Team
Francesca Briganti, PhD - PI
Dr. Francesca Briganti is a molecular biologist interested in understanding the molecular causes of human diseases and in using this knowledge to design targeted therapeutic strategies. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of pediatrics with a joint appointment in Genetics and Cardiology. Her scientific interests include cardiac physiology, disease mechanism, and drug development. Her work focuses on the development and application of high-content, high-throughput imaging screening strategies.
Dr. Briganti received her PhD jointly from the EMBL and the University of Heidelberg. During her PhD she studied new targeted therapeutic approaches for Dilated Cardiomyopathy. She identified a new potential therapeutic strategy that has been published and patented. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Mercola lab at The Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. Her work is currently supported by the NIH NHLBI.
Megan Sparrow - Research Associate
Megan recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a minor in Biomedical Research. During her undergraduate years, she contributed to a project centered on a human embryo model derived from embryonic stem cells to explore early embryonic patterning events and germline specification. Megan is excited to return home to San Diego and apply her stem cell and molecular biology background in the Briganti Lab.
Luis Sanchez de la Vega - Research Associate
Luis recently graduated from the University of California, San Diego with an M.S. in Bioengineering and holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University. His previous research includes studying the transcriptional regulatory network of Escherichia coli with novel machine learning tools and investigating cardiac differentiation methods of induced pluripotent stem cells. Luis is excited to leverage his background in the Briganti Lab to contribute to the lab’s mission of designing targeted therapeutic strategies for heart diseases.
Zilu Wang - Ph.D. Student
Zilu is a Bioengineering PhD student at the University of California, San Diego, where he also earned his B.S. in Bioengineering–Biotechnology. His past research focused on using genomic tools to investigate cardiac development and genetic regulation, with experience in both in vivo experimentation and bioinformatic analysis. In the Briganti Lab, Zilu is eager to delve deeper into cardiac disease mechanisms and explore potential therapeutic strategies utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell models.
Sri Veda - M.S. Student
Sri Veda is a first-year Bioengineering Master’s student. She recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a keen interest in biomaterials and biomedical devices, working on projects focused on their applications in therapeutic solutions. Motivated by a desire to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease, she is now exploring the field of Epigenetics. In the Briganti Lab, Veda is excited to gain hands-on wet lab experience and contribute to advancing research in human tissue-specific gene expression and its implications for cardiac-related conditions.
Pavika Sharma - Volunteer
Pavika recently graduated with a Master’s in Drug Development and Product Management from the University of California, San Diego, following a Bachelor’s in Biotechnology from Vellore Institute of Technology. Her previous experience includes contribution to critical projects focused on mammalian cell culture, regulatory compliance, and quality control within the pharmaceutical industry where she gained hands-on experience with aseptic techniques and process optimization for cell culture to support consistent, high-quality production processes. Pavika is excited to up skill her expertise in the Briganti Lab and contribute to advancing research in human tissue-specific gene expression and therapeutic development.
Arzu Medhi - Undergraduate student
Arzu is a third-year undergraduate at UC San Diego, majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Chemistry. A premedical student, she is passionate about pediatric cardiology and genetics and plan to attend medical school after graduation. She is excited to be part of the Briganti Lab, where they look forward to developing new skills and contributing to the lab’s research. She hopes to combine clinical practice with academic research in the future to advance care for pediatric patients