Dr. Varalakshmi Niranjan

Associate Professor

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Biography

Varalakshmi Niranjan is a Clinical Associate Professor specializing in Internal Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine at Stanford University. She is triple boarded in Internal Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine, focusing on the prevention and management of chronic diseases, including Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Obesity, and Chronic Kidney Disease. Dr. Niranjan is the founder and program director of the SMILES program (Stanford Metabolic Intervention Lifestyle Empowerment Support), aimed at improving lifestyle management for obesity. She leads the ICDP program at Stanford Healthcare and works on the VBC project for managing Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. Having conducted health awareness camps in rural India, her research interests center around effective teaching methods for lifestyle medicine. She has received various grants for implementing lifestyle medicine education and conducts nationwide workshops for primary care providers. Dr. Niranjan's work is published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and through books focused on health education and vegetarian cooking for weight loss.

Research Interests

Experience

Clinical Associate Professor

2025-01-01 — Present

Stanford University • Palo Alto, CA

Clinical Associate Professor in the field of Internal Medicine focusing on obesity and lifestyle medicine.

Regional Medical Director

— Present

Saint Francis Healthcare Partners • Hartford, CT

Led initiatives for improving patient safety and healthcare quality.

Awards

#

Connecticut Top Doctor

#

Physician Champion

Requirements for Stanford University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:26
Reading
Required:26
Writing
Required:26
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:160
Quantitative
Required:165
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Overall
Required:4.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree from an accredited institution Strong background in mathematics and programming
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

The Computer Science department emphasizes research potential. GRE General is currently optional but recommended for some tracks.