PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Anthony Oro Dermatology
Dermatology Last Updated: November 11, 2021 |
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
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Anthony Wagner Psychology
Psychology Last Updated: January 12, 2022 |
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:
More details about our work can be found on my lab's website under Research and Publications. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Anusha Kalbasi Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology Last Updated: May 11, 2023 |
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
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Bill Loo Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology Last Updated: December 01, 2020 |
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.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Ashby Morrison Biology
Biology Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
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.
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Christine Jacobs-Wagner Biology
Biology Last Updated: December 02, 2021 |
The Jacobs-Wagner lab has two main research interests:
Department URL: https://biology.stanford.edu/
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Christopher Barnes Biology
Biology Last Updated: July 22, 2022 |
We combine biophysical methods with in vivo approaches to understand how viruses such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2 infect host cells and elicit specific humoral immune responses. Our research will translate knowledge of the structural correlates of antibody-mediated neutralization of viruses into the rational development of highly protective antibodies. A related goal is the structure-based design of potent and stable immunogens for vaccination. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Avnash Thakor Radiology- Peds
Radiology- Peds Last Updated: December 02, 2021 |
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
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Beverley McKeon
Last Updated: November 26, 2023 |
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. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Beverley McKeon Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Last Updated: November 26, 2023 |
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. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Bianxiao Cui Chemistry
Chemistry Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
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. |
Chaitan Khosla Chemistry
Chemistry Last Updated: July 13, 2022 |
Research in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health. For the past two decades, we have studied and engineered enzymatic assembly lines called polyketide synthases that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally complex and medicinally fascinating antibiotics in bacteria. An example of such an assembly line is found in the erythromycin biosynthetic pathway. Our current focus is on understanding the structure and mechanism of this polyketide synthase. At the same time, we are developing methods to decode the vast and growing number of orphan polyketide assembly lines in the sequence databases. For more than a decade, we have also investigated the pathogenesis of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, with the goal of discovering therapies and related management tools for this widespread but overlooked disease. Ongoing efforts focus on understanding the pivotal role of transglutaminase 2 in triggering the inflammatory response to dietary gluten in the celiac intestine. |
Chaitan Khosla Chemistry
Chemistry Last Updated: August 12, 2020 |
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. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Bingwei Lu Pathology
Pathology Last Updated: October 25, 2023 |
Mitochondrial dysfunction is commonly associated with aging and age-related chronic diseases. A major goal of our research is to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction arises during aging and contributes to the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of age-related diseases, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases and sarcopenia. An overarching hypothesis is that aging and age-related diseases share fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms. Thus, by targeting the molecular drivers of aging, we can develop new understandings and therapies for many age-related diseases. Supporting this hypothesis, our more recent studies demonstrate that reverse electron transport (RET) along mitochondrial electron transport chain is activated during aging, leading to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and imbalanced NAD+/NADH ratio, and that inhibition of RET is beneficial in disease models of brain tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. We are actively investigating the mechanism of RET activation during aging, the signaling pathways influenced by RET, and the potential of RET as a viable therapeutic target. We use Drosophila and mouse in vivo models, human induced pluropotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cell culture models, and state-of-the art techniques such as CRISPRa/i, proximity proteomics, RNA-seq, cryo-EM, and molecular dynamics simulation in our research.
