Skip Menu
photo headshot

Juan Gonzalez-Velez

MD

  • Professor, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Sciences
  • Division Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Reproductive Genetics
  • MFM Fellowship Program Director
  • Perinatologist

Biography

Dr. Juan Gonzalez-Velez is an obstetrician and gynecologist who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Gonzalez-Velez completed a medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, followed by a residency in obstetrics and gynecology, and fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also received a Masters of Translational Research at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Education & Training

  • University of California, San Francisco, CA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training
  • Wayne State University, Detroit Thesis Defense 08/11/2014 Physiology (Concentration: Reproductive Sciences)
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • University of Pennsylvania Masters of Translational Research
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital Program Internal Medicine
  • University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

Publications

  • Walia A, Berger VK, Gonzalez JM, Sobhani NC. Mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes with early preterm severe preeclampsia: does fetal growth restriction matter? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2023 Dec; 36(1):2208251. PubMed
  • Blauvelt CA, Sobhani NC, Andrikopoulou M, Friedman AM, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Wen T. Corrigendum to Trends in attempted vaginal delivery among pregnancies complicated by fetal myelomeningocele in the United States. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM. Volume 5, Issue 4, April 2023, 100902. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Jun; 5(6):100975. PubMed
  • Blauvelt CA, Sobhani NC, Andrikopoulou M, Friedman AM, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Wen T. Trends in attempted vaginal delivery among pregnancies complicated by fetal myelomeningocele in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 04; 5(4):100902. PubMed
  • Schwab ME, Lianoglou BR, Gano D, Gonzalez Velez J, Allen IE, Arvon R, Baschat A, Bianchi DW, Bitanga M, Bourguignon A, Brown RN, Chen B, Chien M, Davis-Nelson S, de Laat MWM, Ekwattanakit S, Gollin Y, Hirata G, Jelin A, Jolley J, Meyer P, Miller J, Norton ME, Ogasawara KK, Panchalee T, Schindewolf E, Shaw SW, Stumbaugh T, Thompson AA, Towner D, Tsai PS, Viprakasit V, Volanakis E, Zhang L, Vichinsky E, MacKenzie TC. The impact of in utero transfusions on perinatal outcomes in patients with alpha thalassemia major: the UCSF registry. Blood Adv. 2023 01 24; 7(2):269-279. PubMed
  • Swanson K, Norton ME, Downum SL, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Sparks TN. Understanding Preterm Birth in Pregnancies Complicated by Nonimmune Hydrops Fetalis. Am J Perinatol. 2023 07; 40(9):917-922. PubMed
  • Bakhtary S, Panchalee T, Crowe EP, Schwab ME, Zakieh A, Josephson CD, Sobhani NC, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Goel R. Survey of intrauterine red blood cell (RBC) transfusion practices in the United States. Transfusion. 2022 Dec; 62(12):2449-2453. PubMed
  • Herzeg A, Almeida-Porada G, Charo RA, David AL, Gonzalez-Velez J, Gupta N, Lapteva L, Lianoglou B, Peranteau W, Porada C, Sanders SJ, Sparks TN, Stitelman DH, Struble E, Sumner CJ, MacKenzie TC. Prenatal Somatic Cell Gene Therapies: Charting a Path Toward Clinical Applications (Proceedings of the CERSI-FDA Meeting). J Clin Pharmacol. 2022 09; 62 Suppl 1:S36-S52. PubMed
  • Sobhani NC, Zakieh A, Bakhtary S, Gonzalez JM. Intrauterine transfusion practice patterns in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2022 07; 4(4):100655. PubMed
  • Tesfalul MA, Sperling JD, Blat C, Parikh NI, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Zlatnik MG, Norton ME. Perinatal outcomes and 2017 ACC/AHA blood pressure categories. Pregnancy Hypertens. 2022 Jun; 28:134-138. PubMed
