Pedro Vale awarded a 3-year grant from the Leverhulme Trust

Branco Weiss Fellow Pedro Vale has been awarded with a research project grant by the Leverhulme Trust. Dr. Vale will receive an amount of GBP 276,776 over a 3-year period for his project titled “Mitochondrial genetic effects on innate immunity in Drosophila”.

Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as important mediators of innate immune responses. However, it is currently unclear how naturally occurring variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contributes to the widespread heterogeneity in infection outcomes. Using a collection of fruit flies (Drosophila) reflecting global mitochondrial diversity, Dr. Vale’s group at the University of Edinburgh will combine phenotypic, physiological and genomic approaches to test the effect of specific mitochondrial polymorphisms on cellular and humoral responses to infection. This work is relevant in the context of mitochondrial replacement therapy, where embryonic mitochondria are replaced to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases from mother to offspring.

The Leverhulme Trust is providing grants and scholarships for research and education since 1925. It aims to award work of outstanding merit, which is original, important, and has significance beyond a single field. The Trust particularly values research that crosses disciplinary boundaries or that is willing to take risks in its pursuit of new knowledge or understanding. Distributing approximately GBP 80 million a year, it is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK.

Read it on the Leverhulme Trust’s website