About the Goldberg Lab
Ethan M. Goldberg
Principal Investigator
Awards: Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists, American Society of Clinical Investigation Young Physician-Scientist Award, March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Research Award, American Epilepsy Society Fritz E. Dreifuss Award
Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography (@ nih.gov)
The Lab uses electrophysiology, optogenetics, and two-photon calcium imaging in vivo and in vitro to study normal and epileptic cerebral cortical circuits. We are interested in achieving a greater understanding of mechanisms of epilepsy, using primarily experimental model systems.
Our Team
Ethan Goldberg, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator
Scientific Interests: Epilepsy, neurogenetics, pediatric neurology, ion channels,
cellular neurophysiology, synaptic transmission, imaging
Likes: Fantasy baseball, chess, coffee, sweater vests
Kierra Perry, BS
Resource Coordinator
Scientific Interests: Neuroethology, Evolutionary biology
Likes: Arts and crafts, stand-up comedy, eels
Contact: perryk2@chop.edu
Education:
B.S., Christopher Newport University
Xiaohong Zhang, PhD
Senior Research Technician
Education:
B.S., Nankai University, China
Ph.D., Tianjin Medical University, China
Kevin Goff, PhD
M.D./Ph.D. Student (Defended 2021) Neuroscience Graduate Group at The University of Pennsylvania
Scientific Interests: Interneurons, Epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome, Disinhibition
Likes: Tennis, recording music, phillies games, going to the dog park with the wife and pup
Contact: Kevin.goff@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Awards: 2018 NIH NINDS F31 Predoctoral Fellowship; 2018 Fine Science Tools Travel Award to the SFN Annual Meeting; 2020 William F. Jeffers Prize for research in the field of Neurology
Sophie Liebergall
M.D./Ph.D. Student, Neuroscience Graduate Group at The University of Pennsylvania
Scientific Interests: Regulation of network excitability, Epilepsy, in vivo imaging of neural activity
Likes: Writing, ambient music, tiny things, BioRender, all the controversial foods
Contact: sophie.liebergall@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Education:
B.S., University of Virginia
M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (Current student)
Julie Merchant
PhD Student, Neuroscience Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania
Scientific Interests: Epilepsy, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Patient-derived iPS cell model systems
Likes: The Red Sox, secondhand shopping, sour cream, the occasional tuna sandwich
Contact: jpmerch@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Education:
B.A., Middlebury College
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (Current Student)
Nate Sotuyo
VMD/PhD Student, Neuroscience Graduate Group at UPenn
Scientific Interests: Epilepsy, stem cell-based therapies, comparative medicine, stress neurobiology
Likes: 76ers and electric longboards
Contact: sotuyo@vet.upenn.edu
Awards: 2018 NIH NINDS F31 Predoctoral Fellowship
Leah DeFlitch
Research Technician
Scientific Interests: Neurodevelopment, differentiating iPSCs, Glia of all shapes and sizes
Likes: Turtlenecks, baking lab treats, Joan Didion, the Starbucks Lemon Loaf (IYKYK)
Contact: deflitchl@chop.edu
Education:
B.S., Temple University
Evan Jiang
Research Technician
Scientific Interests: Neurologic disorders, optogenetics, aging, regenerative biology
Likes: Classical music, movies, and banh mis
Contact: jiange1@chop.edu
Education:
B.S., University of Pennsylvania
Sarah Pham
Undergraduate Research Intern
Scientific Interests: Neural circuit mechanisms, optogenetics, neuromorphology
Likes: Victorian literature, bánh xèo, mangos, jazz and lo-fi music
Contact: phasara@sas.upenn.edu
Jérôme Clatot , PhD
Research Scientist I
Scientific Interests: Ion channels
Likes: Scuba diving, nature, biology
Contact: jerome.clatot@gmail.com
Caren Armstrong
Postdoctoral Fellow/Pediatric Epileptologist
Scientific Interests: Interneuronal microcircuits, epilepsy, intracranial EEG, neurogenetics
Likes: Music, board games, cats, bubble tea
Contact: armstronc2@chop.edu
Education:
B.S., Cornell University
M.D., Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Residency in Child Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Huijie (Jade) Feng, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Scientific Interests: Anything related to the brain
Likes: Origami, blues harmonica, 80% dark chocolate, a good laugh and a long sleep
Contact: fengh@chop.edu
Awards: 2021 National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Grant
Education:
B.S., China Pharmaceutical University
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Eric Wengert, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Scientific Interests: Ion channels, Neurophysiology, Epilepsy
Likes: Science outreach, philosophy, politics, sipping bourbon by a fire
Contact: ericrwengert@gmail.com
Education:
B.S., Bucknell University
Ph.D., University of Virginia
Patrick Lawlor
Postdoctoral Fellow, Child Neurology Fellow
Scientific Interests: Epilepsy, neurogenetics, computational neuroscience, machine learning, complex systems, casual inference
Likes: Reading, hiking, cooking, traveling
Contact: lawlorp1@chop.edu
Guojie Qu , PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
Education:
B.S., Nanjing Agricultural University
Ph.D., Fudan University
Ala Somarowthu, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow
Awards: 2020 Dravet Syndrome Foundation Postdoctoral Research Award
Education:
B.S., Avinashilingham University
M.S., Ph.D., Northeastern University
Evan Rosenberg
Postdoctoral Fellow/Neurology Resident
Scientific Interests: Synaptic plasticity, neurophysiology, novel therapeutics for epilepsy
Likes: Hiking, music, and exploring Philadelphia
Contact: evan.rosenberg@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Awards: NIH NINDS F30 Fellowship (2016-2020)
Education:
B.S., Brandeis University
M.D., Ph.D., NYU School of Medicine
Laura McGarry
Pediatric Neurology Resident
Scientific Interests: Interneuron diversity, cellular and circuit mechanisms of epilepsy and autism
Likes: Hiking with my husband and dog, biking, gardening
Contact: mcgarrylm@chop.edu
Joanna Mattis, M.D., Ph.D.
Instructor, Neurology - The University of Pennsylvania
Scientific Interests: Circuit dysfunction in epilepsy
Likes: Spending time with family
Contact: joanna.mattis@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Awards: 2018 NIH NINDS R25; 2020 American Epilepsy Society Young Investigator Award; 2021 NIH NINDS K08; 2021 CURE Taking Flight Award; 2021 Grass Foundation – American Epilepsy Society Young Investigator Award.
Kelly Markwalter
Pediatric Neurology Resident
Scientific Interests: Neural control of movement, neural circuitry, cerebellum, imaging
Likes: Hiking, piano, time with family
Contact: markwaltek@chop.edu
Melody Cheng
Undergraduate Research Intern
University of Pennsylvania
Awards:
Ernest M. Brown, Jr. College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Frances Velay Women and Science Research Fellowship
Lab Alumni
Keisuke Kaneko
Current position: Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
Morgana Favero
Current position: Neuroscientist and Field Scientific Consultant, Inscopix, Inc.
Connie Tran
Neurology Resident, U.T. Southwestern
Tariq Zaman
Senior research Associate, Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University – College of Human Medicine