Lisa Goodrich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Goodrich
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|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University Stanford University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neurobiology |
| Institutions | Harvard University |
| Doctoral advisor | Matthew Scott |
Lisa V. Goodrich is a professor at the Harvard Medical School. She works in the Department of Neurobiology, where she studies the brain.
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About Lisa Goodrich
Lisa Vaughn Goodrich was born on March 15, 1969, in Washington, D.C. When she was three, her family moved to Carlisle, Massachusetts. Later, in 1978, they moved to Concord, Massachusetts.
She finished high school in Concord in 1987. After that, she went to Harvard University. She graduated with very high honors in 1991.
After spending a year studying in Dublin, Ireland, she continued her education. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Stanford University in 1998.
Then, she worked as a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. There, she became very interested in how we hear. She used her knowledge of genetics and cell behavior to study the sensory system.
Today, Dr. Goodrich lives in Newton, Massachusetts. She has two children. She enjoys reading books and cooking meals.
What Lisa Goodrich Studies
In her lab, Dr. Goodrich and her team study how our brains develop. They look at the tiny steps that create our neural circuits. These circuits are like the wiring system of our brain.
How Brain Circuits Form
Her research focuses on how these circuits are built. They study how cells decide what they will become. They also look at how nerve cells, called axons, connect to each other. These connections are important for how we behave.
Hearing and Balance Research
A big part of her work is finding genes needed for hearing and balance. She hopes to learn how to fix parts of the ear, like the cochlea, if they get damaged. The cochlea is a spiral-shaped part of the inner ear that helps us hear.
Her team wants to understand how all the steps of building a circuit work together. This helps create brain networks that do specific jobs. To do this, they study molecular genetics and genomics in mice. This helps them learn how brain circuits are controlled.
Research Methods
Dr. Goodrich's lab uses different ways to study the brain. They use special genetic methods in mice. They also do biochemical assays and embryological studies in chicks.
They also use methods called forward and reverse genetics in mice. This helps them understand how changes in genes, called mutations, can affect hearing and balance.
She also studies morphogenesis. This is the process of how living things develop their shape. She looks at how this development is key to how our nervous system works.
Awards and Honors
In 1999, Dr. Goodrich received an award from the AAAS Science journal. She won it for an essay she wrote. The essay was about her work at Stanford University.
