Elucidation of the molecular basis for primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH); mapping of genes contributing to Parkinson Disease (PD); mapping of genes contributing to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA); genetic mapping of other mendelian disorders.

PhD: Department of Medical Genetics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 1983-89. Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ann Arbor, MI, 1989-91. 

Research Fellow: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1991-92. 

Research Investigator: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1992-1998.

Sundaram N, Tailor A, Mendelsohn L, Wansapura J, Wang X, Higashimoto T, Pauciulo MW, Gottliebson W, Kalra VK, Nichols WC, Kato GJ, Malik P. High levels of placenta growth factor in sickle cell disease promote pulmonary hypertension. Blood. 2010 Jul 8;116(1):109-12.

Nichols WC, Kissell DK, Pankratz N, Pauciulo MW, Elsaesser VE, Clark KA, Halter CA, Rudolph A, Wojcieszek J, Pfeiffer RF, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group-PROGENI Investigators. Variation in GIGYF2 is not associated with Parkinson disease. Neurology. 2009 Jun 2;72(22):1886-92.

Nichols WC, Pankratz N, Marek DK, Pauciulo MW, Elsaesser VE, Halter CA, Rudolph A, Wojcieszek J, Pfeiffer RF, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group-PROGENI Investigators. Mutations in GBA are associated with familial Parkinson disease susceptibility and age at onset. Neurology. 2009 Jan 27;72(4):310-6.

Nichols WC, Elsaesser VE, Pankratz N, Pauciulo MW, Marek DK, Halter CA, Rudolph A, Shults CW, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group-PROGENI Investigators.  LRRK2 mutation analysis in Parkinson disease families with evidence of linkage to PARK8. Neurology. 2007 Oct 30;69(18):1737-44.

Nichols WC, Marek DK, Pauciulo MW, Pankratz N, Halter CA, Rudolph A, Shults CW, Wojcieszek J, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group - PROGENI Investigators. R1514Q substitution in Lrrk2 is not a pathogenic Parkinson's disease mutation. Mov Disord. 2007 Jan 15;22(2):254-7.

Nichols WC, Pankratz N, Hernandez D, Paisán-Ruíz C, Jain S, Halter CA, Michaels VE, Reed T, Rudolph A, Shults CW, Singleton A, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group-PROGENI investigators. Genetic screening for a single common LRRK2 mutation in familial Parkinson's disease. Lancet. 2005 Jan 29-Feb 4;365(9457):410-2.

Thompson SD, Moroldo MB, Guyer L, Ryan M, Tombragel EM, Shear ES, Prahalad S, Sudman M, Keddache MA, Brown WM, Giannini EH, Langefeld CD, Rich SS, Nichols WC, Glass DN. A genome-wide scan for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in affected sibpair families provides evidence of linkage. Arthritis Rheum. 2004 Sep;50(9):2920-30.

Nichols WC, Uniacke SK, Pankratz N, Reed T, Simon DK, Halter C, Rudolph A, Shults CW, Conneally PM, Foroud T; Parkinson Study Group. Evaluation of the role of Nurr1 in a large sample of familial Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2004 Jun;19(6):649-55.

Reynolds PR, Mucenski ML, Le Cras TD, Nichols WC, Whitsett JA. Midkine is regulated by hypoxia and causes pulmonary vascular remodeling. J Biol Chem. 2004 Aug 27;279(35):37124-32.

Kahn RS, Khoury J, Nichols WC, Lanphear BP. Role of dopamine transporter genotype and maternal prenatal smoking in childhood hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive, and oppositional behaviors. J Pediatr. 2003 Jul;143(1):104-10.