The Stanford Neuro-Oncology Program Team

Paul Graham Fisher, MD, MHS
Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences
Director, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology

Dr. Paul Graham Fisher is Interim Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences; Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and by courtesy, Neurosurgery and Epidemiology and Population Health; the Beirne Family Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology; and the Dunlevie Family University Fellow in Undergraduate Education.  He was most recently Chief of the Division of Child Neurology for 15 years.

Following his BA, with Distinction, in Human Biology from Stanford University and then his MD at UCSF, Dr. Fisher completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and then a fellowship in neuro-oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Johns Hopkins.  He also obtained a master’s degree in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University.  After starting out on the faculty at Hopkins, in 1997 Dr. Fisher was recruited back to Palo Alto, where he started the pediatric neuro-oncology program at Stanford University. His clinical work and research focus on epidemiology, therapy, and late effects of childhood brain tumors and other childhood cancers.  He has authored over 300 scholarly publications on these and other neurology topics.  

Over his time at Stanford, Dr. Fisher has served as a member of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee, IRB member, Neurology Clerkship Director, Child Neurology Residency Program Director, and Senior Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in Neurology. He is a past recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the Arthur L. Bloomfield and Henry J. Kaiser Awards in the School of Medicine, as well as the Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association Award for excellence in undergraduate education.  He currently teaches the popular undergraduate classes “Cancer Epidemiology” and “The Human Organism” in Human Biology.  He was the Bing Director of Human Biology in the School of Humanities from 2012 through 2019.

Dr. Fisher is presently the Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Pediatrics, and he serves on the editorial board of Journal of Clinical Oncology.  In 2021, he was elected to the COPE Council of the Committee on Publication Ethics, and he has interests in plagiarism, text-recycling, and the editorial process.

Dr. Fisher’s personal interests are his wife Joy and three grown children, along with downhill skiing, anything baseball, travel with intense picnicking, and his dogs Monkey and Mona.    

Michelle Monje, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology and Neurologial Sciences and Neuro-Oncology

Michelle Monje, MD PhD, is a Professor of Neurology and Neuro-Oncology at Stanford University. Dr. Monje received her BA from Vassar College and her MD and PhD from Stanford University. She completed her residency training in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School Partners program. Dr. Monje then returned to Stanford to complete a clinical fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology and a post-doctoral fellowship. Dr Monje now balances clinical practice with a robust research program. She is actively involved in the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and serves as the Chair for the Brainstem Glioma Working Group. Her laboratory focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment in health and disease. Dr Monje is particularly interested in the roles for neural precursor cell function and dysfunction in the origins of pediatric brain tumors and the consequences of cancer treatment.

Sonia Partap, MD, MS
Clinical Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and Neuro-Oncology

Dr. Partap received both her B.A. and M.D. at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, before completing residencies in pediatrics and neurology at Brown University and University of Washington, respectively. She then came to Stanford in 2006 as the first Beverly and Bernard Wolfe Fellow in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology.

After fellowship, Dr. Partap was awarded a K12 Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award (NSADA) through the NIH/NINDS and completed  her master’s in Epidemiology at Stanford. Her research interests include epidemiology, international health, neuro-oncology drug trials, and late effects of therapy. Dr. Partap is the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Director and attends in both child neurology and pediatric neuro-oncology.  She an active member of the American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society, American Academy of Pediatrics, Children’s Oncology Group, Society for Neuro-Oncology, and is Treasurer for the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium.

Cynthia Campen, MD, MS
Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences

Dr. Campen received her B.S. from University of California, Davis, and her M.D. from University of California, San Francisco, where she completed her residency in pediatrics. She then left the sunny Bay Area for three years in Philadelphia at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she completed her child neurology residency. She gladly returned to California for her fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, during which she also completed a master’s degree in Epidemiology. Dr. Campen now attends in child neurology and pediatric neuro-oncology.  She is also the Assistant Residency Director for Child Neurology. Dr. Campen’s research interests include epidemiology of childhood brain tumors, late effects of brain tumor treatments, and intracranial vasculopathy. She is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Children’s Oncology Group, and Society for Neuro-Oncology.

Jo Wallace, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC
Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences

Dr. Jo Wallace is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Neurology at Stanford University.  Dr. Wallace joined the Division of Child Neurology in 2015 as a Bass Society and Sobrato-Brisson Faculty Scholar. She is a pediatric neuropsychologist who provides assessments for both research and clinical based practice.  She also provides therapeutic support to patients and their families.

