Current Lab Members

  • Savannah Cheek

    Savannah Cheek, RVT, RLAT

    Veterinary Technician

    Savannah Cheek is a registered veterinary technician from Gwinnett Technical College and has her Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician Certification.

  • Geffrey “Snook” Cosgrave

    M.S. Student

    Snook is a MS student in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science studying the effects of neural stem cells and exercise on recovery from traumatic brain injury.

  • Taylor Hillhouse

    Ph.D. Student

    Taylor is a PhD student in the Regenerative Bioscience Program focusing on the microbiome-gut-brain axis and the use of neural stem cell extracellular vesicles (NSC EV) as a treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI).

  • Emma Jones

    M.S. Student

    Emma is a master’s student in the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program studying the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and pathology and motor responses.

  • Maria Levy

    Ph.D. Student

    Maria is a PhD student in the Regenerative Bioscience Program studying the effects of mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles (MSC EVs) on traumatic brain injury recovery.

  • Charlize “Charlie” Nakatsu

    Ph.D. Student

    Charlie is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Program studying differences in neuroplasticity on recovery in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

  • Sarah Schantz

    Ph.D. Student

    Studying cognitive, behavioral, and motor function within the pig model evaluating recovery in the traumatic brain injury model and the effects of transplanted neural stem cells.

  • Sydney Sneed

    Sydney Sneed, M.S.

    Research Professional

    Sydney is a research professional in the West Lab. Her work in the West Lab centers around organizing, managing, and running an NIH-funded porcine traumatic brain injury study evaluating the functional recovery and longitudinal effects of transplanted neural stem cells in the injured brain.

  • Moira Taber

    Ph.D. Student

    Moira is a Ph.D. student in the Regenerative Bioscience Program studying neuroregenerative recovery mechanisms and sex differences in traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

  • Christina Welch, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Research Associate

    Christina is a postdoctoral research associate studying the use of the gut microbiota as a tool to improve health.