School of Medicine


Showing 1-49 of 49 Results

  • Sepideh Bajestan, MD, PhD

    Sepideh Bajestan, MD, PhD

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNeuropsychiatry
    Functional Neurological Symptom Disorders, Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
    Group and Individual Psychotherapy
    Impulse Control Disorders

  • Jacob S. Ballon

    Jacob S. Ballon

    Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioJacob S. Ballon, M.D., M.P.H. specializes in the treatment of people with psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. He is the Co-Director of the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford which provides interdisciplinary care for people experiencing psychosis. He is also the co-Division Chief for General Adult Psychiatry and Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ballon completed his residency at Stanford in 2009 and a Schizophrenia Research Fellowship at Columbia University in 2011.

    Dr. Ballon maintains an interest in understanding the connections between the brain and the rest of the body as relates to the manifestation and treatment of people who experience psychosis. He works closely with a diverse group of researchers throughout the university and technology community to investigate these connections. He has active projects investigating the metabolic implications of schizophrenia and of psychiatric medication including the association of antipsychotic medication with weight gain and insulin resistance. He also is an active investigator in clinical trials of new medications for the treatment of schizophrenia and the associated side effects of antipsychotic mediations.

    In understanding the whole-body impact of psychiatric illness, Dr. Ballon also has an active interest in the role that exercise can play in psychiatric treatment. He is the site-principal investigator of an NIMH-funded clinical trial looking at the use of aerobic exercise to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia.

    INSPIRE is an innovative interdisciplinary client-centered resource providing respectful evidence-based care to support people to achieve meaningful recovery from psychosis through collaborative partnership with individuals and their families while advancing knowledge and training for a new generation of providers. With a recovery-oriented philosophy, the clinic provides an array of services including psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychosocial evaluations. As a research clinic, they are focused on collaborating with multiple disciplines throughout the university to conduct clinical and basic science research including functional imaging, clinical trials, basic pathophysiology, and genetics.

  • Michele Barry, MD, FACP

    Michele Barry, MD, FACP

    Drs. Ben & A. Jess Shenson Professor, Senior Associate Dean, Global Health, Director, Center for Innovation in Global Health, Professor of Medicine, Senior Fellow at Woods and Professor, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAreas of research
    Ethical Aspects of research conducted overseas
    Clinical Tropical Diseases
    Globalization's Impact upon Health Disparities
    Hemorrhagic Viruses

  • Fiona Barwick, PhD, DBSM

    Fiona Barwick, PhD, DBSM

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch interests focus on expanding sleep education, improving sleep health, optimizing treatment for circadian rhythm disorders, and adapting treatment for insomnia in populations where developmental, medical, psychiatric and cultural factors intersect.

    Current research projects include developing and piloting integrated protocols for treating sleep problems that co-occur with medical conditions such as chronic pain or POTS. Ongoing collaborations include delivery of a CBTI protocol in Mandarin via telehealth to patients at Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in China. Past projects include investigation of the link between RLS and the gut microbiome and a survey of student sleep health.

  • Nataly Beck

    Nataly Beck

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Beck's clinical research includes the relationship between catatonia and substance use. In addition, she works on first-episode psychosis, with a focus on treatments in the young adult population.

  • Benjamin Belai

    Benjamin Belai

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioBenjamin Belai is a psychiatrist at Stanford Health Care and works specifically in the Centerspace and Evaluation clinics. His focus within these clinics include cultural psychiatry, Black and immigrant mental health, student mental health, and integrated behavioral health. He also works at Roots Community Health Center 2 days a week providing psychiatric consulting services.

  • Catherine Benedict

    Catherine Benedict

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Medical Psychiatry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on improving cancer survivorship through better understanding of long-term health outcomes and through the development of theoretically driven, evidence-based behavioral interventions to improve adjustment, risk management, and quality of life. To this end, I lead studies aimed to guide and support patient decision-making and self-management after cancer. Much of my work focuses on the experiences of young adults affected by cancer.

  • Anne L Benham

    Anne L Benham

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

    BioI specialize in the assessment and treatment of young children and their families from ages 1-7 years. I focus on understanding of their problems and symptoms from a developmentally informed, family centered , biological and experiential lens that takes into account the child's emotional, behavioral , sociocultural, biological and relationship history. I use attachment theory to understand the psychosocial aspects of the child and his/her history. I provide therapy to children individually and in family dyads or groups as appropriate and always include work with the parents as my collaborators and clients. I have had this focus to my clinical work and teaching of clinicians in training for my career over the past 40 years. I am interested in integrating multiple perspectives to understand and treat families.I use my medical training to work with children who are experiencing medical disorders , trauma, and conditions in the child or in other family members as it impacts the child's sense of self, safety, anxiety and body. I use play to connect with children and to help them communicate their fears, wishes and experiences to augment verbal communication and to process frightening experiences.

