School of Medicine
Showing 1-100 of 199 Results
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Meghali Aich
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neonatal and Developmental Medicine
BioMy research interest lies in understanding how environmental factors contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and translating those insights into therapies. Aligned with this, my current research in Dr. Anca Pasca’s lab at Stanford focuses on how reductive stress associated with maternal metabolic syndrome affects fetal brain development.
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Haider Ali
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
BioHaider Ali, M.B., B.S. is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. With over six years of experience in translational research, his work focuses on advancing innovations in retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, and digital health. He is particularly interested in developing technologies that bridge clinical innovation and real-world impact to improve vision care globally.
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BRIGHT ASARE-BEDIAKO
Postdoctoral Scholar, Ophthalmology
BioDr. Asare-Bediako is a Ghanaian-trained Optometrist who started his career as a Teaching/Research Assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He obtained a doctorate degree in Vision Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, US, where he worked on animal models of diabetic retinopathy and hematopoiesis in Prof. Maria Grant’s lab. Currently, he is a postdoctoral scholar in Prof. Mary Elizabeth Hartnett’s lab studying retinopathy of prematurity. His current interests lie in understanding mechanisms of angiogenesis in retinopathy of prematurity and diabetic retinopathy.
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Mohan Babu Budikote Venkatappa
Basic Life Research Scientist, Genetics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsLongitudinal host-microbial omics profiling and wearables-based monitoring to understand Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), its heterogeneity, and predictors of the diverse symptoms that ASD individuals experience.
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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. She directs the Empowerment Neuroscience Lab in Stanford Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, serves as Director of Research at Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), and is Scientific Lead of the Stanford Belonging Project. Her research employs portable dual-brain neuroimaging (fNIRS hyperscanning) and advanced computational modeling to elucidate the neural and inter-brain signatures of high-impact, purpose-aligned teams. She also develops and tests targeted, evidence-based interventions that measurably strengthen connection, collaboration, and performance. Partnering across Stanford Medicine, the Graduate School of Business, and Stanford Athletics, Dr. Balters translates biomarkers of human connection into simple, repeatable practices that leaders can train and track over time—turning the neuroscience of connection into a practical engine for culture change. She also leads team-innovation workshops at Stanford, creating high-trust spaces that foster authenticity, alignment, and bold, measurable execution. Beyond academia, she serves as a Human Factors Specialist at NATO, converting neuroscience insights into actionable strategies for resilient, high-performing teams.
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Mahamaya Biswal
Postdoctoral Scholar, Molecular and Cellular Physiology
BioMahamaya is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, where she specializes in Cellular and structural biology with a focus on membrane protein biogenesis, quality control, and the development of innovative nanobody technologies. Her research integrates advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cell biology, and nanobody engineering to unravel the mechanisms governing the assembly and maturation of membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs with a focus on Voltage gated ion channels as a model substrate.
Dr. Biswal’s scientific journey began with an integrated M.Tech in Biotechnology degree from D.Y. Patil University, India, where she conducted foundational research on bacterial persister cell formation at BARC and characterized breast cancer proteins ZBRK1 and BRCA1 at ACTREC,. After spending a brief time in biotech industry at Yashraj Biotechnology Ltd., Mumbai, optimizing purification pipelines for cancer antigens used in diagnostic kits and facilitating technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing, she moved to US to join UC Riverside’s PhD program under Department of Biochemistry and supervision of Dr. Jikui Song. She made significant advances in understanding the structural dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Notably, she solved the X-ray crystal structure of the NSP7-8 complex, a key cofactor for the viral replicase, and also elucidated the interaction between the viral nucleocapsid protein and human G3BP1. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work has also contributed to studies on viral immune evasion, including the structural basis for STAT2 antagonization by DENV2 NS5.
