Wendy Campana, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Professor and Chair Cell Biology and Human Anatomy
Dr. Campana earned a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. She was a NIH Training Fellow under the supervision of Dr. John O’Brien in the Department of Neurosciences prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego. She served in the ladder rank professor series in Anesthesiology for over 20 years, while also serving as a Principal Investigator at the San Diego VA Health Care System. Dr. Campana’s research focuses on the response to nerve injury and the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying transitions from acute to chronic pain. Specifically, she is an expert in peripheral glia, Schwann cells, and how theses non-neuronal cells contribute to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Her foundational work established a role for Schwann cells in peripheral sensitization/repair and neuropathic pain. Her lab pioneered the discovery of several anti-inflammatory receptors (erythropoietin receptor; EpoR, and the low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein, LRP1) that are activated after nerve injury and modulate painful peripheral neuropathy.
Dr. Campana has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications in peripheral nerve biology, spinal cord injury, Schwann cell physiology and neuropathic pain, and in high-ranking journal such as the Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Brain Behavior and Immunity. Her work has been consistently extramurally funded throughout her career. Currently, she is funded by the NIH, VA, and the DoD grant. She has served as a chartered member of two National Institute of health (NIH) study sections consecutively for 10 years including K awards (NST-1) and translational neurobiology (NSD-C). Dr. Campana has several patents.
Dr. Campana left UC San Diego in 2025 after being recruited to UC Davis, where she now serves as Professor and Chair of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy. She continues to serve as a PI at the Northern California VA Health Care System. Outside of her lab, Dr. Campana enjoys yoga, horse riding (hunter jumpers), and cooking.
Miles Vecchitto, B.S.
Staff Scientist
Miles obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego in Molecular and Cellular Biology. He graduated with distinction. He joined the Campana lab in 2023.Miles spearheads the project on extracellular vesicles (EV). He has contributed to this project by devising a technique to isolate EVs directly from nerve tissues, shedding light onto the complex populations of nanoparticles in the extracellular fluid of the sciatic nerve. His goal is to characterize the peripheral nerve derived EV subpopulations, determine signaling capabilities of the EVs and what role Schwann cell EVs play in neuropathic pain.
When not in the lab, you can find Miles enjoying a hike through the hills and mountains, surfing on the beautiful California coast, or creating culinary masterpieces in the kitchen.
Pedro Santana Lauria, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Pedro Lauria obtained his doctorate degree from the Federal University of Bahia (Brazil), where he contributed to multiple research projects investigating venoms and toxins that modulate pain, natural products with analgesic potential, and non-pharmacological strategies for managing chronic pain. This work sparked his long-term interest in the biological mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain and the search for innovative therapeutic approaches. In March 2025, he joined the Campana Lab to study the role of Schwann cells in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. His current research integrates single-cell RNA sequencing with a mouse model of oral cancer to dissect the glial-neuro-immune signaling networks that drive both cancer-related pain and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. By characterizing Schwann cell phenotypes and receptor-mediated pathways - particularly those involving LRP1 - he aims to advance our understanding of peripheral nerve biology and identify novel therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain. Outside the lab, he enjoys taking long walks, hunting for hidden gems in thrift stores, and watching horror movies.
Agamjot Sangotra, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
“Aggie” obtained her doctorate degree in Molecular and Cellular Pathology from The University of Michigan where she studied therapeutic strategies for Kennedy’s Disease, a rare neuromuscular neurodegenerative disorder. She joined the Campana lab in 2026 to continue her training as a postdoctoral fellow and is particularly interested in studying the inter and intracellular signaling processes that regulate Schwann cell behavior following peripheral nerve injury as modulated by LRP1. In her free time, she enjoys trying new cafes, reading in the company of her cat Smokey, and biking around Davis.
Mastaka Miura, Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar
Dr. Masataka Miura is an orthopaedic spine surgeon from Japan. He earned both his medical. and doctorate degree at Chiba University and has pursued his clinical and academic career through Chiba University Hospital. His research expertise includes spinal cord disorders and cervical spinal cord injury, with a focus on basic neuroscience and AI-based medical imaging approaches.
In the Campana Lab, Dr. Miura is expanding his work in peripheral nerve biology, focusing on the role of LRP1 in Schwann cells and its association with aging and cellular senescence.
Outside the lab, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and kickboxing. He is also a Harley-Davidson enthusiast.
Takuma Otagiri, M.D., Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar
Dr. Takuma Otagiri graduated from Chiba University School of Medicine in Japan and obtained his medical degree. He later earned his doctorate degree in Medical Science at Chiba University, where his research focused on platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and spinal bone fusion. After completing his doctoral training, he specialized in spine surgery and treated a wide range of spinal disorders and traumatic spinal cord injuries as an orthopaedic spine surgeon.
Dr. Otagiri is currently a visiting scholar in the Campana Lab, where his research focuses on extracellular vesicles derived from the infraorbital nerve and their potential roles in peripheral neuropathy and pain mechanisms. His long-term goal is to integrate clinical orthopaedics with molecular and cellular neuroscience to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for nerve injury and neuropathic pain. Outside the laboratory, he enjoys traveling with his family and spending quality time with his children.
Khalida Sabeur Naceur, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Khalida Sabeur Naceur earned her Ph.D. in Endocrinology from the University of California, Davis, and later served as a Research Scientist at the Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF. In the laboratory of Dr. David Rowitch, her work focused on glial biology and central nervous system myelination, investigating oligodendrocyte development, myelin regulation, and neurodevelopmental disorders including Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease models. Her research integrated stem cell biology and translational neuroscience to better understand mechanisms of myelin formation and repair.
She also directed the Cryopreservation Core at UCSF, overseeing biobanking operations, regulatory compliance, and advanced cryobiology platforms supporting multidisciplinary research.
As a Fulbright Specialist Consultant at IAV Hassan II in Rabat, she provided strategic guidance on research development and institutional capacity building. Her current interests focus on extracellular vesicles and exosomes as regulators of intercellular communication in aging, neuroregeneration, and immune modulation.
Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, biking, hiking, nature discovering and video editing.