PRISM Mentors

Our group works with  adaptive optics - optical systems that correct for aberrations using mirrors that change their shape thousands of times per second. This can allow telescopes located on the Earth to correct for atmospheric turbulence and produce diffraction-limited images, which we use to study giant extrasolar planets through direct imaging with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) instrument. Direct imaging of extrasolar planets separates the light of the (faint) planet and (bright) star, allowing us to measure the spectrum of young self-luminous giant exoplanets. We are currently planning an upgrade to GPI, adding a faster adaptive optics system using predictive control, and more accurate wavefront sensors. 
 
We are studying this technology for more powerful instruments on the ground and space. We are also exploring applications in biology - microscopes that can look into tissues.

The lifetime risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is determined by the genetic makeup and exposure to modifiable risk factors. The Cardiovascular Link to Environmental ActioN (CLEAN) Lab is interested in understanding how various environmental pollutants (eg. tobacco, e-cigarettes, air pollution and wildfire) interact with genes to affect the transcriptome, epigenome, and eventually disease phenotype of CVD. The current focus is to investigate how different toxic exposures can adversely remodel the vascular wall leading to increased cardiac events. We intersect human genomic discoveries with animal models of disease, in-vitro and in-vivo systems of exposure, single-cell sequencing technologies to solve these questions. Additionally, we collaborate with various members of the Stanford community to develop biomarkers that will aid with detection and prognosis of CVD. We are passionate about the need to reduce the environmental effects on health through advocacy and outreach. We strongly believe that the mechanistic understanding of the adverse health effects of harmful exposures will help to devise a targeted approach towards reduction of environmental toxins as well as to identify areas in need of improving environmental equity.

We integrate single-cell multiomics, advanced microscopy, and quantitative models to understand organismal regeneration using a variety of organisms. We invite postdoctoral colleagues to build on our current systems or establish new models to understand foundamental principles controlling regeneration.  

The Schuele lab works on gene discovery and novel stem cell technologies to generate stem cell models from patients with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders to understand the underlying causes of neurodegeneration. Our projects range from clinical genetic family studies and human stem cell modeling of neurocircuits to translational pre-clinical gene therapy studies in Parkinson’s disease.

My lab is an interdisciplinary group spanning medical physics and technology development, basic cancer and radiation biology, and preclinical and clinical imaging.

The two main programs are:

1. Development of next-generation medical linear accelerator technology for delivery of ultra-rapid FLASH radiation therapy for cancer, working closely with collaborators at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We are currently designing and building a system for preclinical FLASH research in small animal models. Using the same platform technologies, we are also laying the groundwork for a clinical treatment system (PHASER) for FLASH radiation therapy for general cancer therapy in human patients, with a focus on compact, economical, and clinically efficient design.

2. Fundamental radiation biology research in ultra-rapid FLASH radiation therapy in small animal and in vitro models. We are investigating the biological mechanisms underlying the observed therapeutic index of FLASH, producing less normal tissue radiation injury and simultaneously equal or increased tumor killing compared to conventional dose rate irradiation. We are investigating physical, radiochemical, immunological, vascular, and other microenvironmental aspects in multiple model systems.

Our lab focuses on experimental, data-driven and theoretical work in turbulent and unsteady flows, as they impact problems in aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, climate and energy. We have particular interests in developing hybrid approaches that exploit power of data, real-time sensing and actuation, modeling and machine learning to create innovative flow states and engineering capabilities.

My work focuses on understanding the genomic and proteomic profiles of different sources of MSCs and their derived EVs, developing novel strategies to deliver and home these MSC-based therapies to target tissues, using focused ultrasound to optimize the injured tissue microenvironment for these therapies and then imaging the biodistribution of MSCs with novel imaging probes. By translating stem cell therapies into patients using minimally invasive strategies, his team is leading the efforts in a new emerging field called “Interventional Regenerative Medicine (IRM)”. In addition, his team has been developing multi-functional bioscaffolds and nanoplatforms to facilitate the clinical translation of different cellular therapies.

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

The Kalbasi laboratory tackles questions at the intersection of immunology and cancer biology, with an emphasis on therapeutic development. Here are some selected areas of interest:

Cytokine-based rewiring of T cells: Advances in gene therapy and synthetic biology have ushered in a new era in T cell therapy. Engineered T cells can now be dynamically modulated to perform context-specific functions. To leverage these technologies, the lab is studying how external cytokine signals, especially common gamma chain family, shape T cell function (Kalbasi, et al. Nature 2022).

Unveiling sarcoma targets through cell-of-origin queries: Most patients with sarcoma have yet to benefit from immunotherapy, which may in part be related to the absence of natural endogenous T cell responses to sarcoma. Engineered T cell approaches offer a solution to this problem, but therapeutic T cell targets are critical. The lab is examining sarcoma cell-of-origin as an approach to unveil rational, lineage-based therapeutic targets for T cell therapy.

Myeloid reprogramming: Myeloid cells are prevalent in the sarcoma microenvironment and further recruited by radiation and other cytotoxic therapies. The  laboratory is studying how activation of pattern recognition receptor signaling may serve to bias the fate of radiation-associated myeloid cells toward one that promotes anti-tumor functions of T cells.

Tumor-intrinsic resistance to radiotherapy: Cancer cells evolve under immunologic pressure and not surprisingly, find myriad ways to evade immune attack. Uncovering and bypassing these evasive tactics can restore the efficacy of immunotherapy (Kalbasi, et al. Sci Transl Med 2020). The lab is studying whether the same principles may apply to radiation resistance, which may be both immune-dependent or immune-independent.

Research Tools: The Kalbasi lab aims to leverage the growing toolkits developed by synthetic biologists to study perturbations of the immune system and cancer and identify new therapeutic approaches. This means we are heavily invested in syngeneic mouse model systems to faithfully capture tumor - immune interactions, including adoptive transfer models. The lab leverages molecular biology, viral and CRISPR based genetic engineering, basic and advanced immunologic assays, and next-generation sequencing, including single cell approaches. Our group includes both wet and dry lab scientists. We are excited and unafraid to try new techniques and/or engage more experienced collaborators. Finally, the lab has a strong translational focus with a disease interest in sarcoma and melanoma and therapeutic interests that include T cell therapy, immuno-oncology and radiation therapy. The lab is actively involved in biospecimen analysis related to clinical trials:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04119024?cond=il13ra2&draw=2&rank=1
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04420975?cond=bo-112+sarcoma&draw=2&rank=1
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02701153?cond=5-day+sarcoma+radiation&draw=2&rank=1

Our research interests encompass cancer genomics and tumor evolution, stem cell biology and hair/skin development and regeneration, and definitive molecular and cellular therapeutics. Our basic science focus is motivated by our clinical interests that include hair biology, non-melanoma skin cancer, and stem cell-based therapies for genetic skin diseases.

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

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.

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.

The Black Academic Development Lab’s (BAD Lab) mission is to integrate linguistic research with educational praxis and create a model of scholarship for dissemination. Our goal is to create innovative, community-centered scholarly products. As such, the BAD Lab will establish long-term collaborative research partnerships with Black faculty, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These collaborations will allow us to research the learning experiences of Black educators and students in education and other disciplines.

You can read about our active NSF grants here: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2126405 

 https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1757654

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.

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.

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.

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 group investigates prenatal and early-life determinants of health and disease. We conduct epidemiological analyses of human cohorts to investigate chemical (e.g. metals, endocrine disruptors, air pollution, climate change) and non-chemical stressors (e.g. adversity, discrimination) and their relationships to human health and development. We use computational and bioinformatics approaches to study epigenetic and DNA methylation biomarkers in humans. Our group also has a special interest in human aging and epigenetic biomarkers of aging.

Trainees in our group develop skills in computational biology, environmental mixtures modeling, modeling of multi -omic data and machine learning.

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.

My research group is currently focused on understanding brain function and inter-brain synchrony during naturalistic social interaction. We use ultra-portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to address specific scientific questions with an emphasis on multi-modal assessment (e.g., behavioral, physiological, environmental setting, and eye-tracking in addition to functional NIRS). This overall scientific apprach is called "interaction neuroscience:.

My research group is currently focused on understanding brain function and inter-brain synchrony during naturalistic social interaction. We use ultra-portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to address specific scientific questions with an emphasis on multi-modal assessment (e.g., behavioral, physiological, environmental setting, and eye-tracking in addition to functional NIRS). This overall scientific apprach is called "interaction neuroscience:.

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.