At Stanford, Dr. Biswal has expanded her expertise to the structural and functional study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and currently focusing on gaining mechanistic insights on Membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs by combining cell biology and structural biology expertise. She is also developing nanobody libraries targeting synaptic vesicles and bacterial death effectors for in situ tomography and potential therapeutic applications respectively. Dr. Biswal is a committed mentor, having supervised graduate and undergraduate students, and is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in science through active involvement in organizations such as AWIS, BioAIMS, and BSS (India). Her scientific contributions have been recognized with honors including the HEERF Dissertation Year Fellowship, the Mary K. and Randolph T. Wedding Prize, and best poster awards at UC Riverside. Dr. Biswal’s long-term vision is to lead a research program that translates structural insights into therapeutic strategies for neurological and infectious diseases, advancing both scientific knowledge and the next generation of scientists. -
Anna Booman
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioAnna Booman, PhD, MS is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. She conducts perinatal pharmacoepidemiology research to study the safety and effectiveness of medication use during pregnancy, since most pregnant individuals cannot be included in clinical trials. She uses large observational datasets, such as the Merative MarketScan Database, and complex epidemiologic methods in her research.
Dr. Booman received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Oregon Health & Science University School of Public Health, her MS in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and her BS in Mathematical Biology (minor: Computer Science) from the College of William & Mary. Her research has spanned many areas of perinatal epidemiology, including a focus on twin children, rare genetic disorders, gestational weight gain, and insurance discontinuity in pregnancy. -
Karoline Marie Bornemann
Postdoctoral Scholar, Cardiology
BioKaroline-Marie Bornemann, PhD, is a biomedical engineer interested in cardiovascular flows, specifically the computational modeling of heart valves using fluid-structure interaction simulations. Her current postdoctoral research in the Marsden lab at Stanford University focuses on the simulation of congenital valve pathologies and valve repair in pediatrics working with Alexander D. Kaiser, Alison Marsden and Michael Ma. She obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bern where she investigated instability mechanisms leading to laminar-turbulent transition past bioprosthetic aortic valves with Dominik Obrist and Peter Schmid. During her PhD, she performed a secondment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology collaborating with Ardeshir Hanifi and Dan Henningson assessing the stability of flow fields past valve prostheses. Visualizations of her PhD research were showcased in a winning entry of the Gallery of Fluid Motion 2024 and her PhD thesis won the GCB Best PhD Thesis 2024 Award.
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Shashank Chetty
Basic Life Research Scientist, Rad/Pediatric Radiology
BioMCHRI Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-Chair, SURPAS -
Priscila Chiavellini
Postdoctoral Scholar, Reproductive Biology
BioI am passionate about the underlying biological mechanisms of development occurring from birth to death. To my mind, one of the most significant promises of this science lies in understanding those mechanisms to improve the quality of life of young and old people. In my country Argentina, I pursued my doctoral degree in cell reprogramming to implement rejuvenation in aging rodents by restoring their biological age. The aim was to partially reprogram the nervous system using an adenovirus to revert age-associated memory impairment in old rats.
Dr. Sebastiano´s lab has developed powerful tools in the reprogramming and rejuvenation field. I have joined them to apply those techniques to delay ovarian aging with the ultimate goal of extending fertility and healthy aging. -
Christina F. Chick
Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research examines the mechanistic contributions of sleep, cognition and affect to the onset and course of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. I am particularly interested in adolescence as a period during which changes in circadian rhythm, sleep architecture, and sleep behavior co-occur with neuroendocrine development, psychosocial changes, and the onset of many psychiatric disorders. Given that sleep is a highly treatable target, increasing our understanding of the specific contributions of sleep to psychiatric symptom onset may facilitate the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the course of illness.
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Andrea Cipriano
Instructor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Reproductive Biology
BioDr Andrea Cipriano is an instructor at the Stem Cell Institute and at the Ob/Gyn department at Stanford School of medicine. Since the beginning of his career he was driven by a deep interest in the complexities of life emerging from just a single cell, harboring all the instructions to produce a fully functional organism. His academic journey began with a Bachelor's in Biotechnology and progressed to a Master's in Genomic Biotechnology, where he delved into the intricate world of RNA. During his PhD, Andrea focused on long non-coding RNAs and their pivotal role in cell differentiation, a topic that continues to fascinate him in his current research. He works in the Sebastiano lab, and he is directing several projects, including studying the transcription factor TBX1 during development of the Pharyngeal endoderm, and exploring the impact of time on Chromatin Structure, particularly in the context of aging and its potential reversal. As an instructor, Andrea has been teaching for 4 years at the intensive CIRM stem cell class biology course. Teaching is a big passion that fuels his academic pursuits. His dedication to education stems from a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of knowledge, which is what initially propelled him into the academic world.
