Researchers in lab coats collaborate as Stanford biochemist Lingyin Li writes on a glass board and explaining concepts to the group in a laboratory setting.

Health & Medicine

Stanford advances human health through pioneering research, innovative medical education, and world-class patient care. 

  • 0+

    U.S. patents issued for life science and medical device inventions developed through Stanford research

  • 0M

    Annual clinic visits

  • 0

    Approximate number of people enrolled in Stanford clinical trials

  • 0+

    Active Stanford clinical research studies

At the forefront of biomedical discovery

For more than 70 years, Stanford researchers have unlocked essential knowledge and advanced innovation to set the standard of patient care. 

Health & Medicine News Visit the Stanford Report website to read more about the latest health and medicine research at Stanford.
A modern medical imaging machine, designed for advanced diagnostic scans, featuring a central scanning area and sleek, futuristic design.
NewsHealth & Medicine

Stanford Medicine opens novel proton therapy center

The center is the first in the world to introduce ultracompact proton therapy, making advanced targeted radiotherapy more accessible to pediatric and adult patients.

7 min read

Stanford Medicine breakthroughs have had a broad impact on the practice of modern medicine.

They include the first heart and lung transplant in the world, the first successful use of monoclonal antibodies to treat human cancer, and the establishment of optogenetics, a technique to control brain cell activity with light.

Explore the timeline Visit the Stanford Medicine website to learn more about the school's history.
  • Two scientists in lab coats examine a paper with diagrams while standing beside a linear accelerator in a laboratory.

    1956: First use of a medical linear accelerator in the Western Hemisphere. The device has become the backbone of radiation therapy for cancer worldwide.

  • Henry Kaplan holds a small slide while standing in a clinical setting.

    1948 to 1972: Henry Kaplan, chair of the department of radiology, worked closely with his successor, Malcolm Bagshaw, to advance the use of the linear accelerator for cancer treatment.

  • Professor Bruce Reitz and his surgical team in scrubs and masks, focused on a surgery under bright operating room lights and surrounded by medical equipment.

    1981: Professor Bruce Reitz and his surgical team performed the world’s first successful combined adult human heart-lung transplant.

High-Tech, High-Touch Care

One of the few academic medical centers in the United States with state-of-the-art hospitals and research facilities co-located on a university campus, Stanford Medicine is uniquely positioned to move research breakthroughs to patient bedsides.

Tina Sindher in a lab coat stands in a clinic, showcasing a patient care environment.

Stanford Health Care

Stanford Health Care provides patients with the latest innovations in care, proven in both theory and practice. Its teams of doctors and scientists harness the resources of the university – with groundbreaking programs in medicine, bioengineering, genetics, computer science, and other fields – to create breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment.

Helen Bronte-Stewart, MD, works with Parkinson's patient Keith Krehbiel. Bronte-Stewart conducted research that led to the development of a deep brain stimulation technology that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health

Stanford Children’s is the largest health care system in the San Francisco Bay Area – and one of the few in the country – exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care. Its world-class faculty, physicians, and staff are dedicated to advancing pediatric care through customized treatments, noninvasive procedures, innovative pain management, and family-centered care tailored for children.

A health care worker in gloves is preparing to give a vaccination to a young child sitting in a chair while another adult assists.

Cancer innovation and care

With a new cancer case diagnosed every 15 seconds in the United States and the global burden of the disease rising, Stanford Medicine is charting a bold course to better understand, prevent, and treat the disease.

Our impact: cancer Learn more on the cancer research page.

World-Class Medical Education

Stanford Medicine trains outstanding clinicians, physicians, and scientists and develops future leaders who will determine the direction of their fields.

MD students take a group selfie outside after their white coat ceremony.
Two medical students in surgical attire assist each other in putting on protective gowns in a medical setting.
A group of Stanford medical students huddle together over a dissection, focused intently on their work in a clinical anatomy lab.
Two people in gowns and gloves look up toward a monitor while maneuvering surgical instruments, photographed from a low angle beneath the surgical tools.

The Stanford University School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in the western United States. Here, students develop a scholarly, investigative approach to solving problems in medicine and science, using discoveries to transform patient care.

Degree programs

Helena Zhang smiles over her shoulder while retrieving a sample from a lab refrigerator.

Stanford Medicine educates approximately 485 MD students, 35% of whom graduate with dual degrees; 935 PhD and MS candidates; 1,559 postdoctoral scholars; and 1,541 residents and clinical fellows.

MD program

A flexible MD program allows students to pursue in-depth learning and scholarship in areas of interest.

Master’s programs

Master’s programs include biomedical data science, clinical informatics management, community health and prevention research, epidemiology and clinical research, health policy, human genetics and genetic counseling, laboratory animal science, physician assistant studies, and translational research and applied medicine.

PhD programs

PhD students engage in a broad range of research activities, preparing them to uncover fundamental mysteries of biology, develop new technologies, and advance the treatment and prevention of disease.

Dual degree programs

Dual degree programs include the Medical Scientist Training Program, for students interested in academic investigative medicine, and joint degrees in bioengineering, biomedical investigation, public health, policy, business, and law.

Postdoctoral training

A researcher crouches to adjust equipment in a lab while a second researcher works at a bench in the background.

Stanford’s one- to five-year postdoctoral training period is unique in its focus on developing independent research and professional skills to support careers of choice. Along with developing an independent research program, postdocs often play supervisory roles in the lab by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, overseeing lab management, and contributing to grant proposals, manuscripts, and patents. Approximately 40% of postdocs go on to faculty positions, while a significant percentage pursue industry careers.

Residencies and fellowships

Annie Goettemoeller peers through a microscope in a darkened lab, laser safety glasses pushed up on her head.

Stanford Medicine sponsors more than 130 residency and fellowship programs approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. An additional 60+ non-ACGME-accredited programs (areas of subspecialty that are either too specialized or too novel) span disciplines like OR management, mammography, and bone marrow transplantation.