West Lab 2024

Rachel, Vicky, Paige, Josh, Carly, and Cristine

Lab Mission Statement

The West Lab is committed to fostering a lab climate the promotes scientific discovery and collaboration. We believe the best science occurs when individuals from different backgrounds come together to bring new ideas and advance science.

We welcome all individuals who are passionate about women’s health and placental biology.

Principal Investigator - Rachel West

Dr. Rachel West got her B.S. and M.S. in Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia where she helped derive and characterize the first avian induced pluripotent stem cells. She next pursued her Ph.D. at Colorado State University where she fell in love with the placenta and investigated how oncogenes regulate early placental development. Her postdoctoral training took place at the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine where she used embryos and trophoblast stem cells to study the peri-implantation placenta. Rachel now leads the West Lab for Placental Biology at Auburn University.

When not in the lab, Rachel enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time outside with her husband and daughter.

Cristine Camp joined the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in February, 2013 as a research assistant. She completed her B.S. at Auburn University in 2010 and since then, has acquired a versatile background applying qPCR to investigate differences in gene expression on many different grants, interdepartmental collaborations, and using various biological research models. Specifically, past projects of interest include: oxidative stress signaling in mammalian models responding to novel MRI synthetics and attempts to attenuate cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy drugs, monitoring bacterial biofilm development and infectious disease progression, and inflammatory and apoptotic pathway markers responding to emerging environmental contaminants in exposed mammalian and aquatic models. It has been a great pleasure for her to work closely with several veterinary professional, PhD, graduate, and undergraduate students interested in stepping into scientific research and when not in the lab, Cristine enjoys spending her time most making memories with her family, lap swimming at the University Aquatics Center, gardening, and long-distance running.

Victoria Caravaggio received her B.S. in Microbial Biology with a Cellular & Molecular Biology option from Auburn University in 2022 and has begun her work towards a graduate degree in Biomedical Sciences in the West Lab. During her time at Auburn, her passion for science grew and she found an ambition to satisfy her curiosity about placental biology. Outside of the lab, Vicky enjoys reading novels and enjoying the sunshine with her husband and two dogs.

PhD Student - Vicky Caravaggio

Undergraduate Student - Paige Drotos

Paige Drotos is a senior working towards her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, Pre-Med, with a minor in Public Health. She joined the West Lab in the summer of 2024 and her excitement for biological research amplified. In lab, Paige has been involved with small animal research models, including DNA isolation from tissue, PCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis testing for the presence of specific target genes. While not in lab, you might find Paige in a coffee shop with a good rom-com book or running around Auburn for holiday decorations.

Undergraduate Student - Carly Parker

Carly Parker is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama studying Microbiology with a focus in Cell and Molecular Biology. After shadowing in the West Lab during the Spring of 2024, Carly began working in the Fall on Western Blots quantifying various proteins of interest. She intends to pursue a career in biomedical research.

Undergraduate Student - Josh Baskaran

Josh Baskaran is pursuing his B.S. in Biomedical Sciences on a Pre-Medicine track at Auburn University, with a goal of attending medical school in 2026. After taking a research methods course at Auburn, his curiosity in researching the molecular science of bodily processes grew. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends, cooking, and creating digital art.