Home Department: Biology
Supported by: Dean of Research
Mentor: Theo Palmer, Neurosurgery

Drew is working on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind synaptic plasticity in an inflammatory or diseased brain. The ultimate goal is to find ways to improve neural transplants as treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Specifically, he is working to elucidate the functions of a candidate receptor on neurons, MHC-I, which could potentially be modulated in order to increase neural transplant connectivity and survival.

Poster presented at the Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Symposium on August 26, 2015:

Analysis of Global Changes in Synaptic Structure Within Cortical Networks

Drew Willoughby¹, Marc Carmichael¹, Theo Palmer¹
[Department of Neurosurgery¹, Stanford University]