  • Ori-Michael Johanan Benhamou

    Ori-Michael Johanan Benhamou

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioDr. Benhamou received his Bachelor's degree at Duke University and went on to complete medical school at Ben-Gurion University. He completed his residency in Psychiatry at Westchester Medical Center and fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Stanford. He has published works in the areas of suicide, autoimmune encephalitis and addiction. His current interests include substance abuse, the role of transcranial magnetic stimulation on addiction and the intersection of suicide and substance abuse.

  • Michele Berk

    Michele Berk

    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe focus of my research is on adolescent suicidal and self-harm behavior. I am currently one of four Principal Investigators of a multisite NIMH-sponsored RCT of DBT for adolescents at high risk for suicide (NCT01528020: Collaborative Adolescent Research on Emotions and Suicide [CARES], PI: Linehan, McCauley, Berk, & Asarnow) aimed at evaluating the efficacy of DBT with adolescents compared to a combined individual and group supportive therapy control condition (IGST).

  • Rebecca Bernert

    Rebecca Bernert

    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)

    BioI am an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a licensed clinical psychologist in the Stanford University School of Medicine. I am a suicidologist, with subspecialty expertise in clinical trials, epidemiology, and suicide prevention best practices. I have joint specialty in behavioral sleep medicine and treatment development. I am founding Director of The Suicide Prevention Research Laboratory, and Co-Chair an initiative to establish a Stanford Center for Suicide Prevention. Our research program utilizes cognitive, biological (e.g., fMRI), and behavioral testing paradigms, with an emphasis on translational therapeutics across the lifespan. Our mission is to identify novel therapeutic targets for suicide prevention, including seminal work in establishing the subfield of sleep and suicide prevention. A special focus of our work is the development of rapid-action, low-risk interventions for the prevention of suicide. Our mission is to evaluate transdiagnostic risk factors and biomarkers underlying treatment response that may inform etiology, reduce stigma, and advance innovation. Advocating for its utility as a visible, yet non-stigmatizing warning sign of suicide—our earliest work delineated sleep as an evidence-based risk factor for suicidal behaviors. Funded by NIH and DOD, we subsequently conducted the first suicide prevention clinical trials, testing efficacy of a rapid-action (6 h) insomnia treatment for suicidal behaviors. These use a mechanisms focus to identify central disease processes (eg, underlying neural circuitry, behavioral factors) in the pathogenesis of risk for anti-suicidal response. An overarching aim is to harness new technologies to aid risk prediction, precision medicine, and intervention opportunity. We are also committed to improving national training practices and high risk monitoring of suicidal behaviors (e.g., national needs-assessment of medical training parameters; use of AI for suicide prevention; study of sleep as an ER target to enhance acute intervention).

    Regarding translation to policy, I have served as a content expert for nationally-directed health initiatives with NIH, VA, DOD, DARPA, SAMHSA, CDC, and The White House. I recently led development of the CA 2020 Statewide Strategy for Suicide Prevention, following invited testimony (CA State Assembly) and a commissioned Policy Brief on suicide prevention best practices. Additional advisory and advocacy work centers on how research guides public health policy and implementation. I am especially committed to initiatives that promise impact to suicide prevention on a broad scale, including universal strategies for lethal means restriction and real-time surveillance of suicidal behaviors. To this end, I have been honored to serve as a content expert to The White House Office of Science and Technology for initiatives focused on technology innovation and led advisory work promoting suicide deterrent systems for private organizations and public sites, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. I have consulted for technology companies, as well as private industry and healthcare partners. Last, inspired by maternity leaves coinciding with the above work, I have a separate research line examining organizational development, inclusive practices, and employee wellness. This addresses disparate impact of institutional and federal medical leave practices on recruitment and retention of women. Our program focuses on cost-effective policy for diversity training and reduced attrition of women in medicine, law, STEM and technology fields. As such, I am dedicated to spearheading development of a center for policy and inclusive practices, diversity, and equity education.

