Specializing In
- LGBTQ+ Health
Biography
Dr. Benji Laniakea serves as the chief of the Stanford LGBTQ+ Adult Clinical Program, which offers comprehensive and tailored healthcare for the LGBTQ+ patient population for patients of all ages, sexualities, and gender identities. They also serve as the theme lead for the Sex, Gender, Sexuality, and Sexual Function curriculum at the Stanford School of Medicine for which they received the Arthur L. Bloomfield Award, and have the honor of advising the American Medical Association on LGBTQ+ Health.
View Full Biography
Professional Summary
Education & Certifications
- Board Certification: American Board of Family Medicine, Family Medicine (2016)
- Medical Education: University of Buffalo School of Medicine (2013) NY
- Residency: UCSF Fresno Family Medicine Residency Program CA
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- MD, SUNY University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Publications
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Depression in the LGBT Patient: A Standardized Patient Encounter
Huang, B. (2014). Depression in the LGBT Patient: A Standardized Patient Encounter. MedEd Portal. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9759 -
A case of a trans-masculine patient receiving testosterone with a history of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
Eckhert, E., Laniakea, B., & Kurian, A. W. (2020). A case of a trans-masculine patient receiving testosterone with a history of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The Breast Journal. -
Teaching transgender cultural competency with standardised patients
Mukund, A. X., Jia, J. L., Nedelman, M., Rydel, T. A., Bajra, R., Srinivasan, M., … Laniakea, B. H. (2024). Teaching transgender cultural competency with standardised patients. MEDICAL EDUCATION. -
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Training student teachers to improve LGBTQ plus health education
Moutwakil, A., Wary, N. K., Laniakea, B., & Gisondi, M. A. (2024). Training student teachers to improve LGBTQ plus health education. MEDICAL EDUCATION. -
Collaborative Efforts Between Medical Faculty and Learners to Enhance the Institutional Climate for LGBTQ plus Trainees
Jia, J. L., Mukund, A. X., & Laniakea, B. H. (2025). Collaborative Efforts Between Medical Faculty and Learners to Enhance the Institutional Climate for LGBTQ plus Trainees. ACADEMIC MEDICINE, 100(2), 120.
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Training student teachers to improve LGBTQ plus health education
Practice Locations
Primary Care ,
,Primary Care
Family Medicine ,
,Family Medicine
Gender-Affirming Care ,
,Gender-Affirming Care
Important Information about Our Organizations and Physician Affiliation
Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are each independent nonprofit organizations that are affiliated with but separate from each other and from Stanford University. The physicians who provide care at facilities operated by Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are faculty, foundation, or community physicians who are not employees, representatives, or agents of Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri- Valley, or Stanford Medicine Partners. Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners do not exercise control over the care provided by such faculty, foundation, and community physicians and are not responsible for their actions.
Patient Reviews
(170 reviews)
Dr Laniakea has good bedside manner.
Excellent listening skills, congenial and ready to answer any questions and propose hypothetical “let’s explore and prioritize the likeliest.†With a video call, I appreciate exploring all possible options since a physical exam was not accessible.
They were patient, did not pressure me into talking, and very helpful with the information they provided. I can see why their medical care is in such high demand!
Dr. Laniakea was the first doctor I had that I feel like I can trust - I consider myself extremely lucky to be in their care.
This visit reminded why of why I choose Dr. Laniakeia as my physician. They took my concerns seriously, asked great follow-up questions, and generally made me feel cared for by someone very knowledgeable any my specific needs.
Honestly, I wish I'd made a recording! Dr. L. was GREAT throughout this appointment: 100% attentive and responsive; gave me lots of interesting and valuable information; offered me a follow-up assessment; and conducted the call as if he had all the time in the world for me.
Excellent care as always
Excellent care
Dr. Laniakea has been a wonderful doctor. I am very grateful for their compassionate manner and the quality of care I have received.
