Stanford School of Medicine

Key Documents

Gary Steinberg

Contact Information

  • Clinical Offices
    Neurosurgery 300 Pasteur Dr R301A MC 5325 Stanford, CA 94305
    Telephone Work (650) 723-5575 Fax (650) 725-0390
  • Academic Offices
    Personal Information
    Administrative Contact
    Andrew Kloak Administrative Associate Tel Work 650-725-5562
    Not for medical emergencies or patient use

Clinical Focus

  • Neurological Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Neurosurgery, Pediatric

Administrative Appointments

  • Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine - Neurosurgery , (1995– present )

Professional Education

  • Board Certification: Neurological Surgery, American Board of Neurological Surgery (1989)
  • SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (1987) CA
  • Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (1986) CA USA
  • SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (1983) CA
  • Institute Of Neurology (1981) England
  • Stanford University School of Medicine (1980) CA
  • Stanford University School of Medicine (1980) CA

Postdoctoral Advisees

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. 

  • Consulting: Neurofluidics

Research Interests

Our laboratory is interested in elucidating the pathophysiology of acute cerebral ischemia and in developing neuroprotective treatments, as well as methods to restore neurologic function after stroke. Using rodent wild type, knock out and transgenic models of focal and global ischemia, we are investigating the physiologic processes leading from decreased blood flow after arterial occlusion to irreversible brain injury. A major focus of our work concerns the role of oxidative stress, inflammation and gene expression on necrotic and apoptotic mechnisms of ischemic cell death. Alterations in cerebral blood flow, neuronal metabolic activity, electrophysiology, and gene/protein expression are examined in relation to neurologic behavior. We are also studying the brain microenvironment during recovery after stroke and the effects of stem cell transplantation and enhanced neurogenesis in promoting recovery of function.

We have been successful in attenuating ischemic cerebral damage by inducing mild brain hypothermia (30-33 degrees C) or overexpression of various genes (glucose transporter, bcl-2, hsp70, calbindin, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, SOD) either before or after stroke. Transplantation of human neural stem cells after experimental stroke results in survival, targeted migration and differentiation into appropriate neuronal and glial cell types, while anti-inflammatory treatment enhances native neurogenesis and gliagenesis following stroke.
Methodologies utilized in the laboratory include microsurgery, light and confocal microscopy, stereology, molecular biology techniques, autoradiography, magnetic resonance imaging, electrophysiology, cerebral blood flow measurements and gene transfer therapy.


Our clinical research efforts focus on novel approaches for treating intracranial aneurysms, intracranial and spinal vascular malformations, occlusive cerebrovascular disease such as Moyamoya disease and stroke. These include advances in microsurgery, interventional neuroradiology, stereotactic radiosurgery, 3D imaging, surgical navigation, revascularization techniques, the use of mild brain hypothermia and other clinical neuroprotective agents, and neurotransplantation.

Publications