  • Zhang-Rutledge K, Jacobs M, Patberg E, Field N, Holliman K, Strobel KM, Murphy A, Robles D, Rangwala N, Gonzalez JM, Sparks TN, University of California Fetal-Maternal Consortium. Interval growth across gestation in pregnancies with fetal gastroschisis. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021 09; 3(5):100415. PubMed
  • Schwab ME, Schmidt CN, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Bakhtary S. Racial/ethnic disparities among women receiving intrauterine transfusions for alloimmunization at a single fetal treatment center. Transfusion. 2021 07; 61(7):2019-2024. PubMed
  • Strobel KM, Romero T, Kramer K, Fernandez E, Rottkamp C, Uy C, Keller R, Moyer L, Poulain F, Kim JH, DeUgarte DA, Calkins KL, University of California Fetal Consortium. Growth Failure Prevalence in Neonates with Gastroschisis : A Statewide Cohort Study. J Pediatr. 2021 06; 233:112-118.e3. PubMed
  • Sobhani NC, Sparks TN, Gosnell KA, Rand L, Gonzalez JM, Feldstein VA. Outcomes of Monochorionic, Diamniotic Twin Pregnancies with Prenatally Diagnosed Intertwin Weight Discordance. Am J Perinatol. 2021 06; 38(7):649-656. PubMed
  • Sparks TN, Lianoglou BR, Adami RR, Pluym ID, Holliman K, Duffy J, Downum SL, Patel S, Faubel A, Boe NM, Field NT, Murphy A, Laurent LC, Jolley J, Uy C, Slavotinek AM, Devine P, Hodoglugil U, Van Ziffle J, Sanders SJ, MacKenzie TC, Norton ME, University of California Fetal–Maternal Consortium, University of California, San Francisco Center for Maternal–Fetal Precision Medicine. Exome Sequencing for Prenatal Diagnosis in Nonimmune Hydrops Fetalis. N Engl J Med. 2020 10 29; 383(18):1746-1756. PubMed
  • Lopez BM, MalhamĂ© I, Davies LK, Gonzalez Velez JM, Marelli A, Rabai F. Eisenmenger Syndrome in Pregnancy: A Management Conundrum. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2020 Oct; 34(10):2813-2822. PubMed
  • Sobhani NC, Shulman R, Tran EE, Gonzalez JM. Early Onset Severe Hypertensive Disease in Pregnancy and Screening for Antiphospholipid Syndrome. AJP Rep. 2020 Jan; 10(1):e32-e36. PubMed
  • Mardy AH, Rangwala N, Hernandez-Cruz Y, Gosnell KA, Gonzalez JM, Norton ME, Sparks TN. Utility of chromosomal microarray for diagnosis in cases of nonimmune hydrops fetalis. Prenat Diagn. 2020 03; 40(4):492-496. PubMed
  • Arnaout R, Nah G, Marcus G, Tseng Z, Foster E, Harris IS, Divanji P, Klein L, Gonzalez J, Parikh N. Pregnancy complications and premature cardiovascular events among 1.6 million California pregnancies. Open Heart. 2019; 6(1):e000927. PubMed
  • Sobhani NC, Schultz H, Kheiwa A, Killion M, Parikh NI, Harris IS, Gonzalez JM, Agarwal A. Contraceptive Choices in the Immediate Postpartum Period in Women With Cardiac Disease. Am J Cardiol. 2019 04 15; 123(8):1364-1369. PubMed
  • Sperling JD, Shulman R, Blat C, Miller EE, Kokroko J, Zlatnik MG, Gonzalez-Velez J, Norton ME, Gossett DR. Gender Differences in Academic Rank and NIH Funding among Academic Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physicians in the United States. Am J Perinatol. 2019 04; 36(5):443-448. PubMed
  • Shulman R, Sparks TN, Gosnell K, Blat C, Norton ME, Lee H, Gonzalez-Velez J, Goldstein RB. Fetal Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation: The Role of an Objective Measurement of Cardiomediastinal Shift. Am J Perinatol. 2019 02; 36(3):225-232. PubMed
  • Washburn EE, Sparks TN, Gosnell KA, Rand L, Gonzalez JM, Feldstein VA. Stage I Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: Outcomes of Expectant Management and Prognostic Features. Am J Perinatol. 2018 12; 35(14):1352-1357. PubMed
  • Sperling JD, Sparks TN, Berger VK, Farrell JA, Gosnell K, Keller RL, Norton ME, Gonzalez JM. Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Does Laterality Predict Perinatal Outcomes? Am J Perinatol. 2018 08; 35(10):919-924. PubMed
  • Washburn EE, Sparks TN, Gosnell KA, Rand L, Gonzalez JM, Feldstein VA. Polyhydramnios Affecting a Recipient-like Twin: Risk of Progression to Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome and Outcomes. Am J Perinatol. 2018 03; 35(4):317-323. PubMed
