Epilepsy affects a substantial global population of approximately 50 million individuals, solidifying its status as one of the most prevalent neurological conditions that impact patients worldwide. An astonishing eighty percent of those grappling with epilepsy hail from low- and middle-income countries, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive and accessible medical solutions.

In the current year, guided by the tutelage of her mentor, Sneham Tiwari has earned the prestigious Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Centre Post-doctoral Fellowship. Her dedicated focus centers on the intricate realm of epilepsy, a chronic noncommunicable brain disorder that knows no age boundaries. Fresh from completing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the esteemed Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, Tiwari’s doctoral research delved deeply into unraveling the complexities of aging-related neuropathologies. Her innovative approach included developing highly effective and bioavailable drug delivery systems meticulously designed to target these challenges at their root.

Her intellectual fascination orbits around the enigmatic terrain of neurological disorders, probing the intricate factors that orchestrate abnormal brain functionality and decode them into the tangible symptoms experienced by patients. Currently assuming the role of a dedicated post-doctoral research fellow within the heralded corridors of the Department of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Tiwari ardently pursues her research passion: the intricate genetics of epilepsy, enriched by a profound emphasis on cellular mosaicism. Her upcoming fellowship endeavor will pivot around an intensive exploration of somatic mutations manifesting within genes affiliated with the mTOR pathway. This undertaking acutely hones in on pivotal genes significantly shaping brain development.

Tiwari’s compass points unwaveringly towards the horizon, where her long-term aspirations crystallize. She envisions herself evolving into an autonomous neuroscientist, immersing herself in the intricate mechanisms underpinning various neurological disorders. With a distinctive focus on translational science, her ultimate goal lies in funneling these discoveries into high-throughput drug screening methodologies, thus paving the way for the targeted, efficient, and bioavailable development of therapeutic interventions. These pursuits seamlessly converge to amplify the quality of life for patients grappling with neurological conditions.

Guiding her on this transformative journey is the seasoned mentorship of Dr. Annapurna Poduri, an esteemed presence within the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and the Department of Neurology. This symbiotic mentor-mentee relationship is poised to catalyze breakthroughs in the enigmatic realm of epilepsy genetics and its intricate nexus with neurological disorders.”