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Birgitt Schuele Pathology
Pathology Last Updated: December 08, 2021 |
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. |
Capucine Van Rechem Pathology
Pathology Last Updated: July 13, 2022 |
Chromatin regulators are highly altered in diseases. Of interest, these proteins are easily targetable by drugs. Furthermore, the plasticity of epigenetic events makes them a powerful target for new therapeutic strategies and reversion of disease phenotype. Histone and DNA modifications influence many processes including transcription, replication, genomic stability and cell division, which are altered in diseases. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of chromatin modifiers in both normal and pathological cells could help us frame new potential biomarkers and targeted therapies. My long-term interest lies in understanding the impact chromatin modifiers have on disease development and progression so that more optimal therapeutic opportunities can be achieved. My laboratory explores the direct molecular impact of chromatin-modifying enzymes during cell cycle progression, and characterizes the unappreciated and unconventional roles that these chromatin factors have on cytoplasmic function such as protein synthesis. By gaining molecular understanding into the mechanism of action of chromatin modifiers in normal and pathological cells, we will improve our basic knowledge and provide needed insights into new potential targeted therapies in diseases. |
Capucine Van Rechem Pathology
Pathology Last Updated: November 29, 2021 |
Chromatin regulators are highly altered in diseases. Of interest, these proteins are easily targetable by drugs. Furthermore, the plasticity of epigenetic events makes them a powerful target for new therapeutic strategies and reversion of disease phenotype. Histone and DNA modifications influence many processes including transcription, replication, genomic stability and cell division, which are altered in diseases. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of chromatin modifiers in both normal and pathological cells could help us frame new potential biomarkers and targeted therapies. My long-term interest lies in understanding the impact chromatin modifiers have on disease development and progression so that more optimal therapeutic opportunities can be achieved. My laboratory explores the direct molecular impact of chromatin-modifying enzymes during cell cycle progression, and characterizes the unappreciated and unconventional roles that these chromatin factors have on cytoplasmic function such as protein synthesis. By gaining molecular understanding into the mechanism of action of chromatin modifiers in normal and pathological cells, we will improve our basic knowledge and provide needed insights into new potential targeted therapies in diseases.
Department URL: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=stanford+department+of+pathology&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Bo Wang Bioengineering
Bioengineering Last Updated: July 14, 2022 |
Flatworms include more than 44,000 parasites, many of which are pathogenic to humans or livestock, with flukes, tapeworms, and hookworms as notorious representative species. They typically transmit through multiple hosts using several drastically different body plans specialized for infecting and reproducing within each host. Although flatworms’ complex life cycles were established over a century ago, little is known about the cells and genes they use to optimize their transmission potential, thereby limiting our ability to develop effective therapeutic and preventive strategies. We aim to develop a comprehensive cellular and molecular understanding of the stereotypical life cycle of a blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni, and identify novel targets to block it. Schistosomes cause one of the most prevalent but neglected infectious diseases, schistosomiasis. With over 250 million people infected and a further 800 million at risk of infection, schistosomiasis imposes a global socioeconomic burden comparable to that of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. This project will use novel single-cell technologies to build a schistosome "cell atlas", and map the developmental states of their stem cells as they produce all other cell types in the schistosome body plans. |
Bo Wang Bioengineering
Bioengineering Last Updated: January 26, 2022 |
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.
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Craig Levin Bioengineering
Bioengineering Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Brad Zuchero Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery Last Updated: August 15, 2023 |
Glia are a frontier of neuroscience, and overwhelming evidence from the last decade shows that they are essential regulators of all aspects of the nervous system. The Zuchero Lab aims to uncover how glial cells regulate neural development and how their dysfunction contributes to diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and in injuries like stroke. Although glia represent more than half of the cells in the human brain, fundamental questions remain to be answered. How do glia develop their highly specialized morphologies and interact with neurons to powerfully control form and function of the nervous system? How is this disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases and after injury? By bringing cutting-edge cell biology techniques to the study of glia, we aim to uncover how glia help sculpt and regulate the nervous system and test their potential as novel, untapped therapeutic targets for disease and injury. We are particularly interested in myelin, the insulating sheath around neuronal axons that is lost in diseases like MS. How do oligodendrocytes- the glial cell that produces myelin in the central nervous system- form and remodel myelin, and why do they fail to regenerate myelin in disease? Our current projects aim to use cell biology and neuroscience approaches to answer these fundamental questions. Ultimately we hope our work will lead to much-needed therapies to promote remyelination in patients.
