Sparkathon 2023 Admits Sharma

Congratulations to Dr. Sherry Wren, who has been named an Alum of the Year by Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Wren, who received her MD at Stritch in 1986, is being recognized for “Excellence in Community Service.” The award will be presented at the Stritch Reunion Weekend in October.

Stanford surgeon Dr. Jean Bao introduces endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, a minimally invasive approach that uses a smaller lateral incision while preserving the breast skin and nipple. The technique may improve surgical visualization, reduce tissue retraction, and support an easier recovery for appropriately selected patients undergoing cancer treatment or risk-reducing surgery.

Ken Nieser, an investigator with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Stanford's S-SPIRE Center, applies statistical models to health data to study and improve healthcare quality, focusing on colorectal cancer screening disparities among veterans by combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative research involving patient and provider interviews.

Dr. Alma Cepika explains how TR1 cells regulate immune responses and how tumors may exploit these cells to suppress antitumor immunity. Could targeting TR1 cells help improve cancer immunotherapy?

Dr. Derrick Wan has been elected the 72nd President of the Plastic Surgery Research Council. He shares his journey to the presidency and his goals for the society.

Longtime nurse practitioner and program coordinator Elena Hopkins reflects on a career devoted to children with craniofacial conditions and their families.

Marc L. Melcher, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation and professor of surgery at Stanford Medicine, has received the 2026 John Levin Excellence in Leadership Award from the Stanford Health Care Board of Directors.

Samantha Ratanavipupong won Stanford Medicine’s inaugural Spark Tank for a clinical operations dashboard that combines billing data to help leaders identify coding and productivity gaps and better support faculty in meeting wRVU targets. The competition invited staff across the School of Medicine to pitch practical, innovative ideas, with organizers planning to build on the event’s success in 2027. Our own Cyrus Press took third.

“For many years, LMNA cardiomyopathy has largely been viewed through the lens of the cardiomyocyte,” said Nazish Sayed, MD, PhD, senior author of the study. “Our findings suggest that the endothelium is not simply a bystander. Endothelial cells undergo profound reprogramming that can actively contribute to fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction.”

Bo Liu, DDS, PhD, transitioned from dentistry to research, becoming a senior research scientist at Stanford Medicine where she leads innovative work in plastic and reconstructive surgery