Rachel West, MS, PhD

Education

BS, 2011, University of Georgia
MS, 2013, University of Georgia
PhD, 2018, Colorado State University

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine - 2018-2021

Biography

Dr. West received her B.S. and M.S. in Animal and Dairy Science from the University of Georgia (UGA) where she worked to derive and characterize avian induced pluripotent stem cells and primordial germ cells. After completing her M.S. degree, she moved to Colorado State University (CSU) to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. Her work at CSU focused on early pregnancy and how the molecular pathways that cause cancer in adult tissues are critical for healthy placental development. Rachel continued her training in reproductive physiology with a postdoctoral position at the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine where she studied the peri-implantation stage placenta and the mechanisms contributing to recurrent implantation failure. Currently, the West Lab uses cutting-edge technologies and an interdisciplinary approach to identify the mechanisms that drive improper placental signaling and prevent embryo implantation and invasion.

Research Interests

Reproductive Physiology, Placental Biology, Stem Cell Biology

Academic Areas

Physiology

Key Words

Placenta, Trophoblast Stem Cells, Reproduction, Pregnancy

Publications and Links

NCBI: Dr. West
Twitter: @OvaAchiever_
West Lab for Placental Biology