Because of his interests in the effects of gravity on the lung, Dr. West spent a year at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California in 1967-1968.
Dr. West's research interests are broad with an emphasis on the physiology of pulmonary gas exchange. He has also worked on the bird lung, pulmonary bleeding in racehorses, and the effects of snorkeling in elephants. His honors include membership of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has received honorary doctorates from universities in Athens, Barcelona and Ferrara.