Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)


Showing 1,001-1,100 of 1,214 Results

  • Chelse Spinner, PhD, MPH

    Chelse Spinner, PhD, MPH

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Neonatal and Developmental Medicine

    BioAn Ohio native, Dr. Chelse Spinner obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (Biomedical Studies) with a minor in Health Education from the University of Cincinnati. She earned a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Maternal & Child Health (MCH) from the University of South Florida. She received a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences with a concentration in Behavioral Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Spinner is certified in public health and has experience working across health systems. Her research interests include health disparities, women’s health, social determinants of health, domains of structural racism, and oral-systemic health within the MCH population. She employs quantitative and qualitative methods in the hopes of providing innovative and evidence-informed research to improve health outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. Her research agenda intends to focus on the exploration of social and structural factors that impact health and well-being.

  • Alfred M. Spormann

    Alfred M. Spormann

    Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of Chemical Engineering, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMetabolism of anaerobic microbes in diseases, bioenergy, and bioremediation

  • James Spudich

    James Spudich

    Douglass M. and Nola Leishman Professor of Cardiovascular Disease, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe general research interest of this laboratory is the molecular basis of cell motility, with a current emphasis on power output by the human heart. We have three specific research interests, the molecular basis of energy transduction that leads to ATP-driven myosin movement on actin, the biochemical basis of the regulation of actin and myosin interaction and their assembly states, and the roles these proteins play in vivo, in cell movement, changes in cell shape and muscle contraction.

  • Gayathri Srinivasan OD, MS

    Gayathri Srinivasan OD, MS

    Clinical Associate Professor, Ophthalmology

    BioDr. Srinivasan is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University. Her clinical focus is on the management of amblyopia, strabismus, childhood refractive errors, and concussion-related vision disorders in children and adults. Dr. Srinivasan's research interests are amblyopia, strabismus, and concussion-related vision disorders. She serves as co-Investigator in ongoing clinical trials through the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG), funded by the NIH, and chairs the Pediatrics and Strabismus subgroup within the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) network.

  • Randall Stafford

    Randall Stafford

    Professor of Medicine (Stanford Prevention Research Center)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAs Director of the SPRC Program on Prevention Outcomes and Practices, my work focuses on cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention, the adoption of new technology and practices, and patterns of physician practice, particularly medication prescribing. Specific interests include measuring and improving the quality of outpatient care, disparities in health care by race, gender, age and socioeconomic status, and interventions to improve prevention outcomes.

  • Marcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D.

    Marcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D.

    Professor (Research) of Medicine (Stanford Prevention Research Center), of Obstetrics and Gynecology and, by courtesy, of Epidemiology and Population Health

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMarcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D is a Professor of Medicine Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and by courtesy, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Stefanick’s research focuses on chronic disease prevention (particularly, heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and dementia) in both women and men. She is currently the Principal Investigator the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Extension Study, having been the PI of the Stanford Clinical Center of the landmark WHI Clinical Trials and Observational Study since 1994 and Chair of the WHI Steering and Executive Committees from 1998-2011, as well as PI of the WHI Strong and Healthy (WHISH) Trial which is testing the hypothesis that a DHHS-based physical activity intervention, being delivered to a multi-ethnic cohort of about 24,000 WHI participants across the U.S., aged 68-99 when the trial started in 2015, will reduce major cardiovascular events over 8 years, compared to an equal number of “usual activity” controls. Dr. Stefanick is also PI of the Osteoporotic Study of Men (MrOS) which is continuing to conduct clinical assessments of bone and body composition in survivors of an original cohort of nearly 6000 men aged 65 and over in 2001. As founding Director of the Stanford Women’s Health and Sex Differences in Medicine (WHSDM, “wisdom”) Center, she plays a major role in promoting research and teaching on Sex and Gender in Human Physiology and Disease, Women’s Health and Queer Health and Medicine. Dr. Stefanick also plays major leadership roles at the Stanford School of Medicine, including as co-leader of the Population Sciences Program of the Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford’s NCI-funded comprehensive cancer center.

    Dr. Stefanick obtained her B.A. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (1974), then pursued her interest in hormone and sex difference research at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, after which she obtained her PhD in Physiology at Stanford University, focusing on reproductive physiology and neuroendocrinology, with exercise physiology as a secondary focus. Her commitment to human research led to a post-doctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, which has been her academic home for nearly 40 years.

  • Katherine Steffen

    Katherine Steffen

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Critical Care

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests focus on using dissemination and implementation science tools to study and enhance care provided to patients in the pediatric ICU. I have a background in human factors research and in implementation science and am also interested in clinical effectiveness and outcomes in the PICU.

  • Lea Steffes

    Lea Steffes

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Pulmonary Medicine)

    BioDr. Steffes is a pediatric pulmonologist and Assistant Professor in Pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Stanford University. She has completed an advanced fellowship in Pulmonary Vascular Disease at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Her clinical expertise focuses on rare pediatric lung diseases, with particular specialization in heritable forms of pulmonary vascular disease and developmental lung disorders.
    Dr. Steffes' research centers on understanding the cellular characteristics of occlusive neointimal lesions, the abnormal cells that obstruct pulmonary blood flow in pulmonary hypertension. Her work specifically examines the contribution of mesenchymal cell subsets to pediatric pulmonary vascular disease, delineating mechanisms within both pre- and post-capillary networks. By leveraging insights from developing human and diseased mouse lung, her research provides a mechanistic framework for understanding childhood-onset pulmonary vascular diseases with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets for pulmonary hypertension.

  • Lawrence Steinman, MD

    Lawrence Steinman, MD

    George A. Zimmermann Professor and Professor of Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory is dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. We have developed several new therapies for autoimmunity, including some in Phase 2 clinical trials, as well as one approved drug, natalizumab. We have developed microarray technology for detecting autoantibodies to myelin proteins and lipids. We employ a diverse range of molecular and celluar approaches to trying to understand multiple sclerosis.

