Holly Goodson, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been selected as a Fellow of The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB).
She joins 18 other distinguished scientists from across the globe in the 2023 cohort of fellows. Her formal recognition will take place in Boston later this year at Cell Bio 2023, the joint meeting of the ASCB and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
"I'm honored to be included in this notable group of scientists. I have long been inspired by the combined breadth and depth of both scientific questions and perspectives exhibited through the ASCB,” she said.
Goodson’s research centers on biological self-organization, focusing on the microtubule cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is the structure that helps cells maintain their shape and internal organization, while also providing mechanical support, and is composed of multiple types of filamentous proteins, the largest of which are microtubules.
Microtubules organize the cell’s cytoplasm, among other tasks. Goodson uses a multifaceted approach to determine how the microtubules assemble, what governs their turnover, and how they interact with other parts of the cell. One of the key areas of focus in her lab is the development, alongside collaborators in applied mathematics, of agent-based computational models. These models have allowed Goodson to make connections that experiments alone cannot show because of the number of microtubules.
Beyond research, Goodson serves as science director of the Glynn Family Honors Program, and as chair of the ASCB public policy committee. She also broadly serves the cell biology community through educational initiatives, such as co-founding and leading the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program at Notre Dame, co-directing an NIH funded post-baccalaureate program (ND-PREP) to prepare researchers from under-represented groups for biomedical Ph.D. programs.
Originally published by at chemistry.nd.edu on August 23, 2023.