Justin West is a physician and father of three. His youngest son, Andrew, was diagnosed with KCNT1-related epilepsy at 9 months of age. He is director of clinical medicine at the KCNT1 Epilepsy Foundation, working with researchers and industry to identify and evaluate potential therapeutics.
Justin West
President and director of clinical medicine
KCNT1 Epilepsy Foundation
From this contributor
Progress amid setbacks in drug trials for rare forms of epilepsy: Q&A with Justin West
Despite grave side effects, it’s vital to keep developing treatments for rare genetic forms of childhood epilepsy, says West, president of the KCNT1 Epilepsy Foundation and father of a son with the condition.
Progress amid setbacks in drug trials for rare forms of epilepsy: Q&A with Justin West
By
Calli McMurray
30 August 2023 | 6 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
15 July 2026 | 1 min read
Making an impact through academic administration
As executive director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, Soha Ashrafi supports more than 300 scientists, students and staff members.
Making an impact through academic administration
As executive director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, Soha Ashrafi supports more than 300 scientists, students and staff members.
By
Katie Moisse
15 July 2026 | 7 min read
This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience
A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.
This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience
A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.
By
Sidarta Ribeiro
14 July 2026 | 4 min read