SF Business Times: Kimberly Nye and Nasha Fitter both founded organizations to seek cures for afflictions suffered by their children. Nasha Fitter didn’t have time. There had to be a better, faster way, she thought — not just for her daughter, but for other people with rare diseases. Fitter tapped her tech and entrepreneurial background to create a nonprofit, the FOXG1 Research Foundation.
2022 Impact Report
2022 Research Highlights (see details below)
Breakthrough gene therapy results showing rescue of FOXG1 brain structure, behavior, memory and cognition symptoms in animal models
Positive results on initial compound drug screens to identify molecules to increase FOXG1 levels; now moving forward to larger screens
Never-before understanding of FOXG1 biology uncovered from six FOXG1 patient human cell lines and mouse models
Successful testing of guide RNAs to increase FOXG1 expression with a CRISPRa Cas-9 system
Discovered ASO sequences (antisense gene therapy) to modulate FOXG1 expression; testing initiated with Creyon Bio
FOXG1 data package presented to several biotech companies with high interest
ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 163 - How Far We've Come - with Nicole Johnson
Effie Parks talks to the co-founder of the FOXG1 Research Foundation, Nicole Johnson in this episode of Once Upon a Gene. Nicole shares the FOXG1 Research Foundation journey marking five years, and shares tips on how to throw a successful conference for scientists, clinicians and parents from all over the world
The most personalized medicine: Studying your own child’s rare condition
Article from Spectrum News, the leading site for autism research news. Excerpt:Attracting parents who are also scientists to the cause only turbocharges those efforts. Nasha Fitter, a cofounder of the FOXG1 Research Foundation, a parent-led foundation for research on an autism-linked condition called FOXG1syndrome, could hardly believe it when she stumbled on a 2017 Facebook post by FOXG1 parent Soo-Kyung Lee about a grant she and her husband, Jae Lee, both respected neuroscientists, had secured. “Hold up, you guys are parents and you’re scientists?” she remembers thinking, even before she knew of their expertise and reputation for rigor. The Lees now lead the FOXG1 Center of Excellence at the University at Buffalo in New York State and receive considerable funding from the foundation. FOXG1 families are unfortunate in many ways, Fitter says, “but we’re very fortunate with Soo and Jae.”
Global Genes Rare Leader: FOXG1 Research Foundation Co-Founder & Executive Director
The Johnson Family - Changing the World Right Here in Port Washington
FOXG1 Research Foundation co-founder and Executive Director shared her story with her hometown local magazine called Port Washington Living. This feature article celebrates the Johnson family and Nicole’s work to find a cure for FOXG1 syndrome, while helping FOXG1 families around the world, including helping the FOXG1 family in the Ukraine to safety.
Help FOXG1 Ukrainian Family Rebuild!
The FOXG1 Research Community has helped get a FOXG1 family safely out of the warn-torn Ukraine! Now, they have to rebuild thier lives. Eva is a 3-ear-old child with the severe rare disease called FOXG1 syndrome. She suffers from seizures and is disabled. They are on thier way to safely, but they lost everything. This is how you can help. Thank you!
A Look Ahead Into 2022!
2021 Impact Report
The FOXG1 Research Foundation is dedicated to driving science towards therapeutics and ultimately a cure for every person in the world affected with FOXG1 syndrome. While accelerating research, we are also focused on advocating for and supporting families along this difficult journey. We cannot do this without you. In 2021 we raised nearly $3M. Thank you for your support!
COMBINED Brain Interviews FOXG1 Research Foundation Co-Founder, Nicole Johnson
For FOXG1 Awareness Month, Terry Jo Bichell, the Director of COMBINED Brain spoke to Nicole Johnson about her FOXG1 journey. Nicole discusses her daughter Josie, her family, and how the FOXG1 Research Foundation was created. Learn the FRF's research strategy and more.
One Rare Disease Mom and Patient Organization Leader to Another…
Terry Jo Bichelle is the founder of COMBINED Brain, The Consortium for Outcome Measures and Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Disorders that is devoted to speeding the path to clinical treatments for people with severe rare genetic non-verbal neurodevelopmental disorders by pooling efforts, studies and data. Nicole Johnson is on the board of COMBINED Brian and is the co-founder and Executive Director of the FOXG1 Research Foundation.
Terry Jo speaks to Nicole about her journey as a FOXG1 mom, from the early days of searching for her daughter Josie’s diagnosis to starting the FOXG1 Research Foundation. As Terry Jo says the FOXG1 Research Foundation has “really power packed” the work in four years to drive the science towards therapeutics for all individuals with FOXG1 syndrome.
Rarebase launches a neuroscience drug discovery platform collaborating with 15 rare disease patient organization
Rarebase launches a neuroscience drug discovery platform collaborating with 15 rare disease patient organizations including the FOGX1 Research Foundation, SynGAP Research Fund, , STXBP1 Research Foundation, Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation, and more. The Function platform enables drug and target discovery for rare genetic diseases.
ONCE UPON A GENE - The 12 Commandments to Guide You When You're Starting a Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Group. With Nasha Fitter and Mike Graglia
Effie Parks celebrated podcast Once Upon a Gene Episode 094: FOXG1 advocate Nasha Fitter and SYNGAP1 advocate Mike Graglia are leaders in the rare disease community and two of the top parent leaders in the advocacy game. In this episode, they're sharing their knowledge, expertise and experiences in an information-packed masterclass on how to build a rare disease patient advocacy group, get funding and forge a path to a cure.