School of Medicine
Showing 1-20 of 95 Results
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Fabiana Aellos
Postdoctoral Scholar, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy background in implantology and periodontology, combined with my microsurgical skills, has allowed me to tackle complex oral surgeries and intricate procedures. These skills have been instrumental in advancing the field and, more importantly, in improving the outcomes and well-being of my patients.
I've always believed in bridging the gap between fundamental research and its practical application in clinical settings. By amalgamating my clinical experiences with laboratory investigations, I've contributed to the development of surgical models that closely mimic human diseases and conditions. This approach enhances our understanding of how tissues respond to surgical interventions, paving the way for more effective treatments.
My research into mucosal integration of percutaneous implants and the role of Wnt signaling in implant osseointegration seeks to optimize the interaction between implants and surrounding tissues. This improved integration not only bolsters the stability of dental implants but also ensures their long-term success, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our patients. My involvement in regenerative medicine research is driven by a passion for developing innovative strategies for tissue repair and regeneration. This work has the potential to revolutionize how dental professionals address challenges such as bone defects and periodontal tissue loss, leading to better patient outcomes.
One of my greatest joys is nurturing the next generation of dental professionals. Through my dedication to training and mentoring undergraduate and pre-dental students, I aim to equip them with advanced research and clinical skills. Fostering curiosity and empowering young minds to contribute to scientific advancements in dentistry is a responsibility I hold close to my heart.
I'm grateful for the international grants and collaborations that support my work. These resources not only enable my research but also contribute to the broader progress of our research laboratory. Together, we pursue innovative projects that have the potential to impact dental care on a global scale.
Recognizing the importance of effective communication, I've committed myself to enhancing my communication skills and engaging in professional development activities. Effective communication is key to translating research findings into clinical practice, influencing dental policies, and sharing knowledge within our professional community.
As I gaze into the future, I envision a dentistry landscape where my work may lead to more advanced and efficacious dental treatments, refined surgical techniques, and enhanced patient care. In the challenging realm of bone-anchored percutaneous implants, plagued by the persistent issue of implant failure due to infections at the soft tissue-implant interface, I confront this concern head-on. My mission is to meticulously investigate the biological and biophysical intricacies of this interface, with the aim of enhancing its barrier function through innovative strategies.
My journey from the confines of clinical practice to the expansive realms of research has been underpinned by a humble desire—a desire to forge a lasting impact on the field of dentistry, to ignite the flames of curiosity in future generations of dentists, and to contribute to the enhancement of dental care for all. -
Somayeh H. Ahmad, DDS, Dr. Med. Dent.
Instructor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDentistry
Dental Oncology
Dental Surgery
Special Needs Dentistry -
Nicholas Bene, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioDr. Nick Bene is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon who serves as the Director of Gender Affirmation Surgery at Stanford Medicine.
He earned his medical degree from Tufts University and completed his residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Lahey Clinic in Boston, MA. Driven by a commitment to gender care, Dr. Bene pursued a dedicated fellowship in Advanced Gender Affirmation Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR.
Bringing comprehensive surgical expertise in facial, chest, body and genital affirmation procedures, Dr. Bene is dedicated to providing exceptional care for gender diverse people.
He prioritizes a collaborative approach during consultations, working closely with patients to develop personalized surgical plans through informed decision-making and empowerment.
Dr. Bene’s research interests include patient-centered outcomes, innovative surgical techniques, improving access to affirming care and reducing complications in gender affirmation surgery. He is also committed to advancing education within residency and fellowship programs.
A native of Hong Kong, Dr. Bene is fluent in Cantonese. -
John B. Brunski
Senior Research Engineer, Surgery - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
BioJohn B. Brunski is currently Senior Research Engineer in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. From 1977 to December 2009, he was Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He received his B.S. degree at the University of Pennsylvania, his M.S. degree at Stanford University, and his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, all in Metallurgy and Materials Science. Dr. Brunski’s 1977 Ph.D. thesis identified factors responsible for development of fibrous tissue vs. bone at the oral implant interface, and it was the first doctorate degree to be granted for dental implant research at an engineering school in the US.
Dr. Brunski’s research has largely focused on bioengineering aspects of dental and orthopaedic implant design, bone-implant interactions, and the biomechanics of bone healing. Dr. Brunski is one of the Principal Investigators of an ongoing R01 research grant from NIH to Stanford University and the University of Montreal entitled “Mechanobiology at healing bone-implant interfaces.” Dr. Brunski has authored over 30 textbook chapters on oral implants, bone, and related topics, plus 125 papers and extended abstracts. He has also delivered over 160 public presentations on these and related topics at national and international meetings, including many keynote lectures. Over his career, Dr. Brunski has been the Principal Investigator or co-investigator on over 20 research grants.
