School of Medicine
Showing 1-100 of 125 Results
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Steven Artandi, MD, PhD
Laurie Kraus Lacob Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI), Jerome and Daisy Low Gilbert Professor and Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTelomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that protect chromosome ends and shorten with cell division and aging. We are interested in how telomere shortening influences cancer, stem cell function, aging and human disease. Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that synthesizes telomere repeats and is expressed in stem cells and in cancer. We have found that telomerase also regulates stem cells and we are pursuing the function of telomerase through diverse genetic and biochemical approaches.
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Onn Brandman
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Brandman Lab studies how cells sense and respond to stress. We employ an integrated set of techniques including single cell analysis, mathematical modeling, genomics, structural studies, and in vitro assays.
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Patrick O. Brown
Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Brown's research focuses on replacing humanity's most destructive invention - the use of animals as a food technology - by developing a new and better way to produce the world's most delicious, nutritious and affordable meats, fish and dairy foods directly from plants. He is also working on developing and scaling optimal methods for restoring healthy ecosystems and sequestering carbon on the 45% of Earth's surface that have been devastated by animal agriculture.
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Douglas L. Brutlag
Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy primary interest is to understand the flow of information from the genome to the phenotype of an organism. This interest includes predicting the structure and function of genes and proteins from their primary sequence, predicting function from structure simulating protein folding and ligand docking, and predicitng disease from genome variations. These goals are the same as the goals of molecular biology, however, we use primarily computational approaches.
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Stephen Chang, MD, PhD
Instructor, Biochemistry
Instructor, Medicine - Cardiovascular MedicineBioPrior to a career in medicine, Dr. Chang was an English major and subsequent novelist at night. During the days, he taught literature part-time at Rutgers University, and for extra money, worked in a laboratory in NYC washing test tubes. Inspired by his laboratory mentor, he began volunteering at the hospital next door, and developed a love for interacting with patients. Through this experience, he saw how caring for others could form deep bonds between people - even strangers - and connect us in a way that brings grandeur to ordinary life.
In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Chang is a physician-scientist devoted to advancing the field of cardiovascular medicine. His research has been focused on identifying a new genetic organism that better models human heart disease than the mouse. For this purpose, he has been studying the mouse lemur, the smallest non-human primate, performing cardiovascular phenotyping (vital signs, ECG, echocardiogram) on lemurs both in-bred (in France) and in the wild (in Madagascar) to try to identify mutant cardiac traits that may be heritable - and in the process, characterize the first high-throughput primate model of human cardiac disease. -
Gilbert Chu
Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAfter shuttering the wet lab, we have focused on: a point-of-care device to measure blood ammonia and prevent brain damage; a human protein complex that juxtaposes and joins DNA ends for repair and V(D)J recombination; and strategies for teaching students and for reducing selection bias in educational programs.
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Karlene Cimprich
Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and, by courtesy, of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGenomic instability contributes to many diseases, but it also underlies many natural processes. The Cimprich lab is focused on understanding how mammalian cells maintain genomic stability in the context of DNA replication stress and DNA damage. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular response to replication stress and DNA damage as well as the links between DNA damage and replication stress to human disease.
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Rhiju Das
Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab seeks an agile and predictive understanding of how nucleic acids and proteins code for information processing in living systems. We develop new computational & chemical tools to enable the precise modeling, regulation, and design of RNA and RNA/protein machines.
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RonaldĀ W. Davis
Professor of Biochemistry and of Genetics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Human to conduct whole genome analysis projects. The yeast genome sequence has approximately 6,000 genes. We have made a set of haploid and diploid strains (21,000) containing a complete deletion of each gene. In order to facilitate whole genome analysis each deletion is molecularly tagged with a unique 20-mer DNA sequence. This sequence acts as a molecular bar code and makes it easy to identify the presence of each deletion.
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Rahim Esfandyarpour
Student, Biochemistry - Genome Center
BioRahim Esfandyarpour received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
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James Ferrell
Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy lab has two main goals: to understand the regulation of mitosis and to understand the systems-level logic of simple signaling circuits. We often make use of Xenopus laevis oocytes, eggs, and cell-free extracts for both sorts of study. We also carry out single-cell fluorescence imaging studies on mammalian cell lines. Our experimental work is complemented by computational and theoretical studies aimed at understanding the design principles and recurring themes of regulatory circuits.
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Alex Gao
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNature has created many powerful biomolecules that are hidden in organisms across kingdoms of life. Many of these biomolecules originate from microbes, which contain the most diverse gene pool among living organisms. We are integrating high-throughput computational and experimental approaches to harness the vast diversity of genes in microbes to develop new antibiotics and molecular biotechnology, and to investigate the evolution of proteins and molecular mechanisms in innate immunity.