Excellent doctor, knowledgeable, put patients at ease
Excellent physician: caring, insightful, concise communicator, trustworthy.
Benjamin Laniakea has been an exceptional primary care provider, exceeding my expectations in every aspect of care. His approach is both professional and profoundly empathetic, making each visit not just a consultation, but a truly comforting experience. Dr. Laniakea's thoroughness in examination, diagnosis, and explanation of treatment options is commendable. He consistently demonstrates an outstanding depth of medical knowledge, paired with an earnest concern for my well-being. His attentiveness and ability to listen intently have significantly contributed to my trust in his medical advice and overall healthcare journey. It is rare to find a physician who combines such personal touches and care for a patient as a person with outstanding quality of medical care. I am genuinely grateful to be under his care and highly recommend him to anyone seeking a compassionate and highly skilled PCP
Good doctor that cares about his patients
He listens, provides info, answers questions, and guages one's preferences really well.
He is amazing!
Dr. Laniakea is extremely knowledgeable, and understanding my concerns very well. I am extremely grateful to have him as my primary care doctor.
They are an outstanding doctor!
Dr. Laniakea is an excellent doctor. He cares about his patients, takes time to understand and respond to their concerns, and provides appropriate treatment, and/or referrals to other specialties.
I'm extremely happy to have him as my PCP.
Very good, excellent level of care!
He was polite, and inquisitive, and made me feel very comfortable speaking with him.
First time meeting new PCP. Really wonderful to interact with.
It was a great video call with Dr. Laniakea and I look forward to our office visit.
Very helpful and appropriately responsive to my needs.
Benjamin Laniakea is very professional, courteous and easy to communicate with. Looking forward to working with him.
dr ben, eva, and the front desk staff are all awesome !!
Excellent visit. I feel really well taken care of with Benjamin Laniakea.
Excellent as always!
Benjamin was very friendly, seemed competent and caring. I felt comfortable talking directly and openly with him about sexual issues.
Dr. Laniakea was very professional and I appreciate their guidance and expertise. They used shared decision making and informed consent in my care and I am thankful for that. I left the appointment knowing exactly what the plan was to treat my symptoms and what to do if I need further treatment. Thank you!
Dr Laniakea was very friendly, personable, empathetic, and relatable. He was not rushed like so many providers are and was thorough, a good listener, and didn’t talk down to me.
Excellent physician. Attentive,, caring, kind, knowledgeable.
Dr. Laniakea is wonderful
Dr. Laniakea is spectacular.
Great doctor with a very good experience and approach to the LGBTQ+ healthcare.
Is excellent service
OUTSTANDING,EASY TO BOOK, EASY TO WORK WITH OFFICE AND STAFF
Dr Laniakia is an excellent doctor who truly cares!
Dr. Lanikae is one of the best doctors I’ve ever had. He takes into account my plans for the future and is very helpful in facilitating the needs I have for care.
They are warm, kind, and extremely knowledgeable.
Very helpful!
Dr. Laniakea is an excellent listener and was able to provide medical information concisely and clearly.
Very accessible easy to ask questions and took a lot of time to clarify all my concerns
It was my first visit with him. I got a good impression.
Excellent doctor and shows a great care for patient
Thank you Dr!
Dr. Laniakea was extremely personable and I am amazed with how knowledgeable they are. I am so happy to have an LGBTQ doctor!
Left my visit with Dr Laniakea in real admiration for his care and concern as a physician. So happy to have him as my primary care doctor.
I loved the team and everyone was so helpful. Esp. Working with the student. She was very well informed and very considerate with her explanations. The (I assume) nurse was amazing and cordial. The whole establishmemt made the experience amazing.
Good
I appreciate his sharp concern for my health. He is a good resource.
Always attentive
Very helpful and easy to talk with
Great Appointment. Basically on time and took as much time as I needed. Excellent!
Very thorough, and clear and offered additional relevant medical and treatment information.
Amazing staff and doctors
Dr Laniekea is Great!!!!
