Dr. Brisa Palikuqi is an Assistant Professor at the Yale Stem Cell Center and the Department of Comparative Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. Originally from Albania, she earned her Ph.D. at Weill Cornell Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Shahin Rafii, where she developed a platform for vascularizing organoids and tissue explants in vitro. In 2020, she joined UCSF as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ophir Klein’s lab, focusing on the role of blood and lymphatic paracrine factors in intestinal regeneration and disease.

In her independent lab at Yale, Brisa investigates the complexity of endothelial cell paracrine signaling in tissue repair, using both in vivo and in vitro models to uncover mechanisms that can be leveraged to drive regeneration on demand for precision medicine.

She is the recipient of a K01 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), as well as prior honors including the NIH F32 Kirschstein Fellowship, the Program in Breakthrough Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Grant, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Fellowship, and several travel and poster awards.

Brisa’s mentorship philosophy centers on providing personalized guidance that supports each mentee’s unique goals and development as both scientists and individuals. She is deeply committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive environment where all lab members feel empowered to grow, contribute, and thrive. She believes that strong mentorship is foundational to both scientific discovery and personal growth.

Outside the lab, Brisa enjoys yoga, exploring neighborhoods and cities, and spending time with her cat.

MSc. Naveena Peesa is a Postgraduate in the Palikuqi Lab. She received her Master of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of New Haven and officially joined the lab in March 2025. 

Ana is a Yale Undergraduate.

Hector is a Yale Undergraduate and the recipient of the First Year Fellowship.

Odree is a Yale Undergraduate and the recipient of the First Year Fellowship.