  • Lars Steinmetz

    Lars Steinmetz

    Dieter Schwarz Foundation Endowed Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Steinmetz lab develops genomic technologies to study the genetic basis of complex phenotypes, the mechanisms of gene regulation, and the molecular systems underpinning disease. We’re leveraging biological insights across scales and organisms to predict, diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent disease.

  • David A. Stevens

    David A. Stevens

    Professor of Medicine, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsImmunology and chemotherapy of human fungal diseases, particularly coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) in California and aspergillosis, and the parasitic disease, trypanosomiasis.

  • David Stevenson

    David Stevenson

    Professor of Pediatrics (Genetics)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on disorders of the RAS/MAPK pathway (eg. NF1, Noonan, CFC, and Costello syndrome). I am working on understanding the impact of RAS signaling on the musculoskeletal system. I use genomic approaches to identify somatic events and modifiers in the RASopathies. I am also involved in identifying outcome measures for use in clinical trials for the associated orthopedic manifestations. Other areas of research involve vascular anomalies, Prader-Willi syndrome, and hypophosphatasia.

  • David K. Stevenson, M.D.

    David K. Stevenson, M.D.

    Harold K. Faber Professor of Pediatrics and Professor, by courtesy, of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research is focused on the study of the ontogeny and control of heme catabolism and bilirubin production in the developing neonate. A better understanding of the role of increased bilirubin production in neonatal jaundice and the prevention of hemolytic jaundice has remained an overall objective of our program. We are also study the causes of preterm birth and ways to prevent it.

  • Eric Stice

    Eric Stice

    Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)
    On Partial Leave from 03/01/2026 To 05/31/2026

    BioDr. Stice served as an assistant professor and associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and as a Senior Research Scientist at Oregon Research Institute before joining the faculty at Stanford University. His research focuses on identifying risk factors that predict onset of eating disorders, obesity, substance abuse, and depression to advance knowledge regarding etiologic processes, including the use of functional neural imaging. He also designs, evaluates, and disseminates prevention and treatment interventions for eating disorders, obesity, and depression. For instance, he developed a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program that has been implemented with over 6 million young girls in 140 countries. He has published 335 articles in high-impact outlets, including Science, Psychological Bulletin, Archives of General Biological Psychiatry, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and Journal of Neuroscience.

  • Aaron F. Straight

    Aaron F. Straight

    Pfeiffer and Herold Families Professor, Professor of Biochemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study the biology of chromosomes. Our research is focused on understanding how chromosomal domains are specialized for unique functions in chromosome segregation, cell division and cell differentiation. We are particularly interested in the genetic and epigenetic processes that govern vertebrate centromere function, in the organization of the genome in the eukaryotic nucleus and in the roles of RNAs in the regulation of chromosome structure.

  • Sarah Streett

    Sarah Streett

    Clinical Professor, Medicine - Gastroenterology & Hepatology

    BioDr. Sarah Streett is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, the Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Education at Stanford, and she is passionate about taking care of people with IBD. She is a national expert in treating complex IBD and initiated a multi-disciplinary approach to care with colorectal surgery, pediatrics, and nutrition. In 2018 she received the Champion of Hope Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and serves on their National Scientific Advisory Committee. Her interests focus on fertility and pregnancy in people with IBD, developing precision approaches to IBD therapy, and the role that the microbiome and diet play in its pathogenesis. She is a primary investigator of the Stanford IBD Registry and has research projects focused on optimizing clinical outcomes in IBD, the role of the microbiota and diet in IBD and pregnancy, and applying new technologies to individualizing therapy for IBD. She is also the primary investigator on multiple industry-sponsored IBD trials.

    Teaching is a top priority for Dr. Streett who feels that mentoring fellows in the development of their careers is a privilege. She has held many national leadership roles in the American Gastroenterological Association, where she has been Chair of the Practice Management and Economics Committee, and currently serves on the Government Affairs Committee. She also an appointed member of the Gastrointestinal Drug Advisory Committee at the FDA. She has represented the interests of gastroenterologists and their patients on Capitol Hill numerous times. Dr. Streett believes strongly in a collaborative approach to give patients personalized care based on the latest therapies for the treatment of IBD and is committed to mentoring the next generation of experts in the field.

  • Matthew Strehlow

    Matthew Strehlow

    Professor of Emergency Medicine (Adult Clinical/Academic)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research aims to improve healthcare delivery in LMICs through evidence-based training, emergency care epidemiology, and strengthening maternal and child health via EMS. Partnering with Digital Medic and WHO, I evaluate training methods and develop guidance for health emergencies. I’ve contributed to prehospital care systems in India and other countries. Additionally, I explore EMS as access points for intimate partner violence victims and climate related health emergencies.

  • Ashley Styczynski

    Ashley Styczynski

    Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Infectious Diseases

    BioAshley Styczynski, MD, MPH, is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine and Global Health Faculty Fellow, and a Medical Officer in the International Infection and Control Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Styczynski's research interests are in infectious disease epidemiology, global health, emerging infections, and antimicrobial resistance. She holds an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an MD from University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to coming to Stanford for her infectious disease fellowship, she spent two years as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at the CDC. During her time as an EIS officer, Dr. Styczynski conducted outbreak investigations on Zika virus, vaccinia virus, and rabies. She is currently conducting research on antimicrobial resistance and interventions to reduce nosocomial infections within low-resource healthcare facilities globally.

    List of publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ashley.styczynski.1/bibliography/public/

  • Felice Su

    Felice Su

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Critical Care

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy clinical pharmacology research is focused on investigating the impact of dynamic organ function on drug disposition and designing dosing strategies based on mathematical models that account for these changes in order to optimize safe medication administration in critically ill children.

    Research through the REVIVE Initiative for Resuscitation Excellence investigates the quality of resuscitation during cardiopulmonary arrest. Areas of focus include early identification during the no-flow state prior to CPR initiation and quality of CPR simulation education.

