Dimitri Michael Kullmann

Dimitri Michael Kullmann serves as Professor of Neurology at University College London within the Queen Square Institute of Neurology, specifically in the Research Department of Epilepsy. His distinguished career spans over three decades since establishing his laboratory at the Institute of Neurology in 1992, following clinical training at St Thomas' Hospital and postdoctoral research with Roger Nicoll at UCSF.

His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Physiological Sciences from Oxford University (1979), a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford (1984), and a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery from the University of London (1986). He has held significant positions including MRC Senior Clinical Fellow (1997-2007) and MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow (1992-1997).

• Fellow of the Royal Society (2018)
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
• Member of the Academia Europaea

Kullmann's research focuses on fundamental mechanisms of synaptic transmission, computational properties of neuronal circuits, and alterations in neuronal excitability in epilepsy. His laboratory has made landmark discoveries including silent synapses, glutamate spillover, presynaptic GABAA receptors in the cortex, and human epilepsy caused by K+ and Ca2+ channel mutations. He has pioneered several gene therapy approaches for focal epilepsy, some of which are being prepared for clinical translation.

His publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact research across neuroscience, neurology, and molecular medicine, with recent work spanning from basic synaptic mechanisms to clinical applications for epilepsy treatment. His 2024-2025 publications reveal a strong focus on gene therapy for epilepsy, neural circuit dynamics, channelopathies, and innovative neurotechnologies.

• American Epilepsy Society Basic Science Research Prize (2023)
• Baly Medal from the Royal College of Physicians (2017)
• University Gold Medal from London University (1986)

Kullmann actively supervises PhD students funded by Wellcome and MRC, and lectures on MSc courses at the Institute of Neurology and to undergraduate Neuroscience students at UCL. His collaborative network includes researchers such as Michael Hanna, Henry Houlden, James Jepson, and Matthew Walker, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work bridging basic neuroscience and clinical neurology.