West Laboratory Team

Andrew West, PhD

Principal Investigator

Andrew West, PhD, is a tenured professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University with secondary appointments in Neurology and Neurobiology. Dr. West received his graduate and post-doctoral training at the Mayo Clinic, University of California, Los Angeles and Johns Hopkins Udall Centers of Parkinson's Disease Research Excellence. Dr. West studies novel pathways and targets in neurodegenerative diseases with the goal of translating discoveries to successful neuroprotective treatment strategies in the clinic.

Tuyana Malankhanova, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Tuyana is a classically trained cell biologist who is working on developing a better understanding of LRRK2 signaling in macrophages. If you have questions about iPSCs, GTPases, or Rock Climbing, she is the one to go and see!

Beilei Lei, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Beilei has extensive expertise in utilizing animal and cellular models to study brain health. Her diverse research spans evaluating therapeutic interventions for acute brain injuries to mapping the complex gut-brain circuits driving PD pathology.

Weiping Wang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Weiping is a molecular neuroscientist investigating how lysosomal stress impacts LRRK2 pathways that drive neurodegeneration. She is an expert in designing high-sensitivity kinase assays and tackling deep-dive data analysis for complex biochemical mechanisms.

Kiwoon Sung, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Kiwoon specializes in developing advanced assays and targeted protein degradation strategies using in vitro models to combat neurodegenerative diseases. His research focuses on decoding alpha-synuclein conformational diversity and validating novel biomarkers to evaluate therapeutic targets in Parkinson's disease.

Elizabeth Viverette

Pharmacology Graduate Student

Elizabeth joins our team with substantial expertise in protein structure and CryoEM methods. She will be working on a better understanding of nanoplastic exposures on neurodegeneration diseases, mechanisms and risks.

Johann Valera-Vega

Toxicology Graduate Student

Johann investigates the intersections between environmental toxicology and neurodegenerative disorders through in vitro and in vivo approaches. His primary interests seek to evaluate how environmentally relevant nanoplastic polymers impact neurophysiological and peripheral processes, and how pollution might disproportionately influence the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases in certain populations.

Sunny Wang

Post-Baccalaureate Fellow

Sunny utilizes in vivo mouse models alongside biochemical techniques to investigate the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration. He brings valuable expertise to the lab through his precision in handling, dosing, and analyzing experimental murine models to better understand the progression and cellular drivers of PD.

Sadhana Tanksali

Undergraduate Neuroscience Student

Sadhana is a third-year undergraduate student investigating the intersection of neurodegenerative pathology and systemic biomarkers. She is working on better understanding PD progression and cellular tracking using LRRK2 models, immunohistochemical staining, and bioimage analysis. In her free time, Sadhana enjoys supporting Duke basketball and painting.

Fiona Xu

Undergraduate Biochemistry Student

Fiona is a third-year undergraduate student interested in investigating the intersection of neurodegenerative disorders and cutaneous biomarkers. She is working on better understanding protein aggregation and neuroimmune responses in neurodegeneration using biochemical techniques. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and trying new foods.

Leyla Urmanova

Undergraduate Neuroscience Student

Leyla is a second-year undergraduate student and helps assess the therapeutic potential of LRRK2 inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. She is currently gaining hands-on training in stereotactic surgery, brain sectioning, and tissue processing. Looking forward, Leyla is particularly interested in exploring how unique or extreme environmental stressors influence LRRK2-related pathology.

Our other amazing undergraduate researchers!

Suraj Chatoth

Anna Drozman

Steven Mao

Jaxsen Scott

Shihyun Kim

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