Evan Goldstein, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience
Research Summary
Brain damage induced by premature birth is the leading cause of neurodevelopmental
disabilities. Research in my lab investigates the pathogenesis and repair of diffuse
white matter injury – the most common neuropathological outcome of premature birth.
Clinical studies demonstrate that environmental factors can benefit recovery from
white matter injury, however specific mechanisms driving progression and recovery
are not well understood. Our previous work found that recovery in an enriched environment
ameliorates developmental brain injury and promotes functional recovery. The current
focus in the lab is to identify how environmental stimuli direct cell and molecular
changes in the brain. Using a mouse model of diffuse white matter injury or postmortem
preterm infant brain samples, we are investigating the role of histone modifications
in white matter injury. Our studies will inform the quest to develop improved therapeutic
options for babies born preterm.
Research Interests
The Goldstein Lab is on focused on developmental brain injury, myelin, and epigenetics.
Selected Publications
- Abbah J*, Vacher CM*, Goldstein EZ*#, Li Z, Kundu S, Talbot B, Bhattacharya S, Hashimoto-Torii
K, Wang L, Banerjee P, Scafidi J, Smith NA, Chew LJ, Gallo V#. Oxidative stress-induced
damage to the developing hippocampus is mediated by GSK3beta. J Neurosci. 42 (24)
4812-4827, 2022. PMID: 35589394.
*Authors contributed equally. # Co-corresponding authors.
- Goldstein EZ#, Pertsovskaya V, Forbes TA, Dupree JL, Gallo V#. Prolonged Environmental
Enrichment Promotes Developmental Myelination. Front Cell Dev Biol, 9:665409; 2021.
PMID: 33981706
# Co-corresponding authors.
- Forbes TA*, Goldstein EZ*, Dupree JL, Jablonska B, Scafidi J, Adams KL, Imamura Y,
Hashimoto-Torii K, Gallo V. Environmental enrichment ameliorates perinatal brain injury
and promotes functional white matter recovery. Nat Commun, 11(1), 964; 2020. PMID:
32075970
*Authors contributed equally
- Goldstein EZ, Church JS, Pukos N, Gottipati MK, Popovich PG, McTigue DM. Intraspinal
TLR4 activation promotes iron storage but does not protect neurons or oligodendrocytes
from progressive iron-mediated damage. Exp Neurol, 298(Pt A): 42-56; 2017. (Selected
for cover art)
- Goldstein EZ, Church JS, Hesp ZC, McTigue DM. Silver lining of inflammation: The beneficial
effects of inflammation on myelination. Exp Neurol, 283(B): 550-559; 2016.
