School of Medicine
Showing 1-100 of 432 Results
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Oliver O. Aalami, MD
Clinical Professor, Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe launched a national precision medicine PAD trial called, VascTrac (http://vasctrac.stanford.edu/). This trial is mobile phone based and leverages Apple's ResearchKit Platform to monitor a patient's activity both pre- and post-intervention. We are validating mobile phone surveillance for PAD patients and are currently enrolling.
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Fabiana Aellos
Postdoctoral Scholar, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy background in implantology and periodontology, combined with my microsurgical skills, has allowed me to tackle complex oral surgeries and intricate procedures. These skills have been instrumental in advancing the field and, more importantly, in improving the outcomes and well-being of my patients.
I've always believed in bridging the gap between fundamental research and its practical application in clinical settings. By amalgamating my clinical experiences with laboratory investigations, I've contributed to the development of surgical models that closely mimic human diseases and conditions. This approach enhances our understanding of how tissues respond to surgical interventions, paving the way for more effective treatments.
My research into mucosal integration of percutaneous implants and the role of Wnt signaling in implant osseointegration seeks to optimize the interaction between implants and surrounding tissues. This improved integration not only bolsters the stability of dental implants but also ensures their long-term success, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our patients. My involvement in regenerative medicine research is driven by a passion for developing innovative strategies for tissue repair and regeneration. This work has the potential to revolutionize how dental professionals address challenges such as bone defects and periodontal tissue loss, leading to better patient outcomes.
One of my greatest joys is nurturing the next generation of dental professionals. Through my dedication to training and mentoring undergraduate and pre-dental students, I aim to equip them with advanced research and clinical skills. Fostering curiosity and empowering young minds to contribute to scientific advancements in dentistry is a responsibility I hold close to my heart.
I'm grateful for the international grants and collaborations that support my work. These resources not only enable my research but also contribute to the broader progress of our research laboratory. Together, we pursue innovative projects that have the potential to impact dental care on a global scale.
Recognizing the importance of effective communication, I've committed myself to enhancing my communication skills and engaging in professional development activities. Effective communication is key to translating research findings into clinical practice, influencing dental policies, and sharing knowledge within our professional community.
As I gaze into the future, I envision a dentistry landscape where my work may lead to more advanced and efficacious dental treatments, refined surgical techniques, and enhanced patient care. In the challenging realm of bone-anchored percutaneous implants, plagued by the persistent issue of implant failure due to infections at the soft tissue-implant interface, I confront this concern head-on. My mission is to meticulously investigate the biological and biophysical intricacies of this interface, with the aim of enhancing its barrier function through innovative strategies.
My journey from the confines of clinical practice to the expansive realms of research has been underpinned by a humble desire—a desire to forge a lasting impact on the field of dentistry, to ignite the flames of curiosity in future generations of dentists, and to contribute to the enhancement of dental care for all. -
M. Usman Ahmad
Postdoctoral Scholar, General Surgery
BioDr. Ahmad is currently a postdoctoral research fellow under the mentorship of Prof. George Poultsides in the Section of Surgical Oncology at Stanford University. In addition, he engages in basic scientific inquiry in tumor immunology under Prof. Amanda Kirane. As part of an interdisciplinary team, Dr. Ahmad is currently investigating the role of the intratumor microbiome and response to treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer funded by the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) and Sarafan ChEM-H. He entered his current position after completing 2 years of general surgical training at Stanford University and the University of Colorado.
Dr. Ahmad received his medical education at the University of South Florida (USF) where he was the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards including the Galen Scholarship, SELECT Koch Award, Anderson SELECT Scholarship, and Osler Award. During medical school, Dr. Ahmad was productive in both basic science and research resulting in 3 peer-reviewed publications and induction into the Robert A. Good Honor Society bestowed upon the top 10% of medical students in research. Dr. Ahmad also received the Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn A. Kuckein Fellowship to continue policy work on improving the organ supply for Americans requiring organ transplants. Early in medical school, he conducted basic scientific work transplanting immune cells on metastatic melanoma in a mouse model while a visiting researcher under Prof. Gavin Pettigrew & Prof. Reza Mottalebzadeh in the Department of Surgery at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Dr. Ahmad was also active in health policy work culminating in a role as Vice Chair of the Medical Student Section Committee of Legislation & Advocacy for the American Medical Association with several roles at university, county, and state levels in both Florida and Pennsylvania. Dr. Ahmad has an extensive record of volunteer activity serving at risk populations in the United States during medical school including HIV, LGBTQ, pediatric, and homeless populations. In addition, he spends time mentoring and reviewing scholarship applications for Greenhouse Scholars, program focused on developing under-resourced high performing American students from high school to first career and beyond.
