School of Medicine
Showing 71-80 of 83 Results
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Kekoa Taparra, MD, PhD, MPH
Resident in Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy
BioAloha, my name is Kekoa and I am an Indigenous Native Hawaiian born and raised in Mililani, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. My life's mission is to return home to the islands and provide high-quality cancer care to the communities that raised me. I earned my PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Cellular and Molecular Medicine) and my MD from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (Science of Healthcare Delivery Certification), experiences that have prepared me for my current role as a resident physician and postdoctoral medical fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford Health Care. I am a Masters of Public Health Merit Award scholar at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. I'm proud to be a member of the inaugural cohort of the President Barack Obama Foundation Leaders USA program. I also run a lab with over 20 talented Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI) and NHPI-ally scholars across the nation, focusing on unmasking NHPI health disparities that have been overlooked for decades.
My lab specifically focuses on Pacific Islander health disparities, overcoming Indigenous Erasure, resolving structural racism in NHPI data, and sustainable climate-resilient healthcare systems. We use perspectives from the lived experiences of our communities to help guide the most pertinent research questions. For my research, I have been awarded the inaugural 2023 ASCO Dr. Judith and Alan Kaur Endowed Young Investigator Award along with awards from ASH, ASTRO, NMF, and AACR. My work has been published in The Lancet, NEJM, JAMA, JAMA Oncology, JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Health Forum, JNCI, and JCO Oncology Practice, among others. I was selected as a 2022-2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Journals Editorial Fellow and a 2023-2024 Stanford Cancer Institute Fellow.
As an advocate for Pacific Islander health equity, I strive to engage with community partners, federal agencies, and academic research institutions to educate others on the unique health concerns of our population. I've been invited to speak on NHPI health at institutions such as Harvard, MDACC Grand Rounds, UCLA, UCSF, NIH/NCI, FDA, and Papa Ola Lōkahi, among others. I warmly welcome interdisciplinary collaborations that aim to improve the health of our underserved Pacific Islander communities. -
Nicholas Trakul, MD, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy
BioDr. Nicholas Trakul is a radiation oncologist with Stanford Medicine Cancer Center and clinical associate professor of Radiation Oncology-Radiation Therapy with Stanford School of Medicine. Dr. Trakul serves as Medical Director for Stanford Medicine Radiation Oncology in Pleasanton and for the Stanford Medicine I Sutter Health Cancer Collaborative in Castro Valley.
Dr. Trakul completed residency training at Stanford in 2013 and then joined the faculty at the University of Southern California, where he specialized in head and neck and central nervous system malignancies, with an emphasis on stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR/SBRT). He is widely published as first author in peer-reviewed journals. His research focus involves the creation of novel clinical databases as well as outcomes in the treatment of head and neck, gastrointestinal and thoracic malignancies. In 2017, Dr. Trakul returned to Stanford Medicine, becoming the Medical Director of Stanford Medicine Radiation Oncology in Pleasanton. In 2020, he was named Medical Director of Stanford Radiation Oncology Network Sites. Dr. Trakul served as medical directorship of Eden Radiation Oncology Center from 2022 to 2023, the first site to become operation under the Stanford/Sutter Cancer Collaborative. In 2024, he was named Vice Chair and Director of the Radiation Oncology Network. In November of 2024, Dr. Trakul was named Medical Director of Alta Bates Herrick Radiation Oncology. He is focused on providing access to high quality radiation therapy, collaboration with community health care systems and creating/maintaining productive and high engagement workplace culture. He believes in providing personalized, high-quality care, and bringing new technology to the East Bay, allowing patients to access cancer care while staying connected to their communities and support networks. -
Lucas Kas Vitzthum, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy
BioDr. Vitzthum is a radiation oncologist and clinical associate professor of radiation oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal and thoracic cancers. He also has a clinical and research interest in oligometastatic cancer, which is cancer that has metastasized to a limited number of sites beyond its origin.
He began his career in biomedical engineering and is passionate about integrating new technologies to advance patient care.
Dr. Vitzthum delivers treatment personalized to each patient’s condition, overall health, and goals. He believes clear communication between doctor and patient is vital to help patients make informed care decisions.
His research interests include clinical trial development, survivorship, and predictive modeling to personalize patient treatment. He is especially interested in pursuing research that can address unmet clinical needs.
Dr. Vitzthum has received research support through the Radiological Society of North America, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Conquer Cancer Foundation, and the UCSD Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute. His work has appeared in International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Annals of Oncology, JAMA Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, and other publications.
He is a member of the American College of Radiation Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Radiologic Society of North America.
Dr. Vitzthum is also interested in improving access to high-quality cancer care for under-served populations domestically and abroad. -
Ziwei Wang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Radiation Therapy
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy current work focuses on establishing preclinical platforms to rapidly validate the functional impact of genetic alterations in tumors using both cell and genetically engineered mouse models. We hope this system can accelerate the discovery and translation of novel cancer therapies to patients.
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Zachary Bruce White II
Affiliate, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy
BioI’m originally from Birmingham, AL. I completed my undergraduate education at Tuskegee University and majored in Biology/Pre-Health and minored in Bioethics. I also received a Master of Science in Biomedical & Health Sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed medical school at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Following graduation from medical school, my intern year was spent in my hometown at Brookwood Baptist Health Transitional Year Program. One of my favorite aspects of radiation oncology at Stanford is the opportunity to give compassionate medical care to our cancer patients while working with the latest state-of-the-art medical technology. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, exercising, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my family & friends.