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Laetitia Coassolo (Voilquin)
Senior Research Scientist - Basic Life, Pathology Sponsored Projects
Current Role at StanfordI am a Senior Research Scientist in Dr. Katrin Svensson's lab. I am interested in mapping tissue-specific peptide secretion to identify orphan peptide hormones.
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Maharshi Krishna Deb
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI aim to gain insights of the molecular underpinnings that are critical for the specification of human germ cells as well as the episode of epigenetic reprogramming that they undergo which is critical for their development and thereby essential for perpetual propagation of human species. Under co-mentorship of Prof. Azim Surani and Dr. Shiv Grewal,I aim to learn these lessons from this immortal lineage of human germline to identify interventions against various pediatric as well as degenerative
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Xiruo Ding
Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioI am a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, advised by Dr. Nima Aghaeepour, focusing on EHR-related modeling and phenotyping. My research interests lie in the application of general machine learning and deep learning methods to enhance healthcare outcomes.
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Patricia Dionicio
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pediatric Anesthesia
BioPatricia Dionicio, PhD, MPH is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in the School of Medicine at Stanford University. Her research aims to reduce health disparities in pain among underserved populations through human-centered design and digital interventions. She has expertise in integrating mixed methods with longitudinal assessment tools to understand systemic and momentary factors impacting health behavior.
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Chunyang Dong
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
BioChunyang Dong completed his Ph.D. studies from University of California, Davis with Dr. Lin Tian, where he specialized in protein engineering to develop genetically encoded biosensors to enable real-time imaging of neuromodulator dynamics. As part of his postdoctoral pursuits with Dr. Sergiu Pasca at Stanford University, he hopes to combine disciplines between biosensors and modeling human neurological disease using brain region-specific organoids. Despite this shift, his unwavering goal is to deepen the understanding of brain development, disease processes, and translate research to potential treatments for neurological disorders.
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Ifeanyichukwu Emmanuel Eke
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pathology
BioI am a chemical biologist with a broad interest in defining the mechanisms-of-action of novel compounds that can be used as potential drugs or diagnostic probes for different bacterial and viral infections. In addition to my flair for research, I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
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Emily Ferguson, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
BioEmily Ferguson, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral academic researcher and clinician within Stanford University’s Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program (https://med.stanford.edu/autism.html) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of California Santa Barbara and completed her clinical internship at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Ferguson's research focuses on advancing understanding of mechanisms of challenging behaviors in autistic youth and adults to inform treatment development. Her work takes a comprehensive perspective, integrating methods from implementation science to improve the accessibility and quality of clinical care for underserved autistic populations, especially those with higher support needs (or "profound autism"). She is also interested in developing methods to improve self-regulation in individuals with profound autism to effectively manage self-injurious behaviors and aggression. Dr. Ferguson is currently supporting research in the Preschool Autism Lab (https://med.stanford.edu/autismcenter/pre-school-autism-lab-program.html), and exploring profiles of challenging behaviors with the Program for Psychometrics and Measurement-Based Care (https://med.stanford.edu/sppmc.html) in a diverse range of autistic and non-autistic youth to inform treatment approaches.
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Lorenzo Ferrari
Postdoctoral Scholar, Cardiothoracic Surgery
BioLorenzo Ferrari, PhD, is a biomedical engineer interested in cardiovascular flows, specifically in realizing top benches for in vitro evaluation of cardiac devices. His current postdoctoral research in cardiothoracic surgery focuses on simulating and testing transcatheter valves implanted in the right ventricular outflow tract, working with Doff McElhinney, Daniel Ennis, and Alison Marsden. He obtained his PhD summa cum laude in Biomedical Engineering from University of Bern where he investigated the influence of heart valve design and size under different hemodynamic conditions using particle velocimetry techniques. During his PhD, he performed a secondment at University of Twente, in the Physics of Fluids - Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid, collaborating with Michel Versluis and Guillaume Lajoinie, assessing the stability of flow fields past valve prostheses.