Prior to medical school, Dr. Ahmad had a career in the life sciences industry after receiving a degree in Economics from Northwestern University where he primarily focused on bringing new medical technology to market. Dr. Ahmad was part of a team selected by the Chicago Chamber of Commerce as the most innovative company in 2010 winning a state-wide competition. He also volunteered his time as a board member re-vitalizing a 25 year old arts organization in Chicago and helping to develop a business incubator in Detroit shortly after the Great Recession.
Dr. Ahmad is a native Chicagoan hailing from a large family raised near the Southside of Chicago. In his free time he enjoys cooking, reading, history, traveling, working on cars, and developing his interest in aviation. -
Somayeh H. Ahmad, DDS, Dr. Med. Dent.
Instructor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDentistry
Dental Oncology
Dental Surgery
Special Needs Dentistry -
Katherine Arnow
Biostatistician 3, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
BioKate is a biostatistician with the Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research & Education Center (S-SPIRE). She has a degree in epidemiology and has worked in both academic and public health settings. She has particular experience working with Medicaid claims data and analyzing patient reported health outcomes. Kate collaborates with Department of Surgery researchers on study design, data analysis, and reporting.
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Shipra Arya
Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)
BioShipra Arya, MD SM FACS is a Professor of Surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine and section chief of vascular surgery at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. She has a Master’s degree in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health with focus on research methodology and cardiovascular epidemiology. She completed her General Surgery Residency at Creighton University Medical Center followed by a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at University of Michigan. She has been funded by American Heart Association (AHA), NIH/NIA GEMSSTAR grant, VA Palo Alto Center for Innovation and Implementation (Ci2i), and is currently funded by VA HSR&D for a multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized clinical trial called “PAtient-centered mUltidiSciplinary Care for vEterans Undergoing Surgery (PAUSE) trial”. Her current work focuses on streamlining frailty evaluation, as well as implementation of patient and system level interventions to improve surgical quality and to provide high-value and patient centered care.
She has multiple administrative roles in surgical quality improvement as Director of Surgical Quality at VAPAHCS; Center director for Stanford University in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI); and the Associate Medical Director of the Northern California region for VQI, which is the national registry database and patient safety organization for Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS). Her involvement in SVS VQI also extends to being a member of the steering committee of the Vascular Implant Surveillance and Interventional Outcomes Network (VISION) to improve the quality, safety and effectiveness of vascular care. She also serves as the President of the Surgical Outcomes Club, a national organization of surgical health services researchers, and chairs multiple national committees: VA surgeons committee for the SVS and Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Association of VA surgeons. -
Dan E. Azagury, MD, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly Interests.
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Ani Bagdasarian, MSN, MPH, RN, AGACNP-BC
Affiliate, Surgery - Vascular Surgery
BioAni is a nurse practitioner with previous experience in clinical research in cardiovascular disease. Her clinical practice is providing pre and post operative medical care for the admitted vascular surgery patients, and ensuring discharge plans are seamless and comprehensive. She has been a nurse practitioner for the inpatient Vascular Surgery service since 2014 and was promoted to the Lead Advanced Practice Provider in 2020. She oversees all aspects of the Vascular Surgery APP's in Palo Alto, Pleasanton, and Emeryville. She completed her master of science in nursing, and nurse practitioner training at the Yale School of Nursing in New Haven, CT; and remains an active alumni member. She is a board certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
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Rachel Baker
Communications Manager, Surgery
BioAs the Director of Communications for Stanford Surgery, Rachel Baker tells the stories of her department's faculty, staff, and trainees.
With the help of an amazing team of content creators, she produces and curates original articles, photos, videos, graphics, and even podcasts.She works personally with each division, center, program, and lab within her purview to define their audience and reach their goals while maintaining a consistent brand voice.
She hosts quarterly professional development workshops open to all AEM web authors--please email her if you'd like to join! She also offers both 1:1 and group education to faculty and residents on a variety of topics including media training, using social media to advantage, and presentation refinement.
