PRISM Mentors

The Majeti lab focuses on the molecular/genomic characterization and therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in human hematologic malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In parallel, the lab also investigates normal human hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cells. Our lab uses experimental hematology methods, stem cell assays, genome editing, and bioinformatics to define and investigate drivers of leukemia stem cell behavior. As part of these studies, we have led the development and application of robust xenotransplantation assays for both normal and malignant human hematopoietic cells. A major focus of the lab is the investigation of pre-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells in human AML.

The overall goal of our laboratory is to uncover new regulatory mechanisms in signaling systems, to understand how these mechanisms are damaged in disease states and how to devise new new strategies to repair their function.  Specific areas are highlighted below:

1. The Hedgehog and WNT pathways, two cell-cell communication systems that regulate the formation of most tissues during development. These same pathways play central roles in tissue stem-cell function and organ regeneration in adults. Defects in these systems are associated with degenerative conditions and cancer.

2. Signal transduction at the primary cilium and the mechanism of cilia-associated human diseases. Primary cilia are solitary hair-like projections found on most cells in our bodies that function as critical hubs for signal transduction pathways (such as Hedgehog). Over fifty human genetic diseases, called “ciliopathies,” are caused by defects in cilia. Patients with ciliopathies can show phenotypes in nearly all organ systems, suffering from abnormalities ranging from birth defects to obesity.

3. Regulation of signaling pathways by endogenous lipids. The landscape of endogenous small-molecules and their biological functions remains a terra incognita, one that provides many opportunities to discover new regulatory layers in signaling pathways and other membrane dependent processes.

4. Biomolecular condensates in cancer and cancer therapeutics. The formation of reversible, membrane-less compartments in cells by the segregation of proteins into liquid phases, hydrogels or amyloid-like assemblies is an emerging principle of cellular organization. Emerging evidence shows that some cytotoxic drugs used in oncology can accumulate in and disrupt the biophysical properties of these condensates. A future challenge is to develop strategies to target such membraneless compartments (such as the nucleolus) for effective and safe cancer therapies.

5. Cellular adaptation to extreme tissue environments. Many cells in our bodies can be considered “extremophiles,” charged with maintaining homeostasis in the face of an environment containing markedly non-physiological concentrations of ions, small molecules and toxins. For instance, cells in the kidney medulla face tissue concentrations of ions, urea and other small molecules that are several-fold higher than blood.

A central focus of our laboratory is to uncover new regulatory mechanisms in cell-cell communication system, understand how these mechanisms are damaged in disease states and devise strategies to repair their function. We are actively recruiting post-doctoral fellows to join projects in the following areas:
--Signaling pathways implicated in birth defects, cancer and regeneration.
--Regulation of signaling and development by primary cilia.
--Genetic and biochemical dissection of lipid pathways that regulate signaling, development and cancer.
--The role of biomolecular condensates in cancer and cancer therapeutics.
We strive to provide a supportive, inclusive, organized and collaborative lab environment that maximizes the ability to tackle important biomedical problems. Career development is a priority. Nearly all prior lab members have obtained multiple publications and top-level competitive positions in academics or in the biotech industry.

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

Our lab uses cellular, biochemical, and genetic approaches to understand the mechanism by which developmental signaling pathways, such as the WNT and Hedgehog pathways, function and how they are damaged in disease states. We use a broad range of approaches in our work: genome-wide CRISPR screens, proteomics, imaging, and both protein and lipid biochemistry.

Throughout the decades, our team has dedicated to the conducts of innovative clinical trials and ocular imaging studies aimed to enhance our knowledge while bringing new therapeutic options for retinal vascular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusion and vaso-occlusive diseases, retinal degeneration as well as uveitic and ocular inflammatory diseases. Our efforts, often started with first-in-human trials, have led to the availability of VEGF-antagonists such as ranibizumab and aflibercept, interleukin inhibitors such as tocilizumab and sarilumab, and mTOR inhibitors such as sirolimus for many patients throughout the world. We have developed and perfected approaches to plan and execute effectively and economically multi-centered investigator-sponsored trials. We have also established teams that receive, process, and grade ocular images of the anterior and posterior segments and teams that coordinate the successful conducts of studies. Medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty members from around the globe, near and far, have joined our team to pursue our mission in enhancing the knowledge, diagnosis, and management of retinal and uveitic diseases through clinical research to preserve and improve vision for our patients. We are committed to the success of every team member.

My professional focus has been on developing a thriving and supportive research group in which the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists are trained to tackle long-standing and newly emerging questions in virology.  Our research has been driven towards elucidation of molecular mechanisms of viral replication and the development of new strategies to combat viral pathogens. A unifying theme in my work has been the use of new tools to explore questions in virology that have been inaccessible using conventional methods. My recent research efforts have centered on two significant problems: first, addressing the challenges that limit our current arsenal of antivirals by developing novel, first-in-class small molecules; and second, understanding the specificity and function of host lipids in RNA virus replication.

The central focus of our laboratory is to develop novel microfluidic technologies that for high-throughput and quantitative biophysics, biochemistry, and single-cell biology.

