Kimberly Goodspeed, M.D.

Contributions to STEMM

Dr. Goodspeed is “a child neurologist who specializes in taking care of children and families with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities,” she said. “Many of my patients have rare genetic syndromes, and very little is known about the symptoms of these disorders or the best ways to treat them. We work to improve the characterization of these disorders and strive toward developing new ways to treat them.“

Overcoming Challenges

“As a young woman, I had many coaches and professors encourage me to pursue roles that were more classically female-gendered. My response was always to politely accept the feedback and then exceed their expectations of what I could accomplish.”

Dr. Goodspeed said, “The professor in college who suggested I set my sights lower than medical school inspired me to make straight A’s that semester, including in his senior-level genetics course. He may have never known that his negativity inspired me to push beyond my own goals, but it was a lesson I've carried with me throughout my career.” The impact of this experience still motivates her in her current position: “Now, when a grant is rejected, I use that as fuel to make the next application even stronger!”

The UT Southwestern Difference

“I love that I get to wear different hats in all the different roles I fill at UT Southwestern,” Dr. Goodspeed said of her role as a pediatric neurologist.

“I get to be an educator for our families, empowering them to advocate for their children's needs and feel proud of even the tiny accomplishments. I get to be a mentor to our students and trainees and watch them grow into confident physicians with their own unique styles and interests.”

As a researcher, “I get to be part of cutting-edge science that will change the way we treat developmental disorders in the future. I work with a translational science group that is developing gene therapies for children with genetic disorders. I get to update our patient communities on this progress and be part of the team that is bringing these new therapies into the clinic.”