fellowship at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido and participated in Human Genetics projects focusing on an association between the 27-bp deletion and 538G>A mutation in the ABCC11 Gene.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Hori completed a neurosurgery residency at National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center in Japan. Subsequently, he completed a Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship and then a Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. He also completed an International Neurosurgery Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In 2022, he moved to Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow, and under the supervision of Dr. Anca Pasca, he participated in brain organoid research focusing on hypoxic brain injuries.
Since July 2023, Dr. Hori has been working as a Clinical Instructor (Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery) in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford under the supervision of Dr. Steven D. Chang. His clinical interests include malignant brain and spine tumors in both adult and pediatric patients. His clinical research focuses on the application of minimally invasive treatments such as laser interstitial thermal therapy, focused ultrasound, and radiosurgery to treat various neurosurgical conditions. His current lab research aims to develop an organoid model for radiation-induced brain injuries and a high-throughput screening platform to identify novel therapeutic compounds, for which he received a Clinician Educator Grant from Stanford University Maternal and Child Health Research Institute. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing music including guitar and drums. -
Alyssa Michelle Howren
Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology
BioAlyssa Howren is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University’s Department of Epidemiology and Population Health in the School of Medicine. She completed her MSc and PhD training at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences during which she was a trainee at Arthritis Research Canada. Her PhD training was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Award, along with UBC’s Wayne Riggs Interdisciplinary Scholarship in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Andrew Nord Fellowship in Rheumatology. Her research focuses on using multiple data sources to provide evidence to disentangle the complex relationship between depression and anxiety with inflammatory arthritis and assess how people living with inflammatory arthritis are treated for their comorbid mental disorders. Methodological approaches in Dr. Howren’s work have included systematic reviews, qualitative research, mixed methods, and population-based studies using linked administrative health databases. She was awarded a CIHR Fellowship for her postdoctoral research at Stanford University which aims to evaluate whether biases in clinical decision-making contribute to the sex and gender differences observed in the diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
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Wouter Huiting
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Systems Biology
BioWouter received his training at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Here he obtained a B.Sc.and M.Sc. in Human Movement Sciences (2008-2015), followed by a M.Sc. in Clinical and Molecular Neurosciences (2014-2016). He performed his doctoral research at the University of Groningen, obtaining his PhD degree in Molecular Cell Biology in 2021. Wouter continued his research in 2022 with a position as postdoctoral scholar at the Jarosz lab, at the department of Chemical and Systems Biology. Here he pursues his interest in the molecular forces underlying proteomic adaptation of cells and systems in development and disease. Outside of Stanford, Wouter is an avid sportsman, and likes cooking, hiking, birding, and in general loves to enjoy nature and wildlife with his wife and son.
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Noor A. Hussein
Postdoctoral Scholar, Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy current work aims to increase the understanding of pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric disorder (PANS) disease mechanism and to improve the treatment options. It focuses on studying the alteration of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are key inhibitors of autoimmunity and main regulator of inflammation, in PANS.
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Duc Tan Huynh
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioAs a cell biologist interested in neuroscience, I am fascinated about the molecular basis of nervous system disorders that reveal therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers. My long-term research goal is to identify strategies that revert dysregulation in aging or neurodegeneration. For my postdoctoral training in the Zuchero lab (Neurosurgery), I will investigate how myelination, an essential developmental process, contributes to intelligence and neurodegeneration at the biochemical, cellular, and physiological level. I received my BSc at UCLA and my PhD at Duke University.
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Aleesha Jethwa
Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioDr Jethwa is a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr Sultan's lab, within the Obstetric Anesthesiology Department. She is funded by the R90 HEAL/Pain Cohort grant. Her research focuses on the peripartum period and how targeted interventions can alter recovery trajectories.
Dr Jethwa previously worked as a resident anesthesiologist in the UK for 7 years including rotations in Internal Medicine, Obstetrics, and Pain Medicine and completed a Masters in Education at the University of Pennsylvania focused on medical education. -
Castro Johnbosco
Postdoctoral Scholar, Orthopedic Surgery
BioI am a bioengineer working at the interface cell-biomaterial interface to study various biological process by engineering material driven invitro systems.
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Jamie S. Johnston
Research and Evaluation Director, Stanford Center for Health Education, Pediatrics - Infectious Diseases
BioJamie Johnston is the Research and Evaluation Director for the Stanford Center for Health Education. Her work focuses on the use of technology to improve educational access and health education in under-resourced areas. Jamie completed a PhD in Economics of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2017, where she was an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) doctoral fellow. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Stanford School of Medicine. Additionally, Jamie holds a BS in Social Policy from Northwestern University, an MPP from the University of Chicago, and an MA in Economics from Stanford University.
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Siva Kasinathan
Instructor, Pediatrics - Rheumatology
BioSiva Kasinathan, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and Instructor of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. In addition to caring for children and young adults with rheumatic diseases in his clinical practice, Siva conducts research to advance the understanding of mechanisms of autoimmunity and autoinflammation.