Dr. Wallace received her B.A. from Loyola University, her M.A. from Notre Dame de Namur University, and her Ph.D. in psychology from Palo Alto University. She completed her internship training at Children’s Hospital Orange County.  She has provided art therapy to pediatric oncology and hematology patients at Stanford Children’s Hospital for over 10 years.  Dr. Wallace has also been an adjunct professor for the master and doctoral psychology programs at Notre Dame de Namur University for the past 15 years where she teaches and mentors graduate students.

Outside of work, Dr. Wallace can be found chasing her first hole-in-one on the golf course or seeking the perfect wave when surfing the coast of California.

Jacquelyn (Jackie) Shadmand PNP-PC

Jackie Shadmand is a board certified pediatric nurse practitioner in pediatric neuro oncology and who also specializes in the care of pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis. She graduated from the University of California, San Francisco with her Masters in Nursing in the PNP program in 2021.  Prior to obtaining her advanced practice degree, she worked as a bedside nurse in several level IV neonatal intensive care units specializing in neonatal neurocritical care for 12 years, and as a labor and delivery nurse for 3 years.

Tiffany Tang
Clinical Research Coordinator Associate

Tiffany Tang is a Clinical Research Coordinator Associate who has started working on cancer clinical trials at Stanford since October 2020. She previously worked in Head and Neck oncology at Stanford Health Care as a medical assistant. She worked as a medical assistant for 3 years in multiple clinics before transitioning into the role of Clinical Research Coordinator Associate here at Stanford. Her medical assistant background has provided her with a solid foundation in this new role in research. She graduated with her BA in Sociology at Cal State San Marcos. Her current position as a CRCA focus is on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research.

Elisabeth Merkel, CCRC-CP, RN, PHN, OCN
Research Nurse

Elisabeth Merkel is a research nurse at Stanford University/Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital who has over 17 years of experience in clinical research. She joined the pediatric neuro-oncology team in February of 2022. Prior to her current position, she worked as a research nurse in multiple fields including heart and lung transplant, neonatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, and stem cell and gene therapy. Elisabeth is highly experienced and aims to provide the highest quality work to both patients and families.

Laurence Katznelson, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine
Director, Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program
Medical Director, Stanford Pituitary Center

Laurence Katznelson, MD received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and performed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.  He then performed a fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.  Dr. Katznelson is currently the Medical Director of the Pituitary Center at Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California.  Dr. Katznelson is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.  At Stanford University, he is the Program Director for the Endocrinology fellowship training program.  He is a member of the Editorial Boards for Frontiers in Medicine, and  Pituitary, and is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.  In the Endocrine Society, Dr. Katznelson has served as Chair of the Special Programs Committee and member of the Scientific and Educational Programs Core Committee. He has served as Chair of the Task Forces for writing clinical guidelines for the approach to acromegaly for both the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and The Endocrine Society. He has served as an ad hoc member of NIH study sections.  Dr. Katznelson has a long standing clinical and research interest in the pathophysiology and treatment of pituitary disease.

Lawrence M. Shuer, MD, FAAS
Professor of Neurosurgery, Vice Chair for Quality of the Neurosurgery Department at Stanford University

Dr. Lawrence M. Shuer received his medical degree from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He completed his training as a Resident in Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He then joined the faculty of Stanford Neurosurgery and has been caring for patients with Brain, Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve tumors for almost 30 years. He has served as Acting Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Chief of Staff of Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Affairs in the past. He participates actively in the Neuro-oncology tumor board.

Steven D. Chang, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery
Rober C and Jeannette Powel Neurosciences Professor

Dr. Steven Chang received his medical degree from Stanford University. He completed his neurosurgical training at Stanford with a focus on stereotactic radiosurgery, cerebrovascular disease, and brain and spinal tumors. He is recognized as an expert in Cyberknife radiosurgery and surgical resection of brain tumors. Dr. Chang is a research interest in neurogenetics and protenomics.

Robert Dodd, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Dodd received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he also earned a PhD in Neurosciences from the Department of Neurobiology. His neurosurgery training also took place at Stanford, where he recently completed an endovascular fellowship. His research interests have been in cerebral blood vessel reactivity and stroke.

