School of Medicine


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  • Kimberly Allison

    Kimberly Allison

    Professor of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Allison’s clinical expertise is in breast pathology. Her research interests include how standards should be applied to breast cancer diagnostics (such as ER and HER2 testing), the utility of molecular panel-based testing in breast cancer, digital pathology applications and identifying the most appropriate management of specific pathologic diagnoses.

  • Leah Backhus

    Leah Backhus

    Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery

    BioLeah Backhus trained in general surgery at the University of Southern California and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of California Los Angeles. She practices at Stanford Hospital and is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the VA Palo Alto. Her surgical practice consists of general thoracic surgery with special emphasis on thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgical techniques. She is also Co-Director of the Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program, and has grant funding through the Veterans Affairs Administration and NIH. Her current research interests are in imaging surveillance following treatment for lung cancer and cancer survivorship. She is a member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable of the American Cancer Society serving as Chair of the Task Group on Lung Cancer in Women. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. As an educator, Dr. Backhus is the Associate Program Director for the Thoracic Track Residency and is the Chair of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Thoracic Surgery which is the accrediting body for all cardiothoracic surgery training programs in the US.

  • Michael Bassik

    Michael Bassik

    Associate Professor of Genetics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe are an interdisciplinary lab focused on two major areas:(1) we seek to understand mechanisms of cancer growth and drug resistance in order to find new therapeutic targets(2) we study mechanisms by which macrophages and other cells take up diverse materials by endocytosis and phagocytosis; these substrates range from bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells to drugs and protein toxins. To accomplish these goals, we develop and use new technologies for high-throughput functional genomics.

  • Carolyn Bertozzi

    Carolyn Bertozzi

    Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Radiology

    BioProfessor Carolyn Bertozzi's research interests span the disciplines of chemistry and biology with an emphasis on studies of cell surface sugars important to human health and disease. Her research group profiles changes in cell surface glycosylation associated with cancer, inflammation and bacterial infection, and uses this information to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, most recently in the area of immuno-oncology.

    Dr. Bertozzi completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Harvard University and her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, focusing on the chemical synthesis of oligosaccharide analogs. During postdoctoral work at UC San Francisco, she studied the activity of endothelial oligosaccharides in promoting cell adhesion at sites of inflammation. She joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1996. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2000, she came to Stanford University in June 2015, among the first faculty to join the interdisciplinary institute ChEM-H (Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health). She is now the Baker Family Director of Stanford ChEM-H.

    Named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999, Dr. Bertozzi has received many awards for her dedication to chemistry, and to training a new generation of scientists fluent in both chemistry and biology. She has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and received the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry, and the Chemistry of the Future Solvay Prize, among others.

    The Bertozzi Group develops chemical tools to study the glycobiology underlying diseases such as cancer, inflammation, tuberculosis and most recently COVID-19. She is the inventor of "bioorthogonal chemistry", a class of chemical reactions compatible with living systems that enable molecular imaging and drug targeting. Her group also developed new therapeutic modalities for targeted degradation of extracellular biomolecules, such as antibody-enzyme conjugates and Lysosome Targeting Chimeras (LYTACs). As well, her group studies NGly1 deficiency, a rare genetic disease characterized by loss of the human N-glycanase.

    Several of the technologies developed in the Bertozzi lab have been adapted for commercial use. Actively engaged with several biotechnology start-ups, Dr. Bertozzi cofounded Redwood Bioscience, Enable Biosciences, Palleon Pharmaceuticals, InterVenn Bio, OliLux Bio, Grace Science LLC and Lycia Therapeutics. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Lilly.

  • Matthew Bogyo

    Matthew Bogyo

    Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab uses chemical, biochemical, and cell biological methods to study protease function in human disease. Projects include:

    1) Design and synthesis of novel chemical probes for serine and cysteine hydrolases.

    2) Understanding the role of hydrolases in bacterial pathogenesis and the human parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii.

    3) Defining the specific functional roles of proteases during the process of tumorogenesis.

    4) In vivo imaging of protease activity

  • Jennifer Caswell-Jin

    Jennifer Caswell-Jin

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research is on the translational application of next-generation sequencing technologies to breast cancer care: (1) the value of hereditary cancer genetic panel testing in clinical practice, (2) the mechanisms by which inherited genetic variants lead to breast cancer development, and (3) the analysis of somatic tumor sequencing data to inform understanding of breast tumorigenesis, metastasis, and development of resistance in response to therapeutics.

  • James K. Chen

    James K. Chen

    Jauch Professor and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology, of Developmental Biology and of Chemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory combines chemistry and developmental biology to investigate the molecular events that regulate embryonic patterning, tissue regeneration, and tumorigenesis. We are currently using genetic and small-molecule approaches to study the molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signaling, and we are developing chemical technologies to perturb and observe the genetic programs that underlie vertebrate development.

