In 2025, Goodman Campbell published more than 60 research papers, a record-breaking number for the practice for one year. Although Goodman Campbell physicians may not often discuss their commitment to academics and research during patient appointments, that dedication influences every aspect of the care they provide.
“Publishing research helps shape how clinical care is delivered, evaluated and improved,” says Heather Cero, Director of Research at Goodman Campbell. “It helps clinicians choose treatments proven to be safe and effective based on evidence and leads to advances in the field that are applied to patient care and can improve outcomes.” Research at Goodman Campbell reaches across specialties, touching nearly all of their patient populations.
Neurosurgeon Eric Potts, MD, credits two major factors for reaching their 2025 milestone: “Really great data that allows us to ask the important questions, and engaged and enthusiastic students, who we have had since the start of these programs. This provides us momentum to continue researching and asking questions.”
“I really enjoy how enthusiastic these students are. It energizes our culture and makes the work fun,” says Dr. Potts. “I love teaching them how to ask meaningful questions and analyze data, and it’s rewarding to watch gap-year students mature, evolve, and ultimately develop their own research ideas. They leave with a deep appreciation for research and publication, stronger CVs, and a solid foundation for success in medical school and beyond.”
Nicholas Tippins was one such student. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior in 2024, the Carmel, Ind., native knew he wanted to study medicine, but he was also interested in taking a break from academia. Tippins has an interest in spine research and so he applied for and was accepted into Goodman Campbell’s gap year fellowship program in 2024.
In addition to engaging in case-based learning with colleagues in weekly spine and tumor meetings and shadowing physicians in the operating room, Tippins dove head first into research. During his first year, he pored over a set of X-ray measurements of cervical and lumbar spine for more than 1,000 patients, helped write research abstracts, revised manuscripts, and developed stats. “I’m really good at stats,” Tippins admits.
He worked on an abstract project to look for correlations between dysphasia and readmission rates, which ended when it was discovered that only two patients were readmitted during the year studied. That’s often how research happens. A question or prompt is posed and research is done to discover if answering the question can lead to valuable insights; sometimes it just doesn’t.
Tippins brought with him a background in computer science and a passion for coding. He found more efficient ways to needle out discrepancies in Excel spreadsheets or pinpoint impossible values on surveys. He ended up writing code to automate his research process.
Working with the research students is personal for neurosurgeon Vincent Alentado, MD. “I remember being in their position and benefiting from mentors who invested their time and created real opportunities,” he says. Alentado started with little formal research experience, but was willing to work hard. Today as a mentor, he passes on the research skills he learned as a student.
“We focus on providing the tools, structure, and support they need to grow as clinical researchers, while encouraging them to take ownership of their work. What’s most rewarding is how quickly they develop — seeing their critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills take shape over a short period of time is both impressive and motivating,” Alentado says.
Soon enough, Tippins was developing his own questions and pitching project ideas to the physicians. He enjoyed his gap year so much, and contributed so much to Goodman Campbell, that he stayed for an extra summer to help onboard eight new interns. He met with each one on one, hosted dedicated lecture sessions and taught them coding for research.
Tippins set goals to help ensure the summer interns had the opportunity to secure authorship on publications. This is important because it makes you a better clinician and more competitive when you’re applying to medical school.
Most importantly, research and publication moves neurological innovation forward. Goodman Campbell neurosurgeons rarely have downtime during their workdays to dedicate to research because there is always something to be done, but they make time.
“Research is incredibly important,” Dr. Alentado says. “Our field evolves rapidly, and staying involved in research helps ensure we’re not just using current techniques, but critically understanding and improving them. Many of the conditions we treat still have imperfect outcomes, and advancing care depends on answering nuanced questions to optimize outcomes.”
Goodman Campbell has its own patient-reported outcomes database containing information from an impressive 80% of patients on how well they are faring two years following surgery. Such a robust record makes it easier to ask and answer important questions.
Dr. Alentado says one of the most important and common questions he hears from patients is, “What are the chances this surgery will make me better?” Outcomes data allows Goodman Campbell physicians to answer this question with a high level of accuracy based on their collective expertise.
“Other surgeons are relying on anecdotal experience, which is always going to be subject to significant bias. By systematically tracking and studying our results, we’re also held to a higher standard — identifying areas for improvement, understanding the drivers of suboptimal outcomes, and refining our approaches in real time,” Alentado says.
At Goodman Campbell, a commitment to research is embedded in their culture. Their work is recognized nationally, with faculty leading neurosurgical journals and serving on editorial boards and professional committees. In this way, they are not only continuous students of their own practice, but also active contributors to the advancement of neurosurgery — helping to shape the standards of care for patients around the world.
Nicholas Tippins finished his first year in medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine in May 2026. His experience at Goodman Campbell taught him a few things to prepare him for the lengthy med-school path. “Discipline and autonomy — self-directed learning is critical to survive medical school,” he says. Tippins will return to Goodman Campbell in the summer of 2026 to continue mentoring the new class of research students.
Learn more about Goodman Campbell’s commitment to research and our current clinical trials.