Dr. Dodd's clinical interests include endovascular and microsurgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations; percutaneous and surgical interventions for both extracranial and intracranial carotid artery occlusive disease; and minimally invasive neurosurgery though the use of neuroendoscopy and keyhole approaches.

Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Juan Fernandez-Miranda is Professor of Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of the Stanford Brain Tumor, Skull Base, and Pituitary Centers. He is internationally renowned for his expertise in minimally invasive brain surgery, endoscopic skull base and pituitary surgery, open skull base surgery, and complex brain tumor surgery. He is highly regarded for his innovative contributions to the development and refinement of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery, for his ability to select the most effective and less invasive approach to each individual patient, and for his precise knowledge of the intricate anatomy of the white matter tracts required to maximize resection and minimize morbidity on high and low grade glioma patients. His top priority is to provide gentle, accurate, and safe surgery, in a team-based and compassionate approach to patient care.

Dr. Fernandez-Miranda completed neurosurgery residency at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. He underwent fellowship training in microsurgical neuroanatomy at the University of Florida, and then continued subspecialty clinical training in cerebrovascular surgery at the University of Virginia, and endoscopic endonasal and open skull base surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). During his 10-year tenure at UPMC, he pioneered endoscopic endonasal approaches to highly complex pituitary and skull base tumors, developed a world-class complex brain surgery program, and led a premier training and research program on surgical neuroanatomy and skull base surgery. 

Melanie G Hayden Gephart, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery

Melanie Hayden Gephart, MD, MAS is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Hayden Gephart’s research and clinical expertise in the treatment of central nervous system tumors and conditions is an important addition to Stanford Health Care. Her translational research focuses on understanding and halting the mechanisms driving tumor growth in the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Hayden Gephart’s work as a neurosurgeon and scientist help to develop and implement new treatments for patients with brain tumors.

Dr. Hayden Gephart received her medical and masters degrees from University of California at San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. She completed her residency and served as Chief Resident in Neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics. Dr. Hayden Gephart finished her Research Fellowship from the Departments of Developmental Biology, Genetics, Bioengineering, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University.

Gordon Li, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery

Gordon Li graduated from Brown University with honors in neuroscience and received his MD at UC Davis School of Medicine.  He completed his neurosurgical residency at Stanford University School of Medicine and was hired on to help build the brain tumor center at Stanford University School of Medicine.  His clinical interests include improving surgical techniques for brain tumor surgery, immunotherapy for the treatment of brain cancer, and novel uses for stereotactic radiosurgery.  His research 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.

Michael Lim, MD
Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery
Professor, by courtesy, of Oncology and of Otolaryngology and of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Michael Lim is a Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at Stanford University.  Dr. Lim obtained his MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He then completed his residency in Neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital and went on to become a Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology and Radiation Oncology and built the Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program at Johns Hopkins before returning to Stanford.  Dr. Lim’s surgical interest is in both benign and malignant brain tumors, with a particular interest in gliomas, meningioma, pituitary tumors and skull base tumors. He has extensive experience in new and innovative neurosurgical techniques including image guided surgery, microsurgery, minimally invasive procedures and endoscopic surgery.

Dr. Lim’s primary research interest is developing immune-based therapies against brain tumors. His research laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms of immune evasion by primary brain tumors.  Findings from his laboratory are directed towards translation to novel therapies against brain tumors.  In addition to running a laboratory, he also directs the immunotherapy clinical trials program at Stanford.  He currently serves as the principal investigator of several large brain tumor immunotherapy clinical trials based on findings from his laboratory.

John Ratliff, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Ratliff received his medical degree from Tulane University. He is fellowship trained in complex spinal reconstructive surgery and completed a research fellowship in neural regeneration and peripheral nerve repair at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health. His area of research focuses upon outcomes assessment in spine surgery; his areas of clinical focus are primary and metastatic spinal tumors, spinal reconstruction procedures, and spinal radiosurgery.

