Gregory W. Albers, MD

Coyote Foundation Professor and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery

Clinical Focus

Vascular Neurology

Academic Appointments

Professor - University Medical Line, Neurology & Neurological Sciences
Professor - University Medical Line (By courtesy), Neurosurgery
Member, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute

Administrative Appointments

Director, Stanford Stroke Center, Stanford Medical Center (1992 - Present)
Coyote Foundation Professor, Neurology and Neurological Sciences (2007 - Present)

Professional Education

Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Vascular Neurology (2019)
Medical Education: University of California San Diego School of Medicine (1984) CA
Internship: Stanford University Internal Medicine Residency (1985) CA
Residency: Stanford University Neurology Residency (1988) CA
Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology (1990)

Contact

Academic albers@stanford.edu Tel: (650) 723-4448

Clinical (Primary)

This is the primary clinic for this clinical provider. For additional clinical locations and information, please visit the link(s) listed below in the 'Additional Clinical Info' section.

Stanford Neuroscience Health Center 213 Quarry Rd MC 5957 Fl 2 Palo Alto CA 94304 Tel: (650) 723-6469 Fax: (650) 725-0390

Additional Clinical Info

Stanford Health Care

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

Our group's research focus is the acute treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular disorders. Our primary interest is the use of advanced imaging techniques to expand the treatment window for ischemic stroke. We are also conducting clinical studies of both neuroprotective and thrombolytic strategies for the treatment of acute stroke and investigating new antithrombotic strategies for stroke prevention.

