• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Pain Control During First-trimester Abortion

    First-trimester abortion aspiration procedures are painful and sedation is typically provided. It is unsafe to drive after sedation due to the prolonged motor delay from some anesthetic agents. Without a known escort, most clinics do not allow patients to use public transportation, taxis, or rideshare services. Arranging a ride may be harder for those seeking abortion care than other surgical procedures given privacy concerns and the need to travel far distances. Additionally, some people have medical reasons that makes sedation in an outpatient abortion clinic unsafe. As abortion restrictions increase and more people need to travel far distances to access care, it is important to investigate non-pharmacologic pain control options.

    Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) delivers a low-level electrical current through the skin. By activating the descending inhibitory systems in the central nervous system, these pulses of electrical current reduce sensitivity to pain. TENS has been shown to be effective in decreasing pain with menstrual cramps and during medication abortion, and it was found to be non-inferior to IV sedation for first-trimester procedural abortion. However, it remains unclear if TENS is better than ibuprofen and local anesthesia via paracervical block alone.

    The overarching goal of this research is to identify an inexpensive, non-pharmacologic, alternative pain control strategy for those with a medical or social contraindication to IV sedation. The specific aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of TENS to prevent pain during first-trimester procedural abortion. To achieve this objective, a blinded, randomized superiority trial comparing the use of TENS to sham for management of pain during first-trimester aspiration abortion is proposed. This research is significant because the validation of a non-pharmacologic pain management technique would decrease barriers to accessing abortion care.

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  • Trial of Panobinostat in Children With Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma

    This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of panobinostat in treating younger patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Panobinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Stratum 1 treats patients with DIPG that has returned or gotten worse (progressed). Stratum 2 treats patients with DIPG or H3K27+Thalamic Diffuse Malignant Glioma (DMG) that has not yet gotten worse.

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  • Weight Loss Diet Study: Low Carb vs Low Fat

    The traditional weight loss diet recommended by health professionals has been a low-fat, high-carbohydrate, calorie restricted diet. This recommendation has been challenged by a number of alternative dietary strategies, particularly low-carbohydrate diets. In several recent weight loss studies insulin resistant adults had more success with low- vs. high-carbohydrate diets, in contrast to insulin sensitive adults who had either more success or comparable success with the low-fat diets. The investigators enrolled 61 people with a wide range of insulin sensitivity/resistance. After determining their insulin resistance status, the investigators will split them in the middle and randomly assign them to one of four groups for six months: (1) Low-Carbohydrate/Insulin Resistant (LC/IR); (2) Low-Carbohydrate/Insulin Sensitive (LC/IS); (3) Low-Fat/Insulin Resistant (LF/IR); and (4) Low-Fat/Insulin Sensitive (LF/IS) (15 people/group). After 6 months the participants will switch diet for the following 6 months, i.e. those randomized to the Low-Carbohydrate diet will switch to the Low-Fat diet and vice-versa. The primary outcome of this study is to determine whether weight loss success can be increased if one follows the dietary approach appropriately matched to their insulin resistance status. Secondary outcomes include fasting insulin, glucose, lipids, and fatty acid composition.

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  • Zoster Eye Disease Study

    This is a multi-center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial of suppressive valacyclovir for one year in immunocompetent study participants with an episode of dendriform epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis, endothelial keratitis, and/or iritis due to Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (HZO) in the year prior to enrollment.

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  • World-wide Randomized Antibiotic Envelope Infection Prevention Trial

    Medtronic , Inc. is sponsoring the World-wide Randomized Antibiotic Envelope Infection Prevention Trial (WRAP-IT), a randomized, prospective, multi-center, single blinded, post-market, interventional clinical study. This study will evaluate the ability of the TYRX™ envelope to reduce major Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) infections through 12-months post-procedure following CIED generator replacement, upgrade, revision, or de novo cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implant. Additionally, this large device study provides the unique opportunity to prospectively characterize the performance of Medtronic's lead monitoring features in subjects whose CIED system includes a transvenous right ventricular (RV) defibrillation lead. Finally, the WRAP-IT study will serve as a post-approval study for those geographies requiring a post-approval study of the TYRX™ envelope.

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  • Wavefront-guided vs. Topography-guided LASIK

    The study is comparing outcomes of wavefront-guided LASIK to topography-guided LASIK in a randomized contralateral fellow eye study in myopic participants.

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  • Zoledronate or Observation in Maintaining Bone Mineral Density in Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery to Remove Both Ovaries

    This randomized phase II trial is studying zoledronate to see how well it works compared to observation in maintaining bone mineral density in patients who are undergoing surgery to remove both ovaries. Zoledronate may prevent bone loss in patients who are undergoing surgery to remove the ovaries.

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  • Zemedy Application for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    The purpose of the study is investigate the effectiveness of Zemedy, a mobile application that enables the digital delivery of a CBT program to people with IBS.

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  • VTX-2337 and Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD) in Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tube or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

    The purpose of this study is to compare the overall survival of patients treated with VTX-2337 + pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) versus those treated with PLD alone in women with recurrent or persistent, epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.

