Faculty Advisors

The Emergence Program is supported by an exceptional team of faculty advisors, each bringing a unique breadth of expertise. From pioneering research in nutrition and emergency medicine to advancing sports equity and bioengineering, our advisors are dedicated to fostering innovation and excellence in health and wellness.

Christopher Gardner, Professor, Stanford Prevention Research Center 

Dr. Gardner aims to establish a Stanford Food Systems Initiative to tackle obesity and diabetes through sustainable food systems. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Gardner has focused his research on the health benefits of dietary components through randomized controlled trials, including vegetarian diets, omega-3s, and popular weight-loss strategies. Notably, he led the NIH-funded DIETFITS study, which examined the effects of Healthy Low-Fat versus Low-Carb diets on overweight adults. Recently, his team has expanded into three areas: Stealth Nutrition, which explores non-health-related dietary impacts like climate change; improving institutional food to promote healthier choices through culinary collaboration; and investigating the diet-microbiome relationship, highlighted in the Fe-Fi-Fo study showing benefits from fermented foods. Currently, they are examining maternal microbiome transfer in the MOMS study. 

Yetsa Tuakli,  Director, Sports Equity Lab, Stanford Prevention Research Center

Dr. Tuakli is a lifelong athlete and the founder of the Sports Equity Lab (SELY) at Stanford University, driven by a deep passion for sports and a commitment to addressing inequities within the realm. Growing up, her curiosity and adventurous spirit ignited a love for exploration that manifested through various sports and scientific pursuits. Despite competing internationally for Ghana, she faced disillusionment due to abuse and inequities in sports, particularly for athletes with disabilities. As a clinician, she felt a profound responsibility to combat these injustices. SELY aims to analyze the systemic issues within sports, placing the athlete's perspective at the forefront. With experience collaborating with global sports organizations, her work seeks to illuminate often-overlooked issues and foster sustainable change, preserving the joy and integrity of the sport.

Maya Yiadom,  Associate Professor, Stanford School of Medicine

Dr. Yiadom is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University, specializing in emergency care clinical operations and timely delivery. She trained in healthcare policy at Princeton University and worked as a healthcare management consultant in New York City. Prior to her current role, she served as the Dean’s Office Chief of Staff at Drexel Medical School. Dr. Yiadom completed her medical education at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, earned an MPH at Harvard, and a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at Vanderbilt University after her residency at Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals. As Principal Investigator for the Stanford Emergency Care Health Services Research Data Coordinating Center, she focuses on optimizing clinical operations and evidence-based practices. Her work extends to international population health efforts in Haiti, Guyana, and Ghana. 

Sara Singer,  Associate Professor, Stanford School of Medicine

Dr. Singer, MBA, PhD, is a professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and has additional professorships at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Her research focuses on the impact of organizational leadership and culture on healthcare innovations, patient care integration, and safety improvements. She develops survey instruments to measure provider and patient perspectives, enabling benchmarking and effective dissemination of successful interventions. Previously, she was a professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and held various leadership roles. Dr. Singer directs the AHRQ-funded Engineering High Reliability Learning Lab and has published over 100 articles on healthcare management and policy, receiving numerous awards for her work. 

Chuck Easley,  Faculty Director, International Entrepreneurship Stanford University 

Dr. Eesley is an Associate Professor and W.M. Keck Foundation Faculty Scholar in the Management Science and Engineering Department at Stanford University. As Faculty Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, his research examines how institutional and university environments influence high-growth, engineering-driven entrepreneurship. He investigates the impact of educational and policy frameworks on university engineering students and alumni across regions including China, Japan, South Korea, and Silicon Valley. His work has received accolades from organizations like the Schulze Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation. Dr. Eesley is affiliated with multiple Stanford centers and serves on the Editorial Board of the Strategic Management Journal. He is also dedicated to mentoring immigrants and underrepresented groups in STEM through various initiatives. He earned his Ph.D. at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management and holds a B.S. in neuroscience from Duke University.

Manu Prakash, Associate Professor, Stanford Bioengineering

Dr. Prakash leads a curiosity-driven laboratory specializing in physical biology, combining experimental and theoretical techniques from soft-condensed matter physics, fluid dynamics, and unconventional nano-fabrication. The lab addresses open questions in organismic and cellular biophysics, with a particular emphasis on hydraulic constraints in living systems. Dr. Prakash's team innovates precision measurement technologies to investigate and manipulate biological machines and their synthetic counterparts. These advanced tools provide essential insights into the functioning of these biological systems and have broader implications for clinical applications, especially in global health. The lab's focus extends to addressing health challenges in resource-poor settings, ensuring that their research contributes meaningfully to both scientific understanding and practical outcomes in healthcare.

Christine Santiago, Assistant Professor, Stanford Division of Hospital Medicine

Dr. Santiago is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Stanford Division of Hospital Medicine, passionately dedicated to enhancing healthcare access and equity. She earned her M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School and completed an M.P.H. in Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. Throughout her career, Dr. Santiago has engaged in impactful leadership roles, co-founding the Stanford Health Equity, Advocacy and Research Program (Stanford HEARs) to address healthcare disparities. As Chief Resident, she supported educational activities and mentored her peers. Committed to diversity and inclusion, Dr. Santiago is active in professional associations like the American College of Physicians and the California Medical Association. Her contributions extend to curriculum development and research, striving to foster a more equitable healthcare system for all patients.

Stephen Luby, Director, Stanford Human and Planetary Health Center

Dr. Luby is a physician, epidemiologist, and researcher with extensive experience in low-income countries, having spent five years in Karachi, Pakistan, and eight years in Dhaka, Bangladesh. For over 30 years, Dr. Luby has focused on a wide range of health issues in these regions. Currently, he is the faculty co-director of the Stanford Existential Risk Initiative, Associate Dean for Global Health Research, and faculty director of Stanford's Human and Planetary Health Initiative. He holds the position of Professor of Medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division and is a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Dr. Luby’s research engages local collaborators to address pandemic risks and reduce the impact of COVID-19 in lower-income countries.