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Claudia K. Petritsch Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery Last Updated: May 31, 2024 |
THE PETRITSCH BRAIN TUMOR STEM CELL AND MODELS RESEARCH LAB The Petritsch lab broadly investigates underlying causes for the intra-tumoral heterogeneity and immune suppression in brain tumors from a developmental neurobiology point of view. Defects in cell fate control could explain many key defects present in brain tumors and an understanding of how brain cells control the fate of their progeny may identify novel points of vulnerabilities to target with therapeutics. Of special emphasis, we study the establishment of cell fates within normal hierarchical brain lineages for comparison to the dysregulated cell-fate hierarchies seen in brain tumors. Our lab was the first to demonstrate that normal adult oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) undergo asymmetric divisions to make cell fate decisions, i.e. to generate OPCs as well as differentiating cells each time they divide. Drawing from these data, we investigate whether brain tumors divide along hierarchical lineages and how oncogenic mutations might affect cell fate decisions within these hierarchies. A major line of investigation in our lab focuses on whether defects in the asymmetric division lead to aberrant cell fate decisions that cause the paradigm mixed-lineage phenotypes and the intra-tumoral heterogeneity present across tumors. To study the interactions between tumor cells and the immune system, we have developed and utilized transplantable mouse glioma models. We are tasked to facilitate and coordinate the distribution of fresh tissue from the neurosurgery operating room and have access to fresh brain tissue from patient surgeries, from which we prepare cell culture models for brain tumors and normal progenitors. We complement our work with human cells with studies in genetically engineered mouse models of gliomagenesis to conduct molecular, cellular, and bioinformatic analyses. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Brian Kim Med: Cardiovascular Medicine
Med: Cardiovascular Medicine Last Updated: November 15, 2023 |
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.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Brian Kim Cardiovascular Institute
Cardiovascular Institute Last Updated: November 15, 2023 |
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.
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Craig Levin Cardiovascular Institute
Cardiovascular Institute Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Bruce Macintosh Physics
Physics Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
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. |
Chao-Lin Kuo Physics
Physics Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
Chao-Lin’s group use the most ancient light, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, emitted when the universe was in its infancy to shed light on the question of how the universe began. Currently Chao-Lin's group are involved in a number of experiments such as BICEP/BICEP2/Keck Array and have been working hard on detecting primordial B-mode polarization. His group are involved in both he design and construction of instruments as well as the data analysis and theoretical interpretation. |
Craig Levin Physics
Physics Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Bruce Macintosh Kavli Institute
Kavli Institute Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
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. |
Chao-Lin Kuo Kavli Institute
Kavli Institute Last Updated: February 23, 2024 |
Chao-Lin’s group use the most ancient light, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, emitted when the universe was in its infancy to shed light on the question of how the universe began. Currently Chao-Lin's group are involved in a number of experiments such as BICEP/BICEP2/Keck Array and have been working hard on detecting primordial B-mode polarization. His group are involved in both he design and construction of instruments as well as the data analysis and theoretical interpretation. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Casey Gifford Pediatrics
Pediatrics Last Updated: May 31, 2024 |
The Gifford lab is focused on defining the complex genetic and molecular mechanisms that are necessary for faithful cardiovascular development and how perturbation of these mechanisms can lead to disease. We use both stem cell and rodent experimental models to:
We also collaborate closely with clinicians, for example on a project integrating cardiac imaging and genetic data to predict adverse cardiac outcomes. Ultimately, we hope to make personalized medicine a reality for those that suffer from CHD and associated comorbidities, such as autism. |
Christin Kuo Pediatrics
Pediatrics Last Updated: March 25, 2021 |
We study the development and function of specialized sensory and secretory cells in the lung called pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs). We apply genetic single cell labeling studies in vivo as well as single RNA sequencing to identify the molecular basis of their developmental migration and functional specialization. We recently identified dozens of neuropeptides expressed by individual neuroendocrine cells and aim to understand the functional consequences of the secreted products and their targets both within the lung. We have collaborations with the thoracic team at Stanford Medical Center to investigate a spectrum of lung neuroendocrine tumors as well as pediatric lung diseases associated with abnormal PNECs. We welcome new members to or research team who enjoy working in a multidisciplinary, diverse, and collaborative research environment.
