June Goto, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati
Principal Investigator, Mangano/Goto Laboratory, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Lecture Title: Targeting Microglia and the Choroid Plexus: Preclinical Insights into Therapies for Neonatal Hydrocephalus
Dr. June Goto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati and a principal investigator at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she co-directs the Mangano/Goto Laboratory.
Dr. Goto’s research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving perinatal brain development and hydrocephalus. Her work has been instrumental in identifying genetic mutations affecting motile cilia function, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow, and neural maturation. Her team’s studies using rodent models have demonstrated that loss of specific ciliary genes can impair CSF dynamics, delay neuronal development, and promote neuroinflammation. Through a combination of preclinical trials and molecular analysis, Dr. Goto has shown that modulation of microglial activity can reverse some of the structural and functional deficits observed in neonatal hydrocephalus. Her translational work has highlighted potential therapeutic strategies, such as the use of anti-inflammatory agents to support myelination and cognitive outcomes in affected neonates.
Dr. Goto received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Tokyo and completed postdoctoral training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She joined Cincinnati Children’s in 2013 and has since received numerous honors, including the McLaurin Neurosurgery Scholar Award (2021), the Hydrocephalus Association Innovator Award (2017), and the Trustee Award and Procter Scholar designation at Cincinnati Children’s (2015).
With over 20 years of research experience, Dr. Goto remains a passionate advocate for bridging basic science with translational therapies to improve outcomes for children with developmental brain disorders.