  • Leslee L.Subak, MD

    Leslee L.Subak, MD

    Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor and Professor, by courtesy, of Urology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on the association of weight and urinary incontinence (UI) in women and clinical trials to test strategies to improve outcomes in women’s genitourinary health. We have shown the independent association of weight and UI and the efficacy of weight loss to treat women with UI. I also conduct studies of epidemiology, economics and cost-effectiveness, and novel interventions for UI, sexual dysfunction, vaginal atrophy, pelvic organ prolapse and menopause symptoms.

  • Thomas Sudhof

    Thomas Sudhof

    Avram Goldstein Professor in the School of Medicine, Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsInformation transfer at synapses mediates information processing in brain, and is impaired in many brain diseases. Thomas Südhof is interested in how synapses are formed, how presynaptic terminals release neurotransmitters at synapses, and how synapses become dysfunctional in diseases such as autism or Alzheimer's disease. To address these questions, Südhof's laboratory employs approaches ranging from biophysical studies to the electrophysiological and behavioral analyses of mutant mice.

  • Ayesha Sujan

    Ayesha Sujan

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

    BioAyesha C. Sujan, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized clinical training in pediatric pain psychology and extensive research experience in pharmacoepidemiology, particularly in using large administrative datasets to study central nervous system medication and substance use during pregnancy. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow under the primary mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Rabbitts, Chief of Pediatric Pain, in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is supported by an NIH T32 training grant (T32GM089626) focused on developing leaders in academic anesthesiology and pain medicine research. In addition to contributing to Dr. Rabbitts’ NIH-funded research on mechanisms and treatment of pain in youth undergoing surgery, she leads independent studies on pediatric chronic abdominal pain and disorders of gut–brain interaction, with a growing focus on central nervous system medication treatment for these conditions. Clinically, she conducts psychosocial assessments and provides evidence-based pain psychology treatment one day per week (20% FTE) in the outpatient pediatric pain management clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine, ensuring strong clinical grounding and translational relevance of her research program.

  • Mariella Suleiman, MD

    Mariella Suleiman, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Medical Psychiatry

    BioDr. Mariella Suleiman is a board-certified, fellowship-trained psychiatrist with Stanford Health Care. She is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Suleiman has special training in treating women's reproductive mental health conditions across the lifespan, including but not limited to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and perimenopausal disorders. She also specializes in psychosomatic medicine, which focuses on appropriate psychological care for a range of reactions to illness. At Stanford Medicine, she works with the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service, which provides treatment recommendations to manage psychiatric conditions while patients are hospitalized.

    Dr. Suleiman’s research interests span advocacy to improve regulation of medications to treat mania in bipolar disorder (valproate) in the childbearing years, clinical approaches to treating agitation during pregnancy, and evidence-based management of bipolar disorder during and after pregnancy.
    Dr. Suleiman has published her research in peer-reviewed journals such as The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Academic Psychiatry, The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, and CNS Drugs. She has presented to her peers at international, national, and regional meetings, including those of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP), the American Association for Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT), and the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS) of Jordan.

    Dr. Suleiman is a member of the ACLP, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the Jordan Medical Association (JMA), and the Northern California Psychiatric Society (NCPS).

  • Pervez Sultan

    Pervez Sultan

    Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Obstetrics) and, by courtesy, of Obstetrics and Gynecology

    BioDr. Pervez Sultan is a Professor in the department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and (By Courtesy) in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also an Honorary Professor at University College London in the department of Targeted Intervention. His research interests include defining, characterizing, measuring and improving postpartum recovery.

    He has authored over 185 peer reviewed publications and presented the Ostheimer Lecture at the 2023 Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology annual meeting.

    Dr. Sultan is an NIH funded researcher. He is the principal investigator for 2 R01 grants: one developing and validating a measure for postpartum sleep and another exploring interventions for PTSD after childbirth. He is also a co-investigator for a Maternal Centers of Excellence U54 award exploring Inequities in Hemorrhage-related Severe Maternal Morbidity and is a Co-Investigator on a T90 grant.

    Dr. Sultan is an elected member of the Association of University Anesthesiologists. He serves on the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Board as the Director from Academic Practice, and serves on the Annual Meeting and Live Events and Research Committees.

    Dr. Sultan is a former Arline and Pete Harman Endowed Faculty Scholar of the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute at Stanford University and a previous recipient of the UK National Institute of Academic Anesthesia Research Award.

    NIH Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/pervez.sultan.1/bibliography/public/
    Researchgate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pervez_Sultan2
    Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Z2ftv_IAAAAJ&hl=en
    Twitter: @PervezSultanMD

  • Meghan Sumner

    Meghan Sumner

    Associate Professor of Linguistics

    BioMeghan Sumner received her PhD in Linguistics at Stony Brook University. After completing her PhD, she was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow in Cognitive Psychology. She has been at Stanford University since 2007, where she is now an Associate Professor of Linguistics and the Director of the Stanford Phonetics Lab, where she investigates variation and spoken language understanding.

    Meghan’s research sits at the intersection of acoustic phonetics, language use and variation, social meaning, and cognitive psychology. She investigates attention, perception, recognition, memory, and comprehension within and across individuals, groups, and languages, aiming to understand how different components of spoken language understanding work together. She and her students are testing the predictions of and hope to contribute to the development of a dynamic adaptive socially-anchored model of spoken language understanding. For the past twenty years, her work has focused on diverse talker and listener populations, drawing on variation to address issues in linguistics and psychology related to representation, asymmetries in memory, social effects in spoken language recognition, familiarity, experience, and categorization.

    She is currently a Stanford Impact Labs Design Fellow, working with public institutions and advocacy groups to apply language-based social science methods to increase protections for children living with domestic violence.

  • Louise Y Sun

    Louise Y Sun

    Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Cardiac)

    BioDr. Louise Sun is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Director of Cardiovascular Research. She is an Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto. Prior to this, she was an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Epidemiology, Director of Big Data and Health Bioinformatics Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and a Clinical Research Chair in Big Data and Cardiovascular Outcomes at the University of Ottawa.

