CMTA-INC Alliance Announces 2027 Inherited Neuropathies Fellowship Recipient: John Hopkins' Dr. Brendan Zotter

Johns Hopkins clinician-scientist Brendan Zotter, MD, PhD, will use the CMT-INC fellowship to develop better ways to deliver gene therapies in CMT.

GLENOLDEN, PA, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) today announced Johns Hopkins physician-scientist Brendan Zotter, MD, PhD, as the 2027 Inherited Neuropathies Fellow through its Inherited Neuropathy Consortium (INC) alliance. Dr. Zotter will use the fellowship to develop better ways to deliver gene therapy for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), an inherited nerve disorder with no approved treatment.

The Inherited Neuropathies Fellowship invests in early-career clinician-scientists with dedicated research time, mentorship, and CMT-focused clinical care to support the next generation of CMT researchers.

Over the next year, Dr. Zotter will focus on developing and testing improved adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors designed to deliver genetic therapies more efficiently to Schwann cells, which produce and maintain the protective myelin surrounding peripheral nerves. His research will evaluate these vectors in a CMT mouse model to improve gene delivery approaches that could eventually benefit people with multiple types of CMT.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the INC Fellowship and work directly with the investigators and clinicians who have shaped the field of inherited neuropathy,” said Dr. Zotter. “The fellowship will provide focused experience in CMT translational research and the mentorship needed to build an independent research program developing genetic therapies for CMT.”

“Developing the next generation of clinician-scientists is essential to advancing care and research for individuals living with CMT,” said Mary M. Reilly, MBE, MD, CMTA-INC Alliance Inherited Neuropathies Fellowship Director of Career Enhancement. “The Fellowship program provides mentorship and structured support to help early-career physicians build the expertise needed to develop independent careers and lead future research in CMT. I am delighted to welcome Dr. Zotter to the program and look forward to his ongoing contributions to the CMT community.”

Dr. Zotter earned his medical degree and doctorate at New York University and completed his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. His previous research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia focused on developing viral vectors that target Schwann cells for genetic therapy. At Johns Hopkins, he is continuing this work under the mentorship of Charlotte Sumner, MD, while completing his clinical fellowship in neuromuscular medicine.

About the CMTA-INC Alliance Inherited Neuropathies Fellowship

The CMTA-INC Alliance Inherited Neuropathies Fellowship program is overseen by Dr. Reilly at University College London. Fellowship recipients are selected by an appointment panel of leading experts in CMT research and care, including Dr. Reilly, David Herrmann, MD (the University of Rochester), Vera Fridman, MD (the University of Colorado Health Neurosciences Center), and Katherine Forsey, PhD (CMTA). The program provides early-career clinician-investigators with dedicated research time, long-term mentorship, and career development opportunities to advance CMT clinical research and patient care. Since its inception, the Fellowship program has supported 11 fellows who are now contributing to research and clinical progress in CMT worldwide.

About Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of rare, inheritable peripheral neuropathies. Named after Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie, and Howard Henry Tooth, who first described it in 1886, CMT causes progressive muscle weakness, loss of sensation, impaired balance, and other debilitating complications. There is currently no cure or approved treatment.

About the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA)

The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). As the largest philanthropic funder of CMT research, CMTA has invested more than $38 million since 2008 to accelerate research leading to new treatments and ultimately a cure. Through a strategic model that combines targeted funding, specialized scientific tools and resources, and strong patient partnership, CMTA drives promising science toward meaningful outcomes for people living with CMT.

Learn more: cmtausa.org

Kenny Raymond
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
+1 800-606-2682
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