Postdoctoral Fellows

Li, Dayan (Jack) is a post-doctoral scholar in the Longaker Lab and a Clinical Scholar in the Stanford department of dermatology. He completed his post-graduate training in the Harvard-MIT MD-PhD program and his dermatology residency at Stanford. For his PhD, he investigated the genetics of whole-body regeneration in planaria and is studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of skin fibrosis in the Longaker Lab. For leisure he enjoys running, listening to Brazilian music, and growing rare orchids.

Tomasso, Antonio is an NWO Rubicon Postdoctoral Scholar. He earned a BSc and a MSc in Medical and Molecular Biotechnology from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine. He explored the molecular mechanisms underlying how different organisms, from planarians to axolotls, spiny mice and lab mice, heal through regeneration or fibrosis after injury. He conducted research across five countries, including at the Karolinska Institute, University of Kentucky, Max Planck Institute and Hubrecht Institute. At Stanford, he investigates the molecular drivers of fibroblast activation in organ fibrosis and regeneration, aiming to identify druggable targets to enhance tissue repair. Outside the lab, he enjoys outreach and volunteering in local communities, gym workouts, track running, mindfulness, growing avocado plants and engaging in new activities.

Shibale, Palca is a general surgery resident from the University of Wisconsin-Madison completing her post-doctoral fellowship in the Longaker and Wan lab. She earned her BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Washington (UW), her MS in Medical Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western University and her MD from UW. She has previously conducted translational research on drug efficacy and clinical research in trauma and vascular surgery. She is interested in understanding the mechanisms of tissue regeneration and fibrosis with nano materials. Outside of work, Palca enjoys gardening, running and spending time with her family.