2025
Dr. Ann Poduri’s groundbreaking work on pediatric epilepsy and brain development was spotlighted in the Fall 2025 issue of Boston Children’s Hospital Magazine.
By using genetically editable zebrafish, our lab investigates how specific genes contribute to epilepsy and works toward developing targeted therapies. These small yet powerful models enable us to gain significant insights into brain development and disease. The article also highlights Dr. Poduri’s deep commitment to mentorship, collaboration, and training the next generation of physician-scientists
Women in STEM panel (March 2025)
We were thrilled to attend the Women in STEM panel at the Kirby Center, where female scientists shared their career journeys and the challenges they’ve faced in the STEM field. Moderated by our own Sneham Tiwari, Postdoc Fellow, the conversation was insightful and motivational, highlighting the lessons learned and the importance of mentorship, resilience, and diversity in STEM. It was an inspiring event that encouraged the next generation of women in science to break barriers and pursue their passions!
2024
Congratulations to Alissa D' Gama and Anna Duncan for receiving prestigious HMS career development grants (December 2024)
Anna Duncan has been awarded the Eleanor and Miles Shore Faculty Development Award from the Department of Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her project, “Understanding the Impact of EIF4A2 Variants on Zebrafish Interneuron Development,”.
Alissa D’ Gama has been awarded the Boston Children’s Hospital OFD/BTREC/CTREC Faculty Career Development Fellowship for her groundbreaking project, “Comprehensive Genomic Sequencing to Delineate the Molecular Genetic Landscape of Pediatric Epilepsy.”
These prestigious grants reflect Alissa and Anna’s exceptional dedication and the immense potential of their transformative research. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and excited to see the impact they will make in the field!
Annapurna Poduri, MD, MPH appointed as NINDS Deputy Director (September 2024)
Dr. Poduri is currently Director of the Epilepsy Genetics and Neurogenetics Programs, Associate Chief for Academic Development in the Department of Neurology, and the Diamond Blackfan Chair of Neuroscience Research at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Poduri will join NINDS as the Deputy Director at the end of September. Dr. Poduri will continue her experimental science work within the intramural program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Congratulations, Alissa, for winning two of the prestigious awards (April 2024 and August 2024)
- Boston Children’s Hospital Office of Faculty Development/Basic & Clinical Translational Research Executive Committees Faculty Career Development Fellowship, awarded April 2024
- Boston Children’s Hospital Translational Research Program, mentored Translational Investigator Service Award, awarded August 2024
2022
Diamond Blackfan Chair of Neuroscience Research (May 2022)
Dr. Poduri has been appointed as the inaugural incumbent of the Diamond Blackfan Chair In Neuroscience Research at Boston Children’s
2021
Grass Foundation Young Investigator Award (September 2021)
Congratulations to Hyunyong (Howard) Koh for winning the 2021 Grass Foundation Young Investigator Award! This honor, granted by the American Epilepsy Society for his abstract “Non-cell Autonomous Hyperexcitability Underlies Focal Epileptogenesis Mediated By Low-Level Brain Somatic Mutations In MTOR”, was selected out of over 1,300 submissions.
International Precision Child Health Partnership (IPCHiP) Genomic Study in Infants with Epilepsy (February 2021)
We are collaborating will three international pediatric hospitals – UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital (London); the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne); and The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto) – to launch IPCHiP’s first project: a genomic sequencing study in infants with epilepsy.
This collaborative effort has resulted in a published paper: Howell, K.B., White, S.M., McTague, A. et al. International Precision Child Health Partnership (IPCHiP): an initiative to accelerate discovery and improve outcomes in rare pediatric disease. npj Genom. Med. 10, 13 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41525-025-00474-8
2020
Epilepsy Genetics Program Newsletter (May 2020)
Read about the clinical and lab research projects we are actively working on, and all the latest news in our group! https://kirbyneuro.org/PoduriLab/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Newsletter_2020.pdf
Harvard Club of Boston's Most Influential Women (February 2020)
Dr. Poduri was selected as one of seven honorees at the Harvard Club of Boston’s Most Influential Women Gala.
2019
Science Magazine Feature on Epilepsy Research (December 2019)
Dr. Poduri was interviewed as a part of Science Magazine‘s feature on novel approaches to discovering treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy.
The Boston Globe featuring the Poduri Lab's Research (September 2019)
Dr. Poduri’s work with zebrafish to unravel the genetic causes of epilepsy was highlighted in The Boston Globe‘s article about the cutting-edge research being performed at Boston Children’s Hospital.
The Wall Street Journal Article on Genetic Tests (May 2019)
Dr. Poduri was quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “The Unfulfilled Promise of Genetic Testing”, addressing the challenges of using rapidly-evolving genetic tests for the diagnosis of rare diseases.