Maria Goiko

Biography

I am a physicist-turned bioinformatician and am incredibly passionate about the use of interdisciplinary data analyses for the study of underlying biological processes, particularly in MS. After a series of biophysics-oriented undergraduate research experiences, I completed an M.Sc. in Physics with a focus on characterizing the membrane diffusion of CD93 through a combination of microscopy and computational techniques. Following several years away from academia, I began working for Dr. Yong and the MS network after two years of bioinformatics-related self-study piqued my interest in single-nuclear/spatial RNA-seq data analyses and their ever-growing relevance in neuroimmunology. In my free time, I love to hike in the mountains, read, crochet, and listen to fun science podcasts. I also help run a cat rescue as a volunteer adoptions coordinator.  

Publications

1. Yong HYF, Jain RW, Goiko M, Batty N, Phillips S, Ghuman M, Koch M, and Camara-Lemarroy C. Angiogenesis and hypoxia biomarkers in progressive multiple sclerosis. Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation.2025.
2. Goiko M, de Bruyn JR, and Heit B. Membrane diffusion occurs by continuous-time random walk sustained by vesicular trafficking. Biophysical Journal. 2018.
3. Goiko M, de Bruyn JR, and Heit B. Short-lived cages restrict protein diffusion in the plasma membrane. Scientific Reports. 2016.
4. Caetano FA, Dirk BS, Tam JHK, Cavanagh PC, Goiko M, Ferguson SSG, Pasternak SH, Dikeakos JD, de Bruyn JR, and Heit B. MIiSR: molecular interactions in super-resolution imaging enables the analysis of protein interactions, dynamics and formation of multi-protein structures. PLoS Computational Biology. 2015.
5. Goiko M, Dierolf J, Gleberzon JS, Liao Y, Grohe B, Goldberg HA, de Bruyn JR, and Hunter GK. Peptides of matrix Gla protein inhibit nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite and calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. PLoS One. 2013.
6. de Bruyn JR, Goiko M, Mozaffari M, Bator D, Dauphinee RL, Liao Y, Flemming RL, Bramble MS, Hunter GK, and Goldberg HA. Dynamic light scattering study of inhibition of nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite crystals by osteopontin. PLoS One. 2013.