Director, Mind Division
Walter Greenleaf was Director of the Mind Division at the Center on Longevity from April 2013 to March 2014.
Walter Greenleaf, PhD joined the Stanford Center on Longevity in April, 2013 and served as Director of the Mind Division. He brought to the Center a background in both aging research and clinical product development. As a research scientist, Dr. Greenleaf focused on age-related changes in the human neuroendocrine system, and the effects of hormones on mood and behavior. As a medical product developer, his focus has been on the use of simulation and telemedicine technology to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Stroke, Addictions, Autism, and other difficult problems in behavioral and physical medicine. Dr. Greenleaf is known internationally as an early pioneer in the medical application of virtual environment technology, and is viewed as one of the founders of the field. He has designed and developed several clinical product streams over the last twenty-five years, including products in the fields of: surgical simulation, 3D medical visualization, telerehabilitation, clinical informatics, clinical decision support, point-of-care clinical data collection, ergonomic evaluation technology, automatic sleep-staging systems, psychophysiological assessment, and simulation-assisted rehabilitation technologies, as well as products for behavioral medicine. Dr. Greenleaf founded and served as CEO for: Greenleaf Medical Systems, a business incubator; InWorld Solutions, a company specializing in the therapeutic use of virtual worlds for behavioral health care; and Virtually Better, a company that develops virtual environments for the treatment of phobias, anxiety disorders, and PTSD. He has served as a scientific adviser and reviewer for the U.S. Public Health Service, National Science Foundation (NSF) National Institutes of Health (NIH), NASA, and the U.S. Department of Education. He helped start the California State University Center for Disability Solutions, and serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Virtual Rehabilitation. Dr. Greenleaf has a PhD in Neuro and Bio-Behavioral Sciences from Stanford University, and a BA from Hampshire College.