  • Jennifer R. Cochran

    Jennifer R. Cochran

    Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research, Addie and Al Macovski Professor and Professor of Bioengineering

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular Engineering, Protein Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell and Tissue Engineering, Molecular Imaging, Chemical Biology

  • Steven M. Corsello

    Steven M. Corsello

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory operates at the intersection of functional genomics and chemical biology, with the goal of advancing novel molecular mechanisms of cancer inhibition to clinical use. We aim to 1) leverage phenotypic screening and functional genomics to determine novel anti-cancer mechanisms of small molecules, 2) develop new targeted therapy approaches against solid tumors, and 3) build a comprehensive community resource for drug repurposing discovery.

  • Hongjie Dai

    Hongjie Dai

    The J.G. Jackson and C.J. Wood Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus

    BioProfessor Dai’s research spans chemistry, physics, and materials and biomedical sciences, leading to materials with properties useful in electronics, energy storage and biomedicine. Recent developments include near-infrared-II fluorescence imaging, ultra-sensitive diagnostic assays, a fast-charging aluminum battery and inexpensive electrocatalysts that split water into oxygen and hydrogen fuels.

    Born in 1966 in Shaoyang, China, Hongjie Dai began his formal studies in physics at Tsinghua U. (B.S. 1989) and applied sciences at Columbia U. (M.S. 1991). He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard U and performed postdoctoral research with Dr. Richard Smalley. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1997, and in 2007 was named Jackson–Wood Professor of Chemistry. Among many awards, he has been recognized with the ACS Pure Chemistry Award, APS McGroddy Prize for New Materials, Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics and Materials Research Society Mid-Career Award. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and Foreign Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

    The Dai Laboratory has advanced the synthesis and basic understanding of carbon nanomaterials and applications in nanoelectronics, nanomedicine, energy storage and electrocatalysis.

    Nanomaterials
    The Dai Lab pioneered some of the now-widespread uses of chemical vapor deposition for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth, including vertically aligned nanotubes and patterned growth of single-walled CNTs on wafer substrates, facilitating fundamental studies of their intrinsic properties. The group developed the synthesis of graphene nanoribbons, and of nanocrystals and nanoparticles on CNTs and graphene with controlled degrees of oxidation, producing a class of strongly coupled hybrid materials with advanced properties for electrochemistry, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. The lab’s synthesis of a novel plasmonic gold film has enhanced near-infrared fluorescence up to 100-fold, enabling ultra-sensitive assays of disease biomarkers.

    Nanoscale Physics and Electronics
    High quality nanotubes from his group’s synthesis are widely used to investigate the electrical, mechanical, optical, electro-mechanical and thermal properties of quasi-one-dimensional systems. Lab members have studied ballistic electron transport in nanotubes and demonstrated nanotube-based nanosensors, Pd ohmic contacts and ballistic field effect transistors with integrated high-kappa dielectrics.

    Nanomedicine and NIR-II Imaging
    Advancing biological research with CNTs and nano-graphene, group members have developed π–π stacking non-covalent functionalization chemistry, molecular cellular delivery (drugs, proteins and siRNA), in vivo anti-cancer drug delivery and in vivo photothermal ablation of cancer. Using nanotubes as novel contrast agents, lab collaborations have developed in vitro and in vivo Raman, photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging. Lab members have exploited the physics of reduced light scattering in the near-infrared-II (1000-1700nm) window and pioneered NIR-II fluorescence imaging to increase tissue penetration depth in vivo. Video-rate NIR-II imaging can measure blood flow in single vessels in real time. The lab has developed novel NIR-II fluorescence agents, including CNTs, quantum dots, conjugated polymers and small organic dyes with promise for clinical translation.

    Electrocatalysis and Batteries
    The Dai group’s nanocarbon–inorganic particle hybrid materials have opened new directions in energy research. Advances include electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and water splitting catalysts including NiFe layered-double-hydroxide for oxygen evolution. Recently, the group also demonstrated an aluminum ion battery with graphite cathodes and ionic liquid electrolytes, a substantial breakthrough in battery science.

  • Millie Das

    Millie Das

    Clinical Professor, Medicine - Oncology

    BioDr. Das specializes in the treatment of thoracic malignancies. She sees and treats patients both at the Stanford Cancer Center and at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. She is Chief of Oncology at the Palo Alto VA and is an active member of the VA national Lung Cancer Working Group and Lung Cancer Precision Oncology Program. In 2023, she was elected President the Association of Northern California Oncologists (ANCO), where she displays her passion for patient advocacy and also for clinician education by helping to organize Bay Area focused continuing medical education programs. She is the VA site director for the Stanford fellowship program and leads the VA thoracic tumor board on a biweekly basis. She has a strong interest in clinical research, serving as a principal investigator for multiple clinical and translational studies at the Palo Alto VA, and also as a co-investigator on all of the lung cancer trials at Stanford. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and running.

