Principal Investigator

jbrooks1@stanford.edu

Bio

James D. Brooks, MD is a urologist whose clinical practice focuses primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. He is the Keith and Jan Hurlbut Professor, Vice-Chair and Chief of Urologic Oncology in the Department of Urology. Much of his work has focused on prostate and kidney cancer, and his laboratory has recently expanded research into benign urological conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia, renal obstruction, and urinary infections. He is Director for the U54 funded Stanford O’Brien Urology Research Center focused on research into benign urologic conditions. He has participated in several cancer research consortia including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) where he was Associate Chair of the Prostate Cancer Working Group, and the Molecular and Cellular Characterization Center Consortium for which he served as Co-Chair.

Senior Research Scientist

hongjuan@stanford.edu

Bio

Hongjuan Zhao has been working in the oncology field for 22 years. She obtained my Ph.D. at Washington University and her postdoctoral training at Stanford. As a postdoctoral fellow, Hongjuan worked on identification of molecular subtypes and prognostic signatures of cancers using genomic approaches. For the past 15 years, she has developed patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) using procession-cut tissue slices. The established PDXs of prostate cancer and kidney cancer faithfully recapitulate tumor pathology, gene expression, genetic mutation, and drug response. Using these models, we have successfully identified serum tumor biomarkers and evaluated novel therapeutics in prostate cancer and kidney cancer. Currently, she devotes her time to grant writing, manuscript preparation, and research personnel supervision.

Instructor

apolasko@stanford.edu

Bio

Alexandra Polasko's background is in molecular biology, applied microbiology, and engineering. Prior to joining the Brooks lab, she was a postdoctoral fellow in Oral Biology at UCLA. She received her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA and B.S. from UC Berkeley. One of Alexandra's proudest accomplishments was being the recipient of UCLA’s 2021 Distinguished Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants. Her current research focuses on elucidating the mechanisms that drive benign prostate hyperplasia using patient-derived xenograft models as well as investigating factors that drive catheter blockages and infections in patients.  When Alexandra is not in the lab you can find her cycling up the Bay Area hills. 

Lab Services Manager

ericpete@stanford.edu

Bio

Eric Peterson received his BS in biochemistry from UC Davis and a master's in biotechnology from San Jose State. He has worked in clinical laboratories for about 9 years, and in research labs for over 15. Those years were spent developing pharmaceuticals to treat coronary thrombosis, breast cancer, pain, and autoimmune disorders. Eric joined the School of Medicine in 2017 and moved to the Department of Urology in 2023. At SJSU, he teaches Biology 233T - Immunological Techniques in the Laboratory to the next generation of biotechnology grad students. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and reading about history.

"One afternoon--years ago in Amsterdam--Margaret Thatcher almost ran me over."

Undergraduate Researcher

alexjeon@stanford.edu

Bio

My name is Alexander Jeon and I am a Stanford undergraduate student majoring in Electrical Engineering. I currently work in the Brooks Lab where I study growth factor pathways, including IGF-1 and BMP5, as therapeutic targets for benign prostatic hyperplasia using patient-derived xenograft models. Outside of the lab, I perform with Stanford Chamber Chorale, have competed with the varsity fencing team for 2 years, and enjoy reading and watching films. 

Undergraduate Researcher

nickhadi@stanford.edu

Bio

Nicholas Hadi is an undergraduate at Stanford University (Class of 2028) studying Cellular and Molecular Biology. In the Brooks Lab, he studies blood-based biomarkers for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and aggressive prostate cancer subtypes. His current work focuses on identifying and validating serum proteins using patient-derived xenograft models. He is interested in early cancer detection and treatment. Outside the lab, he enjoys filmmaking, photography, powerlifting, and traveling.

Undergraduate Researcher

arinv@stanford.edu

Bio

Arin is a Stanford undergraduate student majoring in Bioengineering currently working with Dr. Polasko on prostate spheroid models for benign prostate hyperplasia therapeutic testing. He has presented his work at the 2026 O’Brien Center Summer Student Research Jamboree and as part of the 2026 Stanford Canary CREST program. Outside of research, Arin enjoys swimming with Stanford's Club Swim team, building mechanical contraptions, or volunteering as an EMT on campus.

Undergraduate Researcher

vyomvidyarthi@icloud.com

Bio

 Vyom Vidyarthi is an undergraduate student at UCLA studying neuroscience. He joined the Brooks Lab through the Canary CREST summer internship program and continues his research investigating androgen receptor pathway inhibitor-induced changes in prostate cancer cells, with a particular focus on glycosylation and mechanisms of treatment resistance. He hopes to pursue a career that combines his interests in clinical medicine and research.