PRISM Mentors

Our group combines computational and experimental techniques to study the cellular organization of complex tissues, with a focus on determining the phenotypic diversity and clinical significance of tumor cell subsets. We have a particular interest in developing innovative data science tools that illuminate the cellular hierarchies and stromal elements that underlie tumor initiation, progression, and response to therapy. As part of this focus, we develop new algorithms to resolve cellular states and multicellular communities, tumor developmental hierarchies, and single-cell spatial relationships from genomic profiles of clinical biospecimens. Key results are further explored experimentally, both in our lab and through collaboration, with the goal of translating promising findings into the clinic.

As a member of the Department of Biomedical Data Science and the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and as an affiliate of graduate programs in Biomedical Informatics, Cancer Biology, and Immunology, we are also interested in the development of impactful biomedical data science tools in areas beyond our immediate research focus, including developmental biology, regenerative medicine, and systems immunology.

Aaron's current research focus is the study of dark energy using images from the ongoing Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the  future Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). He is interested in studying dark energy using both galaxy clusters and weak gravitational lensing. His research group connects instrumental work, in particular active optics and wavefront measurements at DES and a program of camera-wide testing at LSST,  with cosmology measurements. For example, they are developing a new method to characterize the telescope+camera point spread function using optical data, to be part of the weak lensing data analysis at both DES and LSST.

Our laboratory studies the dynamics and organization of eukaryotic genomes. Every eukaryotic cell must compact its DNA into the nucleus while maintaining the accessibility of the DNA to the replication, repair, expression and segregation machinery. Eukaryotes accomplish this feat by assembling their genomes into chromatin and folding that chromatin into functional compartments. We are studying four key processes in the eukaryotic nucleus: 1) the genetic and epigenetic basis for centromere formation that enables chromosome segregation, 2) the role of noncoding RNAs in structuring the genome and regulating gene expression, 3) the formation of silent heterochromatin and its role in genome organization and 4) the activation of the embryonic genome at the maternal to zygotic transition. We rely on biochemistry, quantitative microscopy and genomics to probe genome dynamics in vitro and in living systems. Our goal is to uncover the core principles that organize eukaryotic genomes and to understand how genome organization controls organismal function.

My research interests revolve around the following areas: - Novel systems and methods for x-ray and CT imaging - Applications of x-ray/CT to image-guided interventions and therapy and diagnostic imaging - Dual energy / spectral imaging, including photon counting detectors - Applications of artificial intelligence / machine learning / deep learning to medical imaging - Monte Carlo and Deterministic methods for x-ray imaging and radiation dose - Model-based image reconstruction

The lab's current research is aimed primarily at understanding how hematopoietic stem cells interact with their microenvironment in order to subsequently modulate these interactions to ultimately improve bone marrow transplantation and unlock biological secrets that further enable regenerative medicine broadly. We are primarily focused on studying the cell surface receptors on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and bone marrow stromal cells, and are actively learning how manipulating these can alter cell state and cell fate.  We have also pioneered several antibody-based conditioning methods that are at various stages of clinical development to enable safer stem cell transplantation.

There are many exciting opportunities that stem from this work across a variety of disease states ranging from rare genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, solid organ transplantation, microbiome and cancer. While we are primarily focused on blood and immune diseases, the expanded potential of this work is much broader and can be applied to other organ systems as well and we are very eager to develop collaborations across disease areas. The Czechowicz lab hopes to further add in the field of translation research.

Goals
We aim to increase our understanding of the basic science principles that govern these cells and then exploit these findings to develop improved therapies for patients
We are particularly focused on pediatric non-malignant bone marrow transplantation with a strong interest in genetic blood/immune diseases and bone marrow failure, but do complementry work on solid tumors with marrow disease, solid organ tolerance induction, autoimmune diseases and gene therapy/gene editing.

I am a surgeon-scientist with a clinical interest in caring for patients with hearing loss and deafness, and research interests in inner ear development and regeneration. For almost 20 years, I have been studying hair cell biology. Since 2007, my research has focused on defining the role of Wnt signaling in regulating hair cell progenitors in the developing and damaged inner ear using a combination of genetic, molecular biological, pharmacological, and imaging techniques. In particular, our work has led to the discovery of Wnt-responsive hair cell progenitors in the neonatal mouse cochlea and utricle, and more recently, functional recovery during vestibular regeneration.