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Yingjie Guo
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry
BioProfessional Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Chinese Academy Of Sciences (2023)
Doctor, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Regenerative medicine -
Pehr Harbury
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsScientific breakthroughs often come on the heels of technological advances; advances that expose hidden truths of nature, and provide tools for engineering the world around us. Examples include the telescope (heliocentrism), the Michelson interferometer (relativity) and recombinant DNA (molecular evolution). Our lab explores innovative experimental approaches to problems in molecular biochemistry, focusing on technologies with the potential for broad impact.
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Daniel Herschlag
Professor of Biochemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research is aimed at understanding the chemical and physical behavior underlying biological macromolecules and systems, as these behaviors define the capabilities and limitations of biology. Toward this end we study folding and catalysis by RNA, as well as catalysis by protein enzymes.
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Sharada Kalanidhi
Director of Data Science, Biochemistry - Genome Center
Current Role at StanfordSharada is focused on building a Data Science capability at SGTC. Her recent research has involved multivariate and machine learning analysis of the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS and post-viral fatigue. Her previous research involved non-parametric analysis of the use of Aripiprazole as a treatment for ME/CFS.
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Danish Khan
Basic Life Research Scientist, Biochemistry
BioDanish is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Prof. Onn Brandman's lab in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University. His primary research focus is on cellular responses to stalled translation, specifically studying the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathway. This pathway addresses collisions between ribosomes, splitting them into subunits to allow translation to resume without needing mRNA, the small ribosomal subunit, or energy input. This process, known as "CAT tailing," involves the addition of alanine (in bacteria) or both alanine and threonine (in yeast), with human cells likely incorporating additional amino acids.
Danish's research explores key questions about CAT tailing, including how ribosomes recruit specific tRNAs, regulate CAT tail sequence and length, and determine when to stop CAT tailing. His findings have significantly advanced understanding of the pathway's dual role in protein degradation and aggregation, a balance critical for cellular health. His work demonstrates that pulling forces from various cellular interactions regulate CAT tail identity, length, and sequence. Danish discovered that threonine in CAT tails prevents Ī±-helix formation, aids in nascent chain extrusion, and is the primary factor in aggregation of CAT-tailed proteinsāoffering a potential target for treating protein-aggregation diseases. Meanwhile, alanine-rich CAT tails enhance nascent chain release and degradation and are potent degrons.
Danish's discoveries are key to understanding CAT tailingās evolution and impact on disease, as mutations in NEMF (the human equivalent of yeast's Rqc2 protein) are linked to neurodegenerative disorders in humans, mice, and flies. His findings lay the groundwork for CAT tail studies in human cells, where a wider range of amino acids may yield new therapeutic opportunities for neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases.
Danish has contributed broadly within the Brandman lab. He co-developed ReporterSeq, a CRISPRi-based genomic screening technique published in eLife, and collaborates with Bingwei Luās lab on the consequences of RQC pathway dysfunction on cellular health. Leveraging his background in drug development, Danish is also working on small molecule inhibitors of CAT tailing. His work has resulted in a publication in Nature Communications and a second manuscript in revision with Science Translational Medicine, while his own CAT tailing manuscript is under peer review following its bioRxiv posting. Danishās research is funded by the Deanās Fellowship (Bernard Cohen Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund) and Mikitani Cancer Research Fellowship at Stanford.
Danish earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, where his research focused on the inhibition mechanisms of the lipid-signaling protein Sec14. His work led to the identification of two classes of Sec14 inhibitors and the discovery of a family of heme-binding lipid transfer proteins, resulting in three first-author publications in eLife, Cell Chemical Biology, and Journal of Lipid Research. He also contributed as a middle author to five additional studies, receiving the John Mack Prescott Award for Outstanding Research.
Danish began his academic journey with a Bachelorās in Biochemistry from Presidency College, Kolkata, where he ranked second in his college and fourth in the university. He then earned a Masterās degree in Biotechnology from Banaras Hindu University on a Government DBT Fellowship. Beyond science, Danish has a strong interest in the intersection of law and technology, frequently exploring related literature. -
Chaitan Khosla
Wells H. Rauser and Harold M. Petiprin Professor and Professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health.
For the past two decades, we have studied and engineered enzymatic assembly lines called polyketide synthases that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally complex and medicinally fascinating antibiotics in bacteria. An example of such an assembly line is found in the erythromycin biosynthetic pathway. Our current focus is on understanding the structure and mechanism of this polyketide synthase. At the same time, we are developing methods to decode the vast and growing number of orphan polyketide assembly lines in the sequence databases.
