The West Lab was established in November 2019 at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield. Our research focuses on using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, in combination with the study of patient-derived cell lines and patient tissue, to understand the molecular mechanims underpinning neurodegenerative diseases. We have a particular focus on Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) / Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Parkinson's Disease. We also work closely with both academic and industry partners to support drug-screening using Drosophila as a high-throughput in vivo model.