He is measured in his response and
Instills confidence and hope. He listens well
And is extremely articulate in finding ways to
Communicate test results etc..
He is calm professional and at the same time
Acknowledges your concerns.
They are very helpful even w complicated issues.
They're great!
Dr. Laniakea is wonderful, and I'm thankful to have them as my new primary care provider.
Excellent physician. I feel he is genuinely concerned about my wellbeing.
Dr. Laniakea is very detail and personalable. I felt at easy with him immediately. He provided me many useful information about the medications that I took. I am glad that I chose him as my primary physician.
He is an excellent doctor who answers and explains my concerns in a very easy way to grasp. He is so knowledgeable in all areas of my health issues. Can’t imagine having a better doctor.
Very professional and thorough
Dr. Laniakea was friendly and provided great tips on my health goals. Dr. Laniakea also listened to my concerns and made sure to order the right followup tests for me to do.
He is very supportive, attentive, and helpful.
I’m very pleased to have Dr. Laniakea as my new primary care physician.
It was exactly what I needed and Dr. Laniakae was present, had great listening skills, and answered all my questions and even things I didn’t know to ask.
Thank You Dr. Laniakea!
He is very knowledgeable and thorough.
Excellent session.
Dr Laniakea is a wonderful and compassionate doctor. He really cares about his patients and he took time to answered my questions
As ever, I appreciate Dr Lanaikea’s time to listen and talk to me as well as providing a comprehensive and complete answer to any questions.
Kind, attentive, great explanation of thought processes
Dr. Laniakea is amazing!
Dr Laniakea is a wonderful doctor , he really cares about his patients
Great Doctor , Dr Laniakea fully understand my health condition and give the best recommendation suitable.
He is great. Thank you for your empathy and caring.
I feel extremely safe and well cared for in this clinic. The staff is very professional, and also very friendly.
He is caring and concerned about his patients well being
I feel comfortable talking to Dr Laniakea and feel he understands my needs as member of the LGBTQ+ community
See previous comments. He is simply the best.
They are a great and caring professional who know the needs of the patient and listen to them carefully. I wish they were more available.
Benjamin Laniakea exceeded all of my expectations and gave me the level of care I expect, but have rarely received elsewhere. Thank you!
Dr. Benjamin Laniakea is an excellent doctor and I'm very happy to have him as my PCP.
There is just an amazing level of care from the team. My appointment was on time, staff were friendly and genuinely cared about my well-being, I feel very safe and welcomed every time I visit.
He is very empathetic and respectful of me and my medical issues and wants.
Very satisfied with Stanford Health
Dr. Benji is a very passionate doctor who cares about all people. He took the time to explain different resources to me, and helped guide me through services provided by SHC LGBTQ+ health services. He took to time to listen to my concerns and health needs. We went over every medication I had to transition from Kaiser. One of the best doctor's I have met that cared about me and saw me as a human being.
Service is awesome
They talk rather quickly, which was a little disorienting. Otherwise the appointment was excellent.
Very likeable doctor
Dr. Laniakea was very attentive and gentle. Wonderful doctor m
Excellent doctor. Listens to the patient instead of assuming they don't know what they want. Very gender-affirming, which I've seen very little of in my life.
From the time I arrived till I left the facility I felt safe (from Covid) and we’ll cared for. The staff and physician were prompt, courteous and responded to all my question.
I am so impressed with this doctor! They are excellent at listening and responding to my concerns. I have never felt more confident that my primary care physician will work hard by my side to promote my good health! Stanford should give them a healthy raise, and lots of praise!
I received a lot of great advice in a short visit.
Excellent physician. He really cares about his patients and their situations.
Excellent doctor, understanding, very good at explaining deeply technical medical details at a wide variety of different patient knowledge levels (highly unknowledgeable patient to doctor-as-a-patient, I've been the recipient of the whole range). I'm not sure I'll ever find another primary care doctor as good as Dr. Laniakea.