    Dr. Sun received her medical degree from McMaster University. She completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Ottawa and her Masters of Science in Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, followed by a clinical and research fellowship in cardiac anesthesia at the University of Toronto. She then joined the Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and was cross appointed as an ICES faculty member.

    Dr. Sun’s areas of clinical focus are hemodynamic monitoring and heart failure. Her methodologic areas of focus are the conduct of population-based cohort studies using large healthcare databases; predictive analytics; sex and gender epidemiology; patient engagement; innovative methods for data processing and warehousing; and software and applications development. Her research leverages big data and digital technology to bridge key gaps in the delivery of care and outcomes for patients with heart failure and/or undergoing cardiovascular interventions, zooming in on sex/gender and personalized care. She holds several patents and collaborates with health authorities and policy makers to evaluate and report on models of cardiac healthcare delivery.

    Dr. Sun is active in the scientific community. She sits on a number of US, Canadian and international editorial boards and scientific and grant review committees, and collaborates nationally and internationally on a variety of population health and data science initiatives. Her patient-centered research program aims to improve access to care and outcomes, focusing on personalized risk stratification and long-term, patient-defined outcomes. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and published in leading clinical journals including JAMA, JAMA Cardiology, JAMA Internal Medicine, Circulation, JACC, Diabetes Care, and Anesthesiology. Her research program has been well funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Health.

  • Vivien Kon-Ea Sun

    Vivien Kon-Ea Sun

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics

    BioVivien Sun is a pediatric hospitalist and Clinical Associate Professor within Stanford’s Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. She practices at California Pacific Medical Center and Stanford Healthcare Tri-Valley. Vivien’s interests include advocacy, medical education, and professional development.

  • Wenfei Sun

    Wenfei Sun

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe explore neural circuits regulating memory and systemic metabolism, integrating neuroscience and metabolic biology to tackle cognitive decline and metabolic disorders.

  • Yang Sun, MD, PhD

    Yang Sun, MD, PhD

    Professor of Ophthalmology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are interested in the role of inositol phosphatases in eye development and disease, using both animal models and human disease tissue. We are a translational laboratory seeking to understand the basic function of proteins as well as developing therapeutic strategies for clinical trials.

  • Zijie Sun

    Zijie Sun

    Professor of Urology, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe focus on understanding the molecular mechanism of transcription factors that govern the transformation of normal cells to a neoplastic state. We are especially interested in nuclear hormone action and its interactions with other signaling pathways in tumor development and progression.

  • Philip Sunshine

    Philip Sunshine

    Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy primary interests are in the area of neonatal nutrition and developmental gastroenterology. The use of parenteral nutrition in very low birth weight infants, and the introduction of early enteral feeding to stimulate gastrointestinal maturation are my specific areas of investigative endeavors.

  • John B. Sunwoo, MD

    John B. Sunwoo, MD

    Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the School of Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, of Dermatology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory is focused on two primary areas of research: (1) the immune response to head and neck cancer and to a tumorigenic population of cells within these malignancies called cancer stem cells; (2) the developmental programs of a special lymphocyte population involved in innate immunity called natural killer (NK) cells; and (3) intra-tumor and inter-tumor heterogeneity.

  • Katrin J Svensson

    Katrin J Svensson

    Associate Professor of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular metabolism
    Protein biochemistry
    Cell biology and function
    Animal physiology

  • James Swartz

    James Swartz

    James H. Clark Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering and of Bioengineering

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProgram Overview

    The world we enjoy, including the oxygen we breathe, has been beneficially created by biological systems. Consequently, we believe that innovative biotechnologies can also serve to help correct a natural world that non-natural technologies have pushed out of balance. We must work together to provide a sustainable world system capable of equitably improving the lives of over 10 billion people.
    Toward that objective, our program focuses on human health as well as planet health. To address particularly difficult challenges, we seek to synergistically combine: 1) the design and evolution of complex protein-based nanoparticles and enzymatic systems with 2) innovative, uniquely capable cell-free production technologies.
    To advance human health we focus on: a) achieving the 120 year-old dream of producing “magic bullets”; smart nanoparticles that deliver therapeutics or genetic therapies only to specific cells in our bodies; b) precisely designing and efficiently producing vaccines that mimic viruses to stimulate safe and protective immune responses; and c) providing a rapid point-of-care liquid biopsy that will count and harvest circulating tumor cells.
    To address planet health we are pursuing biotechnologies to: a) inexpensively use atmospheric CO2 to produce commodity biochemicals as the basis for a new carbon negative chemical industry, and b) mitigate the intermittency challenges of photovoltaic and wind produced electricity by producing hydrogen either from biomass sugars or directly from sunlight.
    More than 25 years ago, Professor Swartz began his pioneering work to develop cell-free biotechnologies. The new ability to precisely focus biological systems toward efficiently addressing new, “non-natural” objectives has proven tremendously useful as we seek to address the crucial and very difficult challenges listed above. Another critical feature of the program is the courage (or naivete) to approach important objectives that require the development and integration of several necessary-but- not-sufficient technology advances.

  • Ali Bin Syed

    Ali Bin Syed

    Clinical Associate Professor, Radiology - Pediatric Radiology

    BioDr. Syed is a member of the divisions of Pediatric Radiology and Body MRI and serves as the Medical Director of Pediatric MRI at Stanford. Dr. Syed has received subspecialty training in adult body imaging, pediatric body imaging, congenital cardiac imaging, and musculoskeletal imaging. His clinical interests include MR imaging of pediatric and adult hepatobiliary disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, gynecologic pathology, and congenital heart disease. He is also an active researcher and works with engineers and scientists to translate technical innovations in MRI into improved patient care. His recent work focuses on translation of machine learning techniques for rapid, robust MRI in children and adults.

  • Karl G. Sylvester

    Karl G. Sylvester

    Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Surgery)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsScholarly interests include investigation of molecular markers of human disease that provide diagnostic function, serve as targets for possible therapeutic manipulation, or provide insight into mechanisms of human disease. Specific diseases of interest include common conditions of pregnancy, gut microbial ecology and Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC).