Rachel holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on photography from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. A transplant from the DC-area, she still misses foliage and argyle but has happily adopted the official NorCal hobbies of visiting wineries, hiking local trails, and eating avocado. -
Jean Jingzhi Bao
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Jean Bao 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.
Dr. Bao’s clinical interests include treatment of men and women who have breast cancer, benign breast disease, genetic mutations, family history of breast cancer, or other breast cancer risk factors. Procedures performed by Dr. Bao include skin- and nipple-sparing mastectomies, partial mastectomies, oncoplastic procedures, benign breast lesion excisions, axillary node dissections, and sentinel lymph node biopsies. Dr. Bao is certified in breast ultrasound and utilizes this technology to visualize and biopsy breast masses.
She completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center under the mentorship of one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Bao practiced at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor of surgery in the Breast Center.
Dr. Bao 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. Bao 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 the management of breast cancer in older patients, male breast cancer, high-risk breast cancers, and axillary lymph node management after preoperative chemotherapy. She also has strong research interests in intraoperative 3D breast imaging, the benefits and risks of prophylactic mastectomy, fertility issues in young women with breast cancer, and the role of endocrine therapy in breast cancer. She has delivered presentations on a wide range of topics related to breast cancer at national and regional meetings. The results of her research have been published in JAMA, Annals of Surgical Oncology, Breast Journal, Clinical Imaging, and elsewhere.
For her scholarship and research achievements, Dr. Bao has won numerous honors and awards. She earned the Excellence in Teaching Award twice from the University of Chicago Department of Surgery. She was also named a Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium Scholar, where she joined other medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists who lead in the field.
Dr. Bao is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. She is a member of Breast Disease Site Work Group in the Society of Surgical Oncology, and serves as the society’s external liaison to the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria Breast Imaging Panel. She previously held the position of chair of the Cancer Committee at University of Chicago Medicine. -
Albaraa A Basfar
Postdoctoral Scholar, General and Vascular Surgery
BioAlbaraa Basfar Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the S-SPIRE Center at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Research and Evaluation from Ohio University in 2023. His research interests include program evaluation, research methodology, and education.
Dr. Basfar has a strong quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research background. He has experience in managing programs, conducting research, and analyzing data. He is also proficient in using SAS, R, SPSS, and Python.
Prior to joining the S-SPIRE Center, Dr. Basfar was a Research Analyst at Pensacola State College. In this role, he was responsible for compiling, arranging, and presenting data reports for several communities and college departments. He also created and analyzed surveys, Tableau visual dashboards, and conducted data research related to grants and accreditations.
Dr. Basfar is passionate about using research to improve education and positively impact students' lives. He is excited to continue his research at S-SPIRE and contribute to the field of Pipeline Programs. -
Tiffany E. Chao, MD, MPH, FACS, FCS (ECSA)
Clinical Associate Professor (Affiliated), Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Tiffany E. Chao is a board-certified general surgeon at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC), a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery (Affiliated) in the Stanford Department of Surgery (Division of General Surgery), and an Adjunct Professor in the university's Program in Human Biology. At SCVMC, Dr. Chao is the Site Director for the Stanford medical student surgical clerkship and the Associate Site Director for the Stanford General Surgery Residency Program. Her interests in surgery include minimally invasive foregut, hernia, and colorectal surgery, in addition to acute care & trauma surgery.
At Stanford, she is the Primary Instructor of the undergraduate course HUMBIO 29: Introduction to Global Health and the medical school seminar SURG 236: Seminar in Global Surgery and Anesthesia, both Winter Quarter classes. Her other roles at Stanford include Faculty Fellow with Center for Innovation in Global Health and the Clinical Competency Committee of the General Surgery Residency. Dr. Chao's research interests are in global surgery, including cost-effectiveness analysis, surgical device innovation, and expansion of surgical delivery for low-income populations through surgical workforce and infrastructure development.
Dr. Chao holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Symbolic Systems and Psychology from Stanford University, as well as MD and MPH degrees from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she graduated with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. She completed General Surgery residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School's Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, and the CTSA/Lucile Packard Innovation Fellowship at Stanford Biodesign. Through the Biodesign program, she co-founded Zenflow, Inc., a venture-backed medical device company working in minimally-invasive therapy for prostate disease, and is a Founding Partner of 4i Ventures.
