A glimpse into the Program in Human Biology at Stanford University | | | |
Director's Message
Dear Human Biology Alumni, Students, and Friends,
Welcome to spring! I hope this message finds you all well. As the Winter Quarter at Stanford wraps up, I'm excited to share with you all the newest edition of HumBio highlights, showcasing the exciting courses and happenings in our community. Looking forward, I'm excited for the new energy, discoveries, and celebrations our final quarter of the 2024-25 academic year will surely bring. Happy reading!
Lianne Kurina
Bing Director of the Program in Human Biology
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Erica Pan '92 Named Director & State Public Health Officer of CDPH
Congratulations to HumBio alumna Dr. Erica Pan ‘92, who assumed the Director and state public health officer roles for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in early February. Pan is also a clinical professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, and an attending physician in pediatric infectious diseases at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital & Research Center in Oakland.
Pan visited Stanford in November 2024 during the university’s annual civic celebration to share public health insights and challenges with the Stanford community. Read about that event.
Image credit: CDPH
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New Research on Food as Medicine & Chronic Disease Management
In a new study led by Dr. Lisa Goldman Rosas, researchers found that providing fresh produce alongside health education significantly improves dietary habits, food security, and health outcomes in individuals with chronic health conditions. The study highlights how consuming more fruits and vegetables and engaging in group wellness programs enhances one’s physical and mental well-being.
Goldman Rosas is an assistant professor of epidemiology and population health, of medicine, and, by courtesy, of pediatrics. In Human Biology, she advises and mentors students pursuing honors research projects.
| | Class & Student Spotlight | | |
Friendships might be seen by some as a ‘nice-to-have’–a social bonus rather than a necessity. Yet in reality, loneliness and isolation have become widespread public health crises, even as we live in an era of endless digital connections (U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory). But what if we treated friendships as essential to our health and success–just like sleep, exercise, nutrition, or education? At Stanford, HumBio senior Vignesh Kumar has set out to do exactly that with a new student-initiated course that delves into what we know and how we think about friendships and social connections. Read more.
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On February 20, 2025, the Human Biology program co-sponsored a seminar given by Dr. Emily Merchant in the series hosted by the Program in Science, Technology, and Society. A historian of science and technology in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Merchant critically examined the historical development, scientific validity, and socio-political implications of the genetic concept of heritability and its use–and misuse–in studying intelligence and educational attainment. Read more.
| | Human Biology’s committed faculty come from across the School of Humanities and Sciences and the Medical School. Our faculty have long been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, innovation, and creativity. Expand your knowledge, build on your HumBio degree, and learn from these leading scholars from the comfort of your own home in these recorded presentations, panels, and seminars. You never know what you might discover! | | |
Craig Heller: On Physical Performance and Beating Fatigue
Muscle fatigue and physical performance are significantly influenced by temperature regulation during exercise. In this talk, Heller shares the science behind muscle fatigue, debunks common myths about lactate, and highlights the potential benefits of strategies such as palmar cooling for all athletes.
Dr. Craig Heller is the Lorry I. Lokey Business Wire Professor of Biology and Human Biology. In addition to serving on
the program’s executive committee and advising and mentoring students pursuing honors research, Heller teaches in the HumBio Core in HumBio 4A, The Human Organism. He also co-teaches the upper division class HumBio 161, The Neurobiology of Sleep, with Dr. Philippe Mourrain and Dr. Jamie Zeitzer.
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Anna Grummon: Scalable Strategies for Improving Diet and Mitigating Climate Change
“Every year, 500,000 Americans die from preventable diseases caused in part by unhealthy diets. Food production accounts for up to one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.” In this seminar, Grummon examines evidence-based interventions, such as warning labels and alternative recommendations to promote healthier eating habits while reducing the environmental impacts of food production.
Dr. Anna Grummon is an assistant professor of pediatrics and, by courtesy, of health policy and the Director of the Stanford Food Policy Lab at Stanford. This Spring, she will teach her new course, HumBio 127, Food Policy and Public Health, which will dive into how organizational and governmental policies influence our food systems.
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