Meet Our Lab Members
Check out our “current lab members” page to find out what each of us is up to!
Changing the Therapeutic Paradigm of TBI
Millions of people each year suffer from neural injury and disease with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke being chief among them.
iPSC-NSCs with potential
Our lab is working with induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cell lines (HIP-NSCs) in an effort to examine their potential to regenerate damaged brain tissue after a…
Using neural stem cells to study stroke
We try to understand the extent to which our stem cell lines are able to form functional neural cells in the stroke environment.
Meet our pigs!
Through pigs like these, we are looking to determine if NSCs can survive and integrate into an injury site within the brain. Someday, we hope this type of…
Stereotaxic Injector System
Induced pluripotent neural stem cells are transplanted into the penumbra region of the infarct (area of tissue damage) using a stereotaxic injector device.
Porcine induced pluripotent stem cells
These cells come in as many colors as there maybe potential cures discovered by their use. Pig iPSCs: POU5F1 (red), SOX2 (green), DNA (blue).
Chimeric pigs generated from iPS cells
…and 29 chimeric pigs were born into the world. This is the first derivation of live chimeric animals generated from iPS cells in any species outside of the mouse.
The mission of the West Laboratory is the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke. TBI and stroke are leading causes of long-term disability and death in the United States. The West Laboratory focuses on regenerative therapies that promote neurogenesis, angiogenesis and activation of neuroprotective pathways with an emphasis on stem cell therapies. The West Laboratory breakthrough discoveries have shown that patient derived neural stem cells can replace lost neural cells and regenerate and stabilize damaged brain tissue leading to improvements in motor function, behavior, and cognition. The West Laboratory also develops magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain structural and functional assessment technologies to better predict learning, memory, and motor function deficits and long-term prognosis for patients that have suffered from TBI and stroke.
Follow us on Instagram
Bergann’s TBI therapeutic results showed significant improvement in diffusivity and white matter integrity. Truly some amazing work that she’s done this year!
Regenerative Biosciences powered by Taco Bell! We got the Tacos, the Gorditas, and the Chalupa! 🧪🌮🧫🌮🔬
Drew showing some of the faculty all her hard work from this year! Can’t wait to see what you do in graduate school!
Sarah shared some phenomenal results pertaining to a novel traumatic brain injury therapeutic at the RBC ADS Research Symposium! 🧫🧑🔬
It’s been a few years since I took the original picture! But the love for what we do hasn’t changed!
I went to check my mailbox and I found this guy in there! We used to only have pigs coming out of our ears. Now they’re coming out of our mailbox!
Come learn more about cutting edge biomedical imaging in pig models to help millions of patients with neurological conditions. We are going to be there. How about you? https://sbr2024.org #TNRRlab #westlab
Congratulations to one of our amazing undergraduate researchers, Kristy Trung, for getting into the UGA Vet School! We’re so proud of you and you’re amazing accomplishment!
A huge congratulations to Moira for being selected as a Franklin Foundation Scholar! What an accomplishment and a transformative research opportunity! Thank you to the Franklin Foundation and UGA BIRC.
Congratulations to Sarah Schantz for being selected for the John and Mary Franklin Foundation travel award!. San Francisco, Neurotrauma 2024 conference here we come!
