School of Medicine
Showing 61-68 of 68 Results
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Irene Wapnir, MD
Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical trials in operative procedures such as Nipple-sparing mastectomy, arm lymphatic mapping, skin perfusion and Treatments for Breast Cancer, especially local recurrence. Dr. Wapnir is institutional Principal Investigator and Chair for National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) clinical trials. Laboratory and translational research includes exploring the activity of breast iodide transporter in breast cancer brain metastasis.
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Thomas G Weiser, MD, MPH
Clinical Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Thomas Weiser is a general, emergency, and trauma surgeon, and surgical intensivist. He treats and cares for injured patients and those with acute surgical emergencies as well as manages critically ill surgical patients in the Intensive Care Unit.
His research has focused on evaluating the role surgical care plays in the delivery of health services in resource poor settings, in particular low and middle income countries. He is interested in barriers to access and provision of surgical care, the quality of surgical services, and outcomes research as well as the science of implementation, how improvements can be made, and how to strengthen compliance with best practices and change behaviors for the better. He also has an interest in domestic policy as it relates to trauma outcomes, trauma systems, insurance coverage and costs of care, and firearm violence.
Dr. Weiser's efforts have led to improvements in the safety and reliability of surgical service, the quality of surgical care delivered globally, and improvements team dynamics, function, and communication. He works closely with Lifebox, a nonprofit focused on improving surgical and anesthetic safety worldwide, where he was previously the Consulting Medical Officer. Lifebox delivers programs throughout the world in combination with local partners and includes the procurement and distribution of low cost devices to improve the safety of care (including pulse oximeters for the routine monitoring of patients undergoing anesthesia and surgical headlights to safeguard care during power outage) and Clean Cut, a surgical infection prevention and control program that has reduced complications by up to 50%. This work safeguards millions of surgical patients every year.
From 2006-2009, he was part of the World Health Organization’s Safe Surgery Saves Lives program where he quantified the global volume of surgery and created, implemented, evaluated, and promoted the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. He was part of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, the World Bank Disease Control Priorities Program, and a Gates Grand Challenge awardee.
From 2022-2026 he was the Program Director of Surgery: Assess/Validate/Expand (SAVE) at Wellcome Leap. His current research efforts aim to accelerate computer vision models for quantifying surgical performance and identifying mechanisms to predict patient recovery trajectories following surgery. -
Sherry M. Wren, MD, FACS, FCS(ECSA), FISS
Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research interests are primarily in global surgery,robotics,surgical oncology, especially gastrointestinal cancers.
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Rachel L. Yang, MD, FACS, NABBLM-C, IBCLC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Rachel Yang is a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeon and breastfeeding medicine specialist with Stanford Health Care. She is a member of the oncology team at Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Emeryville.
Dr. Yang specializes in complex procedures to treat breast cancer, including oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and nipple-sparing mastectomy. She also has expertise in breastfeeding and lactation medicine as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and carries a dual board certification by the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. Dr. Yang prioritizes compassionate and patient-centered care, understanding that breast cancer or complications of lactation can be extremely personal.
As a physician-researcher, Dr. Yang studies surgical outcomes, health equity, and policy related to breast cancer care. She has investigated topics including disparities in access to breast cancer care and breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Her work has also examined biological factors that influence how breast cancer develops. In addition, Dr. Yang focuses on surgical education, advancing innovative training models, communication, and professional well-being in academic medicine.
Dr. Yang has published her findings in premier peer-reviewed journals, including Cancer, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. She has also presented her research at meetings of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the Association for Surgical Education.
Her presentations have highlighted how race and health policy influence access to surgical options in breast cancer care, as well as ways to make breast surgery more fair, safe, and effective. Dr. Yang has lectured extensively and taught courses to breast care and lactation providers on maternal complications of lactation.
Dr. Yang is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She is also a member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, and the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education. -
Kirbi Yelorda, MD, MS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Kirbi Yelorda is a fellowship-trained colon and rectal surgeon and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery – Colon and Rectal Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed her colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Mount Sinai Health System and her general surgery residency at Stanford Health Care, where she also earned a Master of Science degree in health research and policy.
Dr. Yelorda specializes in the surgical management of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and benign anorectal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fistulas, and fissures. She has advanced training in minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques that support enhanced recovery and optimal patient outcomes.
Dr. Yelorda’s research focuses on the impact of social determinants of health on colorectal cancer outcomes and disparities in surgical care. She is particularly interested in surgical education and quality improvement.
Dr. Yelorda has authored articles published in peer-reviewed journals such as JAMA Surgery, Journal of Surgical Education, and Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. She has presented her work at national conferences including those of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Surgical Association. She is a recipient of Stanford University's Samuel L. Kountz, MD Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Yelorda is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. -
Yulia Zak, MD, FACS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Yulia Zak is a board-certified, fellowship-trained minimally invasive and bariatric (weight loss) surgeon. She is also a clinical assistant professor of surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Zak is the program director and unit-based medical director for the Minimally Invasive, Bariatric, and Foregut Fellowship Program.
Dr. Zak specializes in bariatric surgery, foregut (upper digestive tract) surgery, and abdominal wall procedures. Her research is focused on quality improvement measures, surgical education, and bariatric surgery outcomes. She has published her work in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Obesity Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Zak is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