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Dorien Feyaerts
Instructor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiomedical scientist and immunologist with a strong background in fetal-maternal immunology that aims to conduct impactful translational research in women’s health to improve the health of mothers and their children.
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Adina S. Fischer, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (General Psychiatry and Psychology)
BioDr. Fischer’s research focuses on characterizing risk and resilience factors in depression. She has been awarded an NIH Career Development Award (K23) and Klingenstein Foundation Fellowship in Adolescent Depression to build her program of clinical and translational research at Stanford. Dr. Fischer's program of clinical care focused on the delivery and teaching of evidence-based clinical interventions that enhance resilience, with a focus on addressing the unique stressors encountered in academia and academic medicine that may contribute to risk and resilience in mood and anxiety disorders.
Dr. Fischer’s translational program of research focuses on:
(1) Improving our understanding of protective biomarkers of resilience to depression
(2) Characterizing the effects of cannabis on neurobiological function and depressive symptoms
(3) Developing neurobiologically-guided interventions for depressive disorders, particularly those that co-occur with cannabis and other substance use
Dr. Fischer earned her BSc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, where she conducted research in the Early Childhood Cognition Laboratory. She then completed the MD/PhD Program at Dartmouth, where she obtained her PhD in in Neuroscience. Dr. Fischer’s doctoral research focused on characterizing the acute effects of cannabis in patients with schizophrenia and co-occurring cannabis use disorder. She then completed the Stanford Psychiatry Residency Training Program as a member of the Research Track, and an NIH funded T-32 postdoctoral research fellowship within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. -
Daiana Fornes
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pulmonary
BioDaiana Fornes is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, supported by a Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research centers on reproductive biology and pregnancy disorders, with a particular focus on uterine contractility, preterm labor, and uterine atony. She investigates calcium signaling pathways, including the role of TRPV4 ion channels, to identify novel therapeutic strategies aimed at improving maternal health outcomes.
Daiana earned her PhD from the University of Buenos Aires, where she studied metabolic alterations during pregnancy and their effects on fetal development. Her training has provided her with a strong foundation in translational research, with extensive experience in experimental design, molecular biology, and the analysis of signaling pathways. -
Jenna Forsyth
Academic Program Professional, Medicine - Med/Infectious Diseases
BioJenna is a research scientist with the School of Medicine and affiliated with the King Center for Global Development, the Woods Institute for the Environment and the Doerr School of Sustainability. She completed her PhD with the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources and obtained her Master's in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington. Her research brings together principles of environmental science, epidemiology, and behavior change. She develops and evaluates interventions to minimize exposures to contaminants and disease vectors in low-income countries. Her most recent research has focused on lead exposure in South Asia.
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Elias Roth Gerrick
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioEli received his B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from U.C. Irvine in 2013, where he worked in the lab of Dr. Celia Goulding. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2018 in the lab of Dr. Sarah Fortune, where he studied post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Eli joined the Howitt lab at Stanford in the summer of 2018, where he is studying the influence of protozoan members of the microbiome on intestinal immunity.
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Jen Haensel
Basic Life Research Scientist, Ophthalmology Research/Clinical Trials
BioI am a Research Scientist in the Roberts Vision Development & Oculomotor Lab at Stanford University’s Department of Ophthalmology, working at the intersection of vision science, neuroscience, and experimental psychology. My current research uses eye-tracking, photorefraction, and psychophysics to study oculomotor development and visual function in amblyopia, strabismus, and concussion. I also work on developing methodology to record accommodative measurements and gaze behaviour in dynamic, naturalistic settings.
I completed my PhD in Experimental Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London (UK), where I used advanced eye-tracking techniques to study the influence of postnatal experience on social gaze behaviour. Prior to joining Stanford, I also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath (UK), developing empirical human-robot interaction studies to inform the ethical design of humanoid robots. -
Meghan Halley
Assistant Professor (Research) of Pediatrics (Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics)
BioMeghan Halley, PhD, MPH is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Research) in the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University School of Medicine. With training in medical anthropology, public health and health services research, her scholarship draws on multidisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches to examine ethical, legal, social and policy questions arising in clinical and translational research. Her areas of expertise include the ethics of new genomic technologies, normative frameworks for integrating research and clinical care, challenges and opportunities in patient and community engagement, and the epistemic and ethical implications of valuing new health interventions. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the National Science Foundation and published in high-impact journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Genetics, and the American Journal of Bioethics.