    To donate to our work or partner with us, please contact Stanford Medical Center Development at medicalgiving@stanford.edu to connect with us directly or to learn more about supporting our programs.

  • Mahendra T. Bhati

    Mahendra T. Bhati

    Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
    Clinical Professor, Neurosurgery

    BioDr. Bhati is an interventional psychiatrist with expertise in psychiatric diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and neuromodulation. He completed postdoctoral research studying language abnormalities and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evoked potentials in schizophrenia. He was a principal investigator for the DSM-5 academic field trials, and his research experiences included roles as an investigator in the first controlled clinical trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and low-field synchronized TMS for treatment of depression. His current interests include studying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and augmented reality to target TMS, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant depression, responsive neurostimulation (RNS) for treatment of impulse and fear-related disorders, and focused ultrasound (FUS) for treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder and depression. Dr. Bhati is also interested in better understanding consciousness and its role in mental illness.

  • Richa Bhatia, MD

    Richa Bhatia, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioDr. Bhatia is a dual board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Bhatia specializes in treating anxiety disorders in adults, children, and adolescents. She takes a whole-person biopsychosocial approach, aimed at understanding the biological, psychological, social, cultural and other factors affecting an individual’s mental health. She integrates medication management (where needed) with psychotherapy. Her psychotherapy approach is informed by various evidence-based psychotherapies such as psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based, compassion-focused interventions. Dr. Bhatia’s other professional interests include effects of trauma on mental health, effects of media and technology use in children and adolescents, bullying prevention, compassion and empathy, and ruling out medical conditions mimicking psychiatric disorders.

    Dr. Bhatia’s work has been cited in Time magazine, and her professional opinions have been quoted in media such as CNBC, The Guardian, U.S. News and World Report and The Wall Street Journal. She is an avid advocate of improving mental health awareness and reducing the stigma surrounding psychiatric conditions and treatments. For her work in this arena, she was awarded the Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the Marian Butterfield award by the Association of Women Psychiatrists. She has been invited to give talks at national, international, and regional conferences and organizations. She has also received Teacher's Training in Compassion Cultivation Training.

    Dr. Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. She serves as an associate editor of Current Psychiatry and a section editor for Current Opinion in Psychiatry. Dr. Bhatia is also secretary of the Association of Women Psychiatrists and the upcoming vice president of the Northern California Psychiatric Society.

  • Britney Blair, PsyD, DBSM, CST

    Britney Blair, PsyD, DBSM, CST

    Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine

    BioDr. Blair is a licensed clinical psychologist and is board certified in behavioral sleep medicine. Her clinical and research expertise are in behavioral medicine with specializations in sleep and sexual health. She has made numerous presentations, developed workshops, written chapters and published articles in the area of sleep and sexual medicine. Dr. Blair is a Stanford sleep consultant and is on the adjunct faculty at The Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine. She is also the Clinical Director of The Clinic.

    Dr. Blair completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University Medical School and her pre-doctoral internship at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. Dr. Blair received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Dr. Blair founded a successful business consulting firm.

  • Helen M. Blau

    Helen M. Blau

    Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor, Director, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Professor, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProf. Helen Blau's research area is regenerative medicine with a focus on stem cells. Her research on nuclear reprogramming and demonstrating the plasticity of cell fate using cell fusion is well known and her laboratory has also pioneered the design of biomaterials to mimic the in vivo microenvironment and direct stem cell fate. Current findings are leading to more efficient iPS generation, cell based therapies by dedifferentiation a la newts, and discovery of novel molecules and therapies.

  • Cara Bohon

    Cara Bohon

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

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interests have focused on the neural bases of eating disorders. I am particularly interested in the way emotion and reward is processed in the brain and how that may contribute to eating behavior and food restriction. I hope to eventually translate biological research findings into treatments.

  • Mariya Borodyanskaya

    Mariya Borodyanskaya

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

    BioDr. Mariya Borodyanskaya enjoys being part of the Stanford Team at Mills, an interdisciplinary team dedicated to supporting adolescents and their families in navigating the challenges of mental health crisis. She maintains a broad set of interests, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychotic Disorders and Juvenile Justice system reform. She also enjoys supervising and teaching the Stanford Child & Adolescent Psychiatry fellows.

