UMDF – Mito Foundation Partnership Awards More than $500,000 to Seven Global Mitochondrial Disease Researchers

The U.S.-based United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) and Australia-based The Mito Foundation are proud to announce the 2025 Research Grant Program winners.

The organizations pooled resources to award more than $500,000, which was split between seven projects focused on research and clinical work that advances cures and treatments for primary mitochondrial disease.

More than 70 grant applications were submitted – a significant increase over 2024. Each application was reviewed by a panel of experts including UMDF and Mito Foundation staff members, scientific and medical advisors, and external experts to determine the winners, who were named at UMDF’s Mitochondrial Medicine Conference in St. Louis on Friday, June 20.

“We offer our sincere thanks to The Mito Foundation for helping effectively double the amount of research normally funded at conference. This partnership really demonstrates how collaboration – whether across the country or across continents – can play a critical role in amplifying impact,” said UMDF President and CEO Kristen Clifford.

Said Sean Murray, CEO of the Mito Foundation: “Mito Foundation and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation share a long-standing history grounded in trust and shared purpose. I am inspired by the caliber and breadth of research and clinical trial readiness work supported through this funding, and the promise it holds for individuals and families affected by mitochondrial disease. We are also pleased to welcome The Lily Foundation to this collaborative effort — a powerful example of how collective investment can accelerate progress and bring us closer to meaningful breakthroughs.”

Congratulations to the following award winners:

Principal Investigator Research Grants ($100,000 each)

• NAN-KAI WANG, MD, PHD – Columbia University Unraveling the Effects of SSBP1 Mutation on Vision
• NORMA FRIZZELL, PHD – University of South Carolina Anaplerotic odd-chain fatty acid therapy for the treatment of Leigh Syndrome
• CHRISTIAN BERGAMINI, PHD – University of Bologna Elucidating Mitochondrial Impairment in Troyer Syndrome – Acronym: EMITS
• CATERINA GARONE, MD, PHD – University of Bologna NanoMDS – Nanomedicines nucleotides or RNA therapeutics delivery for treating mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes

Clinical Trial Readiness Grants (Various Award Amounts)

• FLORENCE VAN TIENEN, PHD – Maastricht University ($32,500) Optimizing cryopreservation of muscle stem cell medicinal product for direct clinical administration in Mitochondrial Myopathy patients
• DMITRII SMIRNOV, MS – Jellyfish Bio, Inc. ($50,000) Validating Digital Functional Assessments in Mitochondrial Diseases: A Multinational Smartphone and Wearable Validation Study

Post-Doc accelerators Prize ($50,000)

• ANASTASIA DIMITRIOU, PHD – Northumbria University Monoclonal antibody therapy for Leigh syndrome

A special thanks to U.K.-based The Lily Foundation, who contributed a portion of the accelerators Prize.