• Hartford HealthCare Medical Group
• Integrated Care Partners

Fellowship
University of California (LA) ‐ Headache Medicine and Facial Pain

Graduate School
Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine

Internship
University of California (Irvine) ‐ Internal Medicine

Medical School
Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine

Residency
University of California (LA) ‐ Neurology

Dr. Katherine Podraza is a fellowship trained, board-certified headache and facial pain specialist and neurologist practicing at the Hartford Healthcare Headache Center. She is also an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed her MD, PhD training at Loyola Univeristy Chicago, her neurology residency at UCLA and her headache medicine and facial pain fellowship at the UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program. Her practice is located at the Hartford Healthcare Headache Center in Mystic, Connecticut.

She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of headache and facial pain disorders and uses her extensive training as a physician-scientist and headache neurologist to create unique and state-of-the-art treatment plans for her patients. As a migraine sufferer herself, she understands the impact headache disorders can have on personal quality of life and her goal is not only to improve the quality of life for her patients but to bring awareness about migraine and other headache disorders as serious neurological diseases and an important public health issue. Understanding that headache disorders are complex and affect every part of her patient’s lives, she prioritizes getting to know her patients and creating a plan to control their headaches that is individualized. Some of these treatments include the use of specialized preventive treatments including Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) targeted treatments, numerous oral preventative medication options, headache procedural interventions (including Botox, nerve blocks, and ultrasound guided injections) and non-pharmacologic interventions including neuromodulation, as well as wellness and lifestyle interventions.

As a physician scientist, Dr. Podraza also hopes to improve the lives of her patients by contributing to the advancement of headache medicine through her academic research. Her research is focussed on studying the utility of optical imaging in headache medicine. She has a special interest in the interface of visual disorders and headache medicine and has been studying changes in the eye during and between migraine attacks using specialized optical imaging (optical coherence tomography and angiography) that allows for the visualization of retinal layers and vasculature in the eye. In 2023, she was awarded for her breakthrough research with the Early Career Award at the 65th American Headache Society Annual Scientific meeting. She has also previously received the Frontiers in Headache Research award in 2019.

Outside of work, Dr. Podraza loves to stay active and enjoys hiking, stand up paddle boarding, and spending time in nature.

Aetna, Anthem, Cigna Healthcare, Colonial Cooperative Care, Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc., Connecticare, First Health Group Corp., Health New England, Multiplan, Northeast Health Direct, Oxford Health Plans, United Healthcare, BCBS Medicare, Connecticare Commercial, Connecticare Medicare, Corvel, Coventry, Essence Healthcare, Evercare, Focus, Health Connecticut, Health Direct, Healthy Connecticut, Prime Health Services, Private Health Care Systems, Inc., Senior Whole Health, WellCare of Connecticut, Inc., One Health Plan/ Great-West Healthcare, CarePartners of Connecticut, HMC/ Northeast Healthcare, Medspan Commercial, Medspan Medicare

This information is subject to change at any time. Please check with your insurance provider before scheduling your appointment or receiving services to confirm they are a participating member of the Hartford HealthCare network.