  • Daniel Bowling, PhD

    Daniel Bowling, PhD

    Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioMy research aims to translate progress in biological speech and music sciences into improved diagnostics and treatments for social, affective, and cognitive dimensions of mental health, including disorders of sociality, mood, attention, and anxiety. See more here: https://psyarxiv.com/fxsnz/

    I hold a PhD in Neurobiology from Duke University School of Medicine, where I studied the biological foundations of musical tonality. I completed postdoctoral work at the University of Vienna, where I studied bioacoustics, rhythm, synchrony, and social bonding. I also hold graduate certificates in Cognitive Neuroscience and Translational Medicine, and undergraduate degrees in Biological Psychology and Neurophilosophy.

    I have authored over 30 scientific articles in top journals including Science, PNAS, Molecular Psychiatry, PLoS Biology, Trends in Cognitive Science, and Physics of Life. My work has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Austrian Science Foundation, the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Vienna, and the Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University.

  • Christiane Brems, PhD, ABPP, ERYT500, C-IAYT

    Christiane Brems, PhD, ABPP, ERYT500, C-IAYT

    Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioChristiane Brems, PhD, ABPP, RYT-500, C-IAYT, received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 1987. Dr. Brems is licensed as a psychologist in several US states and board-certified as a clinical psychologist by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She is a registered yoga teacher (E-RYT500) and certified C-IAYT yoga therapist. She is also certified in Interactive Guided Imagery.

    She began her career in academia at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She then served on faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage for 23 years, where she held a variety of leadership positions, including as (Co-Founding) Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, (Co-Founding) Director of the PhD Program in Clinical-Community Psychology, and Interim Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. Most recently, she served for nearly six years as Dean and Professor of the School of Graduate Psychology (SGP) at Pacific University Oregon.

    Dr. Brems has worked for decades as an applied researcher and clinical practitioner with particular interests in health promotion, rural healthcare delivery, and all things yoga. Her work has been funded by grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Dis. Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, and local and State of Alaska funding sources. She has shared her work extensively in over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, 100s of technical reports, and several books, including the Comprehensive Guide to Child Psychotherapy (now in its 4th edition), Dealing with Challenges in Psychotherapy and Counseling, Basic Skills in Counseling and Psychotherapy, and others. Dr. Brems is committed to excellence in and integration of clinical services, teaching, consultation, and research.

    Dr. Brems has integrated yoga, mindfulness, complementary interventions, and self-care strategies in her work as a consultant, author, dean, teacher, researcher, mentor, supervisor, colleague, and service provider. She values these practices as crucial aspects of day-to-day professional and personal life and seeks to enhance access to them for all who can benefit.

  • Nicole Brooks

    Nicole Brooks

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioDr. Nicole Brooks is a board-certified psychiatrist with added qualification in forensic psychiatry. She specializes in the treatment of mood disorders and serves as a forensic expert/consultant in criminal and civil cases. In her role as clinical assistant professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Brooks provides outpatient psychiatric care in the depression and bipolar disorder clinics.

  • Lisa Brown

    Lisa Brown

    Adjunct Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    BioLisa M. Brown, Ph.D., ABPP is an Adjunct Clinical Professor and member of the Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health program at Stanford University School of Medicine and Professor and Director of the Peace and Human Rights Lab at Palo Alto University. Her clinical and research focus is on trauma, resilience, human rights, refugees, and aging. As a researcher, she is actively involved in developing and evaluating health programs used nationally and internationally, drafting recommendations aimed at protecting vulnerable individuals and communities, facilitating the participation of key stakeholders, and improving access to resources and services.

    Dr. Brown has been appointed to and has served on numerous local, state, and national boards and commissions. From 2007 to 2014, she served as the Assistant Clinical Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Florida Department of Health where she helped write the state disaster behavioral health response plan, develop regional disaster behavioral health teams, and conduct program evaluations of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crisis counseling programs. From 2008 to 2011, Dr. Brown was appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board Federal Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she contributed to the development of a national behavioral health response to disasters, terrorism, and pandemics. In 2020, she was appointed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.

    Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 20 and the Gerontological Society of America. She is the former President of the APA Division 20 Adult Development and Aging. She is the recipient of two Fulbright Specialist awards with the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (2014) and with Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2015).

  • Kim Bullock, MD

    Kim Bullock, MD

    Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDirector of Virtual Reality & Immersive Techology (VR-IT) Clinic and Lab.
    Use of technology to understand the interaction of sensation, embodiment, and emotional/ behavioral regulation.
    Virtual reality treatments as a sensory modulating device to treat disorders involving body image, sensation, and control. Exploration of the use of mirrored visual feedback while inhabiting a virtual avatar to treat pain and somatic symptom related disorders.