Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) announced our 2025 Grant Awards last night at the 16th Annual Research Roundtable for eight outstanding projects totaling $1.725M. The addition of this funding brings the total amount DSF has directed to research to over $14M!
DSF’s 2025 Grant Awards focus on a broad spectrum of priority topics including deepening the understanding of brain development and function in models of Dravet syndrome (DS), identifying and developing novel therapeutic approaches, strengthening clinical tools, and expanding knowledge around the course of DS throughout the lifetime of patients. This year’s awards include support for three postdoctoral fellows, underlining DSF’s commitment to investing not only in high-quality, promising science, but also in the next generation of expert scientists.
Read about the specific grants DSF funded below, including links to more information about each grant and the researchers behind the exciting projects.
DSF Research Grants are the first category of grant awards, established in 2010 and intended as ‘pilot’ grants to provide enough funding for researchers to gather early data on a promising research idea which could enable them to competitively apply to larger funding sources, like the NIH, for expansion of the research area. The return on that investment has been significant; DSF-funded researchers have gone on to secure over $35M in grant funding from the NIH for projects related to DS. Over the last 16 years, DSF has expanded this category of grant funding, increasing the amount of the award from $150,000 to $250,000 to match increasing research costs and adding a second DSF Clinical Research Grant Award category to encourage clinically focused research areas to gain more momentum. This year, DSF is funding three Research Grants and one Clinical Research Grant, bringing the total in these categories to over 43 funded projects that have provided researchers with the opportunity to launch exciting new avenues of Dravet syndrome research.
Professor Andreas Brunklaus was awarded a Clinical Research Grant in the amount of $248,901 distributed over 2 years for a collaborative project titled “Predicting Dravet syndrome outcomes: harnessing natural history data and biomarker discovery to inform early diagnosis and targeted intervention.” Key collaborators include Dr. Charlotte Tye, Dr. Elaine Wirrell, Professor Ingrid Scheffer, and Dr. Dennis Lal. This project focuses on two goals: (1) build and test a prediction tool using detailed information from over 400 people with SCN1A-related epilepsies, and (2) find the best ways to measure results (“outcome measures”), such as tests of thinking and learning skills, and brain wave recordings (EEGs) that can act as biomarkers. A reliable way to predict the likely course of the condition and accurate ways to measure if treatments are making a real difference in a patient’s daily life will enable clinicians to confidently diagnose and treat patients with DS earlier in the course of the disease. Read more here.
Dr. Ulrike Hedrich-Klimosch was awarded a Research Grant in the amount of $248,901 distributed over 2 years for a project titled “Mapping Early Postnatal Brain Development in Dravet Syndrome Using Multimodal Approaches.” This project will use a mouse model of DS to closely investigate early changes in brain development that may occur before seizures and other symptoms begin. By uncovering when and how brain development first begins to diverge in DS, this research may help uncover new ways to detect the disease earlier and design treatments that could prevent or reduce its long-term impact. Read more here.
Dr. Ethan M. Goldberg was awarded a Research Grant in the amount of $250,000 distributed over 2 years for a project titled “Neuromodulation for Dravet Syndrome: Preclinical Validation of a Novel Therapeutic Mechanism.” This project will use a mouse model of DS to test the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a safe medical treatment that involves controlled induction of a seizure under anesthesia which has been observed to induce lasting inhibition that paradoxically protects the brain from seizures. They will observe the mouse brain during treatment and measure improvements in both brain activity and behavior, as well as investigate whether they can mimic the effects of ECT without inducing a seizure, potentially leading to even better clinical outcomes. Read more here.
Dr. Alex Nord and Dr. Diasynou Fioravante were awarded a Research Grant in the amount of $249,960 distributed over 2 years for a project titled “Cell-type resolved molecular and functional pathology in Scn1a mutant mouse cerebellum.” This project proposes to address major gaps in knowledge regarding the role of the cerebellum in DS via studies using Scn1a mutant mouse, carefully investigating cell-type specific impacts and the contribution to symptoms of DS. This work will establish a foundation for future studies of the role of the cerebellum in DS, characterizing cerebellar pathology in Scn1a mutant mice and in humans carrying SCN1A mutations and testing whether targeted cell-type specific rescue of cerebellar Scn1a expression can improve DS-relevant phenotypes, towards the ultimate goal of developing novel therapies and improved care to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by DS. Read more here.
Transformational Science Grant Awards are the largest standing grant amounts awarded by DSF, allowing budgets up to $500,000. DSF established this grant category in 2023 upon reflecting on the immense momentum occurring in research and the need to support some projects further along the path than DSF’s traditional Research Grants. Transformational Science Grants should have strong potential to significantly impact the research field or move the needle on clinical care. In 2025, DSF is funding the 4th grant in this new category, representing the first clinically focused grant in this category and our largest funding amount every directed towards the study of adults with DS.
Dr. Danielle Andrade was awarded a Transformational Science Grant in the amount of $499,455 distributed over 3 years for a collaborative project titled “Prospective Study of Accelerated Aging in Adults with Dravet Syndrome.” This research project will follow adults with DS over three years to learn how their health changes with age, including physical and neurological check-ups; tests of walking, memory, and daily living skills; and analysis of blood samples to look for signs of brain aging or nerve damage as well as DNA patterns related to aging. By combining medical tests, caregiver input, and blood-based biomarkers, this study aims to uncover how DS affects people as they grow older. The results will help doctors and families prepare for what to expect in adulthood and guide future research on new treatments that could slow or stop these age-related changes. Read more here.
DSF Postdoctoral Fellowships provide funding to support scientists early in their career while still under the guidance of an expert mentor. DSF has now funded over 20 postdoctoral fellowships since establishing this award category in 2014, providing critical support that can encourage a long-term career focused on Dravet syndrome.
Dr. Amanda Catalfio was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the amount of $75,000 distributed over 1 year for a project titled “Investigating effects of the pathogenic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy patient variant, SCN1B-p.R98C, on cognition and hippocampal function.” This project investigates the impacts e on cognitive behaviors and hippocampal function in a mouse model carrying a patient variant in the SCN1B gene. There are an increasing number of identified cases of DS associated with the sodium channel gene SCN1B. While Scn1b mice have seizures and SUDEP, we do not yet know whether they mirror DS behavioral outcomes. Read more here.
Dr. Mahima Dewani was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the amount of $75,000 distributed over 1 year for a project titled “Rewriting the Brain’s Code: Nose-to-Brain Gene Therapy for SCN1A Haploinsufficiency.” This research project is exploring a new way to treat DS by using tiny carriers that travel from the nose to the brain to deliver healthy genetic instructions safely and non-invasively. The approach will be tested in a mouse model of DS. The goal is to restore the brain’s balance, reduce seizures, and improve learning, memory, and ultimately quality of life for patients with DS. Read more here.
Dr. Megumi Mori was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the amount of $75,000 distributed over 1 year for a project titled “Mechanisms of Seizure Prevention by Tau Reduction in Scn1aRX/+ Mice.” Dr. Mori was also awarded the Elliot Meskis Award for an Exceptional Postdoctoral Fellow, providing an additional $2500 award supplement for professional development. This project builds off the discovery that reducing brain levels of the microtubule-associated protein tau prevents seizures, premature death, and behavioral problems in a mouse model of DS. The goal is to identify the molecular mechanisms and brain cell types that connect tau to other target proteins, paving the way for novel tau-related treatments. Read more here.