Kelly Mahaney, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Mahaney is a Pediatric Neurosurgeon with clinical interest in Hydrocephalus, Craniovertebral Junction abnormalities, Spasticity, Spinal dysraphism and Myelomeningocele, Central Nervous System tumors, and Pediatric Epilepsy surgery. She completed residency training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and subspecialty Pediatric Neurosurgery training at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital. She is interested in advancing Neuro-endoscopic techniques in Pediatric Neurosurgical practice. Dr. Mahaney's research focuses on delineating the role of iron in the development of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

Laura M. Prolo, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Prolo received her MD/PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford University and trained as a Neurosurgery resident at Stanford University Medical Center. She completed her fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery at University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her clinical focus is on brain and spinal cord tumors, craniosynostosis and congenital disorders. Dr. Prolo’s research program is focused on advancing and applying evolving molecular technologies for the diagnosis, characterization and treatment of children with congenital disorders and tumors.

Iris C. Gibbs, MD, FACR
Professor of Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy

Dr. Gibbs is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in the treatment of CNS tumors. Her research focuses on developing new radiation techniques to manage brain and spinal tumors in adults and children. Dr. Gibbs has gained worldwide acclaim for her expertise in Cyberknife robotic radiosurgery.

Scott G. Soltys, MD
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy

Dr. Scott Soltys earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan, completing his residency in Radiation Oncology at Stanford University.  His clinical and research interests focus on the development of new treatments involving radiotherapy and radiosurgery for tumors of the brain and spine, as well as functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia.  His current clinical trials are investigating how to optimize the radiosurgical treatment of patients with large brain metastases and how to improve the quality of life of patients receiving radiotherapy for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).

Sarah S. Donaldson, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Sarah S. Donaldson is the Catharine and Howard Avery Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and Associate Program Director in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford.  She also serves as the Chief of the Radiation Oncology service at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.  She is an established clinical investigator and educator with special interests in malignancies of the central nervous system, eye/orbit, sarcoma, breast, lymphoma, and pediatric radiation therapy. She has a long time interest in the late effects of cancer and its treatment.  Dr. Donaldson received her undergraduate and nursing degrees from the University of Oregon and her MD from Harvard Medical School.  She joined the Department of Radiation Oncology for residency training at Stanford in 1969, was appointed to the faculty in 1973, and has served Stanford continuously since her initial appointment.  
A member of many professional organizations, Dr. Donaldson has held numerous national leadership roles.  She has served as president of both the American Board of Radiology the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the Radiological Society of North America.  She also has served the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and their Foundation, as well as The Board of Trustees of the Radiological Society of North America Foundation.

Dr. Donaldson has received numerous honors and awards including the Marie Curie Award of the American Association for Women Radiologists, the Janeway Medal of the American Radium Society, and the Henry S Kaplan Memorial Prize for teaching at Stanford.  She has received gold medals from the del Regato Foundation, the American College of Radiology (ACR), and ASTRO.  She is a fellow of ASTRO, ACR, and AAAS, and a member of The National Academies Institute of Medicine.

Susan Hiniker, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Susan Hiniker is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in treating pediatric patients with cancers involving the central nervous system and elsewhere in the body.  Her clinical and research interests focus on studying ways of enhancing the efficacy of radiation therapy in children while minimizing long-term effects.  She is also interested in improving the experience of radiation therapy for children, and she is leading a multicenter trial evaluating the efficacy of video-based distraction during radiation therapy in reducing the need for anesthesia during treatment.

Erqi Liu Pollom, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy

Dr. Erqi Pollom is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in treating patients with central nervous system and gastrointestinal cancers, and in delivering stereotactic body radiotherapy/stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery. She leads comparative- and cost-effectiveness research projects to improve cancer care delivery and patient-centered outcomes.

Nancy Fischbein, MD
Professor of Radiology - Diagnostic Radiology

Dr. Fischbein earned her medical degree at Harvard Medical School and completed her training in Diagnostic Radiology and her neuroradiology fellowship at the University of California-San Francisco. She is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology. Dr. Fischbein's research interests include imaging of brain tumors using advanced MR-based modalities, as well as imaging of processes that affect the skull base and cranial nervesThis is example text for the text & image component. Too add or edit text here, double or right-click to bring up the editor.

