University of Washington

Jeff was born and raised in Kent, Washington. Immediately after high school he joined the United States Army, serving in the US, Germany, and Kosovo.  After his four-and-a-half-year tour in the Army, Jeff studied for his Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia.  During his undergraduate career, Jeff worked in the lab of Michael Hayden, who also supervised his PhD.  After completing his PhD, Jeff moved to Boston to pursue post-doctoral work under the supervision of Marcy MacDonald.  Jeff returned home to Bellingham to join the Behavioral Neuroscience program at Western Washington University in September 2010. In 2022, Jeff joined the Department of Neurology at the University of Washington.

Throughout his academic career, Jeff’s focus has been on better understanding, and ultimately trying to help treat, patients with Huntington’s Disease (HD). In addition to his scientific interest in HD, Jeff has a personal connection to the disease.  His mother, Cindy, died after suffering with Huntington’s disease, placing her 6 children at 50% risk of inheriting the mutation which will cause the disease.   In 2003, genetic testing revealed that Jeff had inherited a mutant copy of the Huntington’s disease gene from his mother, which means that in the absence of new treatments, he will eventually develop symptoms.