Department URL:
https://med.stanford.edu/ohns.html

Our translational research laboratory endeavors to bring breakthroughs in stem cell biology and tissue engineering to clinical ophthalmology and reconstructive surgery. Over 6 million people worldwide are afflicted with corneal blindness, usually caused by chemical and thermal burns, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, microbial infections, or chronic inflammation. These injuries often result in corneal vascularization, conjunctivalization, scarring, and opacification from limbal epithelial stem cell (LSC) deficiency (LSCD), for which there is currently no durable treatment.

The most promising cure for bilateral LSCD is finding an autologous source of limbal epithelial cells for transplantation. Utilizing recent advances in the field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), our research aims to create a reliable and renewable source of limbal epithelial cells for potential use in treating human eye diseases. These cells will be grown on resorbable biomatrices to generate stable transplantable corneal tissue. These studies will serve as the basis for human clinical trials and make regenerative medicine a reality for those with sight-threatening disease. On a broader level, this experimental approach could serve as a paradigm for the creation of other transplantable tissue for use throughout the body. Stem cell biology has the potential to influence every field of medicine and will revolutionize the way we perform surgery.

Our group in Stanford's Department of Earth System Science, led by Prof. Alexandra Konings, studies how ecosystems and the carbon cycle respond to variations in water availability at large scales, and how ecosystems will change under future climate. Our research questions principally focus on plant hydraulics, water-carbon coupling in the tropics, and the role of spatial variability in plant traits. In order to answers these questions, we primarily use remote sensing data analysis and model development. In particular, we often use new microwave measurements of vegetation water content. We believe that a deep understanding of remote sensing techniques helps us do better science and therefore also work on developing new remote sensing datasets and their validation.

The goal of our laboratory is to develop molecular technologies for mapping cells and functional circuits. At the sub-cellular scale, maps document the spatial organization of proteins, RNA, DNA, and metabolites with nanometer precision and temporal acuity on the order of seconds. Maps also chart the connectivity between these molecules, elucidating the circuits and signaling processes that give rise to function. Beyond the single cell, we also strive to map cellular ensembles, such as brain tissue. Can we create tools that contribute to the construction of cell and tissue atlases, and can we map the cellular circuits that give rise to function and behavior? To achieve these goals, our laboratory employs a wide variety of approaches, including directed evolution, protein engineering, organic synthesis, computational design, mass spec proteomics, and single-cell RNA seq. Our work lies at the interface between chemical biology, genetics, biophysics, cell biology, and neuroscience.

We are a chemical biology laboratory focused on the development of technologies to map molecules, cells, and functional circuits. We apply the technologies to understand signaling in the mitochondria and in the mammalian brain.

Our technologies probe molecules and functional networks at both the sub-cellular and multi-cellular level, leveraging our laboratory’s unique strengths in chemical synthesis, protein engineering, directed evolution, proteomics, and microscopy. While we strive to develop technologies that are broadly applicable across biology, we also pursue applications of our methods to neuroscience and mitochondrial biology in our own laboratory and through collaborations.

Our research program is broadly divided into three areas: (1) molecular recorders for scalable, single-cell recording of past cellular events; (2) molecular editors for the precise manipulation of cellular biomolecules, pathways, and organelles; and (3) proximity labeling for unbiased discovery of functional molecules.

The Cardiovascular Biomechanics Computation Lab  develops fundamental computational methods for the study of cardiovascular disease progression, surgical methods, treatment planning and medical devices.  We focus on patient-specific modeling in pediatric and congenital heart disease, as well as adult cardiovascular disease.  Our lab bridges engineering and medicine through the departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, and the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. We develop the SimVascular open source project.

The Cardiovascular Biomechanics Computation Lab  develops fundamental computational methods for the study of cardiovascular disease progression, surgical methods, treatment planning and medical devices.  We focus on patient-specific modeling in pediatric and congenital heart disease, as well as adult cardiovascular disease.  Our lab bridges engineering and medicine through the departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, and the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. We develop the SimVascular open source project.

The Cardiovascular Biomechanics Computation Lab  develops fundamental computational methods for the study of cardiovascular disease progression, surgical methods, treatment planning and medical devices.  We focus on patient-specific modeling in pediatric and congenital heart disease, as well as adult cardiovascular disease.  Our lab bridges engineering and medicine through the departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, and the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. We develop the SimVascular open source project.

