School of Medicine
Showing 11-20 of 23 Results
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Nina Vasan, MD, MBA
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAt Brainstorm: The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, we lead the way in digital well-being: translating cutting-edge research into practical solutions for healthier tech use.
We are first and foremost practicing physicians; we treat patients and families. Then, grounded by the foundational oath in medicine to “do no harm,” we help companies build products that prioritize user health with responsibility and care. Our work has shaped platforms used by millions—helping Pinterest design "compassionate search", guiding TikTok in healthy screen-time management, and partnering with ML Commons to establish the first mental health safety benchmarks for large language models (LLMs).
Brainstorm is further committed to “do good” by leveraging these technologies to build a healthier digital world. We advised Dove’s Self-Esteem Project and Real Beauty Prompt Playbook, which studied AI’s impact on beauty and set new digital standards of representation. Additionally, after sharing the results of research conducted with the Stanford Center for AI Safety on the ethics, efficacy, and safety of LLMs providing mental health support, we developed the “Framework for Healthy AI” to guide industry best practices in AI product innovation.
As we apply this expertise to improve users' daily lives, it’s clear that addressing digital intimacy presents unique challenges compared to traditional human relationships. This technology is still emerging, and we are all adapting to it in real-time as it evolves. The big question is: How can we help users cultivate healthy, safe digital relationships?
After seeing success with the Stanford Social Media Safety Plan, which reduced harmful digital behaviors among users, we are now designing the Stanford GenAI Psychological Safety Plan (GPS). The Stanford GPS is a tool to help individuals, tech developers, and policymakers navigate this new terrain and make informed decisions about AI’s role in mental health.
Check out the start of the Stanford GPS in Fortune: This 4-question quiz from Stanford psychiatrists can help protect from the dangers of AI. -
Cristiana Vattuone, PhD
Clinical Research Associate, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
BioDr. Vattuone is a clinician and researcher for the Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program in the Division of Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Vattuone's expertise includes clinical and neuropsychological assessment of autism spectrum disorder and associated genetic conditions. Dr. Vattuone received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles with specialized training in evidence-based interventions. Dr. Vattuone’s research efforts focus on the early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of infants and toddlers, developmental trajectories, and the role of the family in supporting positive outcomes. Her dedication to research, treatment, and training continues at ADDRP to support individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
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Mytilee Vemuri
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, with clinical and research interests in hormonal influences on women’s mental and cognitive health. After Psychiatry residency I completed a NIMH research fellowship studying gender differences in metabolic complications such as dyslipidemia, obesity, and insulin-resistance in patients with bipolar disorder. As a research fellow, I also provided clinical oversight for research participants in studies evaluating hormonal change, metabolic biomarkers and mood. More recently, I have collaborated with PI Duncan and her research group on projects studying relationships between sex hormones and mood/anxiety disorders, particularly in peri-menopausal women. From these experiences I have gained experience in conducting clinical research and collaborating in interdisciplinary research teams. I have also had over 20 years of clinical experience as an attending psychiatrist in Stanford Women’s Wellness psychiatry, general psychiatry and primary care clinics treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions including perimenopausal and geriatric mood disorders. I have published review articles detailing the evidence-basis for treating mood disorders in women during times of hormonal change, and the role of hormones as potential treatments. I also serve as the Stanford Psychiatry Department’s clinical quality improvement leader, where I oversee multiple interdisciplinary improvement teams charged with improving the quality and efficiency of care processes. I currently specialize in managing perimenopausal mood disorders and have an interest in the judicious use of menopausal hormone therapy as an adjunctive treatment for mood symptoms in this population. My clinical and research experience in the intersection of women’s mental health, sex-steroid hormones, and the perimenopause, along with broad experience working on cross-disciplinary teams, will bring valuable input to this research team.
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Janani Venugopalakrishnan
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAutism spectrum disorders