Such a great practice. Very happy to have found it!
Dr. Benjamin affords me the assurance that he cares for my health more than other primaries in the past. My confidence in him is high. Thank you, Dr.
Dr. Ben is super professional, and friendly, I feel that he really cares about his patients’ well-being!
Dr. Benjamin Laniakea is an understanding, kind, and patient doctor. I came into the office very worried and scared about what my future with gender affirming hormones would look like, and he took all of my questions and answered them directly and thoroughly. I appreciate his kindness and openness and his care for his patients. Thank you Dr. Laniakea!
He’s an excellent doctor. Even with the high patient load he has, it still seems like he knows his patients and can remember details about them. Makes me feel valuable.
This was my first visit with Dr. Laniakea. He is obviously smart, knowledgeable, and compassionate, and he is a great communicator, funny, warm, and reassuring. I feel very lucky to have him as my new PCP. His LGBTQ Care Team members also did a great job of doing the preparation ahead of the visit so it could go smoothly and efficiently. Thank you so much!
Provides thoughtful, detailed advice.
Dr. Laniakea is wonderful and I'm glad he's my doctor.
Great, caring doctor
My favorite doctor.
He Is very Helpful good Dr
Very thoughtful and helpful, and good at making their patients feel comfortable enough to tell them all information needed.
Dr. Laniakea is an amazing doctor!
We think you are a fantastic doctor!
I appreciated Dr. Laniakea's listening abilities and I felt comfortable talking to him.
I think he is a very good doctor. I am very happy to be one of his patients
He was personable and knowledgeable.
Overall Awesomeness, I was hoping first visit was a physical checkup. Rather than a Video visit. Prior physical done by Stanford did not went so well. Rather disappointed.
Nothing but praise - he’s awesome.
This Doctor makes one feel quite comfortable in discussing all issues.
They were awesome and very understanding, I even learned some things I didn't know before. Definitely looking forward to having them as my primary care doctor
He’s an excellent doctor, asking a lot of questions to get at root of visit and understand my symptoms. He helps me understand what is likely happening, gives me recommendations, and clear next steps.
He is a great Doc!
I had been seen by Dr Laniakea once before and so has my husband (we’re both patients of Dr Vaughan). We both remembered Dr Laniakea as an excellent doctor, thorough, clear, an excellent listener with excellent advice and follow up, pleasant and likable. Today’s visit reaffirmed my very positive opinion of Dr Laniakea. Thank you!
He is very easy and very concern my health
Great doctor
I really liked this guy. he seemed to care about my issues and recommended that I get a longed appointment the next visit. he was more attentive to my concerns which made me feel validated and understood.
Dr. Laniakea excellent at paying attention to concern & questions. I have recommended them to others!
I had an amazing experience, and even recommend the doctor and the LGBTQT clinic to my friend.
Benji is fantastic, very personable and went above and beyond what I was expected in a primary care physician.
Dr. Laniakea was great. He listened to all my concerns and answered all my questions.
I feel dr laniakea has a real interest in my well being
Coming in already frantic, I felt like the doctor was in a rush and wasn't really engaged.
Great care. I appreciate it.
loved Dr Ben Laniakea! His injection was the best ever!
Very pleased with doctor and staff
I really appreciate the care and kindness from Dr. Laniakea.
Dr. Laniakea and his whole team were amazing.
I felt at assured that I was in good hands.
Dr. Laniakea was personably, confident, knowledgable, and funny -- everything you could hope for in a doctor.
The clinician felt like he was in a bit of a hurry. it wasn't a nice feeling to feel like I was on the clock.
very thorough and considerate
As in my past visit overall good experience with Dr. Laniakea. I was personally preoccupied with work anxiety/stressors so some of that overshadowed my visit.
Good "bedside" manner; answers questions in understandable way. I hear MD's only listen for about 15 seconds after entering room; Dr. Laniakea listens much longer than that. I'm happy.