For more than a decade, we have also investigated the pathogenesis of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, with the goal of discovering therapies and related management tools for this widespread but overlooked disease. Ongoing efforts focus on understanding the pivotal role of transglutaminase 2 in triggering the inflammatory response to dietary gluten in the celiac intestine. -
Peter S. Kim
Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on developing new strategies for vaccine creation. We also aim to generate vaccines targeting infectious agents that have eluded efforts to date. We integrate experimental approaches with protein language models to guide artificial evolution and enable efficient antibody and protein engineering. Our interdisciplinary approach aims to address critical global health challenges.
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Silvana Maria Konermann
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
BioSilvana is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Stanford and Executive Director and Core Investigator at Arc Institute. Her research laboratory aims to understand the molecular pathways that drive the development of Alzheimerās disease using next-generation functional genomics, with the long-term goal of developing rationally targeted therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from MIT. Silvanaās pioneering work on tools to directly perturb the transcriptomic landscape of the cell using CRISPR has been recognized by her faculty appointment as a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator and Hanna Gray Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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Mark Krasnow
Paul and Mildred Berg Professor
Current Research and Scholarly Interests- Lung development and stem cells
- Neural circuits of breathing and speaking
- Lung diseases including lung cancer
- New genetic model organism for biology, behavior, health and conservation -
I Lehman
William M. Hume Professor in the School of Medicine, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study Herpes simplex virus type 1 as a model eukaryotic chromosome for the analysis of eukaryotic DNA replication and recombination
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Lingyin Li
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
BioDr. Li is an associate professor in the Biochemistry Department and ChEM-H Institute at Stanford since 2015. Her lab works on understanding biochemical mechanisms of innate immunity and harnessing it to treat cancer. She majored in chemistry at University of Science and Technology of China and graduated with a B. En in 2003. She then trained with Dr. Laura Kiessling, a pioneer in chemical biology, at University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a Ph.D in chemistry in 2010. She obtained her postdoctoral training with Dr. Timothy Mitchison at Harvard Medical School, who introduced her to the field of chemical immunology.
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Sharon R. Long
William C. Steere, Jr. - Pfizer Inc. Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor, by courtesy, of Biochemistry
On Leave from 10/01/2024 To 12/31/2024Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiochemistry, genetics and cell biology of plant-bacterial symbiosis
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Suzanne Pfeffer
Emma Pfeiffer Merner Professor of Medical Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe major focus of our research is to understand the molecular basis of inherited Parkinson's Disease (PD). We focus on the LRRK2 kinase that is inappropriately activated in PD and how it phosphorylates Rab GTPases, blocking the formation of primary cilia in specific regions of the brain. The absence of primary cilia renders cells unable to carry out Hedgehog signaling that is critical for neuroprotective pathways that sustain dopamine neurons.
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Rajat Rohatgi
Professor of Biochemistry and of Medicine (Oncology)
Current Research and Scholarly Intereststhe overall goal of my laboratory is to uncover new regulatory mechanisms in signaling systems, to understand how these mechanisms are damaged in disease states, and to devise new strategies to repair their function.
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Florentine Rutaganira
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and of Developmental Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe use chemical tools to decipher the roles of key signaling networks in choanoflagellates, single-celled organisms that are the closest living relatives of animals. Choanoflagellates produce molecular signals essential for intercellular communication in animals and the presence of these molecules in choanoflagellates suggests that signaling components needed to communicate between cells is evolutionarily ancient. We aim to uncover new understanding of animal development, physiology and disease.
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Julia Salzman
Associate Professor of Biomedical Data Science, of Biochemistry and, by courtesy, of Statistics and of Biology
Current Research and Scholarly Interestsstatistical computational biology focusing on splicing, cancer and microbes
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Jaime B Seltzer
Affiliate, Biochemistry - Genome Center
BioJaime Seltzer is a researcher with Stanford Medicine working with the Synder Lab and at the Stanford Genome Technology Center.
Seltzer is also the Scientific Director at #MEAction for the infection-associated chronic illnesses ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) and Long COVID.
She is responsible for project management for clinical and research-associated projects and fostering communication between research scientists, clinicians, and people with infection-associated chronic illness. Ongoing projects: Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine-funded work to transform ME/CFS treatment and diagnosis at Mayo Clinic Rochester; Symptom Cluster Characterization in Complex Chronic Disease; multiple ongoing medical education initiatives. Leading institutional outreach for MEAction's Teach ME, Treat ME campaign.
