The Lily Foundation are proud to announce our role as a named partner in an exciting and ambitious new research initiative aimed at transforming the future of mitochondrial disease treatment.
The UKRI Medical Research Council has injected £50 million into the study of rare mitochondrial diseases to develop improved treatments.
The MRC Centre of Research Excellence for Mitochondrial Genome Therapeutics (CoRE-MitoGT), led by Professor Michal Minczuk at the University of Cambridge, will benefit from this funding by bringing together leading scientists from across the UK and Europe to advance understanding of mitochondrial DNA disease and drive forward the development of potential new treatments.
At the heart of Lily’s involvement is a significant investment in the next generation of researchers. We’re committing more than £150,000 over five years to fund five dedicated Lily PhD studentships, helping to nurture and develop future leaders in mitochondrial research.
The students will begin their studies from October 2027, with three starting in the first year of the programme and a further two joining in year four. As part of a wider cohort of thirteen PhD students, they’ll undertake cutting-edge research across areas including mitochondrial biology, gene therapy and genome editing, all with the shared goal of improving outcomes for patients and families affected by mitochondrial disease.
Importantly, the studentships will also champion diversity within research, encouraging applications from talented individuals from under-represented backgrounds and helping to build a more inclusive scientific community.
Beyond this funding, we’ll play an active and collaborative role in shaping the research itself too. Working closely with the MRC CoRE team, Lily will help guide the focus of student projects to ensure they reflect the real priorities and needs of our community.
Liz Curtis, Founder and CEO of The Lily Foundation, said: “We’re proud to be a named partner in this initiative, an ambitious and collaborative project that has the potential to transform our understanding of mitochondrial disease. By bringing together world-leading expertise and embedding patient perspectives from the outset, this programme reflects exactly the kind of strategic, forward-looking research we want to support. As well as helping ensure the priorities of patients shape the research, we’re especially excited to be investing directly in the next generation of scientists to take mitochondrial research forward.”
Prof Minczuk added: “The Lily Foundation has played a vital role in making this Centre a reality. By ensuring that the voices of patients and families remain central to our work, the Foundation is helping us build a research programme that reflects the priorities of the mitochondrial disease community. Through its commitment to co-funding PhD studentships, it is also investing in the next generation of mitochondrial researchers who will drive future discoveries and therapies.”
This landmark partnership marks another important step forward for the mito community. By combining long-term investment, world-leading science and a strong patient voice, MRC CoRE represents a powerful opportunity to make meaningful progress – not just for families today, but for future generations.