For more than 10 years Dr. Brunski was a Consultant to the Dental Devices Panel of the FDA. From 2009-2012 he was a member of the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (MTE) Study Section of the NIH. Dr. Brunski has also professionally consulted for over 20 legal firms and corporations on topics ranging from patent infringement to product design and product liability. Dr. Brunski serves as Section Editor for Biomechanics and Biomaterials for the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. He has also served on the editorial boards of Clinical Oral Implant Research, J Dent Research, J Biomechanics, and other journals, and has served as a reviewer for many other journals including Bone, J Orthopaedic Research, and J Biomechanical Engineering.
Dr. Brunski has received a number of awards for innovation and excellence in teaching and engineering education, including being a member of a 10-person Rensselaer team that won the first Boeing Outstanding Educator Award in 1995. Also, he was part of a Rensselaer faculty team that won the Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware, Dec. 2000, sponsored by NEEDS and John Wiley and Sons, as well as the 2001 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Curriculum Innovation Award.
For his research, Dr. Brunski received the Isaiah Lew Memorial Research Award from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Research Foundation in 2001, being only the third engineer to receive this award. In 2006, Dr. Brunski was appointed as the first William R. Laney Visiting Professor at the Division of Prosthodontics at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, NY, and also received the Jerome M. and Dorothy Schweitzer Research Award from the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics, New York City, NY. In 2007 Dr. Brunski was the recipient of the Anders Tjellström Award from the Craniofacial Osseointegration and Maxillofacial Prosthetics Rehabilitation Unit, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In 2008 he received the Astra Tech Scientific Award for Applied Research in Osseointegration. -
Crystal Chang, D.D.S.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioDr. Crystal Chang is a Hospital Dentist and Clinical Assistant Professor in Dental Medicine & Surgery. She focuses on maintaining oral health through the management of infection, trauma and secondary comorbidities to the dentition and its supporting structures. She performs medically necessary dental surgery in the context of cardiac disease, orthopedic surgery, cancer therapy and organ transplants. Dr. Chang is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and provides oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.
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James Chang, MD
Johnson and Johnson Professor of Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy role in research is to apply novel advances in tissue engineering and microsurgery to the clinical problems of hand trauma, peripheral nerve injuries, and congenital hand problems. I am interested in developing new tissues and techniques that will allow optimal reconstruction of form and function to those patients requiring reconstructive surgery.
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William Choi, D.M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioClinical focus in Hospital Dentistry serving as needed for hospital inpatients, dental oncology, adults with disability and emergency room patients who need dental consultation or treatment.
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HyeRan Choo
Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioDr. HyeRan Choo is a Clinical Associate Professor and Section Chief of Craniofacial Airway Orthodontics in the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of the Stanford Orthodontic Airway Plate Treatment Program for Pierre Robin Sequence (SOAP for PRS) at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and is a faculty fellow at the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign.
Dr. Choo earned her dental degrees from Seoul National University (combined Undergraduate and Graduate Dental Surgery program) and The University of Pennsylvania (Dental Medicine program). She completed her Post-graduate Orthodontic Residency and Master of Science degree at The University of Alabama in Birmingham. After a Craniofacial Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health / National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Dr. Choo served as Director of Craniofacial Orthodontics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia / The University of Pennsylvania.
In 2012, Dr. Choo relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she became a craniofacial orthodontic provider for Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in Oakland and Santa Clara. She joined the Stanford University faculty in 2016 as a part-time craniofacial orthodontist and clinical instructor and transitioned to a full-time position in 2019 as a craniofacial airway orthodontist and clinical assistant professor.
Her clinical expertise includes surgical and non-surgical craniofacial and airway orthodontic treatments for neonates, infants, and children with craniofacial dysmorphism and/or orofacial dysfunctions. Dr. Choo's treatment philosophy centers on providing minimally invasive yet highly effective treatments, grounded in a deep understanding of craniofacial growth and function. Her SOAP for PRS program is the first in the nation to non-surgically treat neonates with PRS using OAP, which she fabricates based on her innovative method of analyzing maxillomandibular computed tomography. -
Kirk Churukian
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioKirk A. Churukian MD, FACS is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Churukian completed training in general surgery, plastic surgery, and hand surgery. He was board certified in general surgery and is currently board certified in plastic surgery.
Dr. Churukian is a member of several local, state, and national professional societies and has practiced in the Los Gatos/San Jose areas for more than 20 years. He tries to bring a friendly, creative, and patient focused approach to his cosmetic and reconstructive surgery practice.
In addition to his private cosmetic practice, Dr. Churukian serves the community as a trauma specialist at San Jose Regional Medical Center. At this level II Trauma Center, he specializes in facial and orbital fracture repair and complex reconstructive surgery of the trunk and extremities. He also maintains an ongoing commitment to enhancing self-image with breast reconstruction for cancer survivors.
Dr. Churukian grew up as a first generation eldest son of Armenian parents in Southern California and attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a degree in Psychobiology. Always interested in athletics, He participated in swimming and water polo throughout high school and played club water polo in college. This interest in aquatics was transferred to his children, all of whom are swimmers, and two of whom are avid water polo players. He currently resides in Menlo Park, California and is currently still married to his first wife ;-). He enjoys supporting Stanford athletics, except when the USC Trojans come to town!