  • Joseph M. DeSimone

    Joseph M. DeSimone

    Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine, Professor of Chemical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Chemistry, of Materials Science and Engineering, and of Operations, Information and Technology at the Graduate School of Business

    BioJoseph M. DeSimone is the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. He holds appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Chemical Engineering with courtesy appointments in the Department of Chemistry and in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

    The DeSimone laboratory's research efforts are focused on developing innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems centered around advanced polymer 3D fabrication methods. In Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, the lab is pursuing new capabilities in digital 3D printing, as well as the synthesis of new polymers for use in advanced additive technologies. In Translational Medicine, research is focused on exploiting 3D digital fabrication tools to engineer new vaccine platforms, enhanced drug delivery approaches, and improved medical devices for numerous conditions, with a current major focus in pediatrics. Complementing these research areas, the DeSimone group has a third focus in Entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation, and Manufacturing.

    Before joining Stanford in 2020, DeSimone was a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is also Co-founder, Board Chair, and former CEO (2014 - 2019) of the additive manufacturing company, Carbon. DeSimone is responsible for numerous breakthroughs in his career in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, nanomedicine, and 3D printing. He has published over 350 scientific articles and is a named inventor on over 200 issued patents. Additionally, he has mentored 80 students through Ph.D. completion in his career, half of whom are women and members of underrepresented groups in STEM.

    In 2016 DeSimone was recognized by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest U.S. honor for achievement and leadership in advancing technological progress. He has received numerous other major awards in his career, including the U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (1997); the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention (2005); the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2008); the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2009); the AAAS Mentor Award (2010); the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment (2017); the Wilhelm Exner Medal (2019); the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2019 U.S. Overall National Winner); and the Harvey Prize in Science and Technology (2020). He is one of only 25 individuals elected to all three branches of the U.S. National Academies (Sciences, Medicine, Engineering). DeSimone received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1986 from Ursinus College and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1990 from Virginia Tech.

  • Alice C. Fan

    Alice C. Fan

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and, by courtesy, of Urology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Fan is a physician scientist who studies how turning off oncogenes (cancer genes) can cause tumor regression in preclinical and clinical translational studies. Based on her findings, she has initiated clinical trials studying how targeted therapies affect cancer signals in kidney cancer and low grade lymphoma. In the laboratory, she uses new nanotechnology strategies for tumor diagnosis and treatment to define biomarkers for personalized therapy.

  • Dean W. Felsher

    Dean W. Felsher

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory studies the molecular basis of cancer with a focus on understanding when cancer can be reversed through targeted oncogene inactivation.

  • George A. Fisher Jr.

    George A. Fisher Jr.

    Colleen Haas Chair in the School of Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical expertise in GI cancers with research which emphasizes Phase I and II clinical trials of novel therapies but also includes translational studies including biomarkers, molecular imaging, tumor immunology and development of immunotherapeutic trials.

  • James Ford

    James Ford

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Genetics and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMammalian DNA repair and DNA damage inducible responses; p53 tumor suppressor gene; transcription in nucleotide excision repair and mutagenesis; genetic determinants of cancer cell sensitivity to DNA damage; genetics of inherited cancer susceptibility syndromes and human GI malignancies; clinical cancer genetics of BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer and mismatch repair deficient colon cancer.

  • Kristen N Ganjoo

    Kristen N Ganjoo

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGiant cell tumor of the bone
    Gastrointestinal stromal tumors
    Soft tissue sarcoma
    Osteosarcoma

