Annual International IBD Meeting
Lightner Lab Team

About Lightner Lab

Leading the Way in IBD Research

At Scripps Research Institute and Calibr-Skaggs, the Lightner Lab is dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and improving treatment options for complex diseases. Our team is composed of leading researchers and healthcare professionals who are passionate about innovative clinical trials and cutting-edge research.

With a focus on harnessing the potential of organoids derived from human tissue, we investigate the mechanisms behind IBD and explore new therapeutic avenues that can lead to better patient outcomes. Our mission is to bridge the gap in understanding IBD and to foster collaborations that promote groundbreaking research.

Meet Our Team

Meet Our Team

At Lightner Lab, our team is composed of dedicated researchers and healthcare professionals committed to advancing the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). With diverse expertise and a shared passion for innovation, we work collaboratively to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

Dr_Lightner_Amy_Headshot_Lightner Lab

Amy Lightner, MD

Principle Investigator
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Professor of Immunology and Microbiology
Colorectal Surgeon

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Dr. Lightner is a distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute and a colorectal surgeon at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California. With a career that spans leadership roles in both academia and clinical practice, Dr. Lightner is a recognized expert in the fields of colorectal surgery, stem cell biology, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research.

Dr. Lightner completed her undergraduate degree in Human Biology at Stanford University, medical school at Boston University, general surgery residency training at University of California Los Angeles, and post-doctoral work at Stanford University in stem cell biology. She finished her surgical training with colorectal fellowship at Mayo Clinic where she stayed as an Assistant Professor of Surgery and was the Medical Director for the Center for Regenerative Medicine. She was later recruited to Cleveland Clinic as Associate Professor of Surgery, and to be the Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgery. She has recently been recruited back to her hometown of San Diego to actively continue her work in IBD drug development for Scripps Research Institute and surgical practice at Scripps Clinic and Rady Children’s Hospital. She is the PI of six active phase II clinical trials using mesenchymal stem cells for inflammatory bowel disease, has received extramural funding from the Helmsley Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Cure for IBD, Rainin Foundation and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS). She is the surgical co-chair for the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO), chair of Southern California Chapter of Young Women in Bio, vice chair of the clinical practice guidelines committee for ASCRS, and on executive council for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

Dr. Mazer Ally

Gastroenterologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

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Dr. Mazer Ally is an adult Gastroenterologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Scripps Clinic, with a specialized focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He completed both his undergraduate and medical education at The George Washington University. After commissioning into the U.S. Army, he completed his Internal Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Before joining Scripps Clinic, Dr. Ally served as the Co-Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Walter Reed and as the Chief of Gastroenterology at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI. He also served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Squadron Surgeon for the 10th Mountain Division, earning the Meritorious Service Medal. Additionally, he served as a Battalion Surgeon for the 25th Infantry Division.

Dr. Ally has authored numerous publications and presented his research at national medical conferences, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease and eosinophilic esophagitis. He is an active member of national committees for the American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. He is also a Fellow both of the American College of Gastroenterology and of the American Gastroenterology Association.

Outside of his professional life, Dr. Ally enjoys spending time with his family, as well as traveling, surfing, hiking, and running.

Gauree Gupta Konijeti, MD, MPH

Gastroenterologist

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Gauree Gupta Konijeti, MD, MPH, is a gastroenterologist specializing in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, at Scripps Clinic in San Diego. She trained in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, completed internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA West LA VA Hospital, and attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Konijeti holds a Master of Public Health from UCLA. She joined Scripps Clinic in 2014 after completion of her GI fellowship, serves at the Director of the IBD Program, and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Konijeti serves on national, regional and local committees related to education and research in IBD and GI. She serves a core GI faculty member for the Scripps GI fellowship and has developed the IBD curriculum and training. Dr. Konijeti also conducts research in IBD and diet/nutrition, clinical outcomes, and decision analysis, and has received funding from Scripps Clinic, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense (DoD).

Krittikorn Kumpornsin, PhD

Staff Scientist

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Krittikorn was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, where she developed a deep passion for science and research. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Mahidol University.

After completing her Ph.D., Krittikorn pursued postdoctoral training at leading institutions, including GSK, Tres Cantos in Spain, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK. During this time, she honed her expertise in malaria research and preclinical drug discovery for small molecules, contributing to efforts aimed at tackling infectious diseases.

With a strong commitment to discovering and delivering improved therapeutics for human health, Krittikorn currently focuses on antimalarial drug discovery at Calibr-Skaggs. Her work involves exploring novel compounds, studying their mechanisms of action, and advancing promising candidates for preclinical development. She is also passionate about leveraging her drug discovery expertise to address other unmet medical needs, with particular interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the use of organoids and clinical specimens for therapeutic discovery.

As part of her broader aspirations, Krittikorn volunteers in the Lightner Lab, contributing to innovative approaches in therapeutic research and being part of a collaborative path to success.