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Seth Ari Sim-Son Hoffman
Instructor, Medicine - Infectious Diseases
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical research to benefit underserved populations.
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Hamed Honari
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychiatry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMachine Learning, Neuroimaging, Computer Vision,Deep Learning, Signal Processing
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Yusuke Hori, MD
Clinical Instructor, Neurosurgery
BioDr. Hori received his MD from Sapporo Medical University, Japan, and during that time he served as a Medical Student Research Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology. He explored the functional role of the SIRT1 gene, a longevity-associated gene, and its association with various conditions such as muscular dystrophy. He also completed a Visiting Student Research Fellowship at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido and participated in Human Genetics projects focusing on an association between the 27-bp deletion and 538G>A mutation in the ABCC11 Gene.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Hori completed a neurosurgery residency at National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center in Japan. Subsequently, he completed a Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship and then a Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. He also completed an International Neurosurgery Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In 2022, he moved to Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow, and under the supervision of Dr. Anca Pasca, he participated in brain organoid research focusing on hypoxic brain injuries.
Since July 2023, Dr. Hori has been working as a Clinical Instructor (Neurosurgical Oncology and Radiosurgery) in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford under the supervision of Dr. Steven D. Chang. His clinical interests include malignant brain and spine tumors in both adult and pediatric patients. His clinical research focuses on the application of minimally invasive treatments such as laser interstitial thermal therapy, focused ultrasound, and radiosurgery to treat various neurosurgical conditions. His current lab research aims to develop an organoid model for radiation-induced brain injuries and a high-throughput screening platform to identify novel therapeutic compounds, for which he received a Clinician Educator Grant from Stanford University Maternal and Child Health Research Institute. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing music including guitar and drums. -
Alyssa Michelle Howren
Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology
BioAlyssa Howren is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University’s Department of Epidemiology and Population Health in the School of Medicine. She completed her MSc and PhD training at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences during which she was a trainee at Arthritis Research Canada. Her PhD training was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Award, along with UBC’s Wayne Riggs Interdisciplinary Scholarship in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Andrew Nord Fellowship in Rheumatology. Her research focuses on using multiple data sources to provide evidence to disentangle the complex relationship between depression and anxiety with inflammatory arthritis and assess how people living with inflammatory arthritis are treated for their comorbid mental disorders. Methodological approaches in Dr. Howren’s work have included systematic reviews, qualitative research, mixed methods, and population-based studies using linked administrative health databases. She was awarded a CIHR Fellowship for her postdoctoral research at Stanford University which aims to evaluate whether biases in clinical decision-making contribute to the sex and gender differences observed in the diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
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Wouter Huiting
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Systems Biology
BioWouter received his training at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Here he obtained a B.Sc.and M.Sc. in Human Movement Sciences (2008-2015), followed by a M.Sc. in Clinical and Molecular Neurosciences (2014-2016). He performed his doctoral research at the University of Groningen, obtaining his PhD degree in Molecular Cell Biology in 2021. Wouter continued his research in 2022 with a position as postdoctoral scholar at the Jarosz lab, at the department of Chemical and Systems Biology. Here he pursues his interest in the molecular forces underlying proteomic adaptation of cells and systems in development and disease. Outside of Stanford, Wouter is an avid sportsman, and likes cooking, hiking, birding, and in general loves to enjoy nature and wildlife with his wife and son.
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Noor A. Hussein
Postdoctoral Scholar, Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy current work aims to increase the understanding of pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric disorder (PANS) disease mechanism and to improve the treatment options. It focuses on studying the alteration of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are key inhibitors of autoimmunity and main regulator of inflammation, in PANS.
