Bio
During the COVID pandemic, Dr. Kao is available to see patients via video visits. Dr. Kao is also providing pain relief procedures, with strict observation of Stanford Health Care infection control policies.
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Dr. Kao is the Clinic Chief at Stanford Pain Management. A Taiwanese American, Dr. Kao studied molecular biology and psychology at UC Berkeley. At Harvard University, he earned a PhD in biostatistics after developing statistical methods in genomics and computational biology. He then pursued medical training at the University of Michigan, Yale, and Stanford.
He is the author of more than 30 scientific journal articles, ranging from genetics, genomics, proteomics, combinatorial chemistry, artificial intelligence, oncology, epidemiology, rehabilitation, and pain, . His mission is to offer all of his patients comprehensive interdisciplinary pain care, leveraging the full extent of what is known in state-of-the-art Pain Medicine.
In addition to providing clinical care, Dr. Kao teaches physicians and trainees on diagnostic work-up of complex pain, techniques of interventional procedures, and scientific methods of pain studies.
Dr. Kao is a Certified Interventional Pain Sonographer (CIPS) as well as a Fellow in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP).
Clinical Focus
- Pain Medicine
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Ultrasound procedures
- Nerve entrapment
- Abdominal pain
- Opioid alternatives
- Non-drug treatments
- Dietary Supplements
- CRPS
- Complex Regional Pain Syndromes
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
Academic Appointments
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Clinical Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
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Clinical Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Administrative Appointments
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Clinic Chief, Stanford Pain (2017 - Present)
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Associate Division Chief of Operations, Stanford Pain (2015 - 2017)
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Chief Fellow, Stanford Pain (2013 - 2014)
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Chief Resident, Stanford Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2012 - 2013)
Honors & Awards
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Concurrent Poster Research Highlights, American Academy of Pain Medicine (Mar 2016)
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Concurrent Poster Research Highlight, American Academic of Pain Medicine 2015 (Mar 2015)
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Best Original Research, PM&R Journal (Oct 2015)
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Best Spine and Pain Research Presentation, American Association of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Nov 2014)
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Concurrent Poster Research Highlights, American Academy of Pain Medicine (Mar 2014)
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Best Poster Finalist, Center for Disease Control, Center for Health Statistics (Aug 2012)
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Best Poster Award, SpineWeek, International Society for Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) (Jun 2012)
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Peter Singleton Award, Stanford PM&R (Jun 2012)
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Best Musculoskeletal Research Presentation, American Association of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Nov 2011)
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2013 Outstanding Paper Award for Medical/Interventional Science, Spine Journal & North American Spine Society (NASS) (Oct 2013)
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First Place, Health 2.0 Developer Challenge Code-a-thon (Oct 2010)
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NIH Training Grant, National Institute of Mental Health (1999)
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Howard Hughes Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2000)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Member, American Association of Pain Medicine (2013 - Present)
Professional Education
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FIPS, World Institute of Pain, Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (2018)
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CIPS, World Institute of Pain, Certified Interventional Pain Sonologist (2018)
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Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehab, Pain Medicine (2014)
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Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehab, Physical Medicine and Rehab (2013)
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Fellowship: Stanford University Pain Management Fellowship (2013) CA
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Residency: Stanford University Physical Medicine and Rehabiliation (2012) CA
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Internship: Yale University Internal Medicine Residency (2008) CT
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Medical Education: University of Michigan School of Medicine (2007) MI
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PhD, Harvard University, Biostatistics & Computational Biology (2005)
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BA, UC Berkeley (1999)