Discovering genetic and environmental risk factors for ALS in order to one day make it a preventable disease
Dr. Stephen Goutman’s clinical and research expertise is focused on Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease with limited treatment options. He is currently the Director of the University of Michigan Pranger ALS Clinic, an ALS Association Certified Center of Excellence, where a multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive and compassionate care to persons with ALS and their families.
Inspired by these patients, Dr. Goutman’s research focuses on identifying new mechanisms and therapies for ALS. Specifically, he has been seeking to understand the genetic and environmental interactions that alter susceptibility to ALS, especially in the State of Michigan which has some of the highest rates of ALS in the country. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the ALS Association, he is discovering environmental risk factors associated with the onset and progression of ALS by collecting epidemiologic exposure surveys and biofluids from individuals with and without ALS. His research shows a link between ALS and pesticides, and his recent article on this work received widespread attention, as this important finding may help solve the mystery of ALS. Dr. Goutman also collaborates with teams of scientists to identify the immune system’s role in ALS and find new drugs that can address these changes in the immune system. The ultimate goal is to one day make ALS a preventable disease.
Dr. Goutman serves as the site principal investigator of several multi-site clinical trials focused on identifying new ALS treatments. He is an active participant with the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) and has close to a decade of experience leading ALS clinical trials at University of Michigan.
Credentials
- BS, Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 2002
- MD, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2007
- Neurology Residency & Neuromuscular Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic, 2011-12
- MS, Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis, University of Michigan, 2015
Honors & Awards
- Young Investigator Award, World Federation of Neurology Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases
Top Publications
Goutman SA, Boss J, Godwin C, Mukherjee B, Feldman EL, Batterman SA. Associations of self-reported occupational exposures and settings to ALS: a case-control study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 Sep;95(7):1567-1586. PMCID: PMC9424174.
Murdock BJ, Goutman SA, Boss J, Kim S, Feldman EL. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Survival Associates With Neutrophils in a Sex-specific Manner. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2021 Mar;8(2). PMCID: PMC8057067.
Goutman SA, Hardiman O, Al-Chalabi A, Chió A, Savelieff MG, Kiernan MC, Feldman EL. Emerging insights into the complex genetics and pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet Neurol. 2022 May;21(5):465-479. PMCID: PMC9513754.
Goutman SA, Boss J, Patterson A, Mukherjee B, Batterman S, Feldman EL. High plasma concentrations of organic pollutants negatively impact survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2019 Aug;90(8):907-912. PMCID: PMC6625908.
Goutman SA, Guo K, Savelieff MG, Patterson A, Sakowski SA, Habra H, Karnovsky A, Hur J, Feldman EL. Metabolomics identifies shared lipid pathways in independent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohorts. Brain. 2022 Jan 28. PMID: 35088843.
Dr. Goutman News

ALS Research Featured on Detroit Free Press Cover
The article covers recently published findings by a team led by Drs. Eva Feldman and Stephen Goutman and Eva Feldman found that work as a welder, production line work, and jobs that involve exposure to metals, solvents or pesticides are associated with a higher risk for developing ALS.

Michigan Medicine Health Lab Features Groundbreaking ALS Research
"Drawing a tube of blood could assess ALS risk from environmental toxin exposure," covers new research by Goutman et al. that was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

A Collaboration with the CDC on ALS
Published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology , Pranger ALS Clinic Director Stephen Goutman, M.D., M.S., partnered with members from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ALS Association look into the cause of death of ALS patients to prevent

A Roadmap to ALS Prevention
In "A roadmap to ALS prevention: strategies and priorities" Drs. Eva Feldman and Stephen Goutman joined a group in publishing how it is possible to move toward making ALS a preventable disease in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychology.

Making Music With His Own Eyes
Michigan Medicine's Health Lab blog shares the inspiring story of how a Pranger ALS Clinic patient's ingenuity has allowed him to continue doing what he loves despite an ALS diagnosis.

Dr. Stephen Goutman featured with Zac Brown Band's John Driskell Hopkins on Brain & Life Podcast
The American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) podcast features John Driskell Hopkins, musician and founding member of the Zac Brown Band who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) last year. Dr. Stephen Goutman then