Michael Iv, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology

Dr. Michael Iv received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  He completed his radiology residency training at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and neuroradiology fellowship at Stanford University.  He is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and also holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology.  His primary research interest focuses on the use of advanced MRI techniques to probe the brain tumor microenvironment and improve our diagnostic capability to effectively monitor a tumor’s response to treatment.  Examples include using ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI to image tumor associated macrophages and MR perfusion-based fractional tumor burden to image tumor vascularity and neoangiogenesis.  He has received multiple intramural and extramural grants including the Radiological Society of North America Research Scholar Grant and Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research Grant to support his work.  He was also a co-editor of a published two volume book set entitled “Glioblastoma: State-of-the-Art Clinical Neuroimaging.”  In addition to research, he is actively involved in the clinical care of patients and regularly participates in multi-disciplinary conferences.  He currently serves as the Director of Brain Tumor Imaging at the Stanford Brain Tumor Center.

Kristen Yeom, MD
Professor of Radiology -Pediatric Radiology

Dr. Yeom obtained her medical degree from University of Michigan.  She completed her radiology residency training at UCLA and neuroradiology fellowship at Stanford University.  She is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and also holds Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology.  Her primary interest is pediatric neurological diseases.  Her research also includes the use of advanced MRI techniques to improve detection, surgical navigation, as well as image-based monitoring of pediatric brain tumors and associated therapeutic sequelae.

Hannes Vogel, MD
Professor, Pathology
Director of Neuropathology

Dr. Vogel’s research interests include nerve and muscle pathology, mitochondrial diseases, pediatric neurooncology, and transgenic mouse pathology.  Dr. Vogel is the Director of Neuropathology and Neuropathology Fellowship at Stanford from 2002 to the present.

Martin Brown, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Radiation Oncology - Radiation and Cancer Biology

My lab is focused on understanding the mechanisms responsible for the resistance GBM to cancer therapies and to develop strategies to overcome these resistances. Our main project is on investigating the role of bone marrow derived cells in restoring the tumor vasculature after radiotherapy (which destroys local angiogenesis). This process is known as vasculogenesis. In particular we seek to improve tumor cure rates by radiotherapy by inhibiting the repair of the tumor vasculature in GBM by circulating cells following radiation to the tumors by selective inhibition of the chemokine pathway(s) responsive for the mobilization and capture in the tumor of the circulating proangiogenic cells. 

We are also investigating the ways to overcome the resistance of hypoxic cells in GBM to irradiation including nitroimidazole hypoxic cell radiosensitizers and perfluorocarbon compounds that carry large amounts of oxygen.

Cynthia Campen, MD, MS
Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences

Dr. Campen received her B.S. from University of California, Davis, and her M.D. from University of California, San Francisco, where she completed her residency in pediatrics. She then left the sunny Bay Area for three years in Philadelphia at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she completed her child neurology residency. She gladly returned to California for her fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, during which she also completed a master’s degree in Epidemiology. Dr. Campen now attends in child neurology and pediatric neuro-oncology.  She is also the Assistant Residency Director for Child Neurology. Dr. Campen’s research interests include epidemiology of childhood brain tumors, late effects of brain tumor treatments, and intracranial vasculopathy. She is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Children’s Oncology Group, and Society for Neuro-Oncology.

Steven Chang, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery

The Stanford Neurogenetic Innovation Program (SNIP) brings together clinical experts with the goal of developing new technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients affected by neurological conditions. Dr. Steven D. Chang, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, is leading SNIP’s research efforts, which can be divided into three broad categories: (1) Neural Stem Cells, (2) New Blood Vessel Growth and Response to Radiosurgery, and (3) Nanotechnology and Microfluidic Biochips.

Frederick T. Chin, PhD
Assistant Professor (Research), Radiology - Diagnostic Radiology

Our laboratory focuses on advancing radiopharmaceutical sciences for the expanding field of molecular imaging. We design and synthesize novel radioligands/radiotracers that bind to molecular targets related to specific nervous system (central and peripheral) disorders and cancer biology. In addition, new radiolabeling techniques and methodologies will be created in our lab for emerging radiopharmaceutical development as well as for the general radiochemistry community. These radiochemistry approaches will be coupled with innovative chemical engineering to further investigate new molecular imaging strategies such as simultaneous PET-MR imaging. Successful imaging agents will be extended towards future human clinical applications specifically related to glioblastoma, neurodegeneration, pain, and addiction. Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility

Paul Fisher, MD
Professor of Neurology and Neurologial Sciences
Director, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology

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

Iris Gibbs, MD
Professor, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy

Dr. Gibbs is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in the treatment of CNS tumors. Her research focuses on developing new radiation techniques to manage brain and spinal tumors in adults and children. Dr. Gibbs has gained worldwide acclaim for her expertise in Cyberknife robotic radiosurgery.

