PRISM Mentors

Our laboratory integrates synthetic chemistry, genetics, and developmental biology to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control tissue formation, regeneration, and oncogenic transformation. Our research group is currently focused on three major areas: (1) small-molecule and genetic regulators of the Hedgehog signaling pathway; (2) optochemical and optogenetic tools for studying tissue patterning with spatiotemporal precision; and (3) zebrafish models of vertebrate development.

The Martinez lab studies RNA regulatory mechanisms that control gene expression. We focus on mRNA processing, RNA modifications and their roles in development and disease.

How are nutrients recognized by their protein sensors? How is their transport across cellular and intracellular membranes regulated? And, how is nutrient sensing integrated with other chemical signals, such as hormones, to determine cellular decisions, especially the decision: to grow or not to grow?

We are a team of structural and chemical biologists aiming to answer these fundamental questions at the level of ångstroms, nanometers, and micrometers. Many proteins in these pathways are deregulated in cancer, and our mission is to first reveal the mechanism of action of these proteins, and then use that knowledge to develop targeted chemical probes to modulate their activity in cells and organisms.

Our lab is friendly to trainees from all walks of life, and we cherish trust, inclusiveness and intellectual curiosity, where no question is too big to study, as long as we have the right approach and a unique angle. Most importantly, our lab operates with a growth mindset for all of our trainees, and we put a heavy emphasis on training and skills development — across a wide range of experimental and computational techniques. And through collaboration, strong work ethic, seeking feedback, and trying out new strategies, we drive innovation and novel discoveries for our team.

If this is something you might be interested in, please contact Kacper directly. We are always on the lookout for driven postdocs! Especially, we want cell biologists and biochemists to join our team and to contribute your unique skillsets to a number of collaborative projects.

We are working closely with colleagues in Science, Engineering and Medicine to advance the use of soft electronics for wearable and implantable electronics for precision health, precision mental health and advance the understanding of neuroscience. Her group has developed foundational materials and devices that enabled a a new generation of skin-inspired soft electronics. They open up unprecedented opportunities for understanding human health and developing monitoring, diagnosis and treatment tools. A few recent examples include: a wireless tuner growth monitoring tool, a wireless wound healing patch, a soft neurostring for simultaneous neurochemical monitoring in the brain and gut, and Mentaid: a wearable for monitoring mental health. Our work engage students and postdocs with training background in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science and engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or bioengineering.

Skin-inspired electronics, stretchable, self-healing and biodegradable electronic materials and devices, wearable electronics, implantable electronics, polymer for battery applications, conductive metal-organic-framework, high surface area carbon materials, carbon nanotube electronics, organic transistors, sensors, solar cells, soft electronics for neuro-interface

Our interdisciplinary lab pursues research centered around advanced polymer 3D fabrication methods and their applications in human health. Focus areas include (1) creating new digital polymer 3D printing capabilities, such as single-micron resolution printing and novel multi-materials printing methods; (2) synthesizing new polymers for 3D printing, with interests in composites, bioabsorbable materials, and recyclable materials; and (3) employing our 3D printing materials and process advances for clinical applications in areas including: new medical device opportunities; vaccine platform development via the advancement of novel microneedle designs; precision delivery of therapies (molecular and cellular) and vaccines; molecular monitoring; and device-assisted, targeted drug delivery, including for cancer treatment. We also pursue novel digital treatment planning approaches using 3D printed medical devices, with our current focus on pediatric therapeutic devices. In this area, we are working with partners at Stanford to design devices and treatment planning solutions for babies with conditions including cleft palate and Pierre Robin Sequence. Complementing these research areas, our lab also emphasizes entrepreneurship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; implications of the digital revolution in the manufacturing sector; and strategies toward achieving a circular economy.ch

Heilshorn's interests include biomaterials in regenerative medicine, engineered proteins with novel assembly properties, microfluidics and photolithography of proteins, and synthesis of materials to influence stem cell differentiation. Current projects include tissue engineering for spinal cord and blood vessel regeneration, designing injectable materials for use in stem cell therapies, and the design of biomaterials for culture of patient-derived biopsies and organoids. Postdoctoral candidates with expertise (or an interest in learning) preclinical animal models of injury and disease are particularly encouraged.

