School of Medicine


Showing 41-50 of 635 Results

  • Theo Palmer

    Theo Palmer

    Professor of Neurosurgery, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMembers of the Palmer Lab study the biology of neural stem cells in brain development and in the adult. Our primary goal is to understand how genes and environment synergize in influencing stem cell behavior during development and how mild genetic or environmental risk factors for disease may synergize in their detrimental effects on brain development or in the risk of neuronal loss in age-related degenerative disease.

  • Bianca Palushaj, MD

    Bianca Palushaj, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Adult Neurology

    BioDr. Bianca Palushaj is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurologist with Stanford Health Care. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Palushaj specializes in movement disorders, including but not limited to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian disorders, essential tremor, and dystonia. She has also developed a practice in diagnosing and treating disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), which often occur in individuals with neurodegenerative disease.

    She enjoys caring for the whole person and looks at how all parts of the body are connected. She considers how things like sleep, stress, diet, and daily habits can affect the microbiome, gut, brain, and overall well-being.

    Dr. Palushaj’s research focuses on advancing our understanding and treatment of PD. She has special interest in the gut-brain connection in PD, including the role of the gut microbiome and inflammation in PD. She has also investigated how to measure non-motor PD symptoms, such as gastrointestinal dysfunction, using noninvasive, wearable technologies.

    Dr. Palushaj has published her findings in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Neurology, NeuroImage, and Cell Reports Methods. She has also written chapters for integrative medicine books on PD and Alzheimer’s disease.

    Dr. Palushaj has presented at international, national, and regional conferences, including the Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease (AD/PD™) Conference and the Parkinson Study Group Annual Meeting. She has also spoken about her research to several PD support groups across Northern California, including PD Active and Parkinson’s Support Group of Sonoma County.

    Dr. Palushaj is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. She is also a member of Women in Neurology and Women in Medicine.

  • Carolyn K. Pan, MD

    Carolyn K. Pan, MD

    Clinical Professor, Ophthalmology

    BioDr. Pan is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained vitreoretinal surgeon. She focuses on retinal vascular diseases, macular degeneration, and surgical repair of retinal detachments, macular pathology, and complications from cataract surgery. She has co-authored peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from optical coherence tomography imaging to embryonic stem cells for macular degeneration.

    In addition to her clinical practice, she is dedicated to the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows. As recognition of her efforts, she received the Faculty Teaching Award in 2016 from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University and was the recipient of the national Women in Ophthalmology Educator Award in 2024. Within the department, she was the Associate Residency Program Director from 2020 to 2023, and currently serves as the Residency Program Director. Her educational efforts also extend beyond the department - since 2016, she has served on the annual meeting planning committee for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and is currently Associate Secretary of the Annual Meeting and Chair of the Special Projects Committee.

    Dr. Pan's clinical practice is mainly based at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Stanford's affiliate county hospital, where she is chief of the retina service.

  • Jennifer Yi-Jiun Pan

    Jennifer Yi-Jiun Pan

    Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated), Medicine - Med/Gastroenterology and Hepatology
    Staff, Medicine - Med/Gastroenterology and Hepatology

    BioMy research interests thus far have focused on immunology, GI cancers, and improving quality of care for patients. I am passionate about understanding the different genetic and lifestyle factors that are involved in GI cancers and other colonic pathology, as well as improving systems of care to better manage the health and improve the outcomes of patients with these diseases. Towards that end, I have been involved in research in Lynch syndrome in order to bridge the gap between our current understanding of cancer risk in this high-risk population and the creation and implementation of guidelines worldwide. I also had the opportunity to work with collaborators in the International Mismatch Repair Consortium at the Department of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics with the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia where I saw firsthand the global efforts in the fight against colorectal cancer. In my current role as a staff gastroenterologist at the VA Palo Alto, I oversee the colorectal cancer prevention program. My goal is to continue to be part of and contribute to collaborative clinical and research efforts in order to provide the best care for our patients.

    Professional Education:
    - Fellowship: Stanford University--Gastroenterology (2016)
    - MS: Stanford University--Epidemiology and Clinical Research (2016)
    - Residency: Yale-New Haven Hospital--Internal Medicine (2013)
    - MD: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2010)
    - AB: Harvard College--Biochemical Sciences (2006)

    Honors and Awards:
    - American College of Gastroenterology North American International GI Training Grant (2016)

    Professional Memberships:
    - American Gastroenterological Association
    -- Delegate, AGA Trainee and Early Career GI Committee (2016-2018)
    -- Regional Planner, AGA Regional Practice Skills Workshop – California (2016-2017)
    - Northern California Society for Clinical Gastroenterology2014 – Present
    -- Education and Trainee Committee (2021-Present)
    -- Communications Committee (2021-Present)




    Selected NCBI Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jennifer.pan.1/bibliography/public/