David K. Stevenson, M.D.

Clinical Focus

• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
• Neonatology

Administrative Appointments

• Vice Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine (2006 - present)
• Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Stanford University School of Medicine (2001 - present)
• Director, Charles B. and Ann L. Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (1997 - present)
• Harold K. Faber Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine (1992 - present)
• Chief, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine (1989 - 2007)
View All 7administrative appointments of David Stevenson

Honors and Awards

• Virginia Apgar Award in Perinatal Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics (2006)
• MENTOR Award for Excellence in Research Training, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2004)
• The Neonatal Education Award in Perinatal Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics (2004)
• Advisor of Highest Distinction for Exemplary Contributions to Undergraduate Education, Stanford University (2004)
• The Duane Alexander Award for Academic Leadership in Perinatal Medicine, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2003)

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Stephanie Schulz-Geske

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Neonatology

Web Site Links

• Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine

Research Interests

Our research is focused on the study of the ontogeny and control of heme catabolism and bilirubin production in the developing neonate. A better understanding of the role of increased bilirubin production in neonatal jaundice and the prevention of hemolytic jaundice has remained an overall objective of our program. To this end, we are actively investigating a more targeted, preventive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of newborns, who are high producers of the pigment and/or unable to efficiently eliminate bilirubin, thus leading to an accumulation of the pigment in circulation and tissues, which may lead to irreversible neurologic injury. Control of bilirubin production is a logical strategy, but has unexplored consequences for the immature mammal. Thus, we are studying the pivotal role of heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of bilirubin, under a variety of commonly encountered pathological conditions, such as infection and hypoxia-ischemia, as well as in anti-oxidant defense, immune response and the regulation of hematopoiesis. In support of the above interests, studies are in progress, which are designed to screen a variety of metalloporphyrins and other compounds for maximum in vitro and in vivo efficacy with minimal side effects; to determine the ontogeny of the HO enzyme system in various murine tissues, focusing on perturbations resulting from treatment with HO inhibitors; and further to develop and test new technologies for noninvasive or minimally-invasive measurements of in vivo metabolism that could be used for diagnostic and monitoring purposes.

Clinical Trials

• Late Hypothermia for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Recruiting
• Inhaled PGE1 in Neonatal Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure Terminated
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Versus Surfactant, and a Lower Versus a Higher Oxygen Saturation in 24 to 27 Week Preterm Infants No longer recruiting

Publications

• Effect of heme oxygenase-1 deficiency on placental development. Zhao H, Wong RJ, Kalish FS, Nayak NR, Stevenson DK. Placenta. 2009; 30 (10): 861-8
• Dermal carbon monoxide excretion in neonatal rats during light exposure. Vreman HJ, Knauer Y, Wong RJ, Chan ML, Stevenson DK. Pediatr Res. 2009; 66 (1): 66-9
• Standardized bench method for evaluating the efficacy of phototherapy devices. Vreman HJ, Wong RJ, Murdock JR, Stevenson DK. Acta Paediatr. 2008; 97 (3): 308-16
• Aggressive vs. conservative phototherapy for infants with extremely low birth weight. Morris BH, Oh W, Tyson JE, Stevenson DK, Phelps DL, O'Shea TM, McDavid GE, Perritt RL, Van Meurs KP, Vohr BR, Grisby C, Yao Q, Pedroza C, Das A, Poole WK, Carlo WA, Duara S, Laptook AR, Salhab WA, Shankaran S, Poindexter BB, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, Rasmussen MR, Stoll BJ, Cotten CM, Donovan EF, Ehrenkranz RA, Guillet R, Higgins RD. N Engl J Med. 2008; 359 (18): 1885-96
• Inhibition of heme oxygenase activity in newborn mice by azalanstat. Morisawa T, Wong RJ, Bhutani VK, Vreman HJ, Stevenson DK. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2008; 86 (10): 651-9