Zack Sitte, PhD

Staff Scientist

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Zack holds Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and biochemistry/biophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Bio-Analytical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His doctoral research focused on advancing 3D cell culture techniques and integrating commercially available assays into complex 3D culture models. Prior to joining the Lightner group, Zack was a part of the Product Development team at Stemson Therapeutics, where he led the development of fit-for-purpose assays for the de novo hair follicle constructs being developed at Stemson. He is deeply passionate about 3D cell culture and committed to leveraging cutting-edge methods to create more physiologically relevant and accurate culture models.

Madison Folsom, PA

Physician Assistant

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Madison earned her undergraduate degree in Biology and Psychology from Canisius University, followed by a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Before entering PA school, she gained hands-on experience as a medical assistant in a gastroenterology practice, where she developed a strong interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her passion for IBD research led her to focus her master’s thesis on Crohn’s disease and ensure her PA training included both inpatient and outpatient gastroenterology, as well as colorectal surgery. She currently works alongside Dr. Lightner, both in clinic and in research, where she plays a role in implementing multiple clinical trials related to IBD. She is an active member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and the American Academy of Physician Associates.

Melissa J Ferrari, PA-C, MPAS

Physician Assistant

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Melissa Ferrari, PA, is a Physician Assistant within the gastroenterology department with a dedicated focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). She is experienced in the complicated nuances and medical management of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease patients and has dedicated her career to their care. She works directly with IBD physician experts in order to provide a personalized approach for every patient.

Melissa believes positive outcomes are directly related to education and open communication. A patient that understands their condition, and the reason medications are being prescribed, is much more likely to be an active participant in their care. Melissa prides herself in providing excellent education and confirming management plans are mutually agreed upon and implemented.

Melissa is also very involved with the IBD community through the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and participates in many events for the Greater San Diego Area chapter.

Safa Baqi

Clinical Associate

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Safa holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Delaware and has hands-on clinical experience from roles in both a dental clinic and a general surgery hospital setting. She has now transitioned, focusing more on the research side, leveraging her clinical background to contribute to evidence-based advancements and collaborative projects within the realm of IBD.

Eleadah Vidales

Research Assistant

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Eleadah received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive science with a specialization in Clinical aspects and a Bachelor of Art in Media with a specialization in Photography at UC San Diego. She worked for UCSD’s HUMANOIDTM Center of Research Excellence (CoRE) on “Phase Zero” models using patient derived organoids of Pancreatic, Gastric and Esophageal cancer to test therapeutics. She also trained in working with Emulate’s Organ-on-a-Chip system to model Ulcerative Colitis from patient samples. She worked on media production and media branding for HUMANOIDTM in house Organoid media. Eleadah was a part of the Epithelial Cell team in the R&D Department at Stemson Therapeutics performing differentiations of iPSC to pre-epidermal cells for Stemson’s de novo hair follicles. She is fascinated by the human body and how science can illuminate the many intricacies of humans and nature.

Sophia Carpinelli

Research Assistant

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Sophia graduated from CSU San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. During her studies, she gained her first experience in academic research as an undergraduate researcher. This sparked her interest in the field and led to an opportunity at UC San Diego, where she worked at Humanoid, learning cutting-edge techniques in organoid 3D organ modeling. Currently, she is part of the Lightner Lab at Scripps Calibr, where she is involved in developing therapeutics for clinical trials.

Kayla Garcia

Medical Assistant

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Kayla has three years of experience working as a medical assistant, where she developed strong hands-on skills in patient care, clinical procedures, and collaborating with healthcare teams. She currently works as a medical assistant at Scripps Clinic for Dr Lightner, where she plays a key role in coordinating patient care for individuals. Kayla is also currently pursuing her RN to BSN degree to further enhance her clinical knowledge, refine her skills, and advance her career in the healthcare field.

Grace Zhou

Undergraduate Student Intern

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Grace is a second-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Immunology and Molecular Medicine. Through her internships and undergraduate research, she has gained extensive hands-on experience in drug discovery, sparking a deep interest in immunology and translational research for incurable diseases. Grace is excited to further expand her research and clinical skills as a member of the Lightner Lab.

Clark Edson

Undergraduate Student Intern

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Clark is a third-year undergraduate pre-medical student at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Spanish. Through his past internships and research opportunities in both the Ghadiri Lab at Scripps Research and the Ellington Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, he has a strong background in wet-lab research that he is excited to bring to the Lightner Lab. He is passionate about further exploring the medical translation of research, especially relating to finding ways to combat IBD, as he plans to become a doctor that understands the large impact and significance of research in all fields.

Ian E. Lopez

Medical Student Intern

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Ian is currently a first-year medical student at Ponce Health Sciences University. He has always been drawn to the medical field because of a deep desire to help others and make a positive impact on people’s lives. He is passionate about the opportunity to learn and grow in a collaborative research environment, and excited to contribute to the work in lab this summer.