Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Dr. Stephanie Chao is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Professional Development in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University. She also serves as the Trauma Medical Director at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Dr. Chao is a practicing pediatric surgeon caring for children from birth until adulthood. Dr. Chao is also the Principal Investigator of the Chao Lab which focuses on translational research to bridge research into prevention, informed by the lessons gained at the bedside. The Chao Lab has active studies in injury prevention and improving pediatric trauma care; the lab has two core focuses 1) improving child abuse detection and 2) reducing firearm injuries in children. Her approach involves implementing educational programs and fostering community-based activism to address the root causes. The lab’s P.L.E.D.G.E. campaign is a school-based curriculum for K-12 children focused on firearm safety, safe storage, and mental health awareness to reduce firearm related injury and death among children. The P.L.E.D.G.E Campaign challenges students to Prevent, Learn, Educate, Deter, Guard against, and Empower each other and their communities to improve gun safety. Dr. Chao firmly believes in the transformative power of education and community engagement. By emphasizing gun safety rather than focusing solely on gun control, she aims to bridge the political divide and promote a comprehensive strategy that protects young all people. For her work in the community, Dr. Chao was selected as one an honoree in the 2024 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, a unique leadership development program and partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Dr. Chao has also been recognized as a National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Bay Area Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Honoree. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. She received her M.D. from the University of California San Francisco and was honored as the UCSF 2025 Medical Alumni of the Year.