In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons since 2018, Dr. Chao was also elected to be an Overseas Fellow of The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) in 2022. She has also been appointed as an Extraordinary Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Global Surgery at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa and serves on the Editorial Board of the World Journal of Surgery. -
Peter Bendix, MD, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Peter Bendix is board-certified in general surgery, trauma surgery, and critical care. He is an assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree from the University of California – Davis and a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed surgical residency at Dartmouth and his Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care fellowships at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. His clinical focus is on conditions of traumatic injury, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care.
Dr. Bendix served in the United States Peace Corps as a health extensionist in The Gambia region of West Africa. He also conducted fieldwork for the National Institutes of Health in Haiti and Mozambique. His research interests include the health impacts of gun violence; and racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health care delivery. Prior to joining Stanford, he worked as a trauma surgeon at the University of Chicago. -
Deeksha Suresh Bidare
Affiliate, Department Funds
Resident in Surgery - General SurgeryBioGeneral Surgery PGY-1
Stanford Medicine - Department of Surgery
M.D. | Baylor College of Medicine, 2023
B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Rice University, 2019 -
Vasiliki Bikia
Visiting Instructor, Surgery - Vascular Surgery
BioDr. Vasiliki Bikia is a Postdoc in the Division of Vascular Surgery at Stanford University and the Department of Bioengineering, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne. Vasiliki is an Electrical engineer with a specialization in biomedical signal processing. Her research focus is on arterial pulse wave analysis, optimization techniques, and machine learning. She develops novel digital predictive tools to monitor health via the noninvasive estimation of major hemodynamical and cardiac indices.
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Stephan Busque
Professor of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research interest is focused on the improvement of clinical immunosuppression. I am involved in the evaluation of new immunosuppressive drugs, potentially more efficacious or less toxic. My ultimate goal is to achieve tolerance, a state that would obviate the need for any drugs. I am an investigator part of a multidisciplinary tolerance induction project using total lymphoid irradiation and donor hematopoietic stem cells infusion after living donor kidney transplantation.
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Edward Chan
Life Science Research Professional 1, Surgery - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
BioCURRENT PROJECT
Our team is developing a novel imaging-driven autonomous surgical robotic platform to perform incision-free in-situ tissue editing.
EXPERIENCE
* High-performance ASIC/FPGA design in VHDL/Verilog
* Robust, high-precision control systems for robotic actuation
* Cloud/mobile-based information platforms in Python/NodeJS
AREAS OF INTEREST
* Co-registered MRI/CT with RT visual and ultrasound imaging
* Modeling frameworks for soft tissue deformation
* Level 3 autonomous surgical robotics
* Ultrashort pulse laser tissue ablation
* Wide-spectrum laser imaging -
Venita Chandra
Clinical Professor, Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Clinical Professor (By courtesy), NeurosurgeryBioDr. Chandra is a board certified vascular surgeon who specializes in cutting edge approaches to aortic aneurysmal disease, peripheral vascular disease and limb salvage.
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Crystal Chang, D.D.S.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioDr. Crystal Chang is a Hospital Dentist and Clinical Assistant Professor in Dental Medicine & Surgery. She focuses on maintaining oral health through the management of infection, trauma and secondary comorbidities to the dentition and its supporting structures. She performs medically necessary dental surgery in the context of cardiac disease, orthopedic surgery, cancer therapy and organ transplants. Dr. Chang is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and provides oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.
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James Chang, MD
Johnson and Johnson Professor of Surgery and Professor, by courtesy, of Orthopaedic Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy role in research is to apply novel advances in tissue engineering and microsurgery to the clinical problems of hand trauma, peripheral nerve injuries, and congenital hand problems. I am interested in developing new tissues and techniques that will allow optimal reconstruction of form and function to those patients requiring reconstructive surgery.
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Stephanie D. Chao, MD FACS FAAP
Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Chao is passionate about disease prevention as she believes it is the ultimate way to impact the health of a population. Surgeons often see the devastating, end-results of the failure of prevention. With this perspective, Dr. Chao believes that it is crucial for surgeons to be active in prevention research. Dr. Chao currently serves as Trauma Medical Director of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and focuses much of her research on injury prevention.