Dr. Laniakea is an extraordinary physician, and his attentiveness and respect to my needs as an LGBT person deserve much praise. He gave me multiple treatment options to choose from, described them in a way I could easily understand, and was knowledgeable and respectful about possible sexual needs and complications. I cannot imagine going through this same experience with doctors I had in years past.
The doctor looks always in a hurry. His conversation feels like he is waiting for an opportunity to end the meeting.
Dr. Laniakea is consistently professional yet down-to-earth in assessing medical problems. He listens and needs.
I really liked him and will not hesitate to see him again or contact him via email for things I may need. He was very helpful when I needed a prescription filled last minute and I had not yet meet him. He was also a great counselor in certain areas pertaining specifically to me.
Dr. Laniakea was wonderful to meet with. He was very personable and took the time to go through my list of concerns with respect to my overall health and referred me to a couple of specialists. I look forward to returning, knowing he will listen and answer questions.
Dr. Ben is awesome.
I can not say enough great things about Dr. Laniakea. He is extremely personable and builds a sense of trust and confidentiality immediately. I was very worried about the possibility that I could be diabetic, and was very hesitant to even bring this up. But he did an outstanding job of making our discussions safe and comfortable. Truly outstanding.
The primary care physician was courteous, friendly and took the time to explain everything.
Dr laniakea was calm, efficient and professional
excellent visit! doctor is so nice !
Dr Ben Laniakea displays competence along with supportive feedback and direction. My confidence level is high.
Dr. Laniakea was very knowledgeable and thorough. He didn't rush through the appointment and took time to make sure I understood everything. He definitely provided above average care.
already recommended dr. laniakea to my coworkers. my boss is now a patient.
I've recommended my provider to my co-workers. my boss will be seeing the same provider of my recommendation. I've also referred my roommate and other co-workers. I feel like Dr. Laniakea remembers me and knows me when he sees me. I don't feel like i'm one of a million patients that gets lost in the shuffle. I feel extremely comfortable discussing my health concerns that could even be embarrassing.
The main concern I came in for was dismissed pretty handedly. There's has been overwhelming evidence and recommendations from other organizations, CDC namely, to look into what I came in for. However, I was given an alternative that is preventative in nature but may simply mask the issue till it naturally goes away. Oh well....
Dr Benjamin explained me everything in detail, he was interesed and checkedall my syntonms
First time I've met Dr. Benjamin Laniakea. I was very impressed and hope he can add on a new patient, my teenage son.
The doctor was good about asking for preferred terminology, etc. and spent a lot of time discussing my concerns.
Very impressed with the doctor - I saw a Dr. who is covering for my Dr that's on maternity leave
It is a learning growing adventure.
Dr and staff really exceptional. Most impressive from reception through Dr.
The reason I gave a "Fair" rating on #9 (confidence) was because I got the sense that Dr. Laniakea didn't (have time to?) read my med history that I filled out ahead of time or the nurse's notes. He spent a fair amount of time on me, but I also had a number of issues to talk about and didn't have enough time to cover everything thoroughly but this I can understand.
Physician showed little interest in patient. He said he had no knowledge about my disease and everything would be handled by specialist. But at least, I think he should have shown dr.'s attitude as a PCP.
Dr. Benjamin is such an amazing doctor! I haven't felt as comfortable with a health care provider till I met him.
Extremely impressed with Dr. Laniakea! Excellent "bedside manner"; great listener & asks key questions; gives useful & practical advice & suggestions; kind, patient, understanding personality; very knowledgeable, comprehensive, & professional; helpful with referrals to other specialists; exceeded my expectations in quality of care provided
Never had such a great experience. He really was enthusiastic and caring and gave me positive feedback not just talked at me
The doctor had excellent manner, professional but also warm and friendly.
I found Dr Laniakea to be one of the friendliest and most down to earth doctors I have met, while still being knowledgeable and giving a high standard of care. Kudos! Will definitely be recommending him.
Good
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