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Casey Gifford Genetics
Genetics Last Updated: May 31, 2024 |
The Gifford lab is focused on defining the complex genetic and molecular mechanisms that are necessary for faithful cardiovascular development and how perturbation of these mechanisms can lead to disease. We use both stem cell and rodent experimental models to:
We also collaborate closely with clinicians, for example on a project integrating cardiac imaging and genetic data to predict adverse cardiac outcomes. Ultimately, we hope to make personalized medicine a reality for those that suffer from CHD and associated comorbidities, such as autism. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Catherine Blish Med: Infectious Diseases
Med: Infectious Diseases Last Updated: November 11, 2021 |
My lab is focused on understanding host-pathogen interactions with a particular focus on innate immune responses. We apply omics approaches to dissect these interactions, performing in vivo profiling and building in vitro systems to define host-pathogen interactions. We have a particular passion for understanding the mechanisms by which NK cells recognize and respond to pathogens. We currently have projects evaluating immunity to SARS-CoV-2, HIV, influenza, and tuberculosis. Department URL: https://medicine.stanford.edu/
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PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Chaitan Khosla Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering Last Updated: July 13, 2022 |
Research in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health. For the past two decades, we have studied and engineered enzymatic assembly lines called polyketide synthases that catalyze the biosynthesis of structurally complex and medicinally fascinating antibiotics in bacteria. An example of such an assembly line is found in the erythromycin biosynthetic pathway. Our current focus is on understanding the structure and mechanism of this polyketide synthase. At the same time, we are developing methods to decode the vast and growing number of orphan polyketide assembly lines in the sequence databases. For more than a decade, we have also investigated the pathogenesis of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, with the goal of discovering therapies and related management tools for this widespread but overlooked disease. Ongoing efforts focus on understanding the pivotal role of transglutaminase 2 in triggering the inflammatory response to dietary gluten in the celiac intestine. |
Chaitan Khosla Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering Last Updated: August 12, 2020 |
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. |
PRISM mentor | Research Interests |
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Charles Eesley Mgmt Sci & Engineering
Mgmt Sci & Engineering Last Updated: July 14, 2022 |
Our group's research interests center around entrepreneurship. We are particularly interested in policy and the institutional environment, entrepreneurs in emerging economies and entrepreneurship among historically under-represented populations. We also do some work on technology platforms to facilitate startups and refugee entrepreneurship. |
Chuck Eesley Mgmt Sci & Engineering
Mgmt Sci & Engineering Last Updated: August 11, 2020 |
My research focuses on the influence of the external environment on entrepreneurship. Specifically, I have sought to be a leader in investigating the types of environments that encourage the founding of high growth, technology-based firms. Although I build on previous work that focuses on individual characteristics, network ties, and strategy, my major contribution is to demonstrate that institutions matter. I have broken new ground in showing that effective institutional change influences who starts firms, not just how many firms are started. I have repeatedly studied entrepreneurship in a single country (China, Chile, Japan, and the U.S.) before and after a major institutional change. My work is divided into three streams: (1) formal institutions (policies and regulations), (2) university and industry environments, and (3) informal institutions (social movements). STREAM 1: My research in this stream advances theory by introducing novel mechanisms (e.g. barriers to growth and failure, institutional inconsistency), introducing new concepts (e.g. skill adequacy and context relevance) and in theorizing that institutional changes that lower barriers to growth and to failure alter who becomes an entrepreneur, the type of firms, and performance. My research changes the way we think about how the environment – formal institutions, informal institutions, and industry contexts – influences entrepreneurship. I am a leader in situating ventures within environments and showing that interactions between environments and entrepreneurs matter. I am among the first to argue and show that policies that foster high-growth entrepreneurship are different than those that spawn small businesses. If policy leaders wish to foster technology-based start-ups, then we must consider how institutions operate. My research shows that institutional changes can significantly influence the types of firms that are created, who creates them, and how they perform. My research challenges widely accepted ideas about entrepreneurship by highlighting taken-for-granted notions that are incomplete or misleading. My studies call into question the assumption that institutions that make it easier to start firms are unambiguously beneficial, and that experienced, diverse founding teams are always superior. My theoretical contributions include introducing such concepts as institutional barriers to growth, skill adequacy and context relevance. I lead the way in broadening our conception of entrepreneurship beyond the developed North American economies. I have contributed methodologically by (A) showing how to measure talent, (B) collecting data internationally, (C) using randomized field experiments, and (D) analyzing multi-industry databases with state-of-the-art statistics (instrumental variables, differences-in-differences). I have been a pioneer in overcoming the challenges of inferring causality, by finding changes that altered the landscape for entrepreneurship, along with collecting novel data in international settings. In future work, I plan to do more studies incorporating software development for data collection and digital platforms for randomized experiments focusing on issues related to strategic change and entrepreneurship training.
