Dr. Chao Attends White Coats at the White House
June 10, 2024
Dr. Stephanie Chao attended the White Coats at the White House event on Friday, June 7. June 7th was also National Gun Violence Prevention Day.
“They asked me to speak about how the White House and policymakers can better support the heath care system, front line workers, and the public health address gun violence,” said Chao. “I spoke about the work my lab is doing and broadly about what I think we as a country need to do together.”
Chao’s lab works to reduce gun violence through community-supported K-12 education. She recently launched the PLEDGE campaign.
P - Prevent gun injury through education and awareness.
L - Learn about responsible gun safety practices.
E - Educate others to promote a culture of safety.
D - Deter gun-related injury by fostering responsible behavior.
G - Guard against unauthorized access to firearms through secure storage.
E - Empower students to create safer communities.
Chao is an associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Department of Surgery’s Associate Vice Chair of Professional Development.
Related Reading
- – Take the P.L.E.D.G.E. – Take the P.L.E.D.G.E.
Take the P.L.E.D.G.E.
We have started to develop the P.L.E.D.G.E. campaign to reduce firearm injury through school-based education. In this phase our focus is to gather input from students, parents, and teachers about a school-based firearm safety education curriculum.
- – Surgery
Faculty PD Team Hosts First Networking Event
Drs. Pete Lorenz and Stephanie Chao, the vice chair and associate vice chair of professional development at Stanford Surgery, hosted a networking event with special guest Matt Abrahams.
- – Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Pediatric Surgeon is Named 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Pediatric Surgeon is Named 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar
Stephanie Chao, MD, pediatric surgeon and trauma medical director at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and associate professor of Surgery, Division of Pediatric General Surgery at Stanford Medicine, has been named one of the 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS).
Media Contact

Bio
About Stanford Surgery
The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:
• pioneering cutting-edge research,
• developing the next generation of leaders, and
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion.
To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu
The Latest
- – Surgery
Postdoc Feature: Dr. Saurabh Sharma
Dr. Saurabh Sharma is a postdoc in Dr. Amanda Kirane's lab developing therapies in central nervous metastases for melanoma patients.
- – People.com
Bride Walked Down the Aisle by Surgeon Who Saved Her Life Twice: 'This Day Would Not Be Possible Without Him' (Exclusive)
Bride Jenny Tice was walked down the aisle at her Jan. 31 wedding by Dr. Carlos Esquivel, the pediatric transplant surgeon who saved her life when she was a baby and again 30 years later when she needed a surgical revision.
- – Surgery
Pushing the Envelope of Reconstructive Surgery with Dr. Anita Mohan
Explore the fascinating world of plastic and reconstructive surgery with Dr. Anita Mohan! Dr. Mohan, who specializes in breast reconstruction, shares insights into gender-affirming top surgeries and the unique challenges they present as well as her pioneering practice at the Palo Alto VA. Mohan also discusses her dedication to improving clinical outcomes for patients, particularly those who have undergone significant weight loss or suffer from lymphedema.
- – Surgery
Two Abstracts by General Surgery Residents Among Top 10 at NCCACS
Two abstracts by general surgery residents—Drs. Amy Tsai and Jeff Choi—were selected among the top 10 abstracts of the 2025 Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (NCCACS) Russell Surgical Trainee Research Competition.
- – Surgery
INSIDE: PCSA 2025
Stanford Surgery highlights from the Pacific Coast Surgical Association’s 2025 annual meeting, which was held in Kona, Hawaii Friday, February 21 through Monday, February 24, 2025.