Melanie G Hayden Gephart, MD
Professor, Neurosurgery

As a practicing neurosurgeon, my daily interactions with neuro-oncology patients uniquely positions our lab to focus on translational neuro-oncology research, combining basic neuroscience, genetics, and tumor biology, with an unique insight into the pressing clinical questions facing patients with brain tumors. My postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Matthew Scott focused on the cellular mechanisms underlying the genetics and tumor biology of medulloblastoma. My masters degree in clinical research provides insight into the translation potential of newly identified treatments through development of clinical trials. In this way, we bridge laboratory bench research into viable therapeutics for patients with brain tumors. Our ongoing investigations into tumor cell biology, developmental neuroscience, cell signal transduction, and translational preliminary studies of novel therapeutics each feedback into and exponentially advance the field of neuro-oncology. Our discoveries in the lab will develop into hypotheses about novel treatment and diagnostic development, and working with patients and primary samples develops questions for the lab regarding tumor cell biology and normal neurodevelopment.

Laurence Katznelson, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine
Director, Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program
Medical Director, Stanford Pituitary Center

My clinical and research interests in neuroendocrinology include investigations into the effects of brain injury on pituitary function, with emphasis on the impact of hypopituitarism on rehabilitation, as well as research on the effects of neuroendocrine factors, including growth hormone and glucocorticoids on neurocognitive function. I'm also involved in investigations into novel therapeutic modalities for acromegaly and hypopituitarism and research into the effects of anabolic hormones such as gonadal steroids and growth hormone on body composition.

Gordon Li, MD
Professor, Neurosurgery

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. Currently we are studying a variety of different protein pathways that we hypothesize to be important players in glioblastoma formation and growth. Using retrovirus to modulate gene expression in both primary and immortalized glial tumor cells we have identified a group of kinases that are important in glial tumorigenesis called casein kinase 2 (CK2). In particular we demonstrated that one isoform, CK2alpha, can enhance tumorigenic phenotypes as well as maintain glial cancer stem cells making it an important player in brain tumor biology.  In addition, we are studying tumor suppressors that be used to help treat gliblastoma patients. One interesting candidate we have identified is Ikaros (IKZF1). IKZF1 was previously found to be involved in leukemia, but we demonstrate for the first time that it may be involved in other cancers including brain tumors. By understanding the biology behind how brain tumors occur we will help develop novel and more efficacious treatments for treating this deadly disease.

Michael Lim, MD
Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery
Professor, by courtesy, of Oncology and of Otolaryngology and of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Michael Lim is a Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at Stanford University.  Dr. Lim obtained his MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He then completed his residency in Neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital and went on to become a Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology and Radiation Oncology and built the Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program at Johns Hopkins before returning to Stanford.  Dr. Lim’s surgical interest is in both benign and malignant brain tumors, with a particular interest in gliomas, meningioma, pituitary tumors and skull base tumors. He has extensive experience in new and innovative neurosurgical techniques including image guided surgery, microsurgery, minimally invasive procedures and endoscopic surgery.

Dr. Lim’s primary research interest is developing immune-based therapies against brain tumors. His research laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms of immune evasion by primary brain tumors.  Findings from his laboratory are directed towards translation to novel therapies against brain tumors.  In addition to running a laboratory, he also directs the immunotherapy clinical trials program at Stanford.  He currently serves as the principal investigator of several large brain tumor immunotherapy clinical trials based on findings from his laboratory.

Crystal L Mackall MD
Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor and Professor of Pediatric and of Medicine

Crystal L Mackall MD is the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at Stanford University. She serves as Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Associate Director of Stanford Cancer Institute, Leader of the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program and Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Stanford. During a 27 year tenure culminating as Chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, and now through the Mackall Lab at Stanford (https://med.stanford.edu/mackalllab.html), she has led an internationally recognized translational research program focused on immunooncology. She has conducted numerous early phase and first-in-human and first-in-child clinical trials spanning dendritic cell vaccines, cytokines, and adoptive immunotherapy using NK cells and genetically modified T cells. Her work is credited with identifying an essential role for the thymus in human T cell regeneration and discovering IL-7 as the master regulator of T cell homeostasis. Her group was among the first to demonstrate impressive activity of CD19-CAR in pediatric leukemia, developed a novel CD22-CAR with impressive activity in leukemia refractory to CD19 targeting and identified T cell exhaustion as a major feature limiting the activity of CAR T cells. Recently her group has developed a novel approach to prevent human T cell exhaustion. Dr. Mackall’s clinical trials are notable for incorporation of deep biologic endpoints that further our understanding of the basis for success and failure of novel immunotherapeutics. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Americal Academy of Physicians and received the Lila and Murray Gruber Award for Cancer Research in 2019. She serves in numerous national leadership positions, including co-PI on the NCI Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy Network (U54), Leader of the NCI Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, and co-Leader of the St. Baldrick’s-StandUp2Cancer Pediatric Dream Team. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Internal Medicine.