Phil's main research interests are in the structure and dynamics of the interior of the sun, how this affect solar activity and through this its effects on terrestrial systems. Phil's group’s primary emphasis is on the structure and dynamics of the solar interior using techniques of helioseismology. His group are interested in both developing instrumentation for solar observatories and in the data analysis of solar magnetic fields from space and from the ground.

Biomaterials, medical devices, drug delivery, stem cells and 3D bioprinting for musculoskeletal tissue engineering

Biomaterials, medical devices, drug delivery, stem cells and 3D bioprinting for musculoskeletal tissue engineering

Peter is broadly interested in theoretical physics beyond the Standard Model, including cosmology, astrophysics, general relativity, and even atomic physics. The Standard Model leaves many questions unanswered including the nature of dark matter and the origins of the fundamental fermion masses, the weak scale, and the cosmological constant. These and other clues such as the unification of the forces are a guide to building new theories beyond the Standard Model. Peter's group are interested in inventing novel experiments to uncover this new physics.

Earth’s history is marked by atmospheric and climatic fluctuations that have shaped life and its evolution. Floral and faunal fossils have revealed that these ancient events profoundly changed the abundance and diversity of macroscopic organisms, yet much less is known about how microbial communities responded to these dramatic environmental changes. This is one of the challenges in geomicrobiology - how do we study microorganisms in the context of Earth’s distant past?

While microbes do not readily leave diagnostic morphological fossils, subtle microbial signatures are preserved in sedimentary rocks for billions of years. One such group of biosignatures are well-preserved lipid compounds with specific biological origins, which can be used as biomarkers or "molecular fossils" for the presence of certain microbes or environmental conditions at the time of deposition.

Despite the significant implications biomarker studies have on our interpretation of microbial evolution and Earth’s ancient environment, our understanding of the phylogenetic distribution and physiological function of these molecules in modern bacteria is quite limited. In our lab, we combine techniques from bioinformatics, genetics, physiology and biochemistry to address three general questions that can be applied to any biomarker:

• What is its phylogenetic distribution in modern bacteria?
• What are its physiological roles in modern bacteria?
• What is the evolutionary history of its biosynthetic pathway?

The ultimate goal of my research is to decrease health inequities among racial/ethnic minority populations, particularly Latinxs and immigrant communities, through transdisciplinary and community-engaged scholarship. Our research centers on health equity promotion and chronic disease prevention. This work employs principles of community engagement and Community Based Participatory Research and partners with multi-sectoral stakeholders to design and implement research that meets the needs of local communities. Dr. Rodriguez Espinosa has several ongoing studies and partnerships addressing issues related to cancer, chronic conditions, COVID-19, and models that can strenghten social services systems. Many of her studies partner with promotoras or Community Health Workers. She is the Associate Director of Research for the Stanford Medicine Office of Community Engagment and current chair of the Society of Behavioral Medicine Health Equity Special Insterest Group. 

Pat and her research group are currently working hard as part of the exciting Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Dark Energy Science Collaboration in the general area of gravitational lensing. Her group is using analytic calculations, simulations and existing astronomical images to thoroughly understand potential systematic biases and challenges in extracting accurate and precise measurements of cosmic shear from gravitational lensing with current and future surveys. Current projects include the study of chromatic effects and blended objects.

We are a highly interdisciplinary group with a diverse set of research interests that span various areas of medicine and public health. These interests include i) the use of novel causal inference techniques in electronic health record data to assess the real-life effectiveness of clinical (e.g., medications), behavioral, and health services interventions; ii) deep learning in satellite imagery and other publicly available geotagged data sources to monitor health indicators in low- and middle-income countries; iii) the re-analysis of clinical trial data to gain novel insights; and iv) randomized trials and analysis of household surveys in low- and middle-income countries to improve population health (with a focus on chronic conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease risk factors).

My group is interested in elucidating the mechanics of cell-matrix interactions in soft tissues. We seek to understand how the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix regulate processes such as breast cancer progression, stem cell differentiation, and cell division. Further, we aim to determine the biophysics of cell migration and division in confining 3D microenvironments. Our approach involves the use of engineered biomaterials for 3D cell culture and instrumentation to measure forces at the microscale relevant to cells.

Multi-omics, multi-modal, multi-scale data fusion for precision medicine

Vast amounts of biomedical data are now routinely available for patients ranging from sequencing of tissues to liquid biopsies. In addition, new computational tools for quantitatively analyzing radiographic images are now available. Multi-scale data is now available for complex diseases at molecular, cellular and tissue scale to establish a more comprehensive view of key biological processes. Intra and inter individual heterogeneities are often quoted as the main challenge for studying complex diseases. These heterogeneities exist at all scales, from microscopic to macroscopic. We develop multi-scale modeling approach to counter heterogeneity and uncover potentially untapped synergies between different data modalities by integrating information across spatial scales. Multi-scale modeling involves linking information from molecules, cells, tissues, and organs all the way to the organism and the population. We propose to use high dimensional molecular data with tissue scale image data to develop a statistical multi-scale modeling approach in the context of multi-modal & multi-scale modeling. Such modeling can contribute toward predicting diagnosis and treatment by revealing synergies and previously unappreciated relationships. Multi-scale modeling also can contribute to a more fundamental understanding of disease development and can reveal novel insights in how data at different scales are linked to each other.

