Dr. Stephen Goodwin

Biography

Stephen Goodwin is a Professor of Neurogenetics at the University of Oxford. He completed his undergraduate studies in genetics at the University of Glasgow where he researched Drosophila learning and memory. He obtained his Ph.D. and worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Nobel laureate Jeffrey C. Hall at Brandeis University in the USA, employing molecular-genetic behavioral approaches to study fruit flies and their sexual identity. After a decade leading a research group at the University of Glasgow, he joined Oxford in 2009 as a Professor of Neurogenetics and became a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator and Tutorial Fellow in Genetics at Magdalen College. His research focuses on using Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the genetic, developmental, and neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific behaviors in higher animals. Specifically, his work has shed light on the neural circuitry that governs the courtship rituals of male flies, providing insights into the innate behaviors of these organisms and the impact of nervous system development on adult functions. He is affiliated with the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and collaborates with other leading researchers in the field.

Research Interests