  • Nathanael S. Gray

    Nathanael S. Gray

    Krishnan-Shah Family Professor

    BioNathanael Gray is the Krishnan-Shah Family Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford, Co-Director of Cancer Drug Discovery Co-Leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Program, Member of Chem-H, and Program Leader for Small Molecule Drug Discovery for the Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA). His research utilizes the tools of synthetic chemistry, protein biochemistry, and cancer biology to discover and validate new strategies for the inhibition of anti-cancer targets. Dr. Gray’s research has had broad impact in the areas of kinase inhibitor design and in circumventing drug resistance.
    Dr. Gray received his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999 after receiving his BS degree with the highest honor award from the same institution in 1995. After completing his PhD, Dr. Gray was recruited to the newly established Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) in San Diego, California. During his six year stay at GNF, Dr. Gray became the director of biological chemistry where he supervised a group of over fifty researchers integrating chemical, biological and pharmacological approaches towards the development of new experimental drugs. Some of the notable accomplishments of Dr. Gray’s team at GNF include: discovery of the first allosteric inhibitors of wild-type and mutant forms of BCR-ABL which resulted in clinical development of ABL001; discovery of the first selective inhibitors of the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK), an achievement that led to the development of now FDA-approved drugs such as ceritinib (LDK378) for the treatment of EML4-ALK expressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and discovery that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1P1) is the pharmacologically relevant target of the immunosuppressant drug Fingomilod (FTY720) followed by the development of Siponimod (BAF312), which is currently used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
    In 2006, Dr. Gray returned to academia as a faculty member at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston. There, he has established a discovery chemistry group that focuses on developing first-in-class inhibitors for newly emerging biological targets, including resistant alleles of existing targets, as well as inhibitors of well-validated targets, such as Her3 and RAS, that have previously been considered recalcitrant to small molecule drug development. Dr. Gray’s team developed covalent inhibitors of the T790M mutant of EGFR inspired the development of Osimertinib (AZD9291), now FDA approved for treatment of patients with relapsed lung cancer due to resistance to first generation EGFR inhibitors. Dr. Gray has also developed structure-based, generalized approaches for designing drugs to overcome one of the most common mechanisms of resistance observed against most kinase inhibitor drugs, mutation of the so-called "gatekeeper" residue, which has been observed in resistance to drugs targeting BCR-ABL, c-KIT and PDGFR.
    In 2021, Dr. Gray joined Stanford University where he has joined the Stanford Cancer Institute, Chem-H and the Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA) to spur the development of prototype drugs.
    These contributions have been recognized through numerous awards including the National Science Foundation’s Career award in 2007, the Damon Runyon Foundation Innovator award in 2008, the American Association for Cancer Research for Team Science in 2010 and for Outstanding Achievement in 2011 and the American Chemical Society award for Biological Chemistry in 2011, and the Nancy Lurie Marks endowed professorship in 2015 and the Paul Marks Prize in 2019, and the Hope Funds for Cancer Research in 2023.

  • Sigurdis Haraldsdottir

    Sigurdis Haraldsdottir

    Member, Stanford Cancer Institute

    BioDr. Sigurdis Haraldsdottir, M.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her medical degree and master's degree in medical sciences from the University of Iceland. She did her Internal Medicine training at Boston University Medical Center and training in Medical Oncology at the Ohio State University, before joining the faculty at Stanford. Her clinical and research focus is in gastrointestinal malignancies with a focus on mismatch repair deficient cancers, particularly colorectal cancer. She is conducting population-based research on Lynch syndrome - an inherited cancer syndrome, and recently completed a nation-wide study on Lynch syndrome in Iceland. She received her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences in 2017 from the University of Iceland. Her interests also focus on investigating colorectal cancer genomics, and their effect on outcomes and treatment implications.

  • Pehr Harbury

    Pehr Harbury

    Associate Professor of Biochemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsScientific breakthroughs often come on the heels of technological advances; advances that expose hidden truths of nature, and provide tools for engineering the world around us. Examples include the telescope (heliocentrism), the Michelson interferometer (relativity) and recombinant DNA (molecular evolution). Our lab explores innovative experimental approaches to problems in molecular biochemistry, focusing on technologies with the potential for broad impact.

  • Melanie Hayden Gephart

    Melanie Hayden Gephart

    Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology

    BioI am a brain tumor neurosurgeon, treating patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. I treat patients with malignant and benign tumors, including glioma, brain metastases, meningioma, and vestibular schwannomas. I direct the Stanford Brain Tumor Center and the Stanford Brain Metastasis Consortium, collaborative unions of physicians and scientists looking to improve our understanding and treatment of brain tumors. My laboratory seeks greater understanding of the mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and disease progression in malignant brain tumors. We study how rare cancer cell populations survive and migrate in the brain, inadvertently supported by native brain cells. We develop novel cell free nucleic acid biomarkers to track brain cancer treatment response, relapse, and neurotoxicity. Our bedside-to-bench-to-bedside research model builds on a foundation of generously donated patient samples, where we test mechanisms of brain cancer growth, develop novel pre-clinical models that reliably recapitulate the human disease, and facilitate clinical trials of new treatments for patients with brain cancer.

    www.GephartLab.com
    www.GBMseq.org
    https://stan.md/BrainMets
    @HaydenGephartMD

  • Gregory M. Heestand, MD

    Gregory M. Heestand, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine - Oncology

    BioDr. Heestand is a board-certified medical oncologist with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer. He serves as the medical oncology champion of the Stanford Hepatobiliary Tumor Board, as well as the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials. He collaborates with campus laboratories to help develop new biomarker and treatment technologies. He is the associate director of the Stanford Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program.

    Dr. Heestand and his team take great pride in helping patients and their families face gastrointestinal cancer.

    Outside of the clinic, Dr. Heestand enjoys playing the piano, teaching his kids about music, cooking for friends and family, and surfing the internet for interesting things to read.

  • Chris Holsinger, MD, FACS

    Chris Holsinger, MD, FACS

    Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS)
    On Leave from 03/04/2024 To 04/04/2024

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Holsinger’s surgical practice focuses on the surgical management of benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid and head and neck.

