Stanford Medicine

04/28/2026

Fat is more complicated than we thought. Once considered just a bag of calories, scientists now know that our fat — aka adipose tissue — doesn’t just squirrel away energy; it also sends and receives hormonal, nervous system and immune signals.

Now, a study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine, shows fat playing another role. A type of abnormal adipose tissue known as “creeping fat” triggers debilitating scarring in the intestines of people with Crohn’s disease, the study found.

An unusual type of fat that forms near the intestines in Crohn’s disease prompts the growth of debilitating scars seen in the condition, a Stanford Medicine-led study showed.

04/27/2026

Stanford Medicine-led research indicates that inhibiting the LRRK2 enzyme could stabilize patients with a type of Parkinson’s disease.

Stanford Medicine-led research in mice indicates that inhibiting the LRRK2 enzyme could stabilize patients with a type of Parkinson’s disease.

04/27/2026

Chemical biologist Laura Dassama’s lab is exploring a simple, inexpensive and quick way to switch back on production of the fetal version of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood, as a way to treat sickle cell disease.

https://stan.md/4mwjMQX

04/24/2026

Behind the Science: New tools reveal how ribosomes — the cell’s protein factories — specialize in ways that could unlock treatments for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. Maria Barna and team are digging deep.

📸 : Emily Moskal/Stanford Medicine

https://stan.md/3H9xScq

04/24/2026

Purvesh Khatri’s winding career led to a life-saving breakthrough. In this episode of the Health Compass podcast, Maya Adam talks with Khatri about how curiosity and openness to change helped transform sepsis care.

3 likes. "How a winding path led to a life-saving test | Ep.2: Health Compass Podcast"

04/24/2026

Alan Pao, MD, who directs the Stanford Medicine Kidney Stone Clinic, runs a research program investigating how doctors can better diagnose, track and treat kidney stone disease.

https://stan.md/46Mq9e2

04/23/2026

Registration for Stanford’s RAISE Health Symposium, part of Stanford Health AI Week 2026.

Hear from leading voices shaping the field, including Bob Wachter (UCSF), Nate Gross (OpenAI) and others across science, medicine, tech and policy to explore how AI is transforming biomedicine -- and what it takes to use it responsibly to advance discovery, support clinicians and improve patient care.

stan.md/raisehealth

04/23/2026

From discovery to impact, the path to a new medical treatment is rarely smooth — but when it succeeds, the benefits for patients are profound. These stories highlight a few of those successes, told through conversations with Stanford Medicine researchers whose innovations are making a difference today.

The path to a new medical treatment is seldom smooth, but it ends with success, the benefits for patients are profound.

04/23/2026

Spotlight on James Dunn, a pediatric surgeon and a bioengineer: He is advancing new solutions for children with short gut syndrome while caring for infants with birth defects.

Stanford Medicine Children's Health

https://stan.md/4uIl5BG

04/22/2026

Kim Ratcliff grew up largely unaware of the dangers of sunbathing. When she got diagnosed with stage III melanoma, a team of Stanford Medicine doctors stepped in to help. Now, Ratcliff is on a mission to share her story to help others.

Like many among her generation, Kim Ratcliff grew up largely unaware of the dangers of sunbathing. When she got diagnosed with stage III melanoma, a team of Stanford Medicine doctors stepped in to help.

04/22/2026

Stanford Medicine researchers are rethinking how to fight viruses by targeting the human cells they rely on. This “home turf” approach could lead to treatments that work against a wide range of viral threats.

https://stan.md/4sS0j05

04/22/2026

Stanford Medicine experts are using discoveries about the intestinal microbiome and psychology to help patients with unexplained symptoms reset the relationship between their guts and their brains.

By factoring gut microbes and mental health into treatments, experts help patients build offramps from frustrating cycles of gastrointestinal distress