HCU Network America and HCU Network Australia announced their first joint Research Grant in 2018, followed by one grant announced in 2019 and three grants in 2022. The grants were made possible by people within both communities who contributed directly or raised funds on behalf of the organizations. The HCU Network America Grants are also funded by the Hempling Foundation for Homocystinuria Research, established in memory of Judy and Susie Hempling, two young girls from Buffalo, NY whose lives were cut short by HCU in the 1970s. Funding from the William R. Hummel Homocystinuria Research Fund, established by a family member in honor of Will Hummel, a young man with HCU in Pennsylvania, also supported the 2018 grant project. The Cobalamin C grant awarded in 2022 was also supported by funding from cblC Onlus in Italy and the Organic Acidemia Association in the US. The Newborn Screening Grant in 2022 was not recommended as part of the global grants process, but rather was supported by the Board of HCU Network America and reviewed by a Board Member and Medical Advisor.
The HCU Networks extend a warm thanks to our Scientific Advisory Board for generously giving their time and expertise to review the Research Grant Applications. A special thanks is also extended to the independent reviewers of these Applications for their valuable insight and expertise in the evaluation of the Grant Applications.
The HCU Networks plan to continue this Grant Program by issuing calls for Expressions of Interest on a periodic basis.
Classical HCU Research Grants
- Project title: Crystallography-based fragment screening to develop pharmacological chaperones for classic homocystinuria
- Principal Investigator: Thomas McCorvie, PhD
- Amount: $USD 40,000
- Status: Active
- Read more about the grant and Dr. McCorvie
- Project title: Evaluation of benefits of thiol-based reductants in classical homocystinuria
- Principal Investigator: Tomas Majtan, PhD
- Amount: $USD 40,000
- Status: Completed
- Read more about the grant and Dr. Majtan
- Project title: New Metabolic strategies for improving the treatment of homocystinuria due to CBS deficiency and remethylation defects
- Principal Investigator: Kenneth N. Maclean, Ph.D.
- Amount: $USD 40,000
- Status: Completed
- Read more about the grant and Kenneth N. Maclean, Ph.D.
- Update: https://hcunetworkamerica.org/interview-with-dr-ken-maclean/
Remethylation Disorders Research Grants
- Project title: Aminoglycosides for the Treatment of Inborn Errors of Vitamin B12 Metabolism
- Principal Investigator: Brian Gilfix, McGill University Health Centre
- Amount: $USD 25,000
- Status: Active
- Read more about the grant and Dr. Brian Gilfix
- Project title: Establishing MTHFR- and Cobalamin G-deficient cerebral organoids: an in vitro disease model for investigating novel therapies
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn and Beata Vekeriotaite
- Amount: $USD 73,000
- Status: Active
- Read more about the grant and, Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn and Beata Vekeriotaite
- Project title: Identification of Compounds to Rescue MMACHC Functional Deficiency in CBLC Disease
- Principal Investigator: Silvia Vilasi, PhD
- Amount: $USD 40,000
- Status: Active
- Read more about the grant and Dr. Vilasi
- Read the 6-month update
Newborn Screening Grants
- Project Title: Development of Reference Ranges for Additional Newborn Screening Markers for Early Detection of the Homocystinurias: Classical Homocystinuria and Remethylation Disorders
- Principal Investigator: Devinder Kaur, PhD
- Amount: $10,000
- Status: Active
- Read more about the grant and Devinder Kaur, Ph.D.
- Read the final project summary
