Alexandros Poulopoulos

Alexandros Poulopoulos, PhD, serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research integrates synthetic biology with developmental neuroscience to pioneer molecular therapeutics for neurogenetic disorders through advanced CRISPR-based genome editing technologies.

Education:

• BSc in Biology, University of Athens, Greece (2003)
• PhD in Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Germany (2008)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine (2009)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (EMBO fellow), Massachusetts General Hospital (2012)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (HFSP fellow) and Research Associate, Harvard University (2016)

Dr. Poulopoulos' research focuses on cortical development, synaptogenesis, and neurogenetic disease mechanisms. His lab develops precision CRISPR agents like Cas9-RC for in vivo somatic genome editing, targeting conditions including epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia, and neurodegeneration. Key investigations explore mTOR signaling pathways, cell adhesion molecules (particularly Neuroligin), and CRISPR delivery systems using in utero electroporation. His work bridges fundamental synaptic biology with therapeutic applications for brain disorders.

Analysis of recent publications (2023-2025) reveals three dominant research trajectories: 1) Advancement of prime editing technologies for modeling rare epilepsies (particularly GRIN2A-related disorders), 2) Elucidation of synaptic organization mechanisms through phosphorylation-dependent neuroligin localization and axon guidance principles, and 3) Development of novel delivery platforms including focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier penetration and nanoparticle systems. These efforts demonstrate a clear progression from basic synaptic biology toward clinically translatable genome editing therapies.

Scientific Awards:

• NIH TARGETED Challenge, phase II winner (2025)
• Society for Neuroscience Greater Baltimore Chapter President (2024)
• GPILS Teacher of the Year Award, University of Maryland (2020)
• NIH Director's New Innovator Award (2019)
• Harvard Distinction in Teaching Award (2015)
• Human Frontier Science Program Fellowship (2012)
• EMBO Fellowship (2010)
• Max Planck Society Otto Hahn Medal (2009)

Dr. Poulopoulos leads the Poulopoulos Lab (poulab.org), which operates within the University of Maryland's Center for Innovative Medicine. His team comprises postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research technicians focused on CRISPR agent development and neurogenetic disease modeling. Current funding includes NIH New Innovator Award support for precision genome editing platforms and recent success in the NIH TARGETED Challenge for rare epilepsy therapeutics. He actively mentors PhD candidates through the Graduate Program in Life Sciences (GPILS) and serves as course director for advanced neuroscience modules.

The lab employs cutting-edge approaches including single-cell transcriptomics of neuronal compartments, in utero prime editing, and light-sheet imaging of developing cerebellar circuits. Collaborations with clinical neurologists at UMMC and industry partners accelerate translation of their CRISPR-Cas9-RC system toward correcting genomic lesions in neurodevelopmental disorders, with particular emphasis on patient-specific epilepsy models.