School of Medicine
Showing 51-60 of 196 Results
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Burcin Ikiz
Adjunct Lecturer, Psych/General Psychiatry and Psychology (Adult)
BioBurcin Ikiz, PhD, is a neuroscientist whose work explores how climate change, environmental degradation, and broader ecological crises affect brain health across the lifespan. Her research focuses on identifying the neurobiological and psychosocial impacts of climate-related stressors, such as air pollution, heat, displacement, and food insecurity, and translating these insights into public policy, prevention, community-based adaptation strategies, and planetary health solutions.
Dr. Ikiz is the Founder and Director of EcoNeuro, a research initiative that bridges neuroscience and the environment, and the Chair of the International Neuro Climate Working Group (NCWG), a global consortium comprising over 300 researchers, clinicians, and public health experts. NCWG was recently recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the top global initiatives addressing the intersection of mental health and climate change. She is also the Co-Founder and President of Banyan Commons, a nonprofit action tank advancing ecological brain resilience.
In 2025, she was named a Grist 50 Climate Fixer, recognized among climate and justice leaders building equitable, science-driven futures. I advise international organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Council on Foreign Relations, and serve on scientific and advisory boards for leading climate and health initiatives, such as the Climate Mental Health Network and the Climate Cares Centre.
Her ongoing projects include developing a Brain Resilience Index and creating a landmark State-of-Science Report on climate change and brain health. She also leads international research and policy initiatives on heat, air pollution, brain aging, and neurodevelopment; has contributed to the State of Global Air 2025 report; and supports WHO efforts to develop training tools on air pollution, brain, and mental health. She is co-editing a forthcoming open-access book with MIT Press, Toward an Ecological and Green Neuroscience Universe. Dr. Ikiz is a frequent speaker at international policy forums, including the United Nations, COP, and World Bank thematic dialogues.
At Stanford, she contributes to transdisciplinary efforts linking psychiatry, neuroscience, and planetary health, with a focus on advancing brain health equity in an era of ecological change. She is also collaborating with Stanford’s CIRCLE Initiative, which spearheads community interventions for climate-related mental health. -
Ifeanyichukwu Emmanuel Eke
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pathology
BioI am a chemical biologist with a broad interest in defining the mechanisms-of-action of novel compounds that can be used as potential drugs or diagnostic probes for different bacterial and viral infections. In addition to my flair for research, I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
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Chiazotam Ekekezie
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Gastroenterology & Hepatology
BioPrior to Stanford, Dr Ekekezie completed internal medicine training and chief residency at Brown University. She moved to Stanford for GI and hepatology fellowship, and served as a chief fellow in her final year. After fellowship, she stayed on joining as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director for the GI fellowship program. She has presented nationally and internationally on topics related to medical education, psychological safety, and inclusion.
Clinically, Dr Ekekezie welcomes seeing patients with a diverse range of GI-related issues as part of Stanford’s general GI group. She is dedicated to advancing a career in academic medicine that is balanced on her “core-four” pillars: humanism-centered patient care, community-engaged advocacy, service-oriented leadership, and mentoring the next generation of clinicians. She has received numerous awards for excellence in patient care, professionalism, communication, and collaborative consultation, as well as for her skills as an effective leader, mentor, and educator. -
Vanessa El Kamari
Instructor, Medicine - Infectious Diseases
BioVanessa El Kamari, MD, is a physician-scientist in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Stanford University and a member of the David Relman Laboratory. Her research investigates how host–microbe interactions in the small intestine regulate mucosal immunity, barrier integrity, and systemic inflammation in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Her current studies use non-invasive sampling of the small intestine in conditions such as celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and environmental enteropathy. She applies an integrative, multi-omic approach—combining microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, and computational biology—to define spatial immune–microbial networks along the human gut.
Before joining Stanford, Dr. El Kamari’s research focused on inflammation and immune activation in chronic HIV infection, where she identified gut barrier dysfunction as a key driver of systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic complications. She also led intervention studies targeting immune activation and endothelial dysfunction in HIV, work that laid the foundation for her current efforts to apply similar mechanistic approaches to autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