Vast amounts of molecular data characterizing the genome, epi-genome and transcriptome are becoming available for a wide range of complex disease such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, new computational tools for quantitatively analyzing medical and pathological images are creating new types of phenotypic data.  Now we have the opportunity to integrate the data at molecular, cellular and tissue scale to create a more comprehensive view of key biological processes underlying complex diseases. Moreover, this integration can have profound contributions toward predicting diagnosis and treatment. The Gevaert lab focuses on achieving progress in multi-scale modeling by tackling challenges in biomedical multi-scale data fusion. Applications are in the area of complex diseases with most projects in the lab focused on oncology, and possible new directions studying neuro-degenerative & cardiovascular diseases.

Multi-omics, multi-modal, multi-scale data fusion in complex diseases using machine learning

My laboratory investigates the immune response to viruses and allogeneic tissues. We are interested in characterizing the human immune response to EBV, CMV, and SARS-CoV-2 to distinguish features that are associated with control of the virus or result in pathologies including COVID-19, MIS-C, and post-transplant viral disease. Projects that are available include 1) analysis of the diversity of TCR usage in the response to EBV, CMV, and SARS-CoV-2 through the use of next generation sequencing and single cell approaches to evaluate T cell phenotype and function; 2) characterization of the natural killer (NK) cell populations that participate in the response to viruses; 3) determining the role of the viral protein LMP1 in activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and the effect of targeting this pathway in EBV-associated  B cell lymphoma development. 4) identification of novel host gene targets and pathways of oncogenesis utilized by EBV.  Human immunology projects utilize cell lines as well as existing extensive repositories of  human blood and tissue samples. Animal models of transplant immunology and tumor immunology are also established in the lab.

The Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, directed by Dr. Nolan Williams at Stanford School of Medicine, is looking for postdoctoral researcher candidates for an open postdoctoral position leading clinical trials and driving forward novel therapeutic strategies. The Brain Stimulation Lab (BSL) utilizes novel brain stimulation techniques to probe and modulate the neural networks underlying neuropsychiatric diseases/disorders in an effort to develop new models and novel therapeutics. Our lab is culturally diverse and interdisciplinary, consisting of basic neuroscientists, clinical researchers, data scientists, psychologists, residents, psychiatrists, and neurologists.

Working in our lab will provide you experience in the most cutting-edge research with diverse clinical populations (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Addiction/Substance Use Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder), as well as healthy participants. Some of the tools our lab utilizes to answer our research questions include structural and functional MRI, EEG, TMS, and simultaneous EEG/TMS. We are now pushing forward trials involving invasive EEG recordings and deep brain stimulation in psychiatric populations, including depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

For more information, visit our website here. Publications can be viewed here.

About the position.

We are currently looking for a postdoctoral researcher with proven experience in clinical trials in psychiatry to take a leading role in trials conducted at the lab, drive forward novel therapeutic strategies, and/or develop novel analytical strategies and methodologies. The candidate will work closely with, and receive guidance from, a faculty member assigned to the trial and will lead a team of clinical research coordinators. The BSL includes dedicated teams for patient recruitment, neuroimaging data collection, data analysis, treatment, and regulatory affairs, which will support the candidate in carrying out their duties. The position is a unique opportunity to further develop a career in clinical/translational neuroscience and psychiatric research.

Requirements:

1. PhD in Neuroscience or related field; or M.D with training in psychiatry.
2. Proven experience or familiarity with clinical trials in psychiatry;  or advanced methodological/analytic background and training
3. Leadership qualities (fosters teamwork, strong communication skills, interest in mentorship of junior lab members).
4. Strong references.

To apply please complete the following application form.

The Climate and Earth System Dynamics Group is led by Prof. Noah S. Diffenbaugh. Our research takes an integrated approach to understanding climate dynamics and climate impacts by probing the interface between physical processes and natural and human vulnerabilities. This interface spans a range of spatial and temporal scales, and a number of climate system processes. Much of the group's work has focused on the role of fine-scale processes in shaping climate change impacts, including studies of extreme weather, water resources, agriculture, human health, and poverty vulnerability.

Nirao Shah's lab is interested in understanding the molecular and neural networks that regulate sexually dimorphic social behaviors.

We are a machine learning lab with a primary focus on predictive modeling of clinical outcomes using multiomics biological assays. Our research covers a wide range of unconventional yet high-impact topics ranging from space medicine to the integration of mental health, physical health, immune fitness, and nutrition in various clinical settings. We are primarily a computational immunology research group but depending on the problem at hand, our datasets include clinical measurements, readouts from advanced wearable technologies, and various genomics and proteomics assays.
 
Our group has a strong commitment to translating research findings into actionable products. We encourage (and financially support) our postdoctoral fellows to receive extensive training in entrepreneurship and business management from Stanford’s School of Business. This provides an excellent opportunity for a candidate who is not only interested in participating in state-of-the-art academic research, but is also interested in exploring industrial and entrepreneurial career trajectories.