Adela Wu, MD

Bio

Dr. Adela Wu is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Stanford University with experience and training in cranial and spinal pathologies, including neurosurgical oncology, traumatic injuries, and degenerative spinal disease.Dr. Wu's primary clinical and research objective is to provide and broadly improve care and quality of life for neurosurgical patients. She has extensive background in health services and mixed methods research, supported by a NIH-Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality F32 postdoctoral fellowship during residency. Her current research aims include integrating palliative care practices and communication training in surgical subspecialties and surgical education, investigating quality-of-life metrics and patient outcomes, and identifying and mitigating disparities in treatment patterns for surgical pathologies and utilization of palliative care resources. Her collaborators hail from institutions across the country, including VA Palo Alto and University of Michigan. Dr. Wu has authored 50 peer-reviewed research publications and delivered numerous regional and national presentations.Also a strong proponent of effective science communication and the medical humanities, Dr. Wu has written and contributed to numerous publications, such as Stanford Medicine Magazine, NPR, and ABC7 News. At Stanford, she is a member of Medicine and the Muse, the umbrella program for medical humanities endeavors on the medical campus, and Pegasus Physician Writers.Dr. Wu received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and attended Brown University, completing degrees in both Neuroscience and English with honors.

Academic Appointments

• Clinical Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery

Honors & Awards

• Butler-Williams Scholars Program, National Institute on Aging (2026)
• Asian American Center for Research at Stanford Seed Grant, Stanford University (2026-2027)
• Resident Clinical Research Award, Stanford University (2025)
• Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) Seed Grant, Stanford University (2023-2026)
• Michael Zinner Health Services Research Fellowship, Surgical Outcomes Club, University of Michigan (2023-2024)
• Leadership Education in Advancing Diversity Scholar, Stanford University (2022-2023)
• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Stanford University (2022)
• Department of Neurosurgery Diversity Seed Grant, Stanford University (2021-2023)
• F32 Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (1F32 HS28747-01), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2021-2023)
• Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2021)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

• Member, Congress of Neurological Surgeons (2018 - Present)