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Chelsea Finn Computer Science
Computer Science Last Updated: January 28, 2023 |
Our lab is interested in the capability of robots and other agents to develop broadly intelligent behavior through learning and interaction. We work on robotics and machine learning, and we are affiliated with SAIL, the ML Group, the Stanford Robotics Center, and CRFM. |
Clark Barrett Computer Science
Computer Science Last Updated: January 12, 2022 |
Automated reasoning; satisfiability modulo theories (SMT); formal methods; formal verification; verification of smart contracts; verification of neural networks; AI safety; hardware design productivity and verification. |
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Chelsea Finn Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering Last Updated: January 28, 2023 |
Our lab is interested in the capability of robots and other agents to develop broadly intelligent behavior through learning and interaction. We work on robotics and machine learning, and we are affiliated with SAIL, the ML Group, the Stanford Robotics Center, and CRFM. |
Craig Levin Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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Christopher Barnes Structural Biology
Structural Biology Last Updated: July 22, 2022 |
We combine biophysical methods with in vivo approaches to understand how viruses such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2 infect host cells and elicit specific humoral immune responses. Our research will translate knowledge of the structural correlates of antibody-mediated neutralization of viruses into the rational development of highly protective antibodies. A related goal is the structure-based design of potent and stable immunogens for vaccination. |
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Christopher Gardner Med: Prevention Research Cntr
Med: Prevention Research Cntr Last Updated: August 27, 2023 |
For the past 30 years most of my research has been focused on investigating the potential health benefits of various dietary components or food patterns, which have been explored in the context of randomized controlled trials in free-living adult populations. Some of the interventions have involved vegetarian diets, soy foods and soy food components, garlic, omega-3 fats/fish oil/flax oil, antioxidants, Ginkgo biloba, and popular weight loss diets. These trials have ranged in duration from 8 weeks to a year, with study outcomes that have included weight, blood lipids and lipoproteins, inflammatory markers, glucose, insulin, blood pressure and body composition. Most of these trials have been NIH-funded. The most impactful of these was an NIH funded weight loss diet study - DIETFITS (Diet Intervention Examining The Factors Interacting with Treatment Success) that involved randomizing 609 generally healthy, overweight/obese adults for one year to either a Healthy Low-Fat or a Healthy Low-Carb diet. The main findings were published in JAMA in 2018, and many secondary and exploratory analyses are in progress testing and generating follow-up hypotheses. In the past few years the long-term interests of my research group have shifted to include three additional areas of inquiry. One of these is Stealth Nutrition. The central hypothesis driving this is that in order for more effective and impactful dietary improvements to be realized, public health professionals need to consider adding non-health related approaches to their strategies toolbox. Examples would be the connections between food and 1) global warming and climate change, 2) animal rights and welfare, and 3) human labor abuses (e.g., slaughterhouses, agriculture fields, fast food restaurants). An example of my ongoing research in this area is a summer Food and Farm Camp run in collaboration with the Santa Clara Unified School District since 2011. Every year ~125 kids between the ages of 5-14 years come for 1-week summer camp sessions led by Stanford undergraduates and an Education Director to tend, harvest, chop, cook, and eat vegetables...and play because it is summer camp! The objective is to study the factors influencing the behaviors and preferences that lead to maximizing vegetable consumption in kids. A second area of interest and inquiry is institutional food. Universities, worksites, hospitals, and schools order and serve a lot of food, every day. If the choices offered are healthier, the consumption behaviors will be healthier. A key factor to success in institutional food is to make the food options "unapologetically delicious" a term I borrow from Greg Drescher, a colleague and friend at the Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA). Chefs are trained to make great tasting food, and chefs in institutional food settings can be part of the solution to improving eating behaviors. In 2015 I helped to initiate a Stanford-CIA collaboration that now ~70 universities that have agreed to collectively use their dining halls as living laboratories to study ways to maximize the synergy of taste, health and environmental sustainability (Menus of Change University Research Collaborative - MC-URC). If universities, worksites, hospitals and schools change the foods they serve, they will change the foods they order, and that kind of institutional demand can change agricultural practices - a systems-level approach to achieving healthier dietary behaviors. The third area is diet and the microbiome. Our lab has now partnered with the world renowned lab of Drs. Justin and Erica Sonnenburg at Stanford to conduct multiple human nutrition intervention studies that involve 1) dietary intervention, 2) microbiome characterization, and 3) outcomes related to inflammation and immune function. The most impactful of these studies was the Fe-Fi-Fo study (Fermented and Fiber-rich Foods) study published in Cell in 2021. In that 10-week intervention, study participants consuming more fermented foods increased their microbial diversity and decreased blood levels in almost 20 inflammatory markers. Our ongoing Maternal and Offspring Microbiome Study (MOMS) is examining the transfer of the maternal microbiome to the infant among 132 pregnant women randomized to increase fiber, or fermented food, or both or neither for their 2nd and 3rd trimester; the infants will be tracked for 18 months. My long-term vision in this area is to help create a world-class Stanford Food Systems Initiative and build on the idea that Stanford is uniquely positioned geographically, culturally, and academically, to address national and global crises in the areas of obesity and diabetes that are directly related to our broken food systems.
