Associate Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Dr. Dritan Agalliu is a neuroscientist and immunologist whose research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and its role in neuroinflammatory and neurodevelopmental disorders. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Dr. Agalliu’s work has been particularly influential in elucidating how immune signaling, endothelial dysfunction, and BBB permeability contribute to brain inflammation. His laboratory has published key studies demonstrating BBB disruption and immune-mediated vascular changes in PANS/PANDAS, providing mechanistic insight into how peripheral immune activation can lead to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental symptoms.
His research integrates vascular biology, neuroimmunology, and developmental neuroscience, and has clear relevance for autism spectrum disorder, especially in subgroups where immune dysregulation and blood–brain barrier alterations are implicated. Dr. Agalliu has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and is widely recognized for advancing the understanding of BBB pathology in immune-mediated brain disorders.
Her work places particular emphasis on early diagnosis, developmental trajectories, and individualized clinical evaluation, integrating neuropsychiatric assessment with multidisciplinary approaches. Dr. Brogna has contributed to clinical practice and professional education in the field of autism and is regularly involved in scientific meetings and training initiatives focused on ASD across childhood and adolescence.