Funded Grants

FARA-Funded Research Grants

Graduate Research Fellowship | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Dec 2026

Defining new epigenetic gene silencing axis driving repeat-associated heterochromatin formation in Friedreich’s Ataxia patients’ cells 

Remi Neplaz
Universite Claude Bernard Lyon, Villeurbanne, France

General Research Grant | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Nov 2026

Elucidating epigenetic control of FXN transcription in FRDA

Parisha Shah, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania

General Research Grant | Outcome Measures & Biomarkers

Grant Awarded | Nov 2026

Defining and targeting cardiac lipid dysregulation in Friedreich ataxia using human iPSC-derived cardiac models 

Jarmon Lees, Ph.D.
St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia

Award for Innovative Mindset (AIM) | Drug Discovery

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

Can mRNA Therapy Restore Frataxin Levels in Friedreich’s Ataxia?

Massimo Pandolfo, MD
McGill University, Quebec, Canada

Award for Innovative Mindset (AIM) | Drug Discovery

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

Tunable genetic circuits to enable precision genetic medicines for Friedreich’s Ataxia

Nicholas Goeden, PhD
Asymptote Genetic Medicines Inc, Pasadena, CA

General Research Grant | Drug Discovery

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

CBM-01, A Novel Inhibitor of Lipid Peroxidation for Targeting Iron-mediated Pathology in FA Cardiomyopathy  

Vasanthi Viswanathan, Ph.D.
Coastline Biomedicine, Boston, MA

Postdoctoral Research Award | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

Investigating molecular mechanisms underlying microglia hyperactivation in Friedreich Ataxia 

Carla Pernaci, Ph.D.
Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

Activation of the ZBP1–cGAS–STING–Type I Interferon Axis as a Mechanistic Driver of Cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s Ataxia 

Gaomin Feng, Ph.D.
The Jackson Laboratory, Bal Harbor, ME

Postdoctoral Research Award | Drug Discovery

Grant Awarded | Sep 2026

Investigating Synthetic Gene Regulator function in FRDA patient-derived Cardiomyocytes and neuronal cell types

Kumari Sweta, Ph.D
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

Postdoctoral Research Award | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Feb 2026

SHIFT-FA – Study of Heterogeneity in Friedreich’s Ataxia Trajectories

Isabell Cordts, MD
University of Munich, Friedrich-Baur-Institut

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Mechanism or Pathway of Disease

Grant Awarded | Feb 2026

Investigating spinal sensory-motor circuit pathology in two mouse models of FA

Nicholas Stachowski, PhD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

General Research Grant | Outcome Measures & Biomarkers

Grant Awarded | Feb 2026

AIMs_Play: Predicting Disease Progression in Pediatric Friedreich Ataxia with Generative AI-Enabled Platform

Pubudu Pathirana, PhD, and Louise Corben, PhD
Deakin University and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute