Notable People 2011

Matthew Anderson, MD, PhD

Anderson has been appointed assistant professor of pathology, as of Nov. 1. His research interests include the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies for clinical diagnostics and biomarker discovery, focused on transplantation and the molecular pathogenesis of lymphoma.

Catherine Blish, MD, PhD

Blish has been appointed assistant professor of medicine, as of Dec. 1. Her research aims to provide insights into the prevention and control of HIV by studying the interplay between the virus and the host immune response. She hopes to gain additional insights into the control of infectious diseases by studying how co-infections and human conditions, including pregnancy and aging, modulate immune responses.

Matias Bruzoni, MD

Bruzoni has been appointed assistant professor of surgery, as of Nov. 1. He is interested in minimal access surgery, education and biodesign. He also is medical director of Packard Children’s vascular access program and serves as site director of pediatric surgery rotation-general surgery residents.

Luis de Lecea, PhD

De Lecea has been promoted to professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, as of Dec. 1. His lab uses molecular, optogenetic, anatomical and behavioral methods to identify and manipulate neuronal circuits underlying brain arousal, with particular attention to sleep and wakefulness transitions. He also studies changes that occur in neuronal circuits in conditions of hyperarousal, such as stress and drug addiction.

Elizabeth Kidd, MD

Kidd has been appointed assistant professor of radiation oncology, as of Nov. 1. She is interested in radiation oncology, gynecologic malignancies, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and brachytherapy.

Clete Kushida, MD, PhD

Kushida, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Stanford Center for Human Sleep Research, has been elected president of the World Sleep Federation for a four-year term. Established in 1987, the WSF aims to increase public awareness of the importance of sleep research and the impact of sleep disorders, and support international training in sleep medicine and research. Kushida is a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which is one of the charter members of the WSF.

Yasoda Natkunam, MD, PhD

Natkunam has been promoted to professor of pathology, as of Nov. 1. Her research interests focus on the identification and characterization of key markers for hematolymphoid neoplasia. Natkunam also serves as co-director of the immunodiagnosis lab, and associate chair for faculty development and diversity and hematopathology.

Oxana Palesh, PhD, MPH

Palesh has been appointed assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, as of Nov. 1. Much of her research is in the area of cancer control, with a particular interest in the impact of cancer treatments on sleep, fatigue and quality of life.

Mary Teruel, PhD

Teruel has been appointed assistant professor of chemical and systems biology, as of Nov. 1. Her lab uses a combination of engineering and biological approaches to investigate how the insulin-PI3K signaling network regulates actions in fat cells such as glucose uptake, differentiation and fatty acid uptake and release. Teruel’s long-term goal is to understand when and where in the fat-cell-signaling network to apply therapeutic interventions to treat adipose-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Philip Tsao, PhD

Tsao has been promoted to professor (research) of medicine, as of Dec. 1. His primary interests are in the molecular underpinnings of vascular disease as well as assessing disease risk. He is particularly interested in the role of microRNAs in gene expression pathways associated with disease. He also serves on the executive committee of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.

Andrew Zolopa, MD

Zolopa has been promoted to professor of medicine, as of Nov. 1. His patient-oriented research program focuses on optimizing antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection and the associated complications of AIDS. He is the principal investigator for Stanford’s AIDS clinical trial unit, and is the founding director of the Positive Care clinic. His research has recently extended into immunologic studies of aging among those with HIV. He is also developing a clinical research mentoring program in Rwanda.

Linda Boxer, MD, PhD

Boxer, vice dean of the School of Medicine, was awarded the J.E. Wallace Sterling Lifetime Achievement Award in Medicine by the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association. She earned a medical degree and doctorate from the School of Medicine. She is the Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor, a professor of medicine and chief of hematology. Her research focuses on hematologic malignancies.

Edward Diaz, MD

Diaz was appointed assistant professor of urology, effective Sept. 1. He specializes in the use of robotic surgery in pediatric urology. His most recent project examines how genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells can promote bladder tissue regeneration.    

Rami El Assal, DDS

El Assal, postdoctoral scholar in radiology, was named a fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International, an honor for distinguished dentists worldwide. His research focuses on the use of nanotechnology and bio-inspired materials in regenerative and transplantation medicine.

Susan Hintz, MD

Hintz, professor of pediatrics, was appointed co-director of the Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford Children’s Health. She will continue to serve as the medical director of the Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program. She holds the Robert L. Hess Family Professorship. Her research focuses on neurodevelopment in premature and high-risk infants.

Tanya Stoyanova, PhD

Stoyanova was appointed assistant professor of radiology, effective Nov. 1. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development. In particular, she studies signaling cascades initiated by cell surface receptors that are involved in prostate cancer initiation and progression. 

Dean Winslow, MD

Winslow was appointed professor of medicine, effective Sept. 1. As academic physician-in-chief at Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare and vice chair of the Department of Medicine, he will develop clinical, teaching and research programs at Stanford's community health system in the East Bay. He also focuses on bedside medicine and mentoring students, residents and junior faculty.