Established in 2024 as a part of Scripps Research, Lightner Lab is dedicated to studying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition that is increasingly prevalent worldwide, now impacting 1 in 100 individuals in the United States. Despite many years of research, the underlying causes of inflammatory bowel disease remain unclear. This lack of understanding has hindered the development of effective treatments. Despite ongoing research treatment options remain limited and primarily address symptoms rather than offering a cure for the disease. The lab continues to study various pathways involved in IBD and strives to find innovative therapies to offer to patients struggling from the condition.
Principle Investigator Amy Lightner is a professor of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research and a colorectal surgeon at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, CA. Dr. Lightner completed her undergraduate degree in Human Biology at Stanford University, attended medical school at Boston University, underwent general surgery residency training at University of California, Los Angeles, and conducted post-doctoral work at Stanford University in stem cell biology. She finished her surgical training with a colorectal fellowship at Mayo Clinic where she stayed as an assistant professor of Surgery and served as the medical director for the Center for Regenerative Medicine. She was later recruited to Cleveland Clinic as associate professor of Surgery, and to direct the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgery. Since returning to her hometown of San Diego, California, she has actively continued her surgical practice at Scripps Clinic while simultaneously pursuing drug development at Scripps Research. She 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).
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