Anthoni Goodman was awarded his PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His primary studies involved compensatory neuromodulation in Alzheimer's disease and how this related to hippocampal function and memory formation. He transitioned to a postdoctoral role under the mentorship of Douglas Coulter, PhD, in early 2021. 

Dr. Goodman's research at CHOP is focused on mitigating cognitive and affective complications associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This research investigates how microcircuits damaged by early components of the disease continue to disrupt otherwise healthy processing and how to decrease these disruptions. Specifically, spatial navigation in familiar or novel environments and social memory are both negatively impacted in TLE, and their normal function relies heavily on healthy hippocampal function. Dr. Goodman is determining what components of these circuit dysfunctions are driving the bulk of the cognitive deficits by isolating different cell subpopulation. His research thus far suggests that overactive subpopulations of neurons are overpowering those appropriately functioning neighbors. Effectively targeting these overactive subpopulations may restore cognitive function more than broader interventions and with fewer potential side effects. However, the hyperactive subpopulations may shift by region/circuit and with time. This presents a complex, but potentially extremely impactful line of research.