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Duc Tan Huynh
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioAs a cell biologist interested in neuroscience, I am fascinated about the molecular basis of nervous system disorders that reveal therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers. My long-term research goal is to identify strategies that revert dysregulation in aging or neurodegeneration. For my postdoctoral training in the Zuchero lab (Neurosurgery), I will investigate how myelination, an essential developmental process, contributes to intelligence and neurodegeneration at the biochemical, cellular, and physiological level. I received my BSc at UCLA and my PhD at Duke University.
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Aleesha Jethwa
Postdoctoral Scholar, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
BioDr Jethwa is a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr Sultan's lab, within the Obstetric Anesthesiology Department. She is funded by the R90 HEAL/Pain Cohort grant. Her research focuses on the peripartum period and how targeted interventions can alter recovery trajectories.
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Jamie S. Johnston
Research and Evaluation Director, Stanford Center for Health Education, Stanford Center for Health Education
BioJamie Johnston is the Research and Evaluation Director for the Stanford Center for Health Education. Her work focuses on the use of technology to improve educational access and health education in under-resourced areas. Jamie completed a PhD in Economics of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2017, where she was an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) doctoral fellow. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Stanford School of Medicine. Additionally, Jamie holds a BS in Social Policy from Northwestern University, an MPP from the University of Chicago, and an MA in Economics from Stanford University.
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Siva Kasinathan
Instructor, Pediatrics - Rheumatology
BioSiva Kasinathan, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and Instructor of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. In addition to caring for children and young adults with rheumatic diseases in his clinical practice, Siva conducts research to advance the understanding of mechanisms of autoimmunity and autoinflammation.
Siva holds an MD and PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Washington, where he developed several high-throughput methods for epigenome profiling and contributed new insights in chromatin biology and gene regulation. During his clinical training in pediatrics and rheumatology at Stanford, Siva pioneered approaches for single-molecule analysis of genetic variation, DNA methylation, and chromatin structure, and established a longitudinal rheumatic disease cohort and biorepository.
Siva’s current research bridges genomics and immunology with a focus on developing and applying sensitive technologies to unravel the genetic and molecular underpinnings of lupus, arthritis, and other immune-mediated diseases. As a physician-scientist, Siva is committed to translating fundamental discoveries into precision therapies and biomarkers to improve outcomes for patients with rheumatic diseases. -
Izabela Kowalczyk
Postdoctoral Scholar, Developmental Biology
BioDr. Izabela Kowalczyk is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Sarah Bowling, Department of Developmental Biology. She is studying embryonic development, with a focus on heart valve formation and the influence of the maternal environment on this process. Dr. Kowalczyk completed her Ph.D. at the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, under the supervision of Dr. Annette Hammes, where she investigated cell and tissue morphogenesis during early forebrain development. Her work identified novel components of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling and primary cilia biology, providing new insights into the variable penetrance of holoprosencephaly in mouse models.
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Manoj Kumar
Postdoctoral Scholar, Radiology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI work on imaging-guided therapy using PET and MR imaging approaches. My academic training and background is in molecular imaging. During my doctoral training, I developed and validated a PET imaging approach for evaluating endocrine therapy responses in advanced breast cancer. My current research focuses on imaging tumor immune markers and responses to cancer immunotherapy. The goal is to develop new imaging toolboxes to monitor and guide treatment. Specifically, I employ antibodies, nanoparticles, and reporter genes for imaging and combinations of therapies to modulate and restore the body's suppressed immune functions against cancer cells. This is being done in collaboration with teams of researchers in early clinical development and teams in clinical practice.
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Linda (Yu-Ling) Lan
Postdoctoral Scholar, Genetics
BioLinda Lan, DVM, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in the Snyder Lab. Her research focuses on understanding long-term illness post-acute infections by using a combination of different types of data (multi-omics) and wearable technologies. Currently, Linda is working on three projects.
The first project involves studying the shared mechanisms of long COVID, ME/CFS, and PTLDS using smartwatches and micro-sampling. The second project involves examining the role of autoantibodies in long COVID patients and COVID vaccine side effects. The third project involves exploring the changes in the molecular and physiological responses of astronauts during short space flights using multi-omics and wearable devices.