Tarik Massoud, MD, PhD
Professor, Radiology - Diagnostic Radiology

My current general interests are in molecular and translational imaging of the brain especially in neuro-oncology, experimental aspects of neuroimaging, clinical neuroradiology, and neuroradiological anatomy. Specific interests include animal modeling, new glioma radiotracer development, molecular imaging of glioma invasion, imaging of protein-protein interactions, studying the p53 transcriptional network, and development of new drug formulations and other therapeutic strategies for endovascular neuro-oncology.

Michelle Monje, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology and Neurologial Sciences

My research program focuses at the intersection of neuroscience and brain cancer biology. Broadly, my work has focused on neuron-glial interactions in health and oncological disease. My laboratory demonstrated that neuronal activity regulates healthy glial precursor cell proliferation, new oligodendrocyte generation and adaptive myelination and that this plasticity of myelin contributes to healthy cognitive function. We discovered that neuronal activity similarly promotes the proliferation of malignant glioma cells, driving glioma growth through both paracrine factors and through electrophysiologically functional neuron-to-glioma synapses. Microglial interactions with neurons and neural precursor cells and microglial-mediated disruption of neuroplasticity mechanisms underlying cognitive function following cancer therapies is another area of deep focus. Together with these basic studies, my research program executes preclinical studies of novel therapeutics for pediatric high-grade gliomas and cancer therapy-related cognitive impairment in order to translate new therapies to the clinic. I have led several of the discoveries from my laboratory to clinical trials for children and young adults with brain tumors. My overarching goal is to translate my laboratory’s basic research discoveries  to improve outcomes for individuals with central nervous system cancers.

Robbie Majzner, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Robbie Majzner is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. After graduating with a BA from Columbia University, Dr. Majzner attended Harvard Medical School, where he developed an interest in pediatric oncology. He completed his residency training in pediatrics at New York Presbyterian-Columbia and fellowship training in pediatric hematology-oncology at Johns Hopkins and the National Cancer Institute. During his fellowship, he cared for some of the first pediatric patients to receive CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, children with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who often had no other therapeutic option. Witnessing the success of CAR T cells in these patients drove Dr. Majzner to the laboratory, where he focuses on extending the use of CAR T cells to solid tumors. He has generated and optimized novel receptors to recognize antigens over-expressed on pediatric solid tumors such as GD2 (Mount/Majzner et al., Nature Medicine, 2018) B7-H3 (Majzner et al., Clinical Cancer Research, 2019), and ALK (Walker/Majzner et al., Molecular Therapy, 2017). Current work focuses on imparting multi-specificity to CAR T cells and optimizing these receptors to enhance their efficacy when the amount of target (antigen density) is limiting (Majzner et al., Cancer Discovery, 2020). By drawing on state of the art bioengineering techniques, the Majzner Laboratory focuses on enhancing the potency and specificity of CAR T cells for children with cancer.

Seema Nagpal, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurologial Sciences

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer with limited options for therapy. Currently, our group is looking to bring at least 2 new trials for treatment at the time of diagnosis and at recurrence to Stanford.

The spread of systemic cancer, like lung and breast cancers, to the covering of the brain, is adevastating and often lethal complication. I am working to bring a trials for early detection and treatment to Stanford, with the and making this a unique focus of our new brain tumor center.

Sonia Partap, MD, MS
Clinical Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and Neuro-Oncology

My clinical research focus includes epidemiology, phase I and II neuro-oncology clinical trials, and neurologic late effects of therapy. I oversee the primary brain tumor trials for our patients and am primary site investigator for consortia such as the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Children's Brain Tumor Network, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. My collaborations with the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium help further pediatric neuro-oncology research through population databases as well as recognize disparities in treatment options and survival.