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Craig Levin Radiology
Radiology Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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Craig Levin Radiology-MIPS
Radiology-MIPS Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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Craig Levin Stanford Cancer Center
Stanford Cancer Center Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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Craig Levin Neuroscience Institute
Neuroscience Institute Last Updated: March 16, 2022 |
The research interests of the molecular imaging instrumentation lab are to create novel instrumentation and software algorithms for in vivo imaging of molecular signatures of disease in humans and small laboratory animals. These new cameras efficiently image radiation emissions in the form of positrons, annihilation photons, gamma rays, and/or light emitted from molecular contrast agents that were introduced into the body and distributed in the subject tissues. These contrast agents are designed to target molecular pathways of disease biology and enable imaging of these biological signatures in tissues residing deep within the body using measurements made from outside the body. The goals of the instrumentation projects are to advance the sensitivity and spatial, spectral, and/or temporal resolutions, and to create new camera geometries for special biomedical applications. The computational modeling and algorithm goals are to understand the physical system comprising the subject tissues, radiation transport, and imaging system, and to provide the best available image quality and quantitative accuracy. The work involves designing and building instrumentation, including arrays of position sensitive sensors, readout electronics, and data acquisition electronics, signal processing research, including creation of computer models, and image reconstruction, image processing, and data/image analysis algorithms, and incorporating these innovations into practical imaging devices. The ultimate goal is to introduce these new imaging tools into studies of molecular mechanisms and treatments of disease within living subjects.
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Cristina M. Alvira Ped: Critical Care Medicine
Ped: Critical Care Medicine Last Updated: July 14, 2022 |
In contrast to many other organs, a significant portion of lung development and growth occurs postnatally during the first decade of life. The immaturity of the lung after birth heightens its susceptibility to insults that can disrupt this developmental program, but also offers immature lung a greater capacity for repair and regeneration after injury. The main focus of the Alvira lung is to define developmental pathways that direct postnatal lung growth with the long-term goal of leveraging this knowledge to create new therapies to preserve lung development and promote repair in the setting of injury. Our lab uses genetically modified mouse models, human lung tissue, and single cell transcriptomics to define what makes the immature lung unique from the adult lung at the molecular and cellular level with a key focus on transcriptionally-distinct populations of lung endothelial, immune and mesenchymal cells. Department URL: https://med.stanford.edu/pediatrics.html
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Daibhid O Maoileidigh Surg: Otolaryngology
Surg: Otolaryngology Last Updated: August 15, 2023 |
I am a Theoretical Physicist by training and have been working on mathematical and computational modeling of biological systems since my PhD. My lab studies hearing and balance systems and is interested in how sensory signals are filtered, transduced, amplified, and transmitted to the brain. We have worked on the ear's mechanics, synaptic dynamics, and otoacoustic emissions and use experimental data to motivate and test our mathematical models. In collaborations with several experimental labs, we have helped explain their data and tested our mathematical models. Our work is highly interdisciplinary and sits at the intersection of many fields including physics, biology, mathematics, neuroscience, and engineering. At present, we are focusing on the sensory cells in hearing and balance systems and on auditory evoked potentials.
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