Siva holds an MD and PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Washington, where he developed several high-throughput methods for epigenome profiling and contributed new insights in chromatin biology and gene regulation. During his clinical training in pediatrics and rheumatology at Stanford, Siva pioneered approaches for single-molecule analysis of genetic variation, DNA methylation, and chromatin structure, and established a longitudinal rheumatic disease cohort and biorepository.
Siva’s current research bridges genomics and immunology with a focus on developing and applying sensitive technologies to unravel the genetic and molecular underpinnings of lupus, arthritis, and other immune-mediated diseases. As a physician-scientist, Siva is committed to translating fundamental discoveries into precision therapies and biomarkers to improve outcomes for patients with rheumatic diseases. -
Izabela Kowalczyk
Postdoctoral Scholar, Developmental Biology
BioDr. Izabela Kowalczyk is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Sarah Bowling, Department of Developmental Biology. She is studying embryonic development, with a focus on heart valve formation and the influence of the maternal environment on this process. Dr. Kowalczyk completed her Ph.D. at the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, under the supervision of Dr. Annette Hammes, where she investigated cell and tissue morphogenesis during early forebrain development. Her work identified novel components of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling and primary cilia biology, providing new insights into the variable penetrance of holoprosencephaly in mouse models.
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Manoj Kumar
Postdoctoral Scholar, Radiology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAntibody discovery and characterization | Targeted delivery of genes and drugs | mRNA
therapeutics | Immuno-oncology | CAR-T engineering | Immune profiling | PET/MR imaging -
Linda (Yu-Ling) Lan
Basic Life Research Scientist, Genetics
BioLinda Lan, DVM, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in the Snyder Lab. Her research focuses on understanding long-term illness post-acute infections by using a combination of different types of data (multi-omics) and wearable technologies. Currently, Linda is working on three projects.
The first project involves studying the shared mechanisms of long COVID, ME/CFS, and PTLDS using smartwatches and micro-sampling. The second project involves examining the role of autoantibodies in long COVID patients and COVID vaccine side effects. The third project involves exploring the changes in the molecular and physiological responses of astronauts during short space flights using multi-omics and wearable devices.
Linda previously conducted her PhD research at the University of Chicago, where she studied memory B cell responses to a chimeric-based universal influenza virus vaccine candidate. In her leisure time, she enjoys running, hiking, and listening to audiobooks. -
Matthew Landry
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioCurrent research focuses on identifying the optimal diet (or diets) for chronic disease prevention and addressing the challenges of designing, implementing and reporting clinical trials that test dietary patterns. Particularly interested behavioral interventions that promote plant-forward and plant-based diets. Passionate advocator for policies that address nutrition-related health inequalities particularly in low resource settings and/or with communities experiencing health inequalities related to food insecurity and structural disparities.
Assistant Professor of Population Health and Disease Prevention at University of California, Irvine (effective July 1, 2023) -
Jeehee Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Orthopedic Surgery
BioDr. Lee is a dedicated researcher in the field of biomedical engineering, driven by a strong desire to help individuals suffering from illnesses. With a particular interest in disease treatment and regeneration, she embarked on her journey in this field. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Lee focused on developing functional biomaterials by leveraging chemical bonding at interfaces. Her expertise in this area led her to successfully create functional medical devices. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, Dr. Lee is actively involved in drug screening using a bone-mimicking 3D in vitro cancer model that utilizes biomaterials. Her research is centered around the utilization of biomaterials to develop innovative approaches for tuning the communication between cells and biomaterials. By advancing in the field of biomaterials, Dr. Lee aims to facilitate a better understanding of cell-biomaterial interactions, with the ultimate goal of improving healthcare outcomes. With her passion for cutting-edge research and her commitment to the development of biomaterials, Dr. Lee is dedicated to making significant contributions to the field and shaping the future of healthcare.
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Yunkyeong Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioYun is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Translational Genomics of Diabetes Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Anna Gloyn. Since joining the lab in August 2022, she has been investigating type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptible genes and their molecular mechanisms in pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and the development of T2D. Her primary focus is on how T2D effector transcripts alter autophagy/mitophagy pathways in human pancreatic β-cells, contributing to β-cell failure, mitochondrial dysfunction, and T2D pathology. She also investigated the impact of genetic mutations underlying neonatal diabetes using CRISPR HDR knockin genome editing in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models and their derivatives.
During her PhD, she explored the role of an epigenetic regulator and its molecular machinery in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now termed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In parallel, she studied the interplay between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated unfolded protein response (UPR) signalling and autophagy, and examined how these processes are modulated by bioactive plant extracts in various cellular contexts.
She is particularly interested in exploring inter-organ communication, such as pancreas-liver crosstalk, and how these interactions influence systemic metabolism and contribute to the onset and progression of T2D, along with its complications. Her long-term research goal is to advance our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving T2D and to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies.
