School of Medicine
Showing 21-40 of 45 Results
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Tobias Lanz
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology)
BioTobias Lanz, MD is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection and the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford. His research focuses on B cell biology in neuroimmunological diseases and rheumatic diseases with neurological manifestations. He uses high-throughput screening technologies, and methods from structural and cell biology to identify new autoantigens and to understand how certain self-reactive B cells escape tolerance mechanisms. He is particularly interested in molecular mechanisms that explain the association between Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and autoimmunity.
Tobias went to medical school at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Germany and at the University College of London. He wrote his MD thesis at Dr. Michael Platten's laboratory at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen, Germany before joining Dr. Lawrence Steinman’s neuroimmunological laboratory at Stanford as a research scholar. After medical school he pursued his scientific and clinical training at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. In 2015 he joined Dr. William Robinson’s lab at Stanford, where he investigated environmental triggers of autoimmunity, including viruses and milk consumption. In his most recent work, he characterized the B cell repertoire in the spinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identified molecular mimicry between EBV EBNA1 and the glial cellular adhesion molecule GlialCAM as a driver of neuroinflammation (Lanz et al., Nature, 2022). His long term objective is to leverage these newly discovered mechanistic insights to develop next-generation biomarkers and therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. -
Janice Lin
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Immunology & Rheumatology
BioDr. Lin specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatologic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, myositis, gout, and seronegative spondyloarthropathies. She received additional training in autoimmune skin diseases and has a special clinical and research interest for psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, dermatomyositis, cutaneous lupus/systemic lupus. She leads a combined rheumatology-dermatology clinic with Dr. Matthew Lewis in the dermatology department to take care patients collaboratively. Dr. Lin is a graduate of USSONAR (Ultrasound School of North American Rheumatologists) program and performs diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound evaluation and interventions. In addition to her clinical work, she leads the quality improvement effort for the division and her most recent projects are focused on patient-reported outcome in rheumatoid arthritis and vaccinations for patients in the rheumatology clinic.
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Kate Lorig
Professor (Research) of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology), Emerita
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCommunity based psycoeducational intervention studies of disease self management for people with chronic diseases. arthritis, lung diseases, heart disease AIDs, low back pain and diabetes. Programs and studies in Spanish and English. Interventions are in small groups, mailed or on the Internet.
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Eric Meffre
Professor of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology)
BioDr. Meffre obtained his PhD in Immunology from the Université d’Aix-Marseille in France before he moved to the USA as a postdoc fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Michel Nussenzweig at The Rockefeller University in New York City. He became an assistant professor at Cornell University in 2003 before being recruited at Yale University as associate professor in 2009. He was tenured at Yale in 2014 before he joined the Department of Medicine/Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University as a tenured full professor in 2022.
Dr. Meffre’s work focuses on the etiology of autoimmune syndromes and the roles played by B cells in these diseases. His group characterized the abnormal selection of developing autoreactive B cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), type 1 diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis (MS) and Sjögren’s syndrome, resulting in large numbers of autoreactive naïve B cells accumulating in the patient’s blood. Hence, these autoreactive B cells may present self-antigens to T cells and initiate autoimmune diseases. These early B cell tolerance defects are likely primary to these autoimmune diseases and may result from genetic factors such as the 1858T PTPN22 allele that segregates with RA, SLE and T1D and correlate with an impaired removal of developing autoreactive B cells.
His research goals also consist in characterizing the molecules and pathways involved in the establishment of B cell tolerance and the removal of developing autoreactive B cells generated by random V(D)J recombination through the investigation of rare patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) enrolled through an international network. Alteration of B cell receptor (BCR) or Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in PID patients results in a defective central B cell tolerance and a failure to counterselect developing autoreactive B cells in the bone marrow. In contrast, functional and suppressive regulatory T cells play a key role in preventing the accumulation of autoreactive clones in the mature naïve B cell compartment. The recent development of humanized mouse models recapitulating early B cell tolerance checkpoints and their defects in autoimmune settings allow further in-depth investigation of tolerance mechanisms and the development of novel approaches to restore defective central and peripheral B cell tolerance checkpoints and thwart autoimmunity. -
Quan Dong Nguyen, MD, MSc
Professor of Ophthalmology and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics and of Medicine (Immunology & Rheumatology)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe have focused our research on the development of novel therapies and innovative assessment and diagnostic imaging technologies for retinal vascular and ocular inflammatory disorders, specifically diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and uveitis. Building on our initial work describing the role of hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME), We have become interested in the biochemical mechanisms that would presumably lead to DME. During the past decade, our research has contributed to the body of evidences that defines the important role of anti-VEGF therapies in DME and AMD, as well as the role of the mTOR pathway and various interleukins in the pathogenesis of uveitis.
We have launched a productive and well-funded clinical research program while at the same time providing clinical care to patients with uveitis and retinal vascular diseases and fulfilling significant teaching and administrative assignments. We have established a number of key collaborators both within and outside the institutions. In addition, we have also established Center in Baltimore and now in Silicon Valley, which has excelled in conducting proof-of concept, early-phase multi-center clinical trials and studies, exploring the clinical disease manifestations and the efficacy of various pharmacologic agents in retinal, uveitic, and ocular inflammatory disorders. -
William H. Robinson, MD PhD
James W. Raitt, M.D. Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab investigates the molecular mechanisms of and develops therapies to treat autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and osteoarthritis.
The overriding objectives of our laboratory are:
1. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.