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Robert Chase
Emile Holman Professor of Surgery, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch in teaching technology
Computer assisted teaching programs -
Peiqi Chen
Social Science Research Professional 1, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
BioPeiqi Chen, M.A., B.A., is a Social Science Research Professional at the S-SPIRE Center. She holds a BA from the University of Iowa with a background in Sociology and Psychology. She also gained a certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management & Philanthropy. Currently she is still in her MA program in Social Science at the University of Chicago and writing a thesis about family planning policy evaluation on women’s maternity rights. At S-SPIRE, she assists with clinical researchers on qualitative data gathering and analysis. Before attending Stanford, she completed two internships at nonprofit organizations. She conducted research on social stigma toward COVID19 patient and front-line health workers during the pandemic. Her research interests lie in between sexual health, policy outcomes evaluation, and social welfare improvement for underrepresented population.
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Christopher Cheng
Adjunct Professor, Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanics of the cardiovascular system, especially with respect to interactions between medical devices and the dynamic cardiovascular environment. We use medical imaging, 3D geometric modeling, and custom deformation quantification techniques to investigate disease processes and medical device performance. We are interested in the dynamics of the heart, aorta, and peripheral vasculature, and are always seeking ways to apply our research to current and emerging therapies. While our research pursuits seek to add to the fundamental understanding of cardiovascular biomechanics, all of our projects are directly related to improving medical device design, evaluation, regulation, and their use in clinical practice.
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Xingxing Shelley Cheng
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and, by courtesy, of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation) and of Health Policy
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Xingxing Cheng's expertise is in applying the tools of decision science to clinical practice and policy analysis. Her current research is in the following areas:
1) the costs, effectiveness, and implementation of work-up before kidney transplantation, including pretransplant cardiovascular screening;
2) ethics of and decision-making in in multi-organ transplantation. -
Bill Chiu
Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Surgery)
BioDr. Chiu obtained his B.S. degree in Biological Sciences and graduated with Honors from Stanford University. After graduating, he received his Medical Degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he remained for his internship and General Surgery residency training. Dr. Chiu completed his Pediatric Surgery training at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is an Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine where he has an active research program studying innovative approaches to treat patients with neuroblastoma.
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Jeff Choi
Resident in Surgery - General Surgery
BioGeneral surgery resident (2017-2025; administrative chief resident 2024-2025). MS in Epidemiology & Clinical Research (2019-2020), and Biomedical Informatics (2020-2022). Ex-president of Surgeons Writing About Trauma. Founding course instructor of SURG238: Practical Introduction to Surgical Research.
My research vision is to save or better the most possible number of lives using data. Our group focuses on:
1) building and implementing useful clinical prediction tools
2) bringing various AI applications (e.g. NLP, vision) to the bedside
3) challenging dogma in surgical practice with contemporary data
My passions are advocating for higher statistical and machine learning methodology quality in surgical literature , and fostering the growth of the next generation of surgeon data scientists. -
William Choi, D.M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioClinical focus in Hospital Dentistry serving as needed for hospital inpatients, dental oncology, special needs and emergency room patients who need dental consultation or treatment.
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HyeRan Choo
Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioDr. HyeRan Choo is a Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is Director of Neonatal and Pediatric Craniofacial Airway Orthodontics and Dental Sleep Medicine at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She also directs the Neonatal and Pediatric Craniofacial Airway Orthodontic Fellowship in the Department of Surgery / Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She is a Faculty Fellow of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign.
After graduating from Seoul National University with a combined degree in Natural Sciences and Dental Surgery in 2002, Dr. Choo received her Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her orthodontic residency and Masters in Science degree program at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Following her Craniofacial Fellowship at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Dr. Choo was recruited as a full-time faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Choo joined the faculty of Stanford University School of Medicine in 2016. Dr. Choo is a board-certified craniofacial orthodontist by American Board of Orthodontics since 2008 and became a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine in 2021.
Dr. Choo’s areas of expertise are non-surgical airway management and facial reconstruction for newborns with cleft and/or Robin Sequence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her treatments utilize simple custom-fabricated orthodontic devices to establish a healthy environment to correct neonatal orofacial abnormalities with great respect for natural growth potential of each neonate. She also practices the full scope of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea management as well as orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics for patients with cleft and craniofacial abnormalities in a multi-disciplinary clinical setting.
Dr. Choo’s treatment philosophy is based on a fundamental understanding of facial growth and oral functions (Biocreative Orthodontic Strategy). Her research focuses on translation of health innovation technology for the advancement of infant orthodontics. She also pioneers the development of skeletal anchorage-based orthodontic and orthopedic treatment strategies for pediatric sleep apnea patients. -
Kirk Churukian
Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
BioKirk A. Churukian MD, FACS is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Churukian completed training in general surgery, plastic surgery, and hand surgery. He was board certified in general surgery and is currently board certified in plastic surgery.