    His areas of clinical interest include endoscopic head and neck surgery, including robotic thyroidectomy, transoral robotic surgery and transoral laser microsurgery, as well as time-honoured approaches of conservation laryngeal surgery, supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

  • Brooke Howitt

    Brooke Howitt

    Associate Professor of Pathology

    BioDr. Howitt is a gynecologic and sarcoma pathologist, with academic interests in gynecologic mesenchymal tumors and morphologic and clinical correlates of molecular alterations in gynecologic neoplasia.

  • Mark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D.

    Mark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D.

    Dennis Farrey Family Professor of Pediatrics, and Professor of Genetics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMark A. Kay, M.D., Ph.D. Director of the Program in Human Gene Therapy and Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics. Respected worldwide for his work in gene therapy for hemophilia, Dr. Kay and his laboratory focus on establishing the scientific principles and developing the technologies needed for achieving persistent and therapeutic levels of gene expression in vivo. The major disease models are hemophilia, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B viral infections.

  • Electron Kebebew, MD, FACS

    Electron Kebebew, MD, FACS

    Harry A. Oberhelman, Jr. and Mark L. Welton Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Kebebew’s translational and clinical investigations have three main scientific goals: 1) to develop effective therapies for fatal, rare and neglected endocrine cancers, 2) to identify new methods, strategies and technologies for improving the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine neoplasms and the prognostication of endocrine cancers, and 3) to develop methods for precision treatment of endocrine tumors.

  • Saad A. Khan, MD

    Saad A. Khan, MD

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    BioDr. Khan is a fellowship-trained cancer specialist with board certification in oncology and hematology. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology.

    Dr. Khan focuses on the treatment of head and neck cancers, advanced thyroid cancers, and neuroendocrine tumors. He recognizes the broad effects of these conditions on daily living and aims to develop personalized, comprehensive treatment plans that optimize health and quality of life.

    Dr. Khan’s research interests include therapeutic clinical trials as well as ways to reduce toxicities that some patients may experience when receiving cancer treatment. His research activities include ongoing clinical trials of targeted and immune therapy for aggressive thyroid cancer.

    He has published numerous articles on his research discoveries in peer-reviewed journals such as the JAMA Oncology, Investigational New Drugs, and others. Topics include new drug treatments for small cell lung cancer and for cancers of the head and neck, racial and gender disparities in certain types of cancer, and management of the potentially toxic effects of cancer therapies.

    Dr. Khan is a member of the NRG Head and Neck Committee. NRG brings together internationally recognized groups (the first words in their names form the acronym “NRG”) to conduct cancer clinical research and share study results. The objective is to inform clinical decision making and healthcare policy worldwide.

    Dr. Khan is a member of the ECOG Head and Neck Core and Thoracic Committees. ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) is part of one of the five groups of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Program.

    He also is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Central IRB for Early Phase Clinical Trials.

    When not providing patient care or conducting research, Dr. Khan enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and relaxing at the beach.

  • Chaitan Khosla

    Chaitan Khosla

    Wells H. Rauser and Harold M. Petiprin Professor and Professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, of Biochemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health.

    For the past two decades, we have studied and engineered enzymatic assembly lines called polyketide synthases that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally complex and medicinally fascinating antibiotics in bacteria. An example of such an assembly line is found in the erythromycin biosynthetic pathway. Our current focus is on understanding the structure and mechanism of this polyketide synthase. At the same time, we are developing methods to decode the vast and growing number of orphan polyketide assembly lines in the sequence databases.

    For more than a decade, we have also investigated the pathogenesis of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, with the goal of discovering therapies and related management tools for this widespread but overlooked disease. Ongoing efforts focus on understanding the pivotal role of transglutaminase 2 in triggering the inflammatory response to dietary gluten in the celiac intestine.

  • Eric Kool

    Eric Kool

    George A. and Hilda M. Daubert Professor of Chemistry

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests• Design of cell-permeable reagents for profiling, modifying, and controlling RNAs
    • Developing fluorescent probes of DNA repair pathways, with applications in cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disease
    • Discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of DNA repair enzymes, with focus on cancer and inflammation

  • Philip W. Lavori

    Philip W. Lavori

    Professor of Biomedical Data Science, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiostatistics, clinical trials, longitudinal studies, casual inference from observational studies, genetic tissue banking, informed consent. Trial designs for dynamic (adaptive) treatment regimes, psychiatric research, cancer.

  • Natalie Shaubie Lui

    Natalie Shaubie Lui

    Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery)

    BioDr. Lui studied physics as an undergraduate at Harvard before attending medical school at Johns Hopkins. She completed a general surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco, which included two years of research in the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory and completion of a Master in Advanced Studies in clinical research. Dr. Lui went on to hold a fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, during which she participated in visiting rotations at Memorial Sloan Kettering and the Mayo Clinic.

