Trinity Fellow Awarded Funding to Advance Research into Friedreich’s Ataxia

Dr Natalia Gromak, Associate Professor in Pathology and Fellow of Trinity College, University of Oxford, is among five Oxford researchers awarded funding through the FA Alliance Innovation Fund to advance the discovery of new therapies for Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a rare, debilitating and life-shortening neurodegenerative disease.

The awards are coordinated by the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC), a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Harrington Discovery Institute (USA), and are supported by philanthropic funding dedicated to accelerating rare disease therapeutics. Each researcher receives £100,000 alongside specialist translational support.

Dr Gromak’s project, Design of GAA-repeat proteomics to identify factors interacting with expanded repeats in Friedreich’s Ataxia, will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying gene silencing in FA. Her research focuses on how abnormal DNA and RNA structures contribute to disease, with the aim of identifying new targets for therapeutic intervention.

The FA Alliance Innovation Fund supports high-risk, high-reward research across Oxford, bringing together experts in basic science, translational research and clinical practice. The five funded projects span cutting-edge approaches including epigenetic therapy, organoid disease models, digital clinical assessments and AI-enabled rehabilitation.

Professor Matthew Wood, Director and Chief Scientific Officer of OHC, described the awards as “a major milestone” for Friedreich’s Ataxia research at Oxford, highlighting the critical role of philanthropy in turning early scientific ideas into meaningful progress for patients.

Friedreich’s Ataxia affects approximately 1 in 50,000 people in the UK and US and currently has no cure. The FA Alliance at Oxford aims to accelerate the development of effective treatments by coordinating expertise and resources across the University.

Read the full announcement here