Councilor for the East
Kuntal Sen, MD, FACMG
Kuntal Sen is the Co-Director of the Neurogenetics Clinic at Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC. He is an Assistant Professor of Genomics, Pediatrics, and Neurology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He directed and led the development of Child Neurology Society Genetics Curriculum, which is now the inaugural Genetics Summit. Dr. Sen was elected Chair of the Neurogenetics Section of the American Academy of Neurology and serves as the Media Editor for Pediatric Neurology.
Dr. Sen is a graduate of Grant Government Medical College in Mumbai, India. He completed a combined Pediatrics–Medical Genetics and Genomics residency at the Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University School of Medicine, followed by a child neurology fellowship at Children’s National. During his training, he also worked at the National Institutes of Health as a volunteer for the Undiagnosed Diseases Program. He is one of the few physicians in the United States with dual training in child neurology and clinical genetics, which affords him a unique perspective in diagnosing and managing patients with complex monogenic neurological disorders. His clinical expertise is centered on providing long-term, holistic, and family-centered care for patients with mitochondrial diseases and other ultra-rare neuro-metabolic disorders. He directs the Mitochondrial Care Network Center of Excellence at his institution, leading interdisciplinary efforts to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients affected by mitochondrial disease.
Dr. Sen’s research focuses on multi-modal neuroimaging and neuromonitoring in inborn errors of metabolism. He has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and has written book chapters for Rudolph’s Pediatrics and Swaiman’s Pediatric Neurology. He has also presented extensively at international conferences on topics including newborn screening disorders, rare neurometabolic epilepsies, and the ethical challenges of genetic testing in pediatrics. A strong advocate for education in genomic medicine, Dr. Sen spearheaded a national survey to identify innovative strategies to educate child neurologists about genomic testing. He is also a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and previously served as a member of the ACMG Therapeutics Committee, contributing to national discussions on therapeutic strategies for genetic diseases. Throughout his training and career, Dr. Sen has received awards and grants, including the prestigious ACMG Foundation Award and the Children’s National Founders Auxiliary Board Grant.
What have been your most important or rewarding experiences in your years with CNS or other professional organizations, and how have these experiences shaped your vision of the direction CNS might take under your leadership?
I’m honored to be nominated for the position of Councilor for the East. The Child Neurology Society has been the most meaningful professional society in my career. It’s where I have found collaborators who became mentors, friends, and creative partners in shaping a more inclusive and forward-thinking field. It has been a joy and privilege to lead the CNS Genetics Curriculum and organize the Genetics Summit, initiatives that reflect my deep commitment to education and building sustainable resources for our specialty. I currently serve as the Co-Director of the Neurogenetics Program at Children’s National Hospital, where I work at the intersection of pediatrics, neurology, and clinical genetics. My training in all three fields has placed me in a unique position to contribute meaningfully to the Board of Directors and help guide our field in the era of precision medicine—one that is collaborative, data-driven, and patient-centered. I see myself not as an expert with all the answers but as someone who understands the challenges trainees and early-career physicians face and is eager to build tools that make their work easier and more impactful.
My path into neurology and genetics began with a personal experience—being treated for epilepsy as a child. Though my EEG and MRI were inconclusive, a family history of self-limited epilepsy led my neurologist to suspect a genetic cause. That early encounter planted a seed that grew during medical school, when the explosion of gene discovery in epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders captured my imagination. During training, I was consistently drawn to teaching—and noticed a major gap in genetics education for pediatric neurologists. Many clinicians struggled with the nuances of test selection, interpretation, and counseling. In response, I led a national needs assessment survey of child neurology residents that revealed nearly two-thirds lacked confidence in ordering or applying genetic testing. This inspired the development of the CNS Genetics Curriculum—a 16-module program co-led with Dr. Louis Dang and a team of rare disease experts. Designed for accessibility and flexibility, it includes facilitator guides and slide decks to empower even recent graduates to teach genetics with confidence. It has now been adopted across many residency programs and was the basis for a successful 2024 CNS workshop. Building on that momentum, I am organizing the inaugural CNS Genetics Summit—a hands-on, in-person experience aimed at bridging trainees, early-career faculty, and national experts.
Clinically, I specialize in rare neuro-metabolic disorders. These children often live with significant disabilities and complex needs, and their families face real systemic barriers—challenges I understand intimately and advocate for daily. Beyond CNS, I serve on the Therapeutics Committee of the American College of Medical Genetics and was recently elected Chair of the AAN Neurogenetics Section. These roles reflect the trust my peers have placed in me and allow me to foster cross-organizational collaborations, which are essential as we navigate the evolving landscape of precision therapeutics, insurance hurdles, and care delivery. If elected, I’ll remain focused on education, collaboration, and breakthroughs in care.
What are the most challenging issues facing child neurologists today, and how would the CNS, under your leadership, help its members meet those challenges?
The landscape of child neurology has undergone a profound transformation over the past few decades. In medical school, we relied on the “VITAMIN” acronym to discuss the etiology of childhood-onset neurologic disorders. V for vascular, I for infectious, T for trauma, A for autoimmune, M for metabolic, and I for idiopathic and N for neoplastic. At that time, the idiopathic category loomed large, a placeholder for the unknown. In the following years, however, this category seemed to dissolve as the revolution in genetic discovery unfolded. Disorders once labeled idiopathic fragmented into thousands of distinct monogenic conditions, each with unique phenotypes such as epilepsy, autism, movement disorders, and stroke. Pediatric neurology is now a collection of rare disorders. Initially, genetic testing offered our patients something profoundly important: answers. Genetics provided clarity about why their children were different. But now we are witnessing a second revolution—the rise of disease-modifying therapies. These breakthroughs have made our decision to pursue pediatric neurology deeply fulfilling. The future feels not only bright but full of possibility and purpose.
I will continue to lead initiatives that expand access to genetic testing, foster collaboration in precision care and research, and advocate fiercely for children with disabilities. I have directed the CNS Genetics Curriculum and the CNS Genetic Summit—programs that aim to demystify genetic testing and make individualized care accessible not just in academic centers but nationwide. We all need to be comfortable with two things if we want to survive in this field. First, get really good at diagnosing rare diseases early with next-generation sequencing. Second, pick five disorders, make them our life’s work, and don’t look back. The idea is both daunting and exhilarating. If we all embrace this approach, the world of pediatric neurology would transform into a web of interconnected expertise.
Among the most pressing challenges we face today is learning how to care for children with complex disabilities and previously fatal conditions who are now living longer. We must shift our focus to long-term, holistic care—including physical, emotional, and psychosocial health—and support caregivers in that journey. My work with patients and families affected by mitochondrial disease has taught me what it means to walk alongside those facing uncertainty and to advocate for both the child and those who love and care for them.
There are also serious gaps in access—not just to testing and therapies but to the full continuum of care based on income, race, and geography. As a gay immigrant physician of Indian origin, I understand the power of visibility, mentorship, and representation. I bring people with me—trainees, junior faculty, and seasoned leaders—and I get things done. That’s the kind of leadership I hope to bring to CNS. If elected to serve on the CNS Board of Directors, I would lead with thoughtful reflection, a collaborative spirit, and a deep commitment to encouraging others to pursue their passion.