Clinical Trials

Tenecteplase in Stroke Patients Between 4.5 and 24 Hours Not Recruiting
More
This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenecteplase compared with placebo in participants with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). All participants will receive standard-of-care therapy according to AmericanHeart Association/American Stroke Association clinical guidelines (2018). To determine eligibility for randomization, all participants will undergo multimodal CT or MRI at baseline. Only participants with a vessel occlusion (ICA or MCA M1/M2) and penumbral tissue will be randomized. The primary analysis is to compare the efficacy of tenecteplase versus placebo in all participants at Day 90.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
- Gregory W. Albers, MD
View full details
Insulin Resistance Intervention After Stroke Trial Not Recruiting
More
The purpose of this study is to determine if pioglitazone is effective in preventing future strokes or heart attacks among non-diabetic persons who have had a recent ischemic stroke.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Madelleine Garcia, 6507252326.
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Blood Pressure Lowering in Acute Stroke Trial (BLAST) Not Recruiting
More
Patients who are suffering from a stroke often present to the hospital with elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure in the setting of stroke increases the risk of brain swelling or bleeding into the brain. Even so, there has been concern about lowering the blood pressure with medications because the newly injured parts of the brain may not get the blood flow they need, thereby worsening the damage from the initial stroke. We hope to demonstrate that the drug valsartan can be used safely and modestly to lower blood pressure in acute stroke patients, without having a detrimental effect on brain blood flow or neurologic status. Novel MRI techniques to measure brain blood flow will be used in conjunction with clinical scales to demonstrate safety.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
- Gregory W. Albers, MD
View full details
Diffusion Weighted Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution Study-2 (DEFUSE-2) Not Recruiting
More
Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution Study 2 (DEFUSE 2) is a multi-center pilot study to determine if cerebral perfusion imaging can help identify which patients, who are ineligible for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (iv tPA) therapy or have failed iv tPA therapy, are most likely to benefit from an endovascular clot removal procedure.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
- Gregory W. Albers, MD
View full details
Blood Pressure Lowering in Acute Stroke Trial Not Recruiting
More
The investigators hope to show that valsartan can be used safely in the setting of acute stroke to lower elevated blood pressure. There are novel properties of this class of drug (an angiotensive-receptor blocker or ARB), and promising human and animal data, that would suggest this drug can be safely used to lower blood pressure in the setting of acute stroke without compromising brain blood flow (i.e. cerebral perfusion). If this is proved to be the case, this compound could potentially be used routinely in this setting, with the hope of improving outcome. This pilot study may pave the way for a larger randomized trial looking at outcome measures in stroke patients. Further, a positive result in the this pilot study will serve as proof of concept that ARBs maintain cerebral perfusion while decreasing blood pressure, an overall favorable property.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
- Gregory W. Albers, MD
View full details
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Triage and Evaluation of Stroke Risk Not Recruiting
More
Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a transient neurological deficit (speech disturbance, weakness…), caused by temporary occlusion of a brain vessel by a blood clot that leaves no lasting effect. TIA diagnosis can be challenging and an expert stroke evaluation combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could improve the diagnosis accuracy. The risk of a debilitating stroke can be as high as 5% during the first 72 hrs after TIA. TIA characteristics (duration, type of symptoms, age of the patient), the presence of a significant narrowing of the neck vessels responsible for the patient's symptoms (symptomatic stenosis), and an abnormal MRI are associated with an increased risk of stroke. An emergent evaluation and treatment of TIA patients by a stroke specialist could reduce the risk of stroke to 2%. Stanford has implemented an expedited triage pathway for TIA patients combining a clinical evaluation by a stroke neurologist, an acute MRI of the brain and the vessels and a sampling of biomarkers (Lp-PLA2). The investigators are investigating the yield of this unique approach to improve TIA diagnosis, prognosis and secondary stroke prevention. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to determine which factors will help the physician to confirm the diagnosis of TIA and to define the risk of stroke after a TIA.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Stephanie Kemp, BS, 650-723-4481.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3 Not Recruiting
More
This is a study to evaluate the hypothesis that FDA cleared thrombectomy devices plus medical management leads to superior clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients at 90 days when compared to medical management alone in appropriately selected subjects with the Target mismatch profile and an MCA (M1 segment) or ICA occlusion who can be randomized and have endovascular treatment initiated between 6-16 hours after last seen well.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Imaging Collaterals in Acute Stroke (iCAS) Not Recruiting
More
Stroke is caused by a sudden blockage of a blood vessel that delivers blood to the brain. Unblocking the blood vessel with a blood clot removal device restores blood flow and if done quickly may prevent the disability that can be caused by a stroke. However, not all stroke patients benefit from having their blood vessel unblocked. The aim of this study is to determine if special brain imaging, called MRI, can be used to identify which stroke patients are most likely to benefit from attempts to unblock their blood vessel with a special blood clot removal device. In particular, we will assess in this trial whether a noncontrast MR imaging sequence, arterial spin labeling (ASL), can demonstrate the presence of collateral blood flow (compared with a gold standard of the angiogram) and whether it is useful to predict who will benefit from treatment.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Gregory Zaharchuk, MD, 650-723-4448.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Glyburide Advantage in Malignant Edema and Stroke - Remedy Pharmaceuticals Recruiting
More
This is a randomized, multi-center, prospective, double blind study. The primary objective is to assess the efficacy and safety of glyburide (RP-1127) compared to placebo in participants with a severe anterior circulation ischemic stroke who are likely to develop malignant edema.This objective will be addressed by comparing the proportion of glyburide treated particpants and placebo treated participants with a Day 90 modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤ 4 without decompressive craniectomy (DC). The secondary objective is to assess the efficacy of RP-1127 compared to placebo in participants with a severe anterior circulation ischemic stroke who were likely to develop malignant edema.
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
- Gregory W. Albers, MD
View full details
Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) to Predict Response to Recanalization in Ischemic Stroke Project (CRISP) Not Recruiting
More
The overall goal of the CTP to predict Response to recanalization in Ischemic Stroke Project (CRISP) is to develop a practical tool to identify acute stroke patients who are likely to benefit from endovascular therapy. The project has two main parts. During the first part, the investigators propose to develop a fully automated system (RAPID) for processing of CT Perfusion (CTP) images that will generate brain maps of the ischemic core and penumbra. There will be no patient enrollment in part one of this project. During the second part, the investigators aim to demonstrate that physicians in the emergency setting, with the aid of a fully automated CTP analysis program (RAPID), can accurately predict response to recanalization in stroke patients undergoing revascularization. To achieve this aim the investigators will conduct a prospective cohort study of 240 consecutive stroke patients who will undergo a CTP scan prior to endovascular therapy. The study will be conducted at four sites (Stanford University, St Luke's Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Emory University/Grady Hospital). Patients will have an early follow-up MRI scan within 12+/-6 hours to assess reperfusion and a late follow-up MRI scan at day 5 to determine the final infarct.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Stephanie M Kemp, BS, 650-723-4481.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Clot Lysis: Evaluating Accelerated Resolution of Intraventricular Hemorrhage Phase III Recruiting
More
The overall objective of this Phase III clinical trial is to obtain information from a population of 500 ICH subjects with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), representative of current clinical practice and national demographics of ICH regarding the benefit (or lack thereof) of IVH clot removal on subject function as measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS). This application requests funding for five years to initiate a Phase III randomized clinical trial (RCT) testing the benefit of clot removal for intraventricular hemorrhage. The investigators propose to compare extraventricular drainage (EVD) use plus recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA; Alteplase; Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA) with EVD+ placebo in the management and treatment of subjects with small intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and large intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH defined as ICH < 30 cc and obstruction of the 3rd or 4th ventricles by intraventricular blood clot).
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Diagnostic Utility of MRI in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Not Recruiting
More
The overall aim of this project is to prospectively determine whether MRI can improve the conventional neuroradiological evaluation (CT with or without cerebral angiography) of patients with a spontaneous ICH or IVH. The study design will also allow us to identify the added benefit of specific MR sequences and repeat MRI in the chronic stage, thereby allowing us to prospectively determine their value in a consecutive series of patients. This information should have a major impact on the management of these patients by providing data on the diagnostic yield of routine MRI in patients presenting with a wide variety of causes for ICH or IVH. These data will help guide the diagnostic evaluation and the management of brain hemorrhage patients in the future.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Stephanie M Kemp, BS, 650-723-4481.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details

2023-24 Courses

Independent Studies
- Directed Reading in Neurology and Neurological Science
  NENS 299 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)
- Early Clinical Experience in Neurology and Neurological Sciences
  NENS 280 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)
- Graduate Research
  NENS 399 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)
- Medical Scholars Research
  NENS 370 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)
- Undergraduate Research
  NENS 199 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum)

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