School of Medicine
Showing 1-10 of 38 Results
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Daniel A. Abrams
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders and are characterized by significant deficits in social communication. A common observation in children with ASD is that affected individuals often “tune out” from social interactions, which likely impacts the development of social, communication, and language skills. My primary research goals are to understand why children with ASD often tune out from the social world and how this impacts social skill and brain development, and to identify remediation strategies that motivate children with ASD to engage in social interactions. The theoretical framework that guides my work is that social impairments in ASD stem from a primary deficit in identifying social stimuli, such as human voices and faces, as rewarding and salient stimuli, thereby precluding children with ASD from engaging with these stimuli.
My program of research has provided important information regarding the brain circuits underlying social deficits in ASD. Importantly, these findings have consistently implicated key structures of the brain’s reward and salience processing systems, and support the hypothesis that impaired reward attribution to social stimuli is a critical aspect of social difficulties in ASD.
My lab is currently conducting three research studies:
Speaker-Listener Coupling and Brain Dynamics During Naturalistic Verbal Communication in Children with Autism
We have a new study investigating how the brain processes and understands speech in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as typically developing children. We are interested in understanding speech comprehension in children through anticipating incoming speech and accumulating speech information over a period of time.
Speaker-Listener Coupling and Brain Dynamics During Naturalistic Verbal Communication in Alzheimer’s Disease
In collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, our new study is exploring how the brain enables us to understand speech, with a focus on both healthy older adults and adults with Alzheimer’s Disease. We also aim to understand how the brain measures seen while we listen and understand a story are linked to language skills in these individuals.
Pivotal Response Treatment for Adolescents with High Functioning Autism Intervention Study
This is a 9-week intervention focusing on key social skills for autistic adolescents, while exploring brain plasticity using fMRI imaging. Your child will receive 1:1 sessions with our clinician, with parent training in clinic. Topics include: Greetings, Departures, Question Asking, Talking the Right Amount, Empathy, Sarcasm, and Eating and Drinking. We also coordinate with the school for additional support and opportunities to practice the targeted social skills in a club of interest. -
Stephanie Balters
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
BioDr. Stephanie Balters is a neuroscientist, educator, and innovator dedicated to advancing team flourishing and excellence. As Director of the Empowerment Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, she employs advanced neuroimaging and computational methods to elucidate the neural and inter-brain signatures of high-impact, purpose-aligned teams. Her research identifies barriers to collaboration and develops targeted interventions to enhance connection, communication, and collective success. Beyond academia, Dr. Balters serves as a Human Factors Specialist at NATO, translating neuroscience into actionable strategies that help leaders cultivate resilient, high-performing teams. She also leads team innovation workshops at Stanford University, fostering authenticity, trust, and alignment to spark transformative ideas in science and business. With a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering Design, Dr. Balters previously held research roles at Stanford’s Center for Design Research and Computer Science Department before joining the School of Medicine.
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Daniel L. Bowling, PhD
Assistant Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences)
BioDr. Bowling is Director of the Music, Brain & Health Lab at Stanford School of Medicine. His translational research harnesses the neural effects of music to develop personalized music-based treatments for health and wellness, with a particular focus on anxiety and depression in young adults. His approach integrates expertise in neuroscience, bioacoustics, music therapy, and psychiatry to apply insights from music's underlying biology to medicine.
Dr. Bowling earned his PhD in Neurobiology from Duke University School of Medicine and holds graduate certificates in Cognitive Neuroscience and Translational Medicine. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including Science, PNAS, and Molecular Psychiatry. His research program has been supported by federal and private foundations including the National Institutes of Health, NeuroArts Blueprint, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. -
Jennifer L. Bruno
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Bruno is a translational researcher at the interface of developmental cognitive neuropsychology and neurobiology. An overarching goal of her work is to understand developmental windows of vulnerability—periods of risk for falling off the trajectory of typical brain development. Her research utilizes genetics, brain imaging, and deep behavioral phenotyping to bridge computational science with clinical knowledge, translating cutting-edge science to solve problems of great clinical need.
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Lu Chen
Professor of Neurosurgery and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWhat distinguishes us humans from other animals is our ability to undergo complex behavior. The synapses are the structural connection between neurons that mediates the communication between neurons, which underlies our various cognitive function. My research program aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie synapse function during behavior in the developing and mature brain, and how synapse function is altered during mental retardation.
