In FAQs - Read First, Resident Profiles, Uncategorized

Crucial to any residency is the Chief Resident. At Stanford we have 3 Chief Residents every year elected by housestaff and faculty. As Program Director it is a real treat to interact with these young leaders.

This year the three Chief Residents (with a short bio) are: Drs. Javier Lorenzo, Laura Downey, and Jay Jay Desai.

Arjun “JJ” Desai, MD
JJ was born and raised in Southern California. Following in two generations of tradition, JJ attended the University of Oklahoma where he served as university president and held several leadership positions. During college, JJ worked on Capitol Hill as an intern for Congressman Christopher Cox and the House Policy Committee where he helped to shape emerging healthcare legislation. After college, JJ lived in Singapore as a delegate of the State Department and Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholar of Goodwill. In Singapore, he taught in the graduate school of International Health Economics at the National University of Singapore. Additionally, he traveled to over 11 countries to speak with village coalitions and local health ministries to develop sustainable vaccination programs and preventative health clinics. JJ attended the University of Miami school of medicine. In Miami, JJ helped to develop an international non-profit health system in Gujarat, India. Over 40 medical students from the University of Miami traveled to India with JJ to work and volunteer their services. Combined with an interest in clinical anesthesia, JJ continues here at Stanford with a research focus in operating room management and Anesthesia business development. Fun fact – while in Miami, JJ met his best friend and future wife – who is now also an Anesthesia resident at Stanford!

Laura Downey MD
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. I graduated from Duke University with a degree in Marine Biology in 2003. I then moved to California and spent a year working as a research assistant in an immunology lab here at Stanford. I decided to move back east to attend Duke for my medical degree. After graduation, I felt the pull back to the west coast and moved to Seattle, WA for my intern year as an internal medicine resident at University of Washington. Subsequently, I moved to Stanford for my three years of anesthesia residency. I am curently one of the chief residents and have really enjoyed getting to know our residents and the applicants this year. I will be starting a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Boston next fall. Outside of the hospital, I enjoy many of the activities that they bay area has to offer, including SCUBA diving, traveling, hiking, rock climbing, and taking a trip to the wine country with friends.

Javier Lorenzo MD
Javier was born and raised in Cuba, and immigrated to the United States at the age of eleven. He attended Carnegie Mellon University where he graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. Before attending medical school in Stanford University, he lived in Bethesda (MD) where he worked at the National Institutes of Health doing research elucidating molecular pathways of insulin resistance. He was also involved in public science policy and was a guest writer for the NIH Catalyst. Javier decided to stay in the Bay Area for his residency because he enjoys the “magical universe” of the region. He is an avid hiker and a self proclaimed ‘foodie’. During his free time is catching up with his hobby as a cinema enthusiast, weightlifting, or discovering eateries in the area. He will soon be starting his fellowship in Critical Care Medicine here in Stanford.

Thank you Chiefs for a job very well done.

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