Dr. Reiss is the Howard C. Robbins Professor and Vice Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics, and a recognized expert in the fields of neuropsychiatry, genetics, neuroimaging, neurodevelopment, and cognitive neuroscience. His research utilizes an interdisciplinary, multi-level scientific approach to elucidate the neurobiological pathways that lead to both typical and atypical behavioral and cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents. He is director of the NIMH funded Research Training for Child Psychiatry and Neurodevelopment program which is currently recruiting for two - three year fellowships. The program is seeking applicants from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, pediatrics, neurology, genetics, neuroscience, developmental biology, computer science and related fields who seek to improve or expand their ability to conduct interdisciplinary- translational research. Physician-scientists accepted into the program can potentially combine the research training program with their clinical training over a 3 to 4 year period.

Our lab studies the mechanisms by which cells and organisms respond to genetic change. The genetic landscape faced by a living cell is constantly changing. Developmental transitions, environmental shifts, and pathogenic invasions lend a dynamic character to both the genome and its activity pattern.We study a variety of natural mechanisms that are utilized by cells adapting to genetic change. These include mechanisms activated during normal development and systems for detecting and responding to foreign or unwanted genetic activity. At the root of these studies are questions of how a cell can distinguish "self" versus "nonself" and "wanted" versus "unwanted" gene expression. We primarily make use of the nematode C. elegans in our experimental studies. C. elegans is small, easily cultured, and can readily be made to accept foreign DNA or RNA. The results of such experiments have outlined a number of concerted responses that recognize (and in most cases work to silence) the foreign nucleic acid. One such mechanism ("RNAi") responds to double stranded character in RNA: either as introduced experimentally into the organism or as produced from foreign DNA that has not undergone selection to avoid a dsRNA response. Much of the current effort in the lab is directed toward a molecular understanding of the RNAi machinery and its roles in the cell. RNAi is not the only cellular defense against unwanted nucleic acid, and substantial current effort in the lab is also directed at identification of other triggers and mechanisms used in recognition and response to foreign information.

Our research focus is in computational systems biology, primarily in cancer and more recently in neurodegenerative diseases.  We develop and apply methods to understand biological processes underlying disease, using high-throughput genomic and proteomic datasets and integrating them with phenotypes and clinical outcomes. A key interest is dissecting how the cellular composition and organization of tissues affects their behaviour in disease; and how these things might be targeted for therapy or diagnostic purposes. We collaborate with many wet lab and clinical groups at Stanford, including in the areas of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

Our research focus is in computational systems biology, primarily in cancer and more recently in neurodegenerative diseases.  We develop and apply methods to understand biological processes underlying disease, using high-throughput genomic and proteomic datasets and integrating them with phenotypes and clinical outcomes. A key interest is dissecting how the cellular composition and organization of tissues affects their behaviour in disease; and how these things might be targeted for therapy or diagnostic purposes. We collaborate with many wet lab and clinical groups at Stanford, including in the areas of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

Building synthetic solids with atomic precision from layered sheets and other nanomaterials. Scanning probe characterization of atomic-scale electronic and opto-electronic phenomena. 2D materials and thin film growth.

We aim to understand the genetic basis of diabetes and related metabolic conditions and to use this to leverage a better understanding of what causes diabetes and how we can improve treatment options for patients. Our work is predominantly focused on understanding what causes pancreatic islets to release insufficient insulin to control blood glucose levels after a meal in patients with type 2 diabetes, but often extends to efforts to relate this to metabolic dysfunction in other relevant tissues such as fat and liver.

We are an inter-disciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists with shared interests in using molecular genetics as a tool to uncover novel biology. We use a variety of different approaches to address important challenges in the field, which range from studies that work genome wide to those which are focused on specific genes and even precise nucleotide changes to understand their impact on pancreatic islet biology.

We have developed a series of pipelines that use primary human islets and authentic beta-cell models which allow us to generate and then integrate complex genomic, transcriptomic and cellular datasets. We use state-of-the art genome engineering approaches combined with induced pluripotent stem-cells to study the impact of T2D-associated genetic variants on islet cell development and function. We are also funded to investigate the impact of T2D risk variants on pancreatic beta-cell function in vivo.

We are a highly collaborative team and work with multiple national and international consortia involved in efforts to understand the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes (eg DIAGRAM, NIDDK Funded Accelerated Medicines Partnership) and related glycaemic traits (MAGIC). We are also part of several Innovative Medicines Initiatives (IMIs) efforts including STEMBANCC and RHAPSODY and Horizon 2020 initiatives (eg T2DSYSTEMS), which are working to develop tools and frameworks to capitalize on genetic and genomic data.