  • Daniel Sze, MD, PhD

    Daniel Sze, MD, PhD

    Professor of Radiology (Interventional Radiology), Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTransarterial administration of chemotherapeutics, radioactive microspheres, and biologics for the treatment of unresectable tumors; management of portal hypertension and complications of cirrhosis (TIPS); treatment of complications of organ transplantation; Venous and pulmonary arterial thrombolysis and reconstruction; Stent and Stent-graft treatment of peripheral vascular diseases, aneurysms, aortic dissections

  • William Talbot

    William Talbot

    Mary and Dr. Salim Shelby Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe use genetic and cellular approaches to investigate the molecular basis of glial development and myelination in the zebrafish.

  • Molly Tanenbaum

    Molly Tanenbaum

    Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine - Endocrinology, Gerontology, & Metabolism
    Clinical Associate Professor (By courtesy), Pediatrics - Endocrinology

    BioDr. Tanenbaum is a clinical psychologist and clinical researcher committed to improving health and quality of life outcomes for people with diabetes. Dr. Tanenbaum’s research focuses on two main areas: 1) understanding and optimizing the role of technology (e.g. mobile technology/mHealth, diabetes devices, automated insulin delivery), and the feedback technology provides, to improve diabetes management; and 2) understanding the emotional experience of living with diabetes. Her recent work focused on developing a telehealth-based behavioral intervention for adults with type 1 diabetes to support adoption and sustained use of continuous glucose monitoring technology. She has expertise in using qualitative and mixed methods to take a human centered approach to understanding the context of living with and managing a chronic condition. Dr. Tanenbaum also has an interest in compassion-based approaches to addressing diabetes distress. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Tanenbaum provides consultation and behavioral medicine interventions with people living with diabetes.

  • Jean Y. Tang MD PhD

    Jean Y. Tang MD PhD

    Professor of Dermatology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on 2 main areas:

    1. Skin cancer:
    - New therapeutics to treat and prevent non-melanoma skin cancer, especially by targeting the Hedgehog signaling pathway for BCC tumors
    - Genomic analysis of drug-resistant cancers
    - Identifying risk factors for skin cancer in the Women's Health Initiative

    2. Epidermolysis Bullosa: gene therapy and protein therapy to replace defective/absent Collagen 7 in children and adults with Recessive Dystrophic EB

  • Peter Tass

    Peter Tass

    Professor of Neurosurgery

    BioDr. Peter Tass investigates and develops neuromodulation techniques for understanding and treating neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, dysfunction following stroke and tinnitus. He creates invasive and non-invasive therapeutic procedures by means of comprehensive computational neuroscience studies and advanced data analysis techniques. The computational neuroscience studies guide experiments that use clinical electrophysiology measures, such as high density EEG recordings and MRI imaging, and various outcome measures. He has pioneered a neuromodulation approach based on thorough computational modelling that employs dynamic self-organization, plasticity and other neuromodulation principles to produce sustained effects after stimulation. To investigate stimulation effects and disease-related brain activity, he focuses on the development of stimulation methods that cause a sustained neural desynchronization by an unlearning of abnormal synaptic interactions. He also performs and contributes to pre-clinical and clinical research in related areas.

  • Tyler Patrick Tate

    Tyler Patrick Tate

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics

    BioTyler Tate, MD, MA, is a pediatrician, palliative care physician, and ethicist at Stanford. His academic interests include suffering and flourishing, love and emotions, religion and bioethics, pediatric ethics, and the medical humanities. He practices pediatric palliative care and serves as a clinical ethicist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. He is also core faculty in the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE). Prior to coming to Stanford he was an assistant professor at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon.

  • Daniel Tawfik

    Daniel Tawfik

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Tawfik lab studies the use of electronic health record metadata in identifying structures and processes that promote high quality healthcare. Our projects apply advanced analytical methods to large databases of primarily structured electronic health record data and EHR usage metadata.

  • Joyce Teng, MD, PhD

    Joyce Teng, MD, PhD

    Professor of Dermatology and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics

    BioJoyce Teng, MD, PhD is a professor in dermatology at Stanford University. She is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford and Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC). She received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 12 years. She is one of the 6 pediatric dermatologists practicing at LPCH and one of 72 at SHC who specialize in Dermatology. She sees patients with rare genetic disorders, birthmarks, vascular anomalies and a variety of inflammatory skin diseases. She is also an experienced pediatric dermatological surgeon. Her research interests are drug discovery and novel therapy for skin disorders.

  • Avnesh Thakor

    Avnesh Thakor

    Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsInterventional Radiologists can access almost any part of the human body without the need for conventional open surgical techniques. As such, they are poised to change the way patients can be treated, given they can locally deliver drug, gene, cell and cell-free therapies directly to affected organs using image-guided endovascular, percutaneous, endoluminal, and even using device implantation approaches

  • Suzanne Tharin

    Suzanne Tharin

    Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe long-term goal of my research is the repair of damaged corticospinal circuitry. Therapeutic regeneration strategies will be informed by an understanding both of corticospinal motor neuron (CSMN) development and of events occurring in CSMN in the setting of spinal cord injury. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of “suites” of genes. The work in my lab seeks to identify microRNA controls over CSMN development and over the CSMN response to spinal cord injury.

  • Hawa Racine Thiam

    Hawa Racine Thiam

    Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and of Microbiology and Immunology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur current work has two branches. Branch #1 is building a quantitative and predictive understanding of how neutrophils initiate and complete NETosis. Branch #2 is identifying the molecular and biophysical mechanisms that regulate high deformability in neutrophils. These branches converge onto understanding and harnessing the impact of nuclear biophysics on immune cell functions to re-engineer neutrophils for improved health.