    Dr. Lui’s surgical practice consists of general thoracic surgery with a focus on thoracic oncology and robotic thoracic surgery. Her research interests include intraoperative molecular imaging for lung cancer localization, increasing rates of lung cancer screening, and using artificial intelligence to predict lung cancer recurrence. She is the recipient of the Donald B. Doty Educational Award in 2019 from the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, the Dwight C. McGoon Award for teaching from the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association in 2020, and the Carolyn E. Reed Traveling Fellowship from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation and Women in Thoracic Surgery in 2022.

  • AC Matin

    AC Matin

    Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests1. Improvement of our newly discovered cancer prodrug regimen that permits noninvaisve visualization of drug activation. 2. Tracking tumors & cancer metastases using bacterial magnetite and newly developed single-cell tracking by MRI. 3. Molecular basis of bacterial planktonic and biofilm antibiotic resistance on Earth and under space microgravity -- development of new countermeasures; 4. Bioremediation.

  • Daria Mochly-Rosen

    Daria Mochly-Rosen

    George D. Smith Professor of Translational Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTwo areas: 1. Using rationally-designed peptide inhibitors to study protein-protein interactions in cell signaling. Focus: protein kinase C in heart and large GTPases regulating mitochondrial dynamics in neurodegdenration. 2. Using small molecules (identified in a high throughput screens and synthetic chemistry) as activators and inhibitors of aldehyde dehydrogenases, a family of detoxifying enzymes, and glucose-6-phoshate dehydrogenase, in normal cells and in models of human diseases.

  • Michelle Monje

    Michelle Monje

    Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery, of Pediatrics, of Pathology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Monje Lab studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment. This includes microenvironmental influences on neural precursor cell fate choice in normal neurodevelopment and in disease states.

  • Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS

    Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS

    Professor of Ophthalmology and, by courtesy, of Radiation Oncology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr Mruthyunjaya has maintained a broad research interest with publications in both ocular oncology and retinal diseases.
    His focus is on multi-modal imaging of ocular tumors and understanding imaging clues that may predict vision loss after ocular radiation therapy. He coordinates multi-center research on the role of genetic testing and outcomes of treatments of ocular melanoma.
    In the field of retinal diseases, his interests are in intra-operative imaging to enhance surgical accuracy.

  • Joel Neal, MD, PhD

    Joel Neal, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am a thoracic oncologist who cares for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and other thoracic malignancies. I design and conduct clinical trials of novel therapies in collaboration with other researchers and pharmaceutical companies. These generally focus on two areas, 1) targeted therapies against particular mutations in cancers (for example EGFR, ALK, ROS1, HER2, KRAS, MET, and others) and 2) the emerging field of immunotherapy in cancer, using anti PD-1/PD-L1 therapies in combination with other agents, and also developing cellular therapies. I also collaborate with other researchers on campus to apply emerging technologies to cancer therapy, for example, circulating tumor DNA detection. Additionally, in my role as the Cancer Center IT Medical Director, I coordinate projects relating to our use of the electronic health record to improve provider efficiency and facilitate patient care.

  • Mark Pegram

    Mark Pegram

    Susy Yuan-Huey Hung Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular mechanisms of targeted therapy resistance in breast and other cancers

  • Lawrence Recht, MD

    Lawrence Recht, MD

    Professor of Neurology (Adult Neurology) and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory focuses on two interrelated projects: (1) assessment of glioma development within the framework of the multistage model of carcinogenesis through utilization of the rodent model of ENU neurocarcinogenesis; and (2) assessment of stem cell specification and pluripotency using an embryonic stem cell model system in which neural differentiation is induced.

  • Stanley G. Rockson, MD

    Stanley G. Rockson, MD

    Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy clinical research includes studies on risk factor modification in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease; clinical trials involving medical therapies for peripheral arterial insufficiency; coronary angiogenesis; therapy of lymphedema; atherand photodynamic therapy in atherosclerosis.

  • Raya Saab

    Raya Saab

    Lindhard Family Professor of Pediatric Cancer Biology

    BioOur laboratory focuses on investigating molecular mechanisms of oncogene-induced tumorigenesis and tumor suppressor pathways, and oncogenic signaling in the pediatric solid tumor rhabdomyosarcoma. Our earlier work identified the tumor suppressors p53 and p18Ink4c as inhibitors of Cyclin D1-driven tumorigenesis in a pineoblastoma model, through senescence induction, and highlighted distinct roles for the the RB and p53 pathways in induction and maintenance of oncogene-induced senescence. We also identified CDK2 as a potential target for inducing senescence in premalignant lesions to inhibit tumor progression.
    Our current focus is on studying oncogenic signaling and tumor suppression in the childhood tumor rhabdomyosarcoma, to identify key mediators of invasion and metastasis, which is the most common cause of treatment failure clinically. We use preclinical in vitro and in vivo models, including murine and human cell lines, and mouse models of disease.
    We have recently uncovered a paracrine role for rhabdomyosarcoma-secreted exosomes in impacting biology of stromal cells. Rhabdomyosarcoma-derived exosomes carry specific miRNA cargo that imparts an invasive and migratory phenotype on normal recipient fibroblasts, and proteomic analysis revealed specific and unique pathways relevant to the two different molecular rhabdomyosarcoma subtypes that are driven by distinct oncogenic pathways. We identified that the driver oncogene in fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma, PAX3-FOXO1, modulates exosome cargo to promote invasion, migration, and angiogenic properties, and identified specific microRNA and protein cargo acting as effectors of PAX3-FOXO1 exosome-mediated signaling, including modulation of oxidative stress response and cell survival signaling.
    Our ongoing work is focused on interrogating specific paracrine signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of metastatic disease progression in rhabdomyosarcoma, for potential therapeutic targeting.