  • Berger VK, Sparks TN, Jelin AC, Derderian C, Jeanty C, Gosnell K, Mackenzie T, Gonzalez JM. Non-Immune Hydrops Fetalis: Do Placentomegaly and Polyhydramnios Matter? J Ultrasound Med. 2018 May; 37(5):1185-1191. PubMed
  • Henry D, Gonzalez JM, Harris IS, Sparks TN, Killion M, Thiet MP, Bianco K. Maternal arrhythmia and perinatal outcomes. J Perinatol. 2016 10; 36(10):823-7. PubMed
  • Sparks TN, Nakagawa S, Gonzalez JM. Hypertension in dichorionic twin gestations: how is birthweight affected? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017 Feb; 30(4):380-385. PubMed
  • Thakur M, Gonik B, Gill N, Awonuga AO, Rocha FG, Gonzalez JM. Intensive Care Admissions in Pregnancy: Analysis of a Level of Support Scoring System. Matern Child Health J. 2016 Jan; 20(1):106-113. PubMed
  • Yee AM, Kelly BG, Gonzalez-Velez JM, Nakakura EK. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas head in a pregnant woman: safe pancreaticoduodenectomy postpartum. J Surg Case Rep. 2015 Aug 20; 2015(8). PubMed
  • Greenwald SR, Gonzalez JM, Goldstein RG, Rosenstein MG. Asymptomatic uterine dehiscence in a second-trimester twin pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Oct; 213(4):590.e1-2. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Pedroni SM, Girardi G. Statins prevent cervical remodeling, myometrial contractions and preterm labor through a mechanism that involves hemoxygenase-1 and complement inhibition. Mol Hum Reprod. 2014 Jun; 20(6):579-89. PubMed
  • Pedroni SM, Gonzalez JM, Wade J, Jansen MA, Serio A, Marshall I, Lennen RJ, Girardi G. Complement inhibition and statins prevent fetal brain cortical abnormalities in a mouse model of preterm birth. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2014 Jan; 1842(1):107-15. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Romero R, Girardi G. Comparison of the mechanisms responsible for cervical remodeling in preterm and term labor. J Reprod Immunol. 2013 Mar; 97(1):112-9. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Dong Z, Romero R, Girardi G. Cervical remodeling/ripening at term and preterm delivery: the same mechanism initiated by different mediators and different effector cells. PLoS One. 2011; 6(11):e26877. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Franzke CW, Yang F, Romero R, Girardi G. Complement activation triggers metalloproteinases release inducing cervical remodeling and preterm birth in mice. Am J Pathol. 2011 Aug; 179(2):838-49. PubMed
  • Burd I, Brown A, Gonzalez JM, Chai J, Elovitz MA. A mouse model of term chorioamnionitis: unraveling causes of adverse neurological outcomes. Reprod Sci. 2011 Sep; 18(9):900-7. PubMed
  • Hassan SS, Romero R, Tarca AL, Nhan-Chang CL, Mittal P, Vaisbuch E, Gonzalez JM, Chaiworapongsa T, Ali-Fehmi R, Dong Z, Than NG, Kim CJ. The molecular basis for sonographic cervical shortening at term: identification of differentially expressed genes and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition as a function of cervical length. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Nov; 203(5):472.e1-472.e14. PubMed
  • Mazaki-Tovi S, Vaisbuch E, Romero R, Kusanovic JP, Chaiworapongsa T, Kim SK, Nhan-Chang CL, Gomez R, Alpay Savasan Z, Madan I, Yoon BH, Yeo L, Mittal P, Ogge G, Gonzalez JM, Hassan SS. Maternal and neonatal circulating visfatin concentrations in patients with pre-eclampsia and a small-for-gestational age neonate. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2010 Oct; 23(10):1119-28. PubMed
  • Oggè G, Romero R, Kusanovic JP, Chaiworapongsa T, Dong Z, Mittal P, Vaisbuch E, Mazaki-Tovi S, Gonzalez JM, Yeo L, Hassan SS. Serum and plasma determination of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors yield different results: the need for standardization in clinical practice. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2010 Aug; 23(8):820-7. PubMed
