Prof. Joanthan Godbout PhD

Dr. Godbout is a Professor of Neuroscience at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He is the Faculty Director of the Chronic Brain Injury Program, the Co-Director of a NINDS T32 Training grant (Neuroimmunology) and a member of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research. Dr. Godbout has a B.S. (1996) and a Ph.D. (2001) from the University of Illinois-Urbana and was a NRSA supported post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Rodney Johnson. Dr. Godbout’s background is in neuroscience, immunology, and behavior with specific expertise in aging, neuroimmunology (e.g., microglia, astrocytes, and cytokines) and affective behavior (anxiety, sickness, depression). As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Godbout aims to determine the degree to which the bi-directional communication between the immune system and brain is affected by aging, psychological stress, and traumatic brain injury. In addition, he aims to delineate the mechanism by which inflammatory cytokine signaling causes long-lasting complications (e.g., anxiety, cognitive decline and depression). Dr. Godbout is an author on over 100 publications and his research is/has been supported by grants from the NIH (NIA, NINDS & NIMH), AFAR, DOD, Abbott Nutrition, and OSUMC. The Godbout laboratory has been productive and published several relevant and impactful “Neuroimmunology” and “Neurotrauma” papers, including reports in Journal of Neurotrauma, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Journal of Neuroscience, Glia, Biological Psychiatry, Molecular Psychiatry and Immunity.  Dr. Godbout is active in the scientific community with membership in the Society for Neuroscience, National Neurotrauma Society and PsychoNeuroImmnology research Society (PNIRS). He serves on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Neuroinflammation and Brain Behavior and Immunity. In addition, Dr. Godbout is a standing member of the BNRS NIH study section and serves on the President’s council for PNIRS. Last, Dr. Godbout has received several awards including the PNIRS New Investigator Award (2009), the Siddens Award for Distinguished Faculty Advising (2012), the Neuroscience Faculty Research Award (2013 & 2017) and OSU Excellence in Research Award (2018).