  • Shagufta Shaheen

    Shagufta Shaheen

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Oncology

    BioDr. Shaheen specializes in the gastrointestinal malignancies and she has expertise in treating neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Following her fellowship in Hematology and Oncology, Dr Shaheen completed an advanced fellowship in Neuroendocrine tumors from Stanford University. The NET advanced fellowship is first of its kind in United State started under the leadership of Dr Pamela Kunz who is the founding Director of the Stanford Neuroendocrine Tumor Program established in 2015. After completing her advanced fellowship, Dr Shaheen joined Stanford Oncology division as Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr Shaheen is involved in further developing the neuroendocrine oncology program at Stanford which serves as a centre of excellence in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. Dr Shaheen is actively involved in clinical research and clinical trials. Dr Shaheen is also involved in taking care of patients admitted to the oncology service as well as resident and fellow teaching.

  • Joseph Shrager

    Joseph Shrager

    Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsIn clinical research, Dr. Shrager studies outcomes in a variety of areas within Thoracic Surgery including: parenchyma-sparing operations and minimally invasive resections for lung cancer, transcervical thymectomy for myasthenia gravis, diaphragm plication, and surgical treatment of emphysema.

    Dr. Shrager's lab is focused on the impact of disease states upon the diaphragm. His group published the seminal paper (NEJM) describing diaphragm atrophy assoc'd with mechanical ventilation.

  • Branimir I. Sikic, M. D.

    Branimir I. Sikic, M. D.

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology), Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch Interests: cancer pharmacology, mechanisms of resistance to anticancer drugs, regulation and function of MDR1 and tubulin genes, CD47 as a target for activation of anticancer macrophases, Phase I trials of new drugs, gene expression profiling of cancers

  • Eila C. Skinner

    Eila C. Skinner

    Thomas A. Stamey Research Professor of Urology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on outcomes in the treatment of muscle invasive and high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. This includes identifying markers of prognosis, predictive markers for response to surgery and chemotherapy, and working toward an individualized, multidisciplinary approach to disease management. I have also focused on optimizing the use of lower urinary tract reconstruction in patients undergoing cystectomy, and developing interventions to improve patient quality of life.

  • Sandy Srinivas

    Sandy Srinivas

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and, by courtesy, of Urology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsClinical interests: general oncology, genito-urinary malignancy Research interests: conducting clinical trials in advanced prostate cancer, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma

  • Jean Y. Tang MD PhD

    Jean Y. Tang MD PhD

    Professor of Dermatology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on 2 main areas:

    1. Skin cancer:
    - New therapeutics to treat and prevent non-melanoma skin cancer, especially by targeting the Hedgehog signaling pathway for BCC tumors
    - Genomic analysis of drug-resistant cancers
    - Identifying risk factors for skin cancer in the Women's Health Initiative

    2. Epidermolysis Bullosa: gene therapy and protein therapy to replace defective/absent Collagen 7 in children and adults with Recessive Dystrophic EB

  • Melinda L. Telli, M.D.

    Melinda L. Telli, M.D.

    Professor of Medicine (Oncology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of triple-negative and hereditary cancer. Other areas of interest include prevention of cardiac damage associated with breast cancer treatment and cardiotoxicity of anti-cancer agents.

  • Reena Thomas, MD PhD

    Reena Thomas, MD PhD

    Clinical Associate Professor, Neurology & Neurological Sciences
    Clinical Associate Professor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly Interests-Neuro Oncology Immunotherapy
    -Health Equity
    -Medical Education

  • Candice N. Thompson, MD

    Candice N. Thompson, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
    Masters Student in Epidemiology and Clinical Research, admitted Autumn 2023

    BioDr. Thompson is a board-certified, fellowship-trained general surgeon who specializes in breast surgical oncology. She is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Medical Director for the Office of Cancer Health Equity.

    Dr. Thompson's clinical interests include treatment of women and men who have breast cancer, benign breast disease, genetic mutations, family history of breast cancer, or other breast cancer risk factors. Procedures performed by Dr. Thompson include lumpectomies (partial mastectomies), skin- and nipple-sparing mastectomies, simple mastectomies with aesthetically flat closure, oncoplastic procedures, benign breast lesion excisions, axillary node dissections, and sentinel lymph node biopsies.

