About me
As a first-generation college student, Dr. Deborah J. Good earned a B.S. in Biomedical Research from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia in 1987. After a summer research internship through the American Chemical Society at the Lovelace Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she discovered her love of research, and went on to earn her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Northwestern University. There her work resulted in her first patent, on a tumor-suppressor controlled inhibitor of angiogenesis, thrombospondin. During Dr. Good’s postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, she developed three different knockout mouse models to characterize the role of two basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in the nervous system. Her work on gene targeted was utilized by Advanced Cell Technology (Worcester, MA), where she was part of a patent application for creation of prion-free cattle. Dr. Good was recruited to the Department of Human Nutrition Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech in 2006. In addition to her work with the genetic disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Dr. Good’s translational research laboratory has discovered that the nutraceutical, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can treat genetic obesity and fertility, resulting in a US and one international patent, pending. In 2023 Dr. Good was awarded a Proof-of-Concept grant from LAUNCH, the Center for New Ventures at Virginia Tech. Dr. Good obtained I-Corps training in 2023 and was invited to be part of the Fall 2023 Cohort for the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP). Good Family Foods Group, LLC was founded at that time. Since 2023, Dr. Good has trademarked the name “CLAW Bar” for CLA-Weight management bar. In 2024 and 2025, Good Family Foods Group was nominated (one of 3) for the Rising Star in Biotech award for the New River Valley. In August 2026, Good Family Foods Group will launch the CLAW Bar on Kickstarter, producing sales of the product through Kickstarter, and Shopify. Her laboratory is currently developing more CLA-containing products, including an electrolyte drink and coffee product. Of note, all of Good Family Foods Group’s CLA-containing products go through a rigorous testing procedure in the lab to ensure that the nutraceutical is stable in the food product, as well as over months of shelf life. In addition, Dr. Good’s research laboratory is working to discover the mechanism of action for CLA, most recently discovering that CLA treatment of small intestinal cells results in high levels of GLP-1 secretion. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring peptide hormone that stimulates insulin release, and slows digestion by targeting brain, pancreatic, and stomach GLP-1 receptors. Synthetic GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound) use in weight loss has skyrocketed with approximately 1 in 8 adults reporting use of one of these drugs. As CLA weight management products produced by Good Family Foods Group increases GLP-1 secretion, the CLAW Bar will be marketed as a complementary product for consumers trying to lose weight.
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