School of Medicine
Showing 161-176 of 176 Results
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Natalie Torok
Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab is focused on exploring the role of matrix remodeling in disease progression in metabolic dysfunction steatohepatitis (MASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Our goal is to uncover how biomechanical characteristics of the ECM affect mechano-sensation, and how these pathways could ultimately be targeted. We are also interested in aging and its effects on metabolic pathways in MASH and HCC.
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Erin Watson, PsyD, ABPP
Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine - Gastroenterology & Hepatology
BioDr. Erin Watson is a board-certified clinical health psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is a member of Stanford Health Care’s GI Behavioral Medicine program, where she specializes in the intersection of psychological health, behavioral science, and gastrointestinal and liver disease.
Dr. Watson’s clinical work focuses on helping patients navigate the emotional, behavioral, and lifestyle factors that influence medical illness. Her areas of expertise include health anxiety, stress and symptom management, health-behavior change, adjustment to chronic conditions, and the emerging specialty of psycho-hepatology. She uses practical, evidence-based approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and motivational interviewing—with lifestyle-medicine strategies to support long-term health and resilience. Her goal is to help patients feel more informed, supported, and empowered throughout their care.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Watson is engaged in research to advance behavioral treatments for chronic pain and develop new psychological interventions for individuals living with chronic liver disease. She is a co-investigator on a National Institutes of Health–funded study examining effective treatment options for veterans with chronic pain and addiction. Her scholarly work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at regional and national conferences, including annual meetings of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Watson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology and a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Health Psychology (Division 38), the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the Rome Foundation. -
Annika M. Weber
Postdoctoral Scholar, Gastroenterology
BioAnnika is a postdoctoral scholar in the Spencer Lab studying how gut microbes metabolize prebiotic fibers to produce bioactive metabolites linked to lowering disease risk. She holds an MS in Human Nutrition from the University of Sheffield and a PhD in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Colorado State University. Her work integrates multi-omic approaches to map diet-microbe-metabolite relationships. Annika aims to translate these mechanistic insights into microbiome-informed dietary strategies for reducing chronic diseases.
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Mike Tzuhen Wei
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Gastroenterology & Hepatology
BioDr. Wei was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. He went to Stanford for his undergraduate studies in Biology and earned his medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College. Unable to stay far from the Bay Area, he returned to Stanford where he completed his residency in internal medicine and subsequently his fellowship in gastroenterology. Dr. Wei has specific interests in colorectal cancer and Barrett’s esophagus surveillance as well as reflux diagnosis and management. He has an interest in endoscopic resection of large polyps and had received training under Dr. Shai Friedland, a world expert in this field. Dr. Wei work focuses on evaluating new tools, technologies and techniques in gastrointestinal cancer surveillance and management. He has been involved in running several trials in endoscopic management of polyps and evaluating artificial intelligence applications in gastroenterology. His work has been published in American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Clinical Endoscopy, VideoGIE, and Digestive Diseases and Sciences. He was formerly an Associate Editor for the ACG Case Report Journal (2020-2022) and was on the Board of the Northern California Society of Clinical Gastroenterology. When not in clinic or in endoscopy, Dr. Wei enjoys spending time with his family. He and his family enjoy traveling and exploring new restaurants.
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Zhiyu Yang, MD
Affiliate, Medicine - Med/Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Visiting Scholar, Medicine - Med/Gastroenterology and HepatologyBioAs a clinical physician specializing in gastroenterology and hepatology, I am proficient in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of common gastrointestinal diseases and various liver diseases. My main research lay on metabolic related liver diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases.
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Margaret J. Zhou, MD, MS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Gastroenterology & Hepatology
BioDr. Margaret Zhou is a board-certified, fellowship-trained gastroenterologist with Stanford Health Care. She also holds an appointment as clinical assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
She specializes in therapeutic endoscopy with expertise in treating Barrett’s esophagus and disorders of the pancreas and bile duct. In particular, she offers advanced endoscopic interventions to prevent, detect, and manage gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. These interventions include endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic ablation, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasound. She is also interested in the management of esophageal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Dr. Zhou has published widely on improving the detection of precancerous lesions and cancers of the GI tract. She is particularly interested in prevention, early detection, and outcomes in Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal cancer, and stomach cancer. In addition, she has published on new technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in GI. Her research has been published in multiple journals including Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Dr. Zhou is an active member of multiple national GI societies. She currently serves on the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Guidelines Committee and AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee. She also serves as an Associate Editor for Evidence-Based GI, an American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) journal.