2. To investigate the role of innate immune inflammation in osteoarthritis.
3. To develop novel diagnostics and therapeutics -
Neda Sattarnezhad Oskouei, MD, MS
Instructor, Medicine - Immunology & Rheumatology
BioDr. Neda Sattarnezhad Oskouei is a board-certified neurologist and neuroimmunologist specializing in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and neuroimmunological disorders, including Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), MOG Antibody Disease (MOGAD), optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, autoimmune encephalitis, neuro-rheumatological conditions, and neuroinfectious diseases. Her research focuses on understanding the role of pathogens in triggering autoimmunity, with a particular emphasis on the role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in the development of MS.
Dr. Sattarnezhad earned her MD degree with honors from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. She completed a research fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the Brigham MS Center, Harvard Medical School, before pursuing her residency in adult neurology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She further specialized by completing a clinical fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at Stanford University as a Sylvia Lawry Fellow of the National MS Society, during which she also earned a master’s degree in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. She subsequently completed a fellowship in immunology and rheumatology at Stanford.
Her research and training have been supported by the National MS Society (NMSS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). -
Neha Shah
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Immunology & Rheumatology
BioDr Shah's clinical and research interests lie in Integrative Rheumatology, healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole patient, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies, including those outside the realm of allopathic medicine. Specifically, she is interested in exploring the impact of diet/nutrition/botanicals on inflammation as it pertains to rheumatic diseases such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, as well as studying the impact of other lifestyle approaches such as mindful meditation, sleep, yoga, stress reduction, etc. on disease burden and quality of life of patients with rheumatic diseases. She boarded in Lifestyle Medicine and has advanced training in Functional Medicine. Dr Shah is currently pursuing additional training in Ayurvedic Medicine.
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Stanford Shoor
Clinical Professor, Medicine - Immunology & Rheumatology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPatient Centered Care in Rheumatic Disease
Sarcoidosis -
Julia Fridman Simard
Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, of Medicine (Immunology & Rheumatology) and, by courtesy, of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine)
BioJulia Fridman Simard, ScD, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, and of Medicine in Immunology and Rheumatology and Obstetrics and, by courtesy, Gynecology in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Simard earned her Masters and Doctorate of Science in Epidemiology degrees at the Harvard School of Public Health. During that time she trained with investigators at the Section of Clinical Sciences, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 2008, Dr. Simard relocated to Sweden to begin a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. She became an Assistant Professor in their Clinical Epidemiology Unit in 2011, and was later honored with a Karolinska Institutet Teaching Award. Leveraging the population-based registers of Sweden, Dr. Simard initiated a national register linkage study to examine the utility of registers in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) research and develop an extensive data repository for future epidemiologic investigations.
While maintaining a close collaboration with the Karolinska Institutet, she joined Stanford’s Epidemiology faculty in 2013. Dr. Simard studies outcomes such as malignancy, stroke, infection, and mortality, in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases with a focus on systemic lupus erythematosus. Recently her primary research focus has shifted to the intersection between reproductive epidemiology and rheumatic disease fueled by a K01 career development award from the NIH (NIAMS) to study maternal and fetal outcomes in systemic lupus pregnancy. This led to collaborations with colleagues at Stanford, throughout the US, and abroad, and a series of projects focused on the diagnosis of preeclampsia and associated risks in pregnant women with systemic lupus. Dr. Simard was awarded a Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grant from the Preeclampsia Foundation for her lab's work examining preeclampsia risk in high-risk populations, and a McCormick Faculty Award from Stanford Medicine to take important steps towards disentangling preeclampsia from lupus nephritis. Dr. Simard is leading an international study of hydroxychloroquine in lupus pregnancy leveraging mixed methods in partnership with qualitative researchers, patients, clinicians, and epidemiologists in Sweden, Canada, and in the United States.
In addition to these issues of misclassification in reproductive rheumatology questions, Dr. Simard's lab is also interested in how misclassification, missed opportunities, and misdiagnosis contribute to disparities in complex conditions such as systemic lupus. In addition to methodologic issues around misclassification and bias and the largely clinical epidemiology focus of her work, Dr. Simard's work examines social determinants of health and health disparities. Dr. Simard was recently awarded an R01 from NIH (NIAID) to study the role of cognitive errors in clinical decision making for female-predominant diseases including lupus and multiple sclerosis. This work evaluates this bias in multiple clinical specialties, including rheumatology, neurology, and primary care, and uses mixed methods. -
Soujanya Sodavarapu, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine - Immunology & Rheumatology
BioDr. Sodavarapu is a fellowship-trained rheumatologist with Stanford Health Care. She is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Sodavarapu is board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine.
As a rheumatologist, Dr. Sodavarapu specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions that involve swelling of the joints, muscles, and internal organs. She diagnoses and treats conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), psoriatic arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Dr. Sodavarapu has published her research in peer-reviewed journals including Biomedicines, BMJ Case Reports, and Cureus. She has also presented her research nationwide at various professional conferences and events.
Dr. Sodavarapu is a member of the American College of Physicians. -
Suzanne Tamang
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology)
BioDr. Suzanne Tamang an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology and a Faculty Fellow at the Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences. She is also the Computation Systems Evaluation Lead at the VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention's Program Evaluation Resource Center. Dr. Tamang uses her training in biology, computer science, health services research and biomedical informatics to work with interdisciplinary teams of experts on population health problems of public interest. Integral to her research, is the analysis of large and complex population-based datasets, using techniques from natural language processing, machine learning and deep learning. Her expertise spans US and Danish population-based registries, Electronic Medical Records from various vendors, administrative healthcare claims and other types of observational health and demographic data sources in the US and internationally; also, constructing, populating and applying knowledge-bases for automated reasoning. Dr. Tamang has developed open-source tools for the extraction of health information from unstructured free-text clinical progress notes and licensed machine learning prediction models to Silicon Valley health analytics startups. She is the faculty mentor for the Stanford community working group Stats for Social Good.