Linda previously conducted her PhD research at the University of Chicago, where she studied memory B cell responses to a chimeric-based universal influenza virus vaccine candidate. In her leisure time, she enjoys running, hiking, and listening to audiobooks. -
Matthew Landry
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioCurrent research focuses on identifying the optimal diet (or diets) for chronic disease prevention and addressing the challenges of designing, implementing and reporting clinical trials that test dietary patterns. Particularly interested behavioral interventions that promote plant-forward and plant-based diets. Passionate advocator for policies that address nutrition-related health inequalities particularly in low resource settings and/or with communities experiencing health inequalities related to food insecurity and structural disparities.
Assistant Professor of Population Health and Disease Prevention at University of California, Irvine (effective July 1, 2023) -
Jeehee Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Orthopedic Surgery
BioDr. Lee is a dedicated researcher in the field of biomedical engineering, driven by a strong desire to help individuals suffering from illnesses. With a particular interest in disease treatment and regeneration, she embarked on her journey in this field. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Lee focused on developing functional biomaterials by leveraging chemical bonding at interfaces. Her expertise in this area led her to successfully create functional medical devices. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, Dr. Lee is actively involved in drug screening using a bone-mimicking 3D in vitro cancer model that utilizes biomaterials. Her research is centered around the utilization of biomaterials to develop innovative approaches for tuning the communication between cells and biomaterials. By advancing in the field of biomaterials, Dr. Lee aims to facilitate a better understanding of cell-biomaterial interactions, with the ultimate goal of improving healthcare outcomes. With her passion for cutting-edge research and her commitment to the development of biomaterials, Dr. Lee is dedicated to making significant contributions to the field and shaping the future of healthcare.
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Yunkyeong Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioYun is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Translational Genomics of Diabetes Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Anna Gloyn. Since joining the lab in August 2022, she has been investigating type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptible genes and their molecular mechanisms in pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and the development of T2D. Her primary focus is on how T2D effector transcripts alter autophagy/mitophagy pathways in human pancreatic β-cells, contributing to β-cell failure, mitochondrial dysfunction, and T2D pathology. She also investigated the impact of genetic mutations underlying neonatal diabetes using CRISPR HDR knockin genome editing in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models and their derivatives.
During her PhD, she explored the role of an epigenetic regulator and its molecular machinery in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now termed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In parallel, she studied the interplay between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated unfolded protein response (UPR) signalling and autophagy, and examined how these processes are modulated by bioactive plant extracts in various cellular contexts.
She is particularly interested in exploring inter-organ communication, such as pancreas-liver-heart crosstalk, and how these interactions influence systemic metabolism and contribute to the onset and progression of T2D, along with its complications. Her long-term research goal is to advance our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving T2D and to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies. -
Lili Liu
Postdoctoral Scholar, Epidemiology
BioLili (Larry) Liu, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology & Population Health at Stanford University. As an integrative epidemiologist, Dr. Liu unifies molecular biomarkers, large-scale population cohorts, and real-world health data into coherent, hypothesis-driven research with a sustained focus on how early-life exposures, genetic variation, lifestyle, and pharmacological factors shape inflammation, biological aging, and chronic disease risk across the life course. Trained in cancer genetic and nutrition epidemiology with complementary expertise in pharmacoepidemiology, his doctoral research at Vanderbilt University included a multi-ancestry GWAS of urinary prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGE-M), development of PGE-M–derived dietary and lifestyle scores via elastic net with extensive bootstrapping, and Mendelian randomization analyses linking PGE-M to colorectal cancer across ancestries. At Stanford, Dr. Liu extends his research to maternal–fetal and placental epidemiology, building nationwide claims-based pregnancy cohorts (e.g., MarketScan) to examine gestational diabetes and downstream liver disease risk, and creating mother–infant pair cohort to investigate systemic antibiotic exposure in relation to subsequent inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Parallel collaborations focus on extracellular vesicles and angiogenic signaling in placental health. Methodologically, Dr. Liu works at the interface of causal inference, pharmacoepidemiology, and machine learning with reproducible data engineering (R/Python, SQL, HPC), with the overarching goal of translating mechanistic insights into actionable biomarkers and risk tools for chronic disease prevention in diverse populations.
