Faculty Profiles in Excellence

Stanford Medicine faculty are at the cutting edge of patient care, research, and education.
Who are these amazing individuals and what do they do at Stanford?

There is a unique spirit of collaboration at Stanford—there is an ease with which people support one another here. There is an attitude of wanting everyone to be successful.

Glenn Chertow, MD, MPH

Medicine

I am a professor of medicine in the school of medicine, and I have a clinical practice. I am also the director of the Division of Nephrology in the department medicine. I do research on clinical nephrology, including acute and chronic kidney disease. When I started medical school, I didn’t anticipate that I would do much research, but in medical school and residency, I was exposed to a culture of research.  I got involved in research because we have so far to go to improve patient care—we must do everything we can to make even baby steps.

I also really enjoy patient care: there is so much satisfaction in healing and comforting patients. To be able to solve mysteries on the behalf of patients is incredible. Unlike a research project that takes ten years, there is also a daily sense of satisfaction associated with helping patients.

There is a unique spirit of collaboration at Stanford—there is an ease with which people support one another here. There is an attitude of wanting everyone to be successful. Mentorship and diversity are a big part of this. Mentorship was particularly important during my time as a resident and junior faculty member. I have had extraordinary teachers, mentors, and advisors. Diversity makes for more interesting, well-balanced, and successful communities. I believe it should be the goal of all educational institutions—particularly those that train students in the service professions—to cultivate diversity.