News from Stanford's School of Medicine

State stem cell agency awards three grants for development of new therapies at medical school

Krista Conger — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Three medical school researchers were awarded a total of $11.9 million from the state stem cell agency to move promising stem cell therapies out of the laboratory and into human clinical testing.

Gene marker predicts smoking behavior in African Americans, researcher says

Sarah Williams — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The largest-ever analysis of African Americans' genetics and smoking behaviors has revealed a gene variant correlated with how many cigarettes a day someone smokes.

Totally RAD: Bioengineers create rewritable digital data storage in DNA

Andrew Myers — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Scientists have created a method for repeatedly encoding, storing and erasing digital data within the DNA of living cells. which might someday enable them to count how many times a cell divides.

Top honor to cardiologist for advancing heart transplant medicine

John Sanford — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

How do you keep a heart-transplant recipient alive and healthy for the long term? That's been the focus of Sharon Hunt's medical career.

To prevent skin cancer: Vigilant watch — plus sunscreen

Sara Wykes — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Kelly Bathgate’s mother was vigilant. She had three daughters, all fair-haired and fair-skinned, and the family spent several years living in Hawaii and the Philippines.

Pathology professor Heinz Furthmayr dies at 70 on trek in Nepal

Emily Hite — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Heinz Furthmayr, MD, emeritus professor of pathology, died of a heart attack on May 1 while on a trek in the Dolpo region of Nepal two days before his 71st birthday.

Interpreters connect patients and providers

Joan Semeria — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Thousands of community members benefit from the interpreter services each year at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford Hospital & Clinic each year.

Study debunks idea that foreign health aid rife with waste

Adam Gorlick — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Stanford researchers say there are flaws in a 2010 study that concluded about half the money given to international governments for health-care services isn't used as intended.

Medical center recognized for outstanding 'green' practices

Sara Wykes — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Stanford University Medical Center's long list of green initiatives has been awarded a special honor by the health-care industry's leader in environmentally responsible operations.

Skin cancer screening to be offered June 2 in Redwood City

John Sanford — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Free skin cancer screenings will be provided from 8 a.m. to noon June 2 in the dermatology clinic at the Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center in Redwood City.

Deisseroth, Garcia, Tibshirani named to National Academy of Sciences

Susan Ipaktchian — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Three School of Medicine faculty members have been named as new members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bronte-Stewart, Brooks, Sakamoto named to endowed chairs

Emily Hite — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Three medical school faculty members -- Helen Bronte-Stewart, James Brooks and Kathleen Sakamoto -- were recently named to endowed professorships.

Deisseroth wins four awards for seminal work on optogenetics

Emily Hite — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Over the last seven months Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, has received several major awards recognizing his seminal work in the development and application of optogenetics.

Top honorees announced for med student research symposium

Tracie White — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Medical students exhibited nearly 50 poster presentations May 3 at the 29th annual Medical Student Research Symposium at the Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge.

740,000 lives saved: Study documents benefits of AIDS relief program

Ruthann Richter — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

PEPFAR, the government's far-reaching health-care foreign aid program, has contributed to a significant decline in adult death rates from all causes in Africa, according to a new study.

Study of atrial fibrillation needs participants

Tracie White — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Researchers need participants for a study examining the effectiveness of a device that uses laser light technology to burn tissue in the heart as a treatment for atrial fibrillation.

Sleepwalking more prevalent among U.S. adults than previously suspected, researcher says

Michelle Brandt — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

New research shows that about 3.6 percent of U.S. adults are prone to sleepwalking. It also shows an association between nocturnal wanderings and certain psychiatric disorders.

New type of retinal prosthesis could better restore sight to blind, study says

Jonathan Rabinovitz — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Using tiny solar-panel-like cells surgically placed underneath the retina, scientists have devised a system that may someday restore sight to people with types of degenerative eye diseases.

Stanford launches campaign to advance new era in medicine — here and beyond

Ruthann Richter — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The $1 billion Campaign for Stanford Medicine will make investments in medical research and teaching, build a new Stanford hospital and lead to advances in patient care.

On the campaign: What medical center leaders are saying

Susan Ipaktchian — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Hear what Philip Pizzo, Amir Dan Rubin and others involved in the fundraising campaign have to say about its potential to advance the future of medicine.