    VTX-2337, a small molecule agonist of Toll-like Receptor 8 (TLR8), activates multiple components of the innate immune system and is being developed as a novel therapeutic agent for use in oncology. Experimental data obtained in an animal model of ovarian cancer supports the combination of VTX-2337 with PLD. In this model, the combination of VTX-2337 and PLD resulted in a significant reduction in tumor growth compared to either agent alone and an increase in the number of T lymphocytes infiltrating the tumor. The combination of PLD and VTX-2337 has been tested in a small number of women with ovarian cancer in a Phase 1b study and appears to be generally well-tolerated.

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  • Trial of Strategies to Communicate Genetic Information to Different Ethnic Subpopulations

    The goal of this study is to better understand how clinicians give genetic risk information to patients from multi-ethnic groups and how patients understand this information and remember it and act upon it. In addition investigators want to know how to better communicate with patients about complex health issues across the health literacy divide and communication gap that exists between doctors and their patients.

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  • Testing Radiation and HER2-targeted Therapy Versus HER2-targeted Therapy Alone for Low-risk HER2-positive Breast Cancer

    This Phase III trial compares the recurrence-free interval (RFI) among patients with early-stage, low risk HER2+ breast cancer who undergo breast conserving surgery and receive HER2-directed therapy, and are randomized to not receive adjuvant breast radiotherapy versus those who are randomized to receive adjuvant radiotherapy per the standard of care.

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  • Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes Study

    The goal of the Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes (D2d) study is to determine if vitamin D supplementation works to delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in people at risk for the disease and to gain a better understand how vitamin D affects glucose (sugar) metabolism.

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  • XERECEPT® (hCRF) for Primary Glioma Patients Requiring Dexamethasone to Treat Peritumoral Brain Edema

    The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of XERECEPT (human Corticotropin-Releasing Factor, or hCRF) compared to dexamethasone in patients with primary malignant glioma who require increased dexamethasone doses to control symptom of peritumoral brain edema.

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  • Study of SRF617 With AB928 (Etrumadenent) and AB122 (Zimberelimab) in Patients With Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

    This trial will look at the safety and preliminary efficacy of SRF617 in combination with etrumadenant and zimberelimab in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

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  • Stanford Tobacco Treatment Services - Virtual Reality Treatment for Smoking Cessation

    This study aims to see how feasible a mobile app based virtual reality program for smoking cessation (MindCotine) would be among Stanford cancer center patients

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  • Xyrem(Sodium Oxybate) and Ambien(Zolpidem Tartrate) in the Treatment of Chronic Insomnia.

    The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate the long term efficacy of sodium oxybate (Xyrem®) and zolpidem tartrate (Ambien®) in treating chronic insomnia. We will compare the efficacy of sodium oxybate with zolpidem tartrate (Ambien®), and compare the efficacy of each of these two medications with placebos.

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  • The "Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale" (PAWSS)

    Although there are several tools that can be used to evaluate the severity of ongoing alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), there is no available tool that can predict which patients are at risk for developing AWS at the time admission, before the patient has developed AWS. Unfortunately, there are severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal (e.g., seizures) which may develop early in the hospitalization, and before the development of other systemic symptoms which may warn medical personnel of the possibility of impeding alcohol withdrawal (e.g., autonomic instability, delirium). The goal of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties (e.g., predictive validity) of a new tool, the Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS), on identifying which patients are at risk for developing complicated AWS (i.e., seizures, hallucinosis, delirium tremens) among hospitalized, medically ill patients.

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  • Virtual Reality Compared to Nitrous Oxide for Labor Analgesia

    The purpose of this study is to determine if non-invasive distracting devices (Virtual Reality headsets) are non-inferior to conventional therapy (nitrous oxide) for addressing maternal needs during labor who desire non-epidural pain relief.

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  • Walk to School and Physical Activity

    The purpose of the proposed study is to determine the effect of walking to school for one week on total physical activity and patterns of physical activity in third, fourth and fifth grade students.

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  • Tamoxifen Citrate, Letrozole, Anastrozole, or Exemestane With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Invasive RxPONDER Breast Cancer

    This randomized phase III clinical trial studies how well tamoxifen citrate, anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane with or without chemotherapy work in treating patients with breast cancer that has spread from where it began in the breast to surrounding normal tissue (invasive). Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy, using tamoxifen citrate, may fight breast cancer by blocking the use of estrogen by the tumor cells. Aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane, may fight breast cancer by lowering the amount of estrogen the body makes. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether giving tamoxifen citrate, anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane is more effective with combination chemotherapy in treating patients with breast cancer.

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Our research team includes physicians, residents, medical students, research assistants, and volunteers. Our research topics include medical imaging, device validation,  mobile application development, and pharmaceutical trials.  

Some of the Neuro-Opthalmic concerns we investigate include Multiple Sclerosis, Optic Neuritis, IIH, and ICP.