Dr. Churukian is a member of several local, state, and national professional societies and has practiced in the Los Gatos/San Jose areas for more than 20 years. He tries to bring a friendly, creative, and patient focused approach to his cosmetic and reconstructive surgery practice.
In addition to his private cosmetic practice, Dr. Churukian serves the community as a trauma specialist at San Jose Regional Medical Center. At this level II Trauma Center, he specializes in facial and orbital fracture repair and complex reconstructive surgery of the trunk and extremities. He also maintains an ongoing commitment to enhancing self-image with breast reconstruction for cancer survivors.
Dr. Churukian grew up as a first generation eldest son of Armenian parents in Southern California and attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a degree in Psychobiology. Always interested in athletics, He participated in swimming and water polo throughout high school and played club water polo in college. This interest in aquatics was transferred to his children, all of whom are swimmers, and two of whom are avid water polo players. He currently resides in Menlo Park, California and is currently still married to his first wife ;-). He enjoys supporting Stanford athletics, except when the USC Trojans come to town! -
Robin Cisco, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
BioDr. Robin Cisco is a board certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon. She specializes in surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands and has expertise in lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer. Dr Cisco received her medical degree at Duke University before moving to Stanford for general surgery residency. During her residency, she completed a two-year research fellowship in surgical oncology, with a focus on cancer immunology.
After residency, she completed an endocrine surgery fellowship with the internationally recognized UCSF Division of Endocrine Surgery. She is the author of multiple publications related to endocrine surgery and surgical oncology and has an interest in minimally invasive approaches to thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery. She is currently the Physician Leader of Stanford's Endocrine Oncology Cancer Care Program (CCP).
Dr. Cisco focuses on providing outstanding surgical care in an environment that is supportive of her patients and their families. She enjoys patient education and preoperative counseling, and seeks to lessen the anxiety that often comes with a recommendation for surgery. She currently sees patients both in San Jose at Stanford's Cancer Center South Bay and in Palo Alto in the Endocrine Oncology and Surgery clinic. -
Zaria Cosby
Social Science Research Professional 2, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
BioZaria Cosby, MPH, is a Social Science Research Professional at the S-SPIRE Center. She completed her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, as well as her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, at the University of Southern California. During her time at USC, Zaria worked on multiple projects across a variety of topics, the most recent being her master’s capstone: a mixed-methods study into the lived experiences of women of color with HIV during the Covid pandemic. At S-SPIRE, she supports qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Zaria also holds a Certified Personal Trainer certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. No matter the position or project, Zaria’s overarching goal is to help people become their healthiest selves through research and education.
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Catherine Curtin MD
Professor of Surgery (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) and, by courtesy, of Orthopaedic Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMaintaining and optimizing upper limb function in people with spinal cord injury and other nerve disorders.
Improving pain and general well being after severe hand injuries.
Improving treatment and recognition of pain. -
Ronald L. Dalman MD
Dr. Walter C. Chidester Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsVascular biology, arterial remodeling, aneurysm development; innovative treatment strategies for AAA, animal models of arterial disease, arterial remodeling and flow changes in spinal cord injury, genetic regulation of arterial aneurysm formation
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Halley Darrach
Affiliate, Department Funds
Resident in Surgery - Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryBioHalley Darrach is a plastic and reconstructive surgery resident (2020-2027) at Stanford Health. She is currently completing a professional development year with ReSurge International, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing global access to reconstructive surgery through surgeon education and sustainable, local-driven initiatives.
Dr. Darrach received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins and her bachelor's in cellular biology from California State University Northridge. While at Hopkins, she completed a dedicated research fellowship studying oncologic reconstruction outcomes under the mentorship of Dr. Justin Sacks and worked as a medical illustrator designing patient and surgeon education tools.
Prior to residency, she spent several years conducting astrobiology research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was the first hire at a biotech startup company, where she helped adapt NASA technology for medical and counterterrorism applications. Outside of the OR, she enjoys figure drawing, long-distance swimming, and travelling the world in search of new favourite cuisines.
