Anna Girsen

As Director of Finance and Administration for Stanford’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, I lead strategic, financial, and operational functions supporting clinical care, research, and education. I oversee a $60M portfolio spanning hospital partnerships, research administration, and faculty affairs—advancing innovation, equity, and precision health across Stanford Medicine. With nearly two decades of experience bridging academic medicine, research, and healthcare administration, I’m passionate about building systems that enable people and ideas to thrive. I partner with faculty and hospital leaders to align resources with mission—strengthening operations, enhancing transparency, and driving data-informed decision making. My work focuses on creating financially sustainable structures that support cutting-edge research, outstanding patient care, and inclusive academic growth. Previously, as Stanford’s Director of Research, I led the strategy and operations of a $10M+ research program and oversaw more than 50 staff supporting our research enterprise. I helped grow the department’s NIH funding ranking from #40 to #18 nationally, launched the Dunlevie Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center, and led planning for a $14M NIH Center of Excellence in Maternal Health. Earlier, as Associate Director of Research, I established the OB/GYN Clinical Research Unit and built infrastructure for grants, biostatistics, and regulatory support that increased NIH funding fivefold. Trained as a physician-scientist (M.D., Ph.D., University of Oulu, Finland), I bring a deep appreciation for how discovery, data, and collaboration drive better health outcomes. My leadership approach combines operational excellence with empathy and integrity—creating teams that are accountable, innovative, and mission-aligned. I’m particularly interested in how finance, analytics, and organizational strategy can accelerate progress in research and health care—and I remain deeply engaged with the broader research and innovation community across academic and industry settings.