  • Reena Thomas, MD PhD

    Reena Thomas, MD PhD

    Clinical Professor, Adult Neurology
    Clinical Professor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests-Neuro Oncology Immunotherapy
    -Medical Education

  • Tainayah Whitney Thomas

    Tainayah Whitney Thomas

    Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health (Epidemiology)

    BioTainayah Thomas, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health. Her research focuses on primary care improvement and diabetes prevention and management among racially and ethnically diverse populations. Dr. Thomas's research seeks to leverage delivery science research methodology to promote the integration of evidence-based research into clinical practice. Dr. Thomas is dedicated to transforming research into action by engaging community, health system, and policy stakeholders in adapting, implementing, and sustaining interventions that address health disparities and promote health equity.

  • Robert Tibshirani

    Robert Tibshirani

    Professor of Biomedical Data Science and of Statistics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research is in applied statistics and biostatistics. I specialize in computer-intensive methods for regression and classification, bootstrap, cross-validation and statistical inference, and signal and image analysis for medical diagnosis.

  • Seda Tierney

    Seda Tierney

    Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAssessment of vascular health in children by non-invasive modalities

    Exercise interventions in children with congenital and acquired heart disease

    Use of telehealth to deliver interventions to children with congenital and acquired heart disease

    Parentally-acquired echocardiograms

    Quality Improvement in Pediatric Echocardiography

    Echocardiography and outcomes in congenital heart disease

  • Alice Ting

    Alice Ting

    Professor of Genetics, of Biology and, by courtesy, of Chemistry
    On Leave from 09/22/2025 To 06/10/2026

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe develop chemogenetic and optogenetic technologies for probing and manipulating protein networks, cellular RNA, and the function of mitochondria and the mammalian brain. Our technologies draw from protein engineering, directed evolution, computational design, chemical biology, organic synthesis, microscopy, and genomics.

  • Jyothi Tirumalasetty, MD, FAAAAI

    Jyothi Tirumalasetty, MD, FAAAAI

    Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine - Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsReducing healthcare-related carbon emissions with a focus on inhalers.
    Health disparities in food allergy.
    Climate change and asthma.

  • Christina (Christy) Tise, MD, PhD

    Christina (Christy) Tise, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Genetics) and, by courtesy, of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)

    BioDr. Christina (Christy) Tise is a physician scientist and Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Genetics at Stanford with subspecialty training in Clinical Biochemical Genetics. Dr. Tise has developed multiple research projects focused on the clinical impact of biochemical genetic conditions in pregnancy and newborn health, including a project focused on unforeseen diagnoses in individuals initially identified through state newborn screening which has resulted in a number of publications.

    Dr. Tise also researches the genetic etiologies of recurrent pregnancy loss and the impact of inherited metabolic conditions on human reproduction. She is involved in several research initiatives including contributing to the development of TRIOS, a multi-site, NIH-funded research study to evaluate the genetic causes of recurrent pregnancy loss. In serving as the primary research mentor for a recent Masters of Genetic Counseling graduate, Dr. Tise’s research on carrier and newborn screening has highlighted areas of ancestry-related healthcare inequities specific to the field of Medical Genetics.

    Dr. Tise’s primary academic and advocacy interests are embodied in this work, specifically the overlap between biochemical and molecular analysis, and the clinical utility of innovative technologies for diagnosis and treatment of genetic disease. This is an unbelievably thrilling time for the field of Medical Genetics, as it promises immense progress and opportunity for all fields of medicine, and Dr. Tise is determined, honored, and incredibly excited to be a part of it!

    Research interests: newborn screening, carrier screening, prenatal screening, genetics of recurrent pregnancy loss, biochemical genetics, novel gene discovery, variant interpretation, founder populations, diagnostic genetic testing, bioethics, GWAS/ExWAS

  • Diana Tordoff

    Diana Tordoff

    Instructor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - General

    BioDiana M. Tordoff, PhD, MPH is an epidemiologist with expertise in LGBTQ+ health equity and gynecological health research. Dr. Tordoff completed her PhD and MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Washington and received a BA with honors in Mathematics from Vassar College. She is also an affiliated researcher with The PRIDE Study (pridestudy.org), where she recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Her current research focuses on the impact of exogenous hormones (gender affirming hormones and menopause hormone therapy) on sexual and gynecological health. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive health, menopause, the vaginal microbiome, molecular epidemiology, intersectionality, and community-engaged research methods.

  • Natalie Torok

    Natalie Torok

    Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab is focused on exploring the role of matrix remodeling in disease progression in metabolic dysfunction steatohepatitis (MASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Our goal is to uncover how biomechanical characteristics of the ECM affect mechano-sensation, and how these pathways could ultimately be targeted. We are also interested in aging and its effects on metabolic pathways in MASH and HCC.

  • Jennifer Tremmel

    Jennifer Tremmel

    Susan P. and Riley P. Bechtel Medical Director and Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Tremmel studies sex differences in cardiovascular disease. Current research projects include evaluating sex differences in coronary pathophysiology, young patients presenting with myocardial infarction, the impact of stress on anginal symptoms, chronic total coronary occlusions, and vascular access site complications.

  • Jennifer Tsai

    Jennifer Tsai

    Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Pediatrics - Hematology & Oncology

    BioJennifer is a researcher in clinical development of novel therapeutics for hematologic diseases. She has a special interest in rare pediatric disorders.

  • Philip S. Tsao, PhD

    Philip S. Tsao, PhD

    Professor (Research) of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur primary interests are in the molecular underpinnings of vascular disease as well as assessing disease risk. In addition to targeted investigation of specific signaling molecules, we utilize global genomic analysis to identify gene expression networks and regulatory units. We are particularly interested in the role of microRNAs in gene expression pathways associated with disease.

  • Chi-Ho Ban Tsui

    Chi-Ho Ban Tsui

    Adjunct Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

    BioDr. Tsui completed his medical training at Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1995, following his Master of Science in Pharmacy in 1991. These degrees followed a Diploma in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in both Mathematics and Pharmacy. After 16 years of practice at the University of Alberta Hospital and Stollery Children’s Hospital, Dr. Tsui was recruited to Stanford University in 2016.

