Message from the Chief

The Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine (PACCM) is comprised of a team of outstanding clinicians, scientists, and scholars dedicated to improving the lives of patients with serious lung and allergic diseases and those who are critically ill. The Division’s overriding research mission supports basic science and innovative clinical approaches for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of respiratory and allergic diseases and critical illnesses. Faculty, fellows, and trainees collaborate with investigators in science and clinical departments across the university and with faculty in divisions throughout the Department of Medicine. Today, we are well-equipped with strong basic and clinical investigations that will transform patient care in respiratory medicine and assist in training the next generation of PACCM leaders.

Patient care is provided and carefully overseen by over 55 faculty at Stanford University Medical Center, 10 faculty at the Palo Alto Veteran’s Administration HealthCare System, and 8 affiliated faculty at The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Our physicians also are an intrinsic working force of hospitals around the Bay Area, including Stanford facilities at Emeryville, Pleasanton, Livermore and other sites. At Stanford, we have a strong ancillary team of skilled study coordinators and advanced practice providers who are highly trained to address the specific needs of our clinical and research mission.

The first heart-lung transplant in the world was performed at Stanford in 1981 for a patient with pulmonary hypertension. Since then, cardiologists and pulmonologists at Stanford have been at the forefront of new developments in the understanding and treatment of cardiopulmonary disease.  We have one of the busiest and most successful lung and heart/lung transplant programs in the country, performing, on average, more than 60 transplants per year and are the leading center in the country for heart-lung transplants. In addition, nearly 250 adults with cystic fibrosis are treated at our Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program, making it one of the largest treatment centers in the country specifically geared to the medical need needs of adults living with cystic fibrosis; the combined adult and pediatric cystic fibrosis programs here now form the largest CF Center in the country. Clinical care for patients with life-threatening pulmonary hypertension is provided by a team of medical professionals with expertise in all forms of pulmonary hypertension.  We also have one of the busiest and largest interventional pulmonary programs on the West Coast. 

PACCM at Stanford is committed to conducting innovative research to advance the health of patients with lung disease. In conjunction with the Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease, we have one of the leading pulmonary hypertension research programs in the world. Other areas of strength include investigative programs in transplantation, interstitial lung disease, lung development, ARDS, outcomes research, genomics, and early lung cancer detection. 

Stanford University is a leading research and treatment centers for asthma and allergy. In September of 2019, the doors opened for the Allergy, Asthma, and Immunodeficiency Clinic in Atherton and is expanding into the Bay Area. That same year, the beautiful, new Stanford Hospital opened with significantly expanded intensive care units, an advanced lung disease unit as well as a pulmonary vascular disease unit. We recently relocated our laboratories into new facilities at Stanford Research Park and the new science building at the VA Palo Alto. 

An exciting time of growth and opportunity in the advancement of care and understanding of pulmonary, allergy, and critical care medicine at Stanford University. We invite you to learn more about the Division through our website.

Mark Nicolls, MD, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Division Chief
Arthur Sung, MD, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Senior Associate Chief