Meet The Team
Principal Investigator
Edwin Wan, Ph.D.
Dr. Wan received his doctoral degree at City University of Hong Kong in Cancer Biology, and completed his postdoctoral training in Immunology at Duke University and the National Institutes of Health. He is now Associate Professor in West Virginia University Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology. He is also a member of WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. His research interest is to understand how the immune system is involved in the progression of neurological diseases, with an ultimate goal to identify immune cell types, signaling pathways, and molecular mediators that can be therapeutically targeted. WVU profile
Research Assistant
Wen Zheng, M.D.
Dr. Zheng obtained her medical degree at Wuhan University, China, and received a master degree in Statistics at West Virginia University. She was a Research Fellow at the National Institute for Occupational Safety of Health, CDC, and an Assistant Research Scientist at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. She joined the lab in Summer 2018. She is interested in studying how immune-glial cell interactions promote brain recovery following ischemic stroke. She also provide critical technical supports to other members in the lab.
Graduate Student
Kody Moore, B.Sc.
Kody is a graduate student in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis program at West Virginia University. He joined the lab in October 2022 as an undergraduate researcher. He studies how immune-neuronal interactions in the central nervous system impact multiple sclerosis progression.
Biology Technician
Evita Yang, B.Sc.
Evita completed her bachelor's degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology at West Virginia University in 2023 and joined the lab in May 2024. She studies the cellular mechanisms that promote the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
Undergraduate Researcher
Minnal Senthil
Minnal is an undergraduate student in the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program at West Virginia University. She joined the lab in October 2025.
Undergraduate Researcher
Emily Lea
Emily is an undergraduate student in the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program at West Virginia University. She joined the lab in October 2025.
Former Lab Members
Postdocs and graduate students
Kelly Monaghan, graduate student, 2016-2022 (next position: postdoc, NIH/NINDS)
Breanne Farris, postdoc, 2017-2019 (next position: Scientific Director, The Lockwood Group)
Undergraduate and post-bacc trainees
Samantha Keith, Shepherd University, 2026
Zayla Steen, IMMB, 2024-2026
Halley Smith, West Liberty University, 2025
Nicholas Fitzgerald, research technician, 2024-2025 (next position: M.S. program, Carnegie Mellon)
Ava Warner, Biology, 2024
Lillian Shields, IMMB, 2023
Linda Ma, IMMB, 2021-2023 (next position: dental school)
Erica Larijani, IMMB, 2020-2021 (next position: medical school, WVU)
Kassidy Spears, Biology, 2019-2020 (next position: PA school)
Jennifer Gillert, IMMB, 2019
Katherine Lee, IMMB, 2018-2020 (next position: Ph.D. program, WVU)
Kelsey Wright, IMMB, 2018-2019 (next position: medical school, WVU)
Daniel Dillon, Biology, 2018
Courtney Amend, IMMB, 2017-2019 (next position: PA school, WVU)
Sarah Milne, research technician, 2016-2018 (next position: Ph.D. program, WVU)