Dr. Darrach's research interests include gender affirming surgery, oncologic reconstruction, ethnic plastic surgery, societal perceptions of deformity, and use of medical illustration in patient and surgeon education. -
Kristen Davis-Lopez
S-SPIRE Project Manager, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
BioKristen Davis-Lopez, MPH, PMP is the Research Project Manager at the S-SPIRE Center. She has a background in biology as well as public health. She supports multiple principal investigators with their current funded projects as project manager. She leads the Social Science Research Professionals in the S-SPIRE Center and also assists with the grant submission process within the Department of Surgery acting as a liaison with the Research Management Group.
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Aaron J. Dawes, MD, PhD, FACS, FASCRS
Assistant Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
BioDr. Dawes is a board-certified, fellowship-trained colon and rectal surgeon. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Dawes treats a wide variety of conditions involving the colon, rectum, and anus, always leveraging the latest evidence and technologies. He is fully trained in minimally invasive surgical techniques--including laparoscopic, robotic, and trans-anal minimally invasive surgery--and strives to employ them, whenever possible, in an effort to reduce pain and shorten recovery.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Dawes is a health services researcher, receiving his Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. His research focuses on policy development, measurement, and evaluation for patients with colorectal conditions. He is particularly interested in using data to drive policy interventions aimed at reducing disparities in quality, access, and value.
Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Dawes completed a residency in General Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles followed by a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Minnesota. He has authored articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Cancer, Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Health Services Research, and JAMA Surgery. His work has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Press, and HealthDay News.
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Dawes received his A.B. in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and his M.D. from Vanderbilt University. -
Heather Sydney Day
Biostatistician 1, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
Current Role at StanfordBiostatistician 1, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
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Daniel James Delitto, MD, PhD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
BioDr. Delitto is a board certified complex general surgical oncologist with a focus on conditions of the liver, pancreas, and stomach. He is an assistant professor in Stanford Medicine’s Department of Surgery.
His education includes a decade of postgraduate training in complex general surgical oncology, as well as a PhD in immunology with an emphasis on cancer biology. He completed a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and continued his research at the postdoctoral level in the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee. His research focus is on advancing the field of cancer immunology and harnessing his findings to improve immunotherapies.
He was the principal investigator of two studies examining the immune response to pancreatic cancer, including one funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Delitto has presented the findings of his research at conferences such as the American Association for Cancer Research, Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, American Association of Immunologists, American College of Surgeons, Academic Surgical Congress and Pancreas Club. In addition to cancer immunology, he has also presented work focused on cancer cachexia, surgical outcomes, translational experimental models and a variety of other oncologic topics.
He has published original work in Nature Communications, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, and other high impact journals. He is also a reviewer for Annals of Surgery, Scientific Reports, Surgery, Tumor Biology, Journal of Surgical Research, PLOS ONE, and the Journal of Translational Medicine.
Dr. Delitto has earned numerous honors related to clinical excellence, teaching and research. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research and American Association of Immunologists. -
Malav P Desai
Research Data Analyst 1, Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center
Current Role at StanfordResearch Data Analyst, S- SPIRE center
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Frederick M. Dirbas, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCurrently collaborating with Dr's Aaron Newman and Michael Clarke to study cancer stem cells associated with triple negative breast cancer. Advancing studies of FLASH radiotherapy in preclinical models for potential future use in humans. Investigating preclinical use of high dose gaseous nitric oxide in the treatment of solid tumors.
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Monica M. Dua, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery - General Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTechnical aspects of minimally invasive pancreatic and liver surgery
Minimally invasive strategies for the management of pancreatic necrosis
Management of severe acute pancreatitis – academic vs community treatment
Multidisciplinary treatment of HCC; institutional barriers to appropriate referral/ care
Endocrine/exocrine insufficiency after pancreatectomy; volumetric assessment
Natural history and management of pancreatic cysts -
James Dunn
Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Surgery) and, by courtesy, of Bioengineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsIntestinal lengthening for short bowel syndrome
Intestinal stem cell therapy for intestinal failure
Skin derived precursor cell therapy for enteric neuromuscular dysfunction
Intestinal tissue engineering -
Dan Eisenberg, MD, MS
Professor of Surgery (General Surgery)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMinimally Invasive Surgery
Metabolic-Bariatric Surgery
Obesity in the Veteran population with spinal cord injury -
Yasser El-Sayed, Professor
Charles B. and Ann L. Johnson Professor in the School of Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, of Pediatrics (Neonatology) and of Surgery
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsHigh Risk Obstetrics: preterm labor, preeclampsia, medical and surgical complications of pregnancy, prenatal diagnosis and therapy
