Veronica Hood, PhD

Dr. Hood joined the DSF staff in 2020. She has an MS in Biology from East Tennessee State University and a PhD in Cell, Stem Cell, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado. She spent 10 years in laboratory settings researching how small changes in genetic and molecular regulation contribute to complex neurological diseases. In 2007, Veronica had a son, Gabriel, who faced severe developmental challenges. Gabriel presented with initial seizure activity within his first two months of life, and his medical needs quickly became quite complex. Despite endless testing, a diagnosis remained elusive, and at the age of 8, Gabriel passed away. These experiences fueled Veronica’s passion to advance medical research and shaped her desire to support other families facing similar challenges. She hopes to apply her scientific knowledge and her understanding of the caregiver experience to support the Dravet community by facilitating Dravet-focused research and acting as a liaison between researchers, professionals, and families.

Veronica Hood PhD DSF Scientific Director

2022 DSF Family & Professional Conference Recap

The Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) held a Family & Professional Conference in Fort Worth, Texas on June 23-25 of 2022 in collaboration with Dr. Scott Perry and Cook Children’s Medical Center. DSF generally holds these conferences every 2 years, although due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has not been an in-person conference since 2018. Needless […]

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Measuring quality of life building blocks

Article Recap: Quality of Life in Genetic DEEs

In today’s blog we are recapping a recent publication by Cohen et al that reported the results of a study aimed at better understanding the relationship between quality of life and other measures of health and well-being in individuals with severe genetic developmental epilepsies (called developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, or “DEEs”). The Dravet Syndrome Foundation

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girl reading research paper

How to Read a Scientific Paper; Part 3: Critical Assessment

Today’s blog post was created in collaboration with Tanya Brown, PhD the Science Director for TESS Research Foundation and was cross-posted to the Science Simplified Blog. In our last two blog posts in this series we covered the structure of a research article (Part 1) and tips for critically reading a research article (Part 2).

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Investigational drug soticlestat

Phase 3 Trials for Soticlestat Begin

What is soticlestat? Soticlestat is an investigational medication that is currently in Phase 3 trials for the treatment of seizures in Dravet syndrome (1). Soticlestat works differently than any other current anti-seizure medications. Soticlestat blocks a molecule called ‘cholesterol 24-hydroxylase’ or ‘CH24H’, an important part of the pathway that processes cholesterol in the brain (2).

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two purple puzzle pieces connecting

Seizure Rescue Medications: The Options Continue to Expand

The last several years have been an exciting time for the development of new options for seizure rescue medications. Some of the biggest advancements have not necessarily been new medications, but new ways to deliver the medications that might enable patients and their families to choose an option that works best for their situation. What

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girl reading research paper

How to Read a Scientific Paper; Part 2: Breaking Down the Information

Today’s blog post was created in collaboration with Tanya Brown, PhD the Science Director for TESS Research Foundation and was cross-posted to the Science Simplified Blog. Reading a scientific research article can be really daunting. Scientists who have studied a specific topic for many years are more likely to use “jargon” or very specific and

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girl reading research paper

How to Read a Scientific Paper; Part 1: Anatomy of a Research Article

Today’s blog post was created in collaboration with Tanya Brown, PhD the Science Director for TESS Research Foundation and was cross-posted to the Science Simplified Blog. Have you ever wondered how to read a scientific paper? Reading a scientific paper, also called a research article, is different from reading a newspaper article. It can be

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laboratory, analysis, chemistry-2815641.jpg

DSF Announces Funding for Five New Research Grants

Last night at their annual Research Roundtable Meeting, the Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) announced funding for five new research grants. DSF is pleased to be funding grants that focus on important topics for individuals with Dravet syndrome, including investigation of metabolic dysfunction, exploration of novel therapeutic targets for disease-modifying therapies, and exploration of changes to

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