    Dr. Tsui is an avid and internationally recognized researcher. During his residency, Dr. Tsui developed an interest in improving the accuracy of epidural catheter placement and was issued a U.S. patent for his research. Dr. Tsui has expanded his research on ultrasound in regional anesthesia, with particular relevance to peripheral nerve block performance. Dr. Tsui is also responsible for developing the E-Catheter catheter-over-needle kit for use during peripheral nerve blocks. The primary objective of his research is to transform regional anesthesia from an “art” into a reliable and reproducible “science” by further exploring the fundamental scientific and clinical aspects of electrophysiological signal monitoring and integrating this with the latest advances in ultrasound.

    Academically, Dr. Tsui received the 2005 John Bradley Young Educator Award from the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society. This award recognizes his work as a clinical educator, researcher, and anesthesia trainee role model. While in Canada, Dr. Tsui was the only Canadian invited to write a chapter for a prestigious American anesthesia textbook - Clinical Anesthesia (Barash). Dr. Tsui wrote the first textbook on Ultrasound and Nerve Stimulation-Guided Regional Anesthesia. Dr. Tsui also co-authored the first pediatric textbook on the subject, the Pediatric Atlas of Ultrasound- and Nerve Stimulation-Guided Regional Anesthesia. Dr. Tsui co-authored and edited "Principles of Airway Management" and "Complications in Regional Anesthesia." From 2006 to 2018, Dr. Tsui served on the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Dr. Tsui is currently the editor of the Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

    Dr. Tsui has received the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Clinical Scholar award and has previously received research awards and grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, AHFMR, and University of Alberta. In 2015, the CAS Research Recognition Award, a prestigious award presented by the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, was awarded to Dr. Tsui "in recognition of significant research contributions to regional anesthesia, acute pain management, and pediatric anesthesia in Canada and around the world". In 2022, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) awarded Dr. Tsui the Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious annual award honors individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the field of regional anesthesia and pain medicine

    In 2025, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, ASRA honored Prof. Ban C.H. Tsui with the prestigious Gaston Labat Award. Presented annually since 1977 to recognize exceptional contributions to regional anesthesia, ASRA specifically chose Prof. Tsui as the 2025 recipient to mark this significant milestone.

    Dr. Tsui was a full professor and is now an adjunct professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. Recently, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, recruited Dr. Tsui as an associate dean (Clinical Innovation & Translational Research), Chair, and Chief of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine. He was then shortly promoted to the position of Executive Associate Dean of the School of Medicine. Dr. Tsui is also an Honorary Full Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

  • Jason Tucciarone, MD, PhD

    Jason Tucciarone, MD, PhD

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

    BioJason Tucciarone, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. A neuroscientist and psychiatrist, he leads a laboratory focused on uncovering the biological mechanisms of mental illness and developing novel therapies for mood disorders and addiction. His research centers on defining new cell types and evolutionarily conserved neural circuits involved in emotional processing, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic entry points. Using optogenetic, chemogenetic, neuroimaging, and behavioral approaches in mouse models of addiction, his lab investigates vulnerable brain circuitry underlying opioid use disorder. He also works and collaborates with the Depression Research Clinic, participating in academic and industry sponsored clinical trials investigating novel antidepressant therapies.

    Clinically, Dr. Tucciarone works in Stanford’s Neuropsychiatry Clinic, where he treats patients with complex presentations at the interface of psychiatry and neurology, with particular interest in functional neurological disorders. He also sees a small cohort of psychotherapy patients in the Individual Psychotherapy Clinic and works shifts on Stanford’s inpatient psychiatry units.

    Dr. Tucciarone completed his psychiatry training through Stanford’s Research Residency Track, where he conducted postdoctoral research under the supervision of Drs. Robert Malenka and Alan Schatzberg. During residency, his research examined neural circuits recruited during opioid withdrawal and explored strategies to enhance the anti-suicidal effects of ketamine through μ-opioid receptor partial agonism.

    He received his bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy from Union College, followed by three years as a Post-Baccalaureate IRTA fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, where he developed MRI-reportable contrast agents to map neuronal connectivity. He then entered the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) at Stony Brook University, completing his PhD in neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Josh Huang at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. His doctoral work used mouse genetic approaches to dissect excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits, with a focus on chandelier interneurons in the prefrontal cortex.

    In addition to his research and clinical work, Dr. Tucciarone is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship. During residency, he helped restructure neuroscience education for trainees and currently teaches introductory lectures on the neuroscience of addiction, PTSD, psychosis, and mood disorders. He leads resident group supervision in introductory psychodynamic psychotherapy and supervises undergraduates, medical students, residents, and clinical fellows in psychiatry clinics.

  • Mirko Uljarevic

    Mirko Uljarevic

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

    BioI am a medically trained researcher focused academic with a background in developmental psychopathology, psychometrics and big data science. My research takes a life-span perspective and is driven by the urgent need to improve outcomes for people with autism and other neuropsychiatric (NPD) disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions (NDD). My primary research interest has focused on combining cutting-edge psychometric procedures and a big data approach to better understand structure of clinical phenotypes across autism and other NPD and NDD and on using this knowledge to improve existing and develop new clinical assessments that are more effective for screening and diagnosis, tracking the natural and treatment-related symptom progression and for use in genetic and neurobiological studies. In addition to my focus on the development of outcome measures, I have collaborated with leading psychopathology researchers and groups in the United States, Europe and Australia on numerous projects spanning a range of topics including genetics, treatment and employment, with a particular focus on understanding risk and resilience factors underpinning poor mental health outcomes in adolescents and adults. Most recently, through several competitively funded projects, I have led the statistical analyses to uncover the latent structure of social and communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) clinical phenotypes across NPD and NDD. These findings have enabled us to (i) start capturing and characterizing a highly variable social functioning phenotype across a range of disorders and understanding mechanisms underpinning this variability, (ii) combine phenotypic and genetic units of analyses to advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of RRB, and (iii) focus on identification and characterization of subgroups of individuals that share distinct symptom profiles and demonstrate clinical utility and neurobiological validity. Importantly, this work has provided key information for developing a programmatic line of research aimed at developing novel, comprehensive assessment protocols that combine parent and clinician reports, objective functioning indicators and incorporate state-of-the-art psychometric, mobile and connected technologies and procedures.

