Neurosurgeon Casey Halpern, MD, can't remember a time when he wasn't interested in the brain. Thanks to a mentor at the University of Pennsylvania, he was able to …
Month: September 2016
Precision policy: Bringing out the best health behaviors with targeted programs
Technology and data: two of the most talked-about words in any conversation about how to finally get a handle on disease. But my new article …
Zika’s effect on developing cranial neural crest cells shown by new Stanford study
By now it is well known that infection by the mosquito-spread Zika virus can cause devastating birth defects. Most notably, affected infants can have abnormally small …
New simulations may guide future brain surgeries
A team of researchers, led by Ellen Kuhl, PhD, a Stanford professor of mechanical engineering, is developing a new simulation tool to help guide surgeons …
Familial hypercholesterolemia finally has an ICD code
In an age when big data can expand the reality of precision health, it helps if you have precise data. Those who study and treat …
More evidence on the importance of physical activity for older adults
Major mobility disability can significantly diminish the quality of life for seniors. Being unable to move independently to perform daily activities that require walking can …
‘Eat a bleeping Dorito’: An elite runner and Stanford medical student addresses disordered eating
Somehow, Megan Roche balances her roles as a fourth-year Stanford medical student, wife, athlete on the Nike trail running team and, according to her Twitter profile, …
For rehabilitation, team-based approach provides best care, Stanford resident writes
As a medical student at Harvard, Shara Yurkiewicz, MD, worked in both inpatient acute hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals. The striking differences between these two environments inspired …
“Invest in yourself”: An open letter to first-year medical students
Dear first-year medical students, Welcome! What an exciting time. You are now well into your first weeks at Stanford's School of Medicine, and if your …
Iron nanoparticles prompt immune system to attack cancer, Stanford researchers find
Recently, a team of Stanford researchers was testing a new way to fight cancer when something strange happened. The team, led by pediatric radiologist Heike …
A closer look at the work of “genius award” winner Manu Prakash
Last week, Manu Prakash, PhD, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford, was named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow. The video above sheds light on his work ("Fundamentally …
Shifting the focus from opioids to life beyond pain: A Q&A with pain expert Beth Darnall
Deaths from prescription painkillers and opioids in the United States have reached epidemic proportions in recent years. Stanford pain psychologist Beth Darnall, PhD, has seen …
Mystery solved: Researchers use genetic tools to diagnose young girl’s rare heart condition
Right after Astrea Li was born, she went into cardiac arrest, not just once, but repeatedly. It was all her doctors at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital …
Grant Writing Academy helps trainees hone their science communication skills
As a science writer, I'm well aware that scientists, and I'll be gentle here, aren't always the world's best communicators. Of course there are truly …
Cholesterol testing recommended for all, says Stanford cardiologist
When he was in his early 20s, Don Draper had the foresight to have his cholesterol tested. The numbers that came back were astronomical, with …
New Stanford Medicine iPhone app launched to study peripheral artery disease
Stanford researchers have launched a new iPhone app called VascTrac to collect data about patients with peripheral artery disease using Apple’s ResearchKit, an open source …