    She completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Stanford University under the mentorship of one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. She completed her general surgery training at Georgetown University, where she was the co-administrative chief resident. She is passionate about equitable care and addressing healthcare disparities, especially in breast cancer.

    Dr. Thompson works closely with medical oncology, radiation oncology, plastic surgery, genetics, and other breast cancer specialists in a multidisciplinary setting to provide high quality, evidence-based, and individualized care. Dr. Thompson is a strong advocate for patient education and empowerment and strives to deliver compassionate care to patients and their families.

    Her research has focused on Nipple Sparing Mastectomies, Community Engagement for Breast Cancer in the Black Community, Immune responses during breast cancer treatment, and prognostic role of Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the management of breast cancer. She also has strong research interests in community engagement, health disparities, oncoplastic surgical options, and cancer biomarkers. She has delivered presentations on a wide range of topics related to breast cancer at national and regional meetings including NRG Oncology, ASBrS, ASC.

    For her scholarship and research achievements, Dr. Thompson has won numerous honors and awards. She has earned the resident teaching award during her chief year at Georgetown. She was awarded the Stanford Cancer Institute Clinical Innovation Fund Grant for her work in educating the Black Community about Breast Health and Breast Cancer (2022). She was also awarded the prestigious NCI Early-Surgeon Scientist Program (ESSP) Award to support her early career as a surgeon scientist(2024). She also serves on the AAS Academic Advancement Committee, NRG Oncology Surgical Oncology Committee, NCCN Breast Screening and Diagnosis Panel, and TOUCH Black Breast Advisor for Pink Table Talk.


    Dr. Thompson is a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS), Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS), Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), and American Medical Association (AMA).

  • Brendan C. Visser, MD

    Brendan C. Visser, MD

    Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Visser's research interests span the breath of his clinical practice. Areas of active research include the multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers, technical aspects of minimally invasive pancreatic and liver surgery, and trends in the management of hepatobiliary cancers in California, focusing on socioeconomic and instituional barriers to appropriate care.

  • Heather Wakelee

    Heather Wakelee

    Winston Chen and Phyllis Huang Professor

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Wakelee's research is focused on clinical trials and translational efforts in patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies such as thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Other interests include translation projects in thoracic malignancies and collaborations with population scientists regarding lung cancer questions.

  • Paul Wender

    Paul Wender

    Francis W. Bergstrom Professor and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
    On Leave from 01/01/2024 To 03/31/2024

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMolecular imaging, therapeutics, drug delivery, drug mode of action, synthesis

  • Robert West

    Robert West

    Professor of Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsRob West, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Pathology at Stanford University Medical Center. He is a clinician scientist with experience in translational genomics research to identify new prognostic and therapeutic markers in cancer. His research focus is on the progression of neoplasia to carcinoma. His lab has developed spatially oriented in situ methods to study archival specimens. He also serves as a surgical pathologist specializing in breast pathology.

  • Joy Wu

    Joy Wu

    Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory focuses on the pathways that regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into the osteoblast and adipocyte lineages. We are also studying the role of osteoblasts in the hematopoietic and cancer niches in the bone marrow microenvironment.

  • Bo Yu, MD

    Bo Yu, MD

    Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Yu’s lab is interested in ovarian physiology and pathology, as well as assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

  • Richard Zare

    Richard Zare

    Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science and Professor, by courtesy, of Physics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research group is exploring a variety of topics that range from the basic understanding of chemical reaction dynamics to the nature of the chemical contents of single cells.

    Under thermal conditions nature seems to hide the details of how elementary reactions occur through a series of averages over reagent velocity, internal energy, impact parameter, and orientation. To discover the effects of these variables on reactivity, it is necessary to carry out studies of chemical reactions far from equilibrium in which the states of the reactants are more sharply restricted and can be varied in a controlled manner. My research group is attempting to meet this tough experimental challenge through a number of laser techniques that prepare reactants in specific quantum states and probe the quantum state distributions of the resulting products. It is our belief that such state-to-state information gives the deepest insight into the forces that operate in the breaking of old bonds and the making of new ones.

    Space does not permit a full description of these projects, and I earnestly invite correspondence. The following examples are representative:

    The simplest of all neutral bimolecular reactions is the exchange reaction H H2 -> H2 H. We are studying this system and various isotopic cousins using a tunable UV laser pulse to photodissociate HBr (DBr) and hence create fast H (D) atoms of known translational energy in the presence of H2 and/or D2 and using a laser multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer to detect the nascent molecular products in a quantum-state-specific manner by means of an imaging technique. It is expected that these product state distributions will provide a key test of the adequacy of various advanced theoretical schemes for modeling this reaction.

    Analytical efforts involve the use of capillary zone electrophoresis, two-step laser desorption laser multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, and Hadamard transform time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We believe these methods can revolutionize trace analysis, particularly of biomolecules in cells.