    I am a co-director of the recently established Program for Psychometrics and Measurement-Based Care (https://med.stanford.edu/sppmc.html) that aims to bring together world-leading expertise in clinical science, psychometrics, and big data analytics to bridge the gap between the science of measurement development and clinical practice and bring improvements to both clinical care and research.

  • Ndidi Unaka

    Ndidi Unaka

    Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

    BioDr. Unaka is the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO) for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (SMCH) and a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. Prior to her transition to SMCH in July 2024, Dr. Unaka was a faculty member in the Division of Hospital Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. In addition to her clinical role as a pediatric hospitalist, Dr. Unaka served as the Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Program from 2011 – January 2022. She served as the medical director of a 48- bed inpatient unit primarily for patients admitted to the Hospital Medicine service. In this role, Dr. Unaka was involved in several equity-oriented quality improvement initiatives which included work to identify, and address hunger among caregivers of hospitalized children insured by Medicaid.

    Dr. Unaka worked on institution-level community health initiatives at Cincinnati Children’s. She served as the Medical Director of Quality Improvement and Data Analytics for Cincinnati Children’s Medicaid- focused, accountable care organization (HealthVine). In this role, she developed and led initiatives designed to improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery to HealthVine’s patient population and helped lead the change management associated with the movement toward a population-health care model that improves quality, narrows equity gaps, streamlines care, and reduces costs. She helped define appropriate health care delivery, equity, and population health measures and quality benchmarks. Additionally, Dr. Unaka was a faculty lead within Cincinnati Children's Fisher Child Health Equity Center, and she specifically focused on working with operations leaders to ensure equity was embedded within all strategic plans, goals, and metrics across all sites of care. Dr. Unaka partnered with several colleagues to lead system-wide quality improvement initiatives including work accelerated via learning networks. She was the co-lead of Cincinnati Children's Health Equity Network (HEN), an initiative borne out of the pursuit of excellent and equitable health outcomes for youth in Greater Cincinnati. The HEN supports clinical teams seeking to eliminate disparities in child health outcomes by race, ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic status via targeted interventions and best practices by addressing both medical and social factors known to confer poor health outcomes.

  • Alexander Eckehart Urban

    Alexander Eckehart Urban

    Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Major Laboratories and Clinical Translational Neurosciences Incubator) and of Genetics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsComplex behavioral and neuropsychiatric phenotypes often have a strong genetic component. This genetic component is often extremely complex and difficult to dissect. The current revolution in genome technology means that we can avail ourselves to tools that make it possible for the first time to begin understanding the complex genetic and epigenetic interactions at the basis of the human mind.

  • PJ Utz

    PJ Utz

    Professor of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe long-term research goal of the Utz laboratory is to understand autoimmunity, autoantibodies, and how tolerance is broken and can be reestablished.

  • Tulio Valdez, MD, MSc

    Tulio Valdez, MD, MSc

    Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS) and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics

    BioDr. Tulio A Valdez is a surgeon scientist with a subspecialty interest in Pediatric Otolaryngology. He attended medical school at Universidad Javeriana in Bogota Colombia before undertaking his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in Boston. He completed his Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital (2007), Houston and obtained his Master’s in Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Connecticut.

    Clinically, Dr. Valdez has an interest in pediatric sleep apnea. He has a special interest in the management of sinus disease in cystic fibrosis. Dr. Valdez has co-authored one textbook and numerous book chapters and scientific manuscripts. Dr. Valdez continues his clinical research in these areas, particularly with a focus on aerodigestive disorders.

    Scientifically, Dr. Valdez has developed various imaging methods to diagnose otitis media and cholesteatoma a middle ear condition that can lead to hearing loss. He was part of the Laser Biomedical Research Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research includes novel imaging modalities to better diagnose ear infections one of the most common pediatric problems. His research has now expanded to include better intraoperative imaging modalities in pediatric patients to improve surgical outcomes without the need for radiation exposure. 

    Dr. Valdez believes in multi-disciplinary collaborations to tackle medical problems and has co-invented various medical devices and surgical simulation models.

  • Matt van de Rijn

    Matt van de Rijn

    Sabine Kohler, MD, Professor of Pathology, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on molecular analysis of human soft tissue tumors (sarcomas) with an emphasis on leiomyosarcoma and desmoid tumors. In addition we study the role of macrophages in range of malignant tumors.

  • Keith Van Haren, MD

    Keith Van Haren, MD

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

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research team is working to develop new treatments for children at risk of neurodegenerative diseases. We are primarily focused on multiple sclerosis and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, two conditions that involve inflammatory and metabolic disruption of the myelin that insulates brain cells. A key area of interest for us is how nutrient deficiencies during childhood may contribute to the disease processes and whether nutritional interventions could play a role in prevention.

  • Krisa Van Meurs

    Krisa Van Meurs

    Rosemarie Hess Professor, Emerita

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests include persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, hypoxic respiratory failure, inhaled nitric oxide therapy, ECMO, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, neonatal clinical trials, and the use of aEEG and NIRS to detect brain injury.

  • Capucine Van Rechem

    Capucine Van Rechem

    Assistant Professor of Pathology (Pathology Research)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy long-term interest lies in understanding the impact chromatin modifiers have on disease development and progression so that more optimal therapeutic opportunities can be achieved. My laboratory explores the direct molecular impact of chromatin-modifying enzymes during cell cycle progression, and characterizes the unappreciated and unconventional roles that these chromatin factors have on cytoplasmic function such as protein synthesis.

  • Shreyas Vasanawala, MD/PhD

    Shreyas Vasanawala, MD/PhD

    William R. Brody Professor of Pediatric Radiology and Child Health

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur group is focused on developing new fast and quantitative MRI techniques.