Department URL:
https://mse.stanford.edu

My research interests lie at the interface between chemistry and biology. While ongoing research in my lab focuses on multiple problems, all of these efforts are motivated by the twin goals of shining light on fundamentally new molecular mechanisms in biology and leveraging these insights to address unmet challenges in human health. Two examples of ongoing research themes in my lab are outlined below:

I] Assembly-line biosynthesis of polyketide antibiotics: The primary objective of this longstanding research project in my lab is to understand the enzymatic mechanisms of assembly-line polyketide synthases (PKSs). Having defined the physical boundaries and chemical reactivity of individual domains and modules, our goal now is to understand these assembly lines as integrated metabolic systems. We also seek to understand the genetic mechanisms for extraordinary evolutionary diversification of this family of multifunctional enzymes.

II] Chemical approaches to understanding celiac disease pathogenesis: Over the past two decades, we have made significant contributions to an understanding of celiac disease (CeD) pathogenesis. Furthermore, at each step along the way, we have sought to translate these emerging molecular insights into enhanced disease management tools for CeD patients and their doctors, as illustrated by the translation of two experimental therapeutics from our lab into advanced preclinical/early clinical studies, and the translation of a biomarker discovered in our lab into CeD patients.
 

My laboratory is focused broadly on plant chemistry and is deeply invested in pathway discovery. Despite the important roles of plant natural products in plant and human health, very few complete plant biosynthetic pathways are known. This lack of knowledge limits our understanding of natural product mode of action in plants and prevents access to engineered pathways. New plant genome sequences and synthetic biology tools have enabled three research areas in my lab: 1) methods for accelerating pathway discovery in plants (especially for clinically used therapeutics), and 2) discovering new molecules from plants that are important for plant fitness, and 3) using metabolic engineering in plants as a tool to systematically and quantitatively determine the impact of plant molecules on human and plant health and ultimately optimize plant fitness and crop nutrient load. I am looking for postdocs who are interested in joining an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to discover how plant natural products are made and their mode of action, and develop new tools for engineering biosynthetic pathways. Our vision is to use engineered biosynthesis to reveal mechanisms by which natural products from plants contribute to plant fitness and human health.

My research interests lie at the interface between chemistry and biology. While ongoing research in my lab focuses on multiple problems, all of these efforts are motivated by the twin goals of shining light on fundamentally new molecular mechanisms in biology and leveraging these insights to address unmet challenges in human health. Two examples of ongoing research themes in my lab are outlined below:

I] Assembly-line biosynthesis of polyketide antibiotics: The primary objective of this longstanding research project in my lab is to understand the enzymatic mechanisms of assembly-line polyketide synthases (PKSs). Having defined the physical boundaries and chemical reactivity of individual domains and modules, our goal now is to understand these assembly lines as integrated metabolic systems. We also seek to understand the genetic mechanisms for extraordinary evolutionary diversification of this family of multifunctional enzymes.

II] Chemical approaches to understanding celiac disease pathogenesis: Over the past two decades, we have made significant contributions to an understanding of celiac disease (CeD) pathogenesis. Furthermore, at each step along the way, we have sought to translate these emerging molecular insights into enhanced disease management tools for CeD patients and their doctors, as illustrated by the translation of two experimental therapeutics from our lab into advanced preclinical/early clinical studies, and the translation of a biomarker discovered in our lab into CeD patients.
 

The Kool lab uses the tools of chemistry and biology to study the structures, interactions and biological activities of nucleic acids and the enzymes that process them. Molecular design and synthesis play a major role in this work, followed by analysis of structure and function, both in vitro and in living systems. These studies are aimed at gaining a better basic understanding of biology, and applying this knowledge to practical applications in biomedicine.

Recent research interests include the development of chemical tools for mapping RNA structure and interactions in cells, methods for stabilization and conjugation of RNAs, and the development of probes of DNA repair pathways and their connections to cancer.

