Dr. Matthew Bramble named Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences

Children’s National Hospital is proud to congratulate Matthew Bramble, PhD, on being named a 2025 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. This highly competitive honor recognizes outstanding early-career researchers who are driving innovation and discovery in human health. Dr. Bramble is one of just 22 scientists nationwide selected this year to join the Pew Scholars Program, which provides four years of funding and access to a network of more than 1,000 leading biomedical researchers.

“This award is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Bramble, principal investigator in the Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics Research at Children’s National. “It will allow us to push the boundaries of our work and explore new ways to understand and treat devastating childhood diseases.”

Dive deeper

Dr. Bramble’s research focuses on konzo, a little-known but serious neurological condition that causes sudden and irreversible paralysis in children. Konzo primarily affects families in rural regions of sub-Saharan Africa who rely on improperly processed cassava as a staple food. The disease is linked to compounds in cassava that become toxic when combined with poor nutrition.

“Konzo is heartbreaking because it strikes vulnerable children and is entirely preventable,” said Dr. Bramble. “If we can better understand the molecular pathways that lead to paralysis, we can develop strategies to protect children and potentially inform treatments for other neurological disorders.”

His lab uses advanced OMIC’s technologies to study how toxins from cassava interact with a child’s biology, aiming to uncover how the disease damages the nervous system. By examining the molecular biology of konzo, Dr. Bramble hopes to reveal insights not only for affected communities abroad but also for understanding broader principles of brain health and development.

Why it matters

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, run by The Pew Charitable Trusts, has supported early-career scientists for 40 years. Scholars receive multiyear funding to pursue bold, creative approaches to complex scientific problems. Many alumni have gone on to win major scientific awards and make discoveries that have shaped modern medicine.

For Dr. Bramble, joining the program provides vital support for high-risk, high-reward science and connects him to a collaborative network of researchers across disciplines.

“This award validates the importance of studying conditions like konzo that don’t often receive attention but have a profound impact on children’s lives,” he said.

Dr. Bramble’s recognition underscores not only Children’s National Hospital’s commitment to advancing pediatric research and fostering discoveries that improve children’s health worldwide but also the institution’s commitment to providing resources and a setting for this type of unique, cutting-edge work. By supporting investigators who explore fundamental biology and rare diseases, the hospital helps build the foundation for tomorrow’s treatments.

With the support of the Pew award, Dr. Bramble and his team are poised to deepen their understanding of konzo and its impact on the nervous system—and, in the process, generate insights with far-reaching implications for pediatric neurology.