We are also part of the NIDDK funded Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) where we play a role in two of their initiatives. The Human Pancreas Atlas Program- T2 (HPAP-T2D) and the Integrated Islet Phenotype Program (IIPP). Our role is to support the genetic and genomic characterization of islets which are distributed for research and to support the genomic characterization of the pancreas’ phenotyped within the HPAP-T2D program.

Our work extends to playing a role in the interpretation of genetic variants identified in genes with known roles in monogenic forms of diabetes. We are part of the Clin Gen Expert Review Panel for Monogenic Diabetes where are expertise contributes to interpretation of coding alleles in glucokinase (GCK) and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1 alpha (HNF1A). We are a number of on-going projects which are supporting efforts to better understand how to use exome-sequencing data in a diagnostic setting.

The Stanford BAD Lab is dedicated to centering the lives of Black academics and to the study of liberatory linguistics. We are invested in research that provides insight on factors that affect the academic and professional retention and the quality of life of Black people throughout the teaching and learning lifespan. Our current research projects focus on increasing racial diversity in the STEM fields, including the linguistic sciences; supporting teachers in building their knowledge of linguistic variation and its role in student outcomes across subject areas; and survivorship care of Black cancer patients.

Anne Villeneuve’s laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular events underlying the faithful inheritance of chromosomes during meiosis, the specialized cell division program by which diploid organisms generate haploid gametes. These events are crucial for reproduction, since failure to execute them correctly leads to aneuploidy, one of the leading causes of miscarriages and birth defects in humans. One major goal is to understand the mechanisms and regulation of genetic recombination, which is responsible both for reassortment of genetic traits and for promoting segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis. An inter-related goal is to understand how meiosis-specific chromosome organization is established, maintained, and remodeled to bring about successful genome inheritance. Dr. Villeneuve approaches these issues using the nematode C. elegans, a simple organism that is especially amenable to combining sophisticated microscopic, genetic and genomic approaches in a single experimental system. Dr. Villeneuve’s research interrogates the process of meiosis at multiple different scales: 1) at the level of the DNA repair complexes that assemble at the sites of meiotic recombination; 2) at the level of the meiosis-specific chromosome structures that promote, regulate and respond to meiotic recombination events and 3) at the level of DNA organization at the whole-chromosome scale.

Memory is central to who we are and how we behave, with knowledge about the past informing thoughts and decisions in the present. Learning and memory provide critical knowledge that guides everyday activities, from remembering to take medications or recognizing previously encountered people, places, and things, to representing our goals and navigating our worlds. The research objectives of the Stanford Memory Laboratory are to understand the psychological and neural mechanisms that build memories and enable their expression, as well as how these mechanisms change with age and disease. Current research directions – which combine behavior, brain imaging, virtual reality, and computational approaches – include:

• delineating how cognitive control and attention modulate learning and memory
• specifying the mnemonic computations and representations supported by the hippocampus and medial temporal cortex, and their interactions with frontoparietal networks
• examining how memory performance in healthy older adults relates to brain structure and brain function, and to molecular and genetic risks for Alzheimer's disease

More details about our work can be found on my lab's website under Research and Publications.

The regulation of chromatin structure is essential for all eukaryotic organisms. Our research interests are to determine the contribution of chromatin to mechanisms that maintain genomic integrity and metabolic homeostasis in the context of disease and development. We utilize a varied experimental approach that includes computational, biochemical, molecular and cellular assays in both yeast and mammalian systems to ascertain the contribution of chromatin remodelers and histone modifiers to carcinogen susceptibility and metabolic gene expression. We hope to contribute to the formulation of epigenetic therapies that treat genomic and metabolic dysfunction, which influence cancer, heart disease, and diabetes to name a few.

My research objective is to develop new biophysical methods to advance current understandings of cellular machinery in the complicated environment of living cells. We bring together state-of-the-art nanotechnology, physical science, engineering and molecular and cell biology, to advance current understandings of biological processes.  Currently, there are two major research directions: (1) Developing nanoscale tools to probe electric activities and cellular processes at the cell-material interface. In this area, we have developed nanoscale electric probes, structural probes and optical probes with high sensitivity and subcellular localization. We identify membrane curvature as one of the crucial biochemical signals that translate nanoscale surface topography into intracellular signaling. (2) Employing optical, magnetic, and optogenetic tools to understand nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling in neurons.  By adapting a variety of microscopy, optogenetic, nanotechnology and biochemical tools, we aim for a deeper understanding of NGF signaling in normal neurons and neurodegenerative diseases.