Department: Neurosurgery

The development and implementation of computerized, image-guided surgical tools to be used during minimally invasive brain operations. The clinical outcome of new technologies, and in particular the application of radiosurgery, for the treatment of brain tumors. The creation of new radiosurgical techniques for a wide array of brain and spine disorders.

Our group’s research focus is the acute treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular disorders. Our primary interest is the use of diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MRI to expand the treatment window for ischemic stroke. We are also conducting clinical studies of both neuroprotective and thrombolytic strategies for the treatment of acute stroke and investigating new antithrombotic strategies for stroke prevention.

My research focus is human motor control and brain pathophysiology in movement disorders. Our overall goal is to understand the role of the basal ganglia electrical activity in the pathogenesis of movement disorders. We have developed novel computerized technology to measure fine, limb and postural movement. With these we are measuring local field potentials in basal ganglia nuclei in patients with Parkinson's disease and dystonian and correlating brain signalling with motor behavior.

The goal of the Buckwalter Lab is to improve how people recover after a stroke. We use basic research to understand the cells, proteins, and genes that lead to successful recovery of function, and also how complications develop that impact quality of life after stroke. Ongoing projects are focused on understanding how inflammatory responses are regulated after a stroke and how to make recovery faster and better after stroke.

Neuronal death after cerebral ischemia and neural injury using transgenic strategy

Clinical research includes studies in the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders, such as aneurysms and AVMs, as well as the use of radiosurgery to treat tumors and vascular malformations of the brain and spine. Dr. Chang is C0-Director of the Cyberknife Radiosurgery Program. Dr. Chang is also the head of the The Stanford Neuromolecular Innovation Program with the goal of developing new technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients affected by neurological conditions.

Restoration of function after spinal cord injury, using information technology and biotechnology

Dr. Dodd is involved in clinical trials using endovascular coils that have a fiber coating that help heal aneurysms of the neck and can prevent an aneurysm from reforming. He uses minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to treat brain tumors. Dodd's research interests are in cerebral blood vessel reactivity and stroke.

My interest for many years has focused on neuro-oncology (brain tumors) and utilizing both surgery and stereotactically focused radiation to treat solid tumors of the nervous system primarily utilizing the CyberKnife. In addition, I am an expert in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery. More recently, my interests revolve around understanding the neural, social and mental bases of compassion and altruism using a multi-disciplinary approach.

Dr. Fisher is interested in clincal, laboratory and translational aspects of epilepsy research. Prior work has included: electrical deep brain stimulation for epilepsy, studied in laboratory models and clinical trials; drug delivery to a seizure focus; mechanisms of absence epilepsy studied with in vitro slices of brain thalamus; hyperthermic seizures; diagnosis and treatment of non-epileptic seizures, the post-ictal state; driving and epilepsy; new antiepileptic drugs; surgery for epilepsy.

Clinical neuro-oncology: My research explores the epidemiology, natural history, and disease patterns of brain tumors in childhood, as well as prospective clinical trials for treating these neoplasms. Research interests also include neurologic effects of cancer and its therapies, and childhood headaches.

1. Clinical informatics and electronic health records 2. Neonatal and fetal neurology 3. Prenatal diagnosis neurodevelopmental anomalies 4. Personalized Health and Wellness Records

Traumatic brain injury with a focus on epidemiology and outcomes.

Microsurgical treatment of tumors of the brain, spinal cord, pituitary gland and skull base; Radiosurgery of tumors; Molecular biology of brain tumors.

My research interests encompass several areas of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, including frameless stereotactic approaches for therapy delivery to deep brain nuclei; deformable patient-specific atlases for targeting brain structures; cortical physiology and its relationship to normal and pathological movement; neural prostheses; and the development of novel neuromodulatory techniques for the treatment of movement disorders, pain, and other neurological diseases.

Dr. Karen G. Hirsch cares for critically ill patients with neurologic disorders in the intensive care unit and for patients with cerebrovascular disease in the inpatient stroke unit. Dr. Hirsch's research focuses on novel imaging techniques such as functional brain imaging in patients with cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury. She also studies methods of non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow, oxygenation, and cerebrovascular autoregulation and how these parameters might be target..

Development of innovative surgical methods, via the cranial base, to expose inaccessible intracranial disease. Surgical simulation and robotics. Evidence based outcomes analysis in acoustic neuroma and other tumors of the cerebellopontine angle. History of tobacco advertising with false reassurance of healthfulness (see tobacco.stanford.edu). Medical history - especially the history of otology, neurosurgery, deafness, and quackery.

My clinical and laboratory research activities are currently focused on developing new and sensitive means for detecting the onset of cerebral ischemia using both electrophysiological and advanced optical techniques.

1) New therapeutic approaches for head and neck cancer, including immune stimulation possibilities (IRX-2 protocol), integration of biological modifiers, and, eventually, genetic approaches. 2) Head and neck cancer stem cells: identification, characterization, control--in conjunction with the Irv Weissman and Michael Clarke labs in the Stem Cell Institute 3) Development of innovative surgical methods at the anterior cranial base

Dr. Katznelson is an internationally known neuroendocrinologist and clinical researcher, with research expertise in the diagnosis and management of hypopituitarism, the effects of hormones on neurocognitive function, and the development of therapeutics for acromegaly and Cushing’s syndrome, and neuroendocrine tumors. Dr. Katznelson is the medical director of the multidisciplinary Stanford Pituitary Center, a program geared for patient management, clinical research and patient education

1. Imaging of Cerebral Perfusion with MRI and Xenon CT 2. Determining selection criteria that identify stroke patients who are most likely to benefit from iv tPA 3. Combining iv tPA with intraarterial mechanical thrombectomy for acute stroke 4. Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in patients with stroke and TIA using long term ambulatory cardiac monitoring 5. Prognosis of critically ill neurological patients

My laboratory studies the biology of brain tumors with the goal of developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of malignant brain tumors and translating that research into clinical trials.

My clinical interests are in the areas of Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring (IOM), clinical neurophysiology, electromyopgraphy and in the use of botulinum toxins in the treatment of neurologic disorders. Our IOM group’s research is in the development of new and innovative techniques for monitoring the nervous system during surgical and endovascular procedures and how these alter surgical management and patient outcomes. I am also active in formulating national IOM practice guidelines.

Interventional neuroradiology; cerebral arteriovenous malformations; stroke treatment and imaging; cerebral aneurysms

Dr. Mindea’s primary clinical interests include minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques and the management of primary and metastatic spinal tumors (cyberknife/ surgical oncology). His research interests include the development medical devices and cutting-edge technologies for the treatment of spinal disorders and tumors.

The Monje Lab studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment. This includes microenvironmental influences on neural precursor cell fate choice in normal neurodevelopment and in disease states.

Dr. Murovic is a member of the Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) CyberKnife Radiosurgery (CK RS) Treatment Center at the Stanford Cancer Center and at Blake Wilbur. She helps to co-ordinate the patients' CK RS treatments. She is also Co-Protocol Director of a new Stanford Cancer Center trial which is evaluating the outcomes of patients with 1-3 versus 4 or more brain tumor metastases after treatment with CK RS. She is currently preparing a chapter on the CK RS treatment of brain tumor ..