Goodman Lab

Every step, handshake, and hug relies on our sense of touch and body position (aka proprioception), senses that are central to communication, connection, and health. Chronic diseases like diabetes, chemotherapy during cancer treatment, and normal aging all diminish these senses. Dulled touch and proprioception lead to debilitating falls among the elderly and lower-limb amputation in diabetics—events that affect many families and cost over $20 billion/year in health-care costs.

Yet, we have only the most basic understanding of these senses.  By developing new tools and analytical approaches to assess mechanoreceptor neurons, their ion channels and molecular signalling, my laboratory uncovers unique insights into how we, as humans, feel and sense the world around us.