Four faculty members appointed to endowed professorships

Andra Blomkalns, MD, professor and chair of emergency medicine, was appointed the Stanford Medicine Professor in Emergency Medicine, effective Oct. 8. Her academic work has focused on clinical innovation, and evaluating and improving the process for technology development and commercialization within medicine. She also has studied cardiovascular emergencies, obesity and dietary influences on health and disease. 

The professorship was established in June using funds from the Department of Emergency Medicine, the School of Medicine’s Dean’s Office and Stanford Health Care. 

Gerald Grant, MD, professor of neurosurgery, was appointed the Endowed Professor in Pediatric Neurosurgery, effective Oct. 16. He specializes in brain tumor and epilepsy surgery in children, and his laboratory is working to improve the delivery of drugs past the blood-brain barrier to reach brain tumors in children. 

The professorship was established in 2015 to support a faculty member in pediatric neurosurgery. Funders include Jeffrey Chambers and Andrea Okamura; Roelof Botha and Huifen Chan; and the Schow Foundation. 

David Kingsley, PhD, professor of developmental biology, was appointed the Rudy J. and Daphne Donohue Munzer Professor in the School of Medicine, effective Oct. 16. His research examines the molecular mechanisms that underlie evolutionary traits and common diseases in vertebrates. 

The professorship was established in 1990. Rudy Munzer was the president and chairman of Petrolane, and Daphne Munzer volunteered with numerous Southern California organizations, including the Children’s Dental Health Clinic and the Long Beach Public Library.

Crystal Mackall, MD, professor of pediatrics and of medicine, was appointed the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor, effective Oct. 16. She is the founding director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy and directs the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Stanford. Her research focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of T cell-based cancer immunotherapies. 

The professorship was established in October with a gift from the Ernest Gallo Foundation in honor of Ernest and Amelia Gallo, as well as matching funds from an anonymous donor. Ernest Gallo co-founded E&J Gallo Winery in 1933.