School of Medicine
Showing 1-53 of 53 Results
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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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Vanessa W.Y. Kan
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioI am a second-year postdoctoral researcher in Irene Llorente’s laboratory at the Department of Neurosurgery. I completed my Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences GSN-LMU in Munich, Germany, where I was trained as a circuit neuroscientist. During my doctoral work, I focused on dissecting the circuit mechanisms underlying cortical hyperexcitability in ALS, uncovering the pathophysiological role of hyper-responsive layer 2⁄3 neurons (one of the main inputs to layer 5) in the disease course. Currently, my research bridges circuit neuroscience, stem cell biology, and bioinformatics to explore mechanisms of neural repair and regeneration. I utilize advanced experimental and computational tools, including in vivo calcium imaging in awake, freely behaving rodents; machine learning-based motion sequencing (MoSeq); anterograde and retrograde viral tracing techniques; and transplantation of iPSC-derived glial-enriched progenitors and cortical interneurons. In parallel, I apply spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing to map cell-type–specific interactions and molecular signatures during neural circuit remodeling.
My research focuses on understanding the circuit mechanisms underlying neurological conditions such as stroke and identifying how cell-based therapies mediate repair. The ultimate goal of my work is to uncover molecular and cellular processes that promote graft–host integration and functional recovery, paving the way for next-generation regenerative therapies for the injured brain.
In addition to translational research, I am also passionate about scientific education and outreach. I mentor community college students twice a year through the Stanford Science Small Group, in which I share my own experience in research and guide them through the research process. To expand my outreach efforts, in the past summer, I collaborated with Invent Your Own Future as well as The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and organized a summer camp on Neuroscience x AI research for over 20 high school students in Hong Kong. -
Sasidhar Madugula
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on high-precision neural interfaces and the development of next-generation brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for sensory and motor restoration. I am particularly interested in the biophysics of electrical stimulation, systems neuroscience, and the decoding of neural activity for high-fidelity communication and control. My work spans both fundamental and translational neuroscience.
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Maria del Mar Sanchez Martin
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioI am a postdoctoral researcher in the Neurosurgery Department at Stanford University, under the supervision of Dr. Llorente. My research interests lie in novel stem cell therapies for spinal cord injury, focusing not only on therapeutic applications with translational perspectives, but also on understanding the underlying mechanisms that promote recovery
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Sriram Sudarsanam
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioSriram is broadly interested in how cellular interactions shape neurodevelopment. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science, and Masters at the Weizmann Institute. His doctoral research in Alex Kolodkin’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins addressed the development of idiosyncratic axonal arborization patterns of cortical neurons. He developed genetic strategies to visualize and perturb sparse populations of neurons in the mouse brain, using which he identified novel molecular and cellular determinants of spatially-restricted axon branching in vivo.
Now, as a postdoctoral scholar in Brad Zuchero's laboratory, Sriram is working to develop novel genetic tools to observe and perturb neuron-oligodendrocyte interactions in vivo. In collaboration with Ivan Soltesz’s laboratory, he aims to employ these tools to understand how myelination regulates neural circuit assembly and function. -
Ummey Hani, MBBS, MD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioHani is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford University in the Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory. She earned her medical degree from Sindh Medical College, Pakistan, and completed her internship at the Aga Khan University, where she was recognized as Class Valedictorian and among the top five interns of 2022. She then pursued a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates in Charlotte, North Carolina, affiliated with Wake Forest University School of Medicine, focusing on spine surgery outcomes and biomechanics. Before joining Stanford, she served as Junior Research Faculty for neuro-oncology research at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan.
Hani’s research spans neuro-oncology, spine surgery, biomechanics, and the application of AI/ML in neurosurgical innovation. With a deep commitment to academic neurosurgery, she is currently working towards securing a neurosurgical residency. -
Ruolun Wei
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioRuolun Wei, MD, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. Dr. Wei’s work centers on neuro-oncology, with particular emphasis on brain tumor recurrence, treatment resistance, and tumor metabolism. He is also a board-certified neurosurgeon, currently focusing on full-time research. His research aims to bridge the gap between clinical practice and laboratory investigation, conducting translational research that moves from bedside to bench and back to bedside to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients with malignant brain tumors.
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Caren Yu-Ju Wu
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBasic, translational, immunological and clinical research
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Qianru Yang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDeep Brain Stimulation for treating Parkinson's disease
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Sa Zhou
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosurgery
BioSa Zhou, Ph.D., received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research focuses on person-centered cognitive and physical enhancement for aging-related neurological disorders - including stroke, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) - through the development of closed-loop brain-computer interface (BCI)-guided neuromodulation and rehabilitation robotics, as well as the investigation of brain structural and functional connectivity using multimodal neuroimaging and electrophysiology.