Claudia K. Petritsch, PhD
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery (Research)

Dr. Petritsch is an Associate Professor in Research at the Department of Neurosurgery, affiliated faculty member at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and the Stanford Bio-X program. She directs the Petritsch research team and the fresh tissue collection core in Neurosurgery.

Claudia earned her PhD (Dr. rer.nat) at the Institute for Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, where she trained in cancer signaling, and conducted postdoctoral studies on neural stem cells and asymmetric cell division in the Lab of Dr. Yuh Nung Jan at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of San Francisco, California. After two years as an instructor and head of a research team in Munich, Germany, Dr. Petritsch returned to UCSF to conduct research in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, angiogenesis and immune regulation in glioma. Dr. Petritsch is an expert in brain stem and progenitor and glioma biology, in vitro and in vivo model development and tumor-immune interactions. Her research identified conserved mechanisms of cell fate determination in mammalian brain progenitors and led to a paradigm shift in understanding how brain progenitor cells self-renew and differentiate. She guided the generation and distribution of several immune competent mouse models for studies of the glioma immune microenvironment.

Lawrence Recht, MD
Professor, Neurology & Neurological Sciences

Our laboratory views malignant brain tumor (and cancer in general) from the perspective of a wound that does not heal. It is therefore focused on better understanding whether modifying the organism’s response to the cancer process can modify its natural history. This involves a two pronged approach: in the first, we are trying to modify the normal tissue contribution to glioblastoma through manipulating molecules called chemokines. In addition, we are using a state of the art MR imaging technique (in conjunction with our colleagues in the Department of Radiology) to study tumor metabolism in the intact animal. Insights from each of these projects are currently in the process of being translated to the clinic.

Stephen Skirboll, MD
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery

My research focuses on screening strategies to identify and characterize cancer stem cells (CSCs) in human gliomas. We are pursuing this in several ways: 1) a novel colony-forming antibody live cell array to identify distinct CSC surface phenotypes, 2) RNAi screens to identify kinases critical for CSC tumorigenicity, 3) high throughput small molecule and chemical screens to identify compounds that selectively kill or target CSCs, and 4) identifying CSCs using the tumor specific EGFRvIII.

Scott Gerard Soltys, MD
Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy

Dr. Soltys is investigating how to optimize the tumor control outcomes and maximize the quality of life of patients treated for brain tumors. His current trials are investigating the safety of a shortened overall treatment time for patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) as well as the optimal radiosurgical treatment of brain metastases. Additionally, in collaboration with laboratory investigators, he is exploring the clinical translation of novel drugs that can overcome the resistance of GBM to radiotherapy.

Reena Thomas, MD, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology

Dr. Reena Thomas received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC and her PhD from the City of Hope Graduate School in Duarte, California. She completed her training as a resident in Neurology as well as her fellowship training in Neuro-Oncology at Stanford University Hospital. Her research background and interests are focused on immune based cancer therapies and chemokine signaling in glioblastoma brain tumors. She has also been involved in advanced imaging studies of glioblastoma. She is the Director of the Adult Neuro Oncology Fellowship at Stanford.

Albert J. Wong, MD
Professor, Neurosurgery

Our laboratory is focused on understanding the causes and developing novel therapies for glioblastoma. We have discovered a tumor specific variant of the EGF receptor called EGFRvIII. Our work has shown that this receptor plays a role in the formation of cancer stem cells and can be used to isolate and target this cell population. We have developed a unique recombinant antibody to potentially treat glioblastoma which is currently undergoing testing. An anti-cancer vaccine that is based on the tumor specific sequences in EGFRvIII has already been developed and is now being tested in a Phase III international trial for the treatment of recently diagnosed glioblastoma patients. A Phase II trial to evaluate this vaccine in patients with recurrent glioblastoma is also underway.

Kristen Yeom, MD
Professor, Radiology - Pediatric Radiology

Dr. Yeom obtained her medical degree from University of Michigan.  She completed her radiology residency training at UCLA and neuroradiology fellowship at Stanford University.  She is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and also holds Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology.  Her primary interest is pediatric neurological diseases.  Her research also includes the use of advanced MRI techniques to improve detection, surgical navigation, as well as image-based monitoring of pediatric brain tumors and associated therapeutic sequelae.