  • Burd I, Bentz AI, Chai J, Gonzalez J, Monnerie H, Le Roux PD, Cohen AS, Yudkoff M, Elovitz MA. Inflammation-induced preterm birth alters neuronal morphology in the mouse fetal brain. J Neurosci Res. 2010 Jul; 88(9):1872-81. PubMed
  • Ernst LM, Gonzalez J, Ofori E, Elovitz M. Inflammation-induced preterm birth in a murine model is associated with increases in fetal macrophages and circulating erythroid precursors. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2010 Jul-Aug; 13(4):273-81. PubMed
  • Mazaki-Tovi S, Vaisbuch E, Romero R, Kusanovic JP, Chaiworapongsa T, Kim SK, Ogge G, Yoon BH, Dong Z, Gonzalez JM, Gervasi MT, Hassan SS. Hyperresistinemia - a novel feature in systemic infection during human pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2010 May; 63(5):358-69. PubMed
  • Mazaki-Tovi S, Vaisbuch E, Romero R, Kusanovic JP, Chaiworapongsa T, Kim SK, Nhan-Chang CL, Gomez R, Yoon BH, Yeo L, Mittal P, Ogge G, Gonzalez JM, Hassan SS. Maternal plasma concentration of the pro-inflammatory adipokine pre-B-cell-enhancing factor (PBEF)/visfatin is elevated in pregnant patients with acute pyelonephritis. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2010 Mar 01; 63(3):252-62. PubMed
  • Kim DR, Gonzalez J, O'Reardon JP. Pregnancy and depression: exploring a new potential treatment option. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2009 Dec; 11(6):443-6. PubMed
  • Burd I, Chai J, Gonzalez J, Ofori E, Monnerie H, Le Roux PD, Elovitz MA. Beyond white matter damage: fetal neuronal injury in a mouse model of preterm birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep; 201(3):279.e1-8. PubMed
  • Lyttle B, Chai J, Gonzalez JM, Xu H, Sammel M, Elovitz MA. The negative regulators of the host immune response: an unexplored pathway in preterm birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep; 201(3):284.e1-7. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Xu H, Chai J, Ofori E, Elovitz MA. Preterm and term cervical ripening in CD1 Mice (Mus musculus): similar or divergent molecular mechanisms? Biol Reprod. 2009 Dec; 81(6):1226-32. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Ofori E, Burd I, Chai J, Scholler N, Elovitz MA. Maternal mortality from systemic illness: unraveling the contribution of the immune response. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Apr; 200(4):430.e1-8. PubMed
  • Wakil L, Epperson CN, Gonzalez J, O'Reardon JP, Kim DR. Neonatal outcomes with the use of lamotrigine for bipolar disorder in pregnancy and breastfeeding: a case series and review of the literature. Psychopharmacol Bull. 2009; 42(3):91-8. PubMed
  • Merriman JB, Gonzalez JM, Rychik J, Ural SH. Can digoxin and sotalol therapy for fetal supraventricular tachycardia and hydrops be successful? A case report. J Reprod Med. 2008 May; 53(5):357-9. PubMed
  • Elovitz MA, Gonzalez J. Medroxyprogesterone acetate modulates the immune response in the uterus, cervix and placenta in a mouse model of preterm birth. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2008 Apr; 21(4):223-30. PubMed
  • Xu H, Gonzalez JM, Ofori E, Elovitz MA. Preventing cervical ripening: the primary mechanism by which progestational agents prevent preterm birth? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Mar; 198(3):314.e1-8. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Edlow AG, Silber A, Elovitz MA. Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state of pregnancy with intrauterine fetal demise and preeclampsia. Am J Perinatol. 2007 Oct; 24(9):541-3. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Xu H, Ofori E, Elovitz MA. Toll-like receptors in the uterus, cervix, and placenta: is pregnancy an immunosuppressed state? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Sep; 197(3):296.e1-6. PubMed
  • Gonzalez JM, Stamilio DM, Ural S, Macones GA, Odibo AO. Relationship between abnormal fetal testing and adverse perinatal outcomes in intrauterine growth restriction. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007 May; 196(5):e48-51. PubMed
View Juan Gonzalez-Velez, MD's research profile on UCSF Profiles
Back to: Perinatologists,