School of Medicine
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Vafi Salmasi
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult Pain)
BioVafi Salmasi, M.D., M.S. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine atStanford University School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2004 and completed hisanesthesiology training at Cleveland Clinic, where he also completed a research fellowship in the Department of Outcomes Research. He subsequently joined Stanford University for fellowship training in Pain Medicine and earned a Master of Science in Clinical Research and Epidemiology from Stanford in 2019.
Dr. Salmasi's research focuses on integrating pragmatic comparative effectiveness research with clinical care in perioperative and pain medicine, supported by his NIH funding. He is an active member of the neuromodulation team at Stanford Pain Management Center, where he has established and organizes the multidisciplinary team conference for neuromodulation candidates. His clinical expertise encompasses interventional pain management with particular emphasis on neuromodulation techniques including spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation; and minimally invasive spine techniques including basivertebral nerve ablation and percutaneous minimally invasive lumbar decompression. -
Peter Schmidt
Clinical Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioPete Schmidt, MD, MSc is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he conceptualized and launched the Stanford Cancer Pain program. He provides comprehensive and individualized care for patients with cancer-related pain, including patients who are suffering from the effects of cancer treatment. His clinical expertise also includes ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, perioperative pain management, and safe medication tapering after definitive cancer treatment. He is board-certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, and Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Schmidt's research interests are in clinical trials, drug development, and novel regulatory endpoints. He has designed and led over a dozen clinical trials in the fields of pain management, neurology, infectious diseases, and rare diseases. Dr. Schmidt has published his research findings in several high-impact journals, including Science: Translational Medicine and the New England Journal of Medicine. He is also the author of several book chapters on pain management and perioperative management. -
Sajan Shah, MD, MBA
Clinical Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioDr. Sajan Shah is a board-certified, fellowship-trained pain management specialist with the Stanford Health Care Pain Management Center. He is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Shah specializes in managing acute and chronic pain. He commonly cares for people living with complex spinal conditions that have not responded to conventional treatment. He offers a range of injections to manage pain, including joint corticosteroid injections, peripheral nerve blocks, trigger point injections, and Botox injections for migraines and dystonia. He has experience with neuromodulation techniques, including spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation, and minimally invasive spinal procedures. He strives to provide effective pain therapies that improve the everyday function and quality of life of his patients.
Dr. Shah’s research has explored topics in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He has studied chronic pain syndromes, including how to diagnose and manage rare pain conditions. Dr. Shah has published his findings in several peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book chapter on complex regional pain syndrome. He has presented his research at national and international meetings, including those held by the American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and North American Neuromodulation Society. -
Kristen M. Slater, PsyD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Bio“Understanding and appreciating the totality of a person’s experience within the context of a challenging pain condition is essential to helping them heal in a way that honors their body and reduces suffering,” says Dr. Kristen Slater. “With a compassionate, interdisciplinary team in place, I wholeheartedly believe that anyone living with pain can pursue a meaningful, values-driven life.”
Dr. Slater is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she specializes in pain psychology and behavioral medicine.
She earned her Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) with an emphasis in Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology from Loma Linda University. She completed her APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Arizona, where she developed a deep appreciation for the profound impact pain has on all domains of life — and the transformative potential of interdisciplinary pain treatment.
Dr. Slater went on to complete an APA-accredited Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pain Psychology at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014. Following fellowship, she served as Lead Psychologist and Director of Behavioral Medicine and Psychological Services at Comprehensive Spine and Sports Center in Campbell, California, where she co-founded and helped develop both the Functional Restoration Program and the Pain Psychology Program. During this time, she also maintained a clinical instructor role at Stanford and a private practice.
She transitioned to Stanford full-time in 2019 and now dedicates the majority of her work to delivering and advancing evidence-based pain psychology interventions within a multidisciplinary framework. Her clinical work focuses on comprehensive pain evaluations, neuromodulation candidacy assessments, and mechanism-based behavioral treatments for brain-based and complex chronic pain conditions.
Dr. Slater is actively involved in advancing the field through research and serves as an investigator on multiple NIH- and PCORI-funded clinical trials aimed at improving treatment accessibility, efficacy, and implementation. She is also faculty with the Empowered Relief™ program and is a Master Trainer, teaching national and international workshops to train clinicians in delivering the single-session, evidence-based pain relief skills class (www.empoweredrelief.com).
Outside of work, Dr. Slater enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, traveling, and visiting her home state of Colorado.
