Awards and Announcements
Inside Stanford Digestive Health - Autumn 2025
State-of-the-Art CME Course
Awards
Grant Barber, MD
2025 Education Excellence Award
Dr. Grant Barber has been awarded the Stanford Department of Medicine Education Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Stanford GI educational program, for his innovative approach to teaching, mentorship, and commitment to fostering the next generation of gastroenterologists.
Teacher of the Year Award
Our division and fellowship program are happy to recognize Dr. Grant Barber with the Teacher of the Year Award in honor and appreciation of his great contributions to our educational mission. Dr. Barber has clearly distinguished himself as a master teacher and he continuously champions and supports our commitment to excellence in education for our fellows. Congratulations Dr. Barber and our deepest thanks for your extraordinary teaching!
Quotes from our fellows:
“Strong commitment to teaching.”
“Models compassionate patient care.”
“Encourages asking questions and discussion.”
“Dr. Barber makes teaching a priority in a variety of settings. This is one of the most educational parts of our weeks on Stanford GI.”
“Great at teaching endoscopy and endlessly patient.”
“His passion for teaching and care for trainees extends outside of didactics. Available to me as a resource in and out of work and has regularly checked in on my personal life.”
“Incredibly patient and sets a good example for all of us.”
“In the spirit of awarding an educator dedicated to the training of fellows, Dr Barber exemplifies this role.”
Dr. Barber’s teaching philosophy:
"Teaching fellows, especially during inpatient IBD rounds on Wednesday mornings, has truly been the highlight of my time as faculty at Stanford. My core philosophy as a teacher is that fellows are my future colleagues; while I may be teaching them now, in a few short years it will be ME asking for advice from THEM. My role hence is to nurture their individual talents, offer constructive feedback in a compassionate manner, and guide them to achieve the heights that I know they can attain. It is my great honor to play even a small role in the arc of their future careers that will influence the lives of thousands of patients and healthcare professionals."
Renumathy Dhanasekaran, MD, PhD
McCormick Faculty Award
Dr. Dhanasekaran has been selected as a recipient of the McCormick Faculty Award, which provides research funding and professional development opportunities to junior faculty women for career advancement.
Sarah Streett, MD
2025 Clinical Excellence Award
Dr. Sarah Street is this year’s recipient of the Department of Medicine Clinical Excellence Award for her exceptional clinical expertise, ability to mentor and educate others, and dedication to improving patient outcomes.
Natalie Torok, MD
2025 Researcher of the Year
The Department of Medicine recognized Dr. Natalie Torok for her exceptional research contributions in GI through innovative research, groundbreaking discoveries, and advancements that have significantly impacted knowledge and practice. This award honors a researcher’s dedication to scientific inquiry, their ability to push the boundaries of current understanding, and their commitment to translating research findings into real-world applications.
In This Issue
Autumn 2025