Current research in the Martínez Group aims to make molecular modeling both predictive and routine. New approaches to interactive molecular simulation are being developed, in which users interact with a virtual-reality based molecular modeling kit that fully understands quantum mechanics. New techniques to discover heretofore unknown chemical reactions are being developed and tested, exploiting the many efficient methods that the Martínez group has introduced for solving quantum mechanical problems quickly, using a combination of physical/chemical insights and commodity videogaming hardware.

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.

Water resources planning under uncertainty

The mission of the Water & Energy Efficiency for the Environment Lab (WE3Lab) is to reduce the cost and carbon intensity of water desalination and reuse. Ongoing research efforts include:

1) developing automated, precise, robust, intensified, modular, and electrified (A-PRIME) water desalination technologies to support a circular water economy;

2) optimizing the coordinated operation of decarbonized water and energy systems; and

3) supporting the design and enforcement of water-energy-food policies (e.g., Effluent Limitation Guidelines, the Clean Power Plan, CA Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, etc.).

The Stanford Media & Psychology Lab is a multidisciplinary group focused on design and data analysis techniques for study of media and human behavior, integrating established and new disciplines to accelerate research innovations that foster innovations in psychological theory and social policy. Current research directions include emotional regulation, media and technology use, lifespan development, and new methods for analysis of intensive longitudinal analysis–including analysis of ecological momentary assessment and smartphone sensor data. Our lab is committed to global diversity and fostering minority representation in social science, and we collaborate widely with schools and departments across Stanford and other universities.

I design, build, and study social computing systems: the computational systems that mediate our social interactions with one another. My research sits in an area known as human-computer interaction (HCI).

Our team’s research spans the fields of dermatology, technology and public health. One of our main projects is centered on developing innovative skin cancer prevention interventions using social media. Another project area is the use of shared decision-making, mobile app technology for monitoring and optimal care of low risk skin cancers. We collaborate closely with colleagues in bioinformatics and computer science on use of visual Artificial intelligence methods to skin image monitoring. Additionally, we advocate for diversity and gender equity in medicine by writing both original data articles and perspective pieces on these topics. We collaborate with epidemiologists, clinicians, biostatisticians, basic, computer and social scientists at Stanford University as well as other institutions.

The Wang Lab takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying fundamental mechanisms controlling gene expression in mammalian cells. Our work shows how epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, and RNA influence chromatin dynamics to affect gene regulation. OUR LAB IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON: How various dynamic epigenetic changes in chromatin structure impact gene expression during stem cell pluripotency/self-renewal, cellular differentiation, and reprogramming; How three-dimensional chromosomal structure and dysregulation contribute to development of diseases such as aging and cancer; and How to create novel genome engineering tools to interrogate the noncoding genome and the epigenome.
 
The long-term goal of The Wang Lab is to translate our understanding of these complex mechanisms to studies of human diseases.

We study the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate proliferation and differentiation in adult stem cell lineages, using the Drosophila male germ line as a model.  Our current work is focused on the switch from mitosis to meiosis and how the new gene expression program for cell type specific terminal differentiation is turned on.  One emerging surprise is the potential role of alternative processing of nascent mRNAs in setting up the dramatic change in cell state

Although the genomes of many organisms have now been sequenced, we still know relatively little about the specific DNA sequence changes that underlie important traits and diseases. My laboratory has developed an innovative combination of genetic and genomic approaches to identify the detailed molecular mechanisms that control key vertebrate traits. We use genetic crosses in mice, stickleback fish, and pluripotent stem cells to identify key chromosome regions controlling phenotypic traits. We use comparative genomics and  gene expression analysis in different populations, species, and hybrids to identify particular genomic changes with these key regions.  And we use transgenic and genome editing approaches to test the phenotypic effect of specific genomic changes, thus providing a direct functional link  between DNA sequence changes and classic phenotypes.  By combining genetics and genomics we have been able to identify the detailed molecular basis of major changes in skeletal structures, limb development, pigmentation, and neural functions across a range of populations and species.  We are currently extending these approaches to genetic and genomic mapping of human traits and diseases using experiments with chimp and human stem cells.    We are still a long way from knowing the genomic mechanisms that have made us human. However, we believe that molecular mechanisms contributing to human  traits can